Published: 5th July 2021.
Written by Jodie Magrath

A Certificate IV in Human Resources is a great way to improve your skills in people management. Whether you want to start a career in human resources or develop skills to help you deal with your staff, this course could be just what you need. You’ll learn to hire and train new staff, develop strong working relationships with your team and manage staff policies. This qualification can prepare you for a range of human resource roles with large and small organisations.

The Certificate IV in Human Resources covers a range of topics to improve your knowledge of human resource issues. You’ll learn to recruit and induct new staff members and review the performance of existing employees. The course covers strategies to motivate staff and promote team cohesion. You’ll also look at ways to implement and monitor workplace policies such as workplace health and safety.

A career in human resources means you’ll need strong interpersonal skills and excellent communication. You’ll need to be able to liaise with people from all levels of an organisation and be able to understand your team’s needs. This industry requires strong organisational skills and the ability to manage your time well. You’ll often be dealing with several issues at one time, so multitasking abilities are essential.

A Certificate IV in Human Resources can prepare you for the following careers:

HR Assistant

A HR Assistant performs a range of administrative duties in a human resource department. You might respond to employee enquiries and maintain staff records. HR Assistants also assist with employee recruitment by preparing job advertisements, corresponding with applicants and organising inductions for new staff.

Recruitment Consultant

A Recruitment Consultant assists companies to hire new employees. You might advertise job roles, interview applicants and make recommendations for new hires. Recruitment Consultants might specialise in recruiting for a particular industry or work for a large company’s human resource department.

Workplace Health and Safety Officer

A Workplace Health and Safety Officer is in charge of safety issues within a workplace. You might carry out inspections to identify potential hazards or investigate safety incidents. Workplace Health and Safety Officers ensure organisations are meeting safety standards and develop policies and procedures to maintain staff and customer safety.

Higher education pathways

A Certificate IV in Human Resources is an ideal qualification to further your human resources career. You might choose to further your studies with a Diploma of Human Resources Management or an Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management. You could also specialise your skills with a Diploma of Payroll Services or a Diploma of Business (Operations).

If you decide to further your studies you could enrol in a university degree such as a Bachelor of Human Resource Management or a Bachelor of Business (Human Resources Management). University qualifications may increase your job opportunities and allow you to take on a position with greater responsibility. You may be able to use a Certificate IV in Human Resources as a pathway to these courses.

Getting started

If you’re interested in enrolling in a Certificate IV in Human Resources, make sure you collect information from a range of course providers. You’ll need to find out about the duration of the course, the costs involved, any prerequisites and the content the course will cover. Providers often vary in the way they deliver their courses, so collecting all the information means you can compare details and find the right course for you.