HR Administration Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends HR Administrator, HR Assistant and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 7 Nov 2026 Course code SD-HM-087

Before you join: Participants should understand basic workplace HR terms, such as employment contract, probation, leave, payroll and personnel file.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Accurate HR administration is the control point for the employee lifecycle. Errors in employee records, contract changes, absence data, payroll inputs or confidential files can create employee dissatisfaction, incorrect payments, audit findings and avoidable legal exposure. HR administrators need to process transactions consistently while responding clearly to employees, managers, payroll teams and external providers.

This course develops the working knowledge required to run reliable HR administration services. Participants learn to map employee lifecycle processes, maintain personnel files, prepare contracts and variation letters, control payroll inputs, administer leave and benefits, coordinate recruitment and onboarding, support performance and employee relations processes, and produce useful HR reports. The course also addresses records retention, confidentiality, data protection controls, service-level management and escalation procedures. Participants practise applying standard operating procedures, RACI matrices, case logs, audit trails and data-quality checks to realistic HR scenarios.

Teaching combines concise instructor briefings with case work, document reviews, group exercises and transaction simulations. Participants work with examples such as an employee transfer, overdue probation review, absence-record correction, payroll query and offboarding case. They leave with a reusable HR administration toolkit containing process maps, checklists, templates and controls that can be adapted to their own employer. A certificate of completion is issued to participants who complete the five-day course.

The course suits HR professionals who already handle, or are preparing to handle, operational HR responsibilities. It is particularly useful for administrators moving into broader HR operations roles and for teams seeking more consistent records, faster service and clearer control over employee transactions.

What you will be able to do

  • Map employee lifecycle transactions using process maps, ownership points and control checks
  • Maintain compliant personnel records using retention schedules, access controls and audit trails
  • Prepare employment documentation using approved templates, version control and authorisation workflows
  • Validate payroll and benefits inputs through reconciliation, exception reporting and deadline management
  • Administer leave, absence and attendance records using documented entitlement and approval rules
  • Coordinate recruitment, onboarding and offboarding workflows using task lists and clearance controls
  • Produce HR metrics and management reports using data-quality checks and defined calculations
  • Handle employee enquiries and sensitive cases using case logs, escalation criteria and confidentiality protocols

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Process employee transactions with fewer omissions, delays and rework
  • Prepare clearer contracts, letters and personnel-file documentation
  • Identify payroll-input errors before submission deadlines
  • Respond to employee enquiries using documented case-management steps
  • Build evidence for progression into HR operations or advisory roles

For your organisation

  • Fewer recordkeeping errors and missing employee documentation
  • More timely, accurate payroll and benefits administration
  • Clearer accountability between HR, managers and payroll teams
  • Better audit evidence for employee lifecycle transactions
  • More consistent employee service across routine HR enquiries

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can define an HR administration service model with clear workflows, roles and control points.

  • HR administration operating model, service catalogue, roles and escalation routes
  • Employee lifecycle transactions mapped from requisition through exit clearance
  • RACI matrix assigns accountabilities for HR, managers, payroll and employees
  • Service-level measures for response times, accuracy, completion and customer queries
  • Standard operating procedures distinguish mandatory controls from local working instructions
  • Case prioritisation using urgency, employee impact, legal risk and deadlines

Participants can maintain secure, accurate personnel records with traceable access and retention controls.

  • Personnel file structure for identity, employment, pay, performance and absence records
  • Records retention schedule links document classes to disposal and review dates
  • Role-based access controls restrict sensitive employee information to authorised users
  • Audit trails record amendments, approvals, document versions and access events
  • Data-quality checks identify duplicates, missing fields, conflicting dates and expired documents
  • Confidentiality protocols govern requests from managers, employees, auditors and third parties

Participants can prepare, issue and track employment documentation through controlled approval processes.

  • Contract checklist confirms job title, pay, hours, location and start date
  • Offer documentation follows approved terms, conditional requirements and acceptance deadlines
  • Variation letters record approved changes to role, pay, hours or reporting lines
  • Template version control prevents outdated clauses and unauthorised document amendments
  • Authorisation workflow separates drafting, checking, approval, issue and filing responsibilities
  • Probation records track review dates, outcomes, extensions and confirmation decisions

Participants can validate HR data changes and submit accurate payroll and benefits inputs on time.

  • Payroll cut-off calendar coordinates starters, leavers, changes, deductions and approvals
  • Change forms capture effective dates, authorisation, supporting evidence and system updates
  • Reconciliation compares approved HR changes against payroll exception reports
  • Benefits enrolment records eligibility, elections, dependants, provider files and confirmations
  • Exception management investigates duplicate payments, missing deductions and incorrect allowances
  • Monthly control log documents submissions, corrections, approvals and unresolved exceptions

Participants can administer employee leave and absence records using consistent rules, evidence and approvals.

  • Leave entitlement calculations apply accrual rules, carryover limits and pro-rating
  • Absence records distinguish sickness, family leave, authorised absence and unpaid leave
  • Approval workflow checks entitlement, operational cover, delegated authority and supporting evidence
  • Return-to-work documentation records absence discussions, actions and referral requirements
  • Attendance exceptions identify recurring patterns, missing timesheets and unauthorised absences
  • Calendar controls track public holidays, shutdown periods and leave booking deadlines

Participants can coordinate recruitment administration and onboarding tasks from vacancy approval to probation review.

  • Requisition workflow records approved headcount, budget, grade and hiring authority
  • Candidate file checklist controls applications, interview records, references and selection evidence
  • Pre-employment checks track identity, qualifications, references and required clearances
  • Onboarding task list assigns system access, equipment, induction and policy acknowledgements
  • New-starter data validation prevents payroll, tax, bank and contact-information errors
  • Ninety-day review schedule links probation milestones to manager reminders and records

Participants can administer key performance, learning and employee relations processes with secure documentation.

  • Performance review calendar tracks objective setting, reviews, ratings and completion status
  • SMART objectives distinguish measurable outputs, behavioural expectations and review evidence
  • Learning administration records nominations, approvals, attendance, costs and completion certificates
  • Grievance case log records allegations, dates, owners, actions and confidentiality restrictions
  • Disciplinary documentation tracks notices, meetings, evidence, decisions and appeal deadlines
  • Sensitive case files separate restricted records from standard personnel documentation

Participants can handle HR enquiries through structured case management, communication and escalation.

  • Case intake captures employee details, enquiry category, urgency and requested outcome
  • Knowledge-base articles provide approved answers for recurring policy and process questions
  • Communication standards set acknowledgement times, ownership updates and closure messages
  • Escalation matrix routes legal, safeguarding, payroll and employee-relations matters appropriately
  • Root-cause analysis identifies recurring enquiries caused by unclear processes or data errors
  • Customer-service measures track volume, ageing, first-response time and resolution quality

Participants can produce accurate HR reports and explain key workforce measures to stakeholders.

  • Data dictionary defines fields, formats, source systems, owners and update frequencies
  • Headcount report distinguishes employees, contingent workers, vacancies and full-time equivalents
  • Turnover calculation separates voluntary exits, involuntary exits and average headcount
  • Absence rate calculations use defined working days, absence days and population scope
  • Data validation rules flag impossible dates, missing grades and inconsistent employment statuses
  • Management report commentary explains trends, exceptions, data limitations and required actions

Participants can assess HR administration controls, prepare audit evidence and create an improvement plan.

  • Control checklist tests approvals, segregation, evidence, timeliness and records retention
  • Sample-based file reviews identify missing documents, inconsistent data and overdue actions
  • Issue log records findings, owners, due dates, corrective actions and closure evidence
  • PDCA cycle structures process improvement after recurring errors or service failures
  • Risk register scores likelihood, impact, existing controls and treatment actions
  • Personal application plan prioritises procedures, templates, controls and stakeholder conversations

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Employee lifecycle process map
  2. HR administration RACI matrix
  3. Personnel file audit checklist
  4. Payroll input reconciliation template
  5. HR case-management log
  6. HR administration improvement plan

Who should attend

  • HR Administrator — strengthens day-to-day transaction accuracy and service consistency
  • HR Assistant — prepares them for broader responsibility across employee lifecycle processes
  • HR Officer — improves control of records, documentation and HR reporting
  • HR Coordinator — supports reliable coordination between managers, payroll and employees
  • Payroll Liaison Officer — improves validation and timing of people-data inputs
  • Office Manager — formalises HR administration responsibilities within a generalist role

Skills and tools covered

Employee lifecycle administrationPersonnel records controlPayroll input validationHR reportingCase managementConfidentiality management

Tools and standards

RACI matrix, SMART objectives, PDCA cycle, ISO 30414

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce procedures, controls and working documents, followed by guided case work and group exercises. Participants review sample personnel files, assess transaction risks, correct payroll-input exceptions and draft administrative documentation. Simulations cover employee enquiries, approval delays, confidential-record requests and offboarding clearances. Facilitated discussion compares practical approaches used in different employers while keeping legal requirements jurisdiction-neutral. Each participant completes application planning to identify procedures, templates and controls for use after the course.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should understand basic workplace HR terms, such as employment contract, probation, leave, payroll and personnel file. Some exposure to HR administration, office administration, payroll support or employee services is helpful, whether gained through employment or internal duties. Participants should be comfortable reading policies, checking documents and using spreadsheets or HR systems at a basic level. Prior study in employment law, payroll calculation, HR analytics or a specific HR information system is not required. The course uses jurisdiction-neutral principles and participants should bring awareness of their own local policies.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Basic familiarity with workplace HR terms and office processes is expected. Previous HR administration experience is helpful but not essential, and no formal HR qualification is required.

Bring examples of non-confidential HR procedures, forms or recurring administration issues if your employer permits this. A laptop is useful for live online delivery and may also help with classroom materials.

It is designed for HR administrators, assistants, officers, coordinators and office managers with HR responsibilities. It also suits payroll liaison staff who need better control over people-data changes.

This course concentrates on the operational systems, records, documents and controls that keep HR services accurate. It does not focus on strategic workforce planning or detailed legal interpretation for a single jurisdiction.

Participants leave with reusable templates and checklists for personnel files, payroll inputs, case handling and process control. The final module helps them select priority improvements for their own HR administration processes.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The programme is organised into ten connected modules covering employee lifecycle administration, controls, service delivery and reporting.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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