HR Strategy Course
Management asks for an HR strategy. You need to show which people problems matter, what HR will do and what it will cost. In three recorded lessons, Mike Pritula takes you through a 17-section template, from business goals and analysis to the budget, roadmap and presentation.
- 3 recorded lessons
- 6 template workbooks
- AI prompts for strategy preparation
- Homework review
- Diploma
By Mike Pritula — No. 1 HR instructor on Udemy, 21 years in HR
The job in front of you Sound familiar?
You have been asked for an HR strategy, but your starting point is a list of activities rather than business goals.
The current strategy describes broad intentions without targets, owners or a plan for the year.
The CEO asks what the HR budget will achieve, and you have no clear cost and benefit calculation.
Hiring, development and retention projects compete for attention, with no agreed order or priorities.
What you will have after the course
A clear link to business goals
Assess the current strategy, define the HR mission and connect business goals with HR actions and measures.
A completed strategy for your company
Use audit findings, PESTEL, SWOT/TOWS, HR metrics and employee feedback to choose priorities and annual goals.
A budget and roadmap for leadership
Set the HR structure, required resources, expected benefits, project owners and dates. Prepare the argument for the CEO.
| Goal | Metric | Current | Target | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reduce turnover | Turnover % | 50% | 25% | Q4 |
| Implement OKRs | % employees with OKRs | 0% | 70% | Q3 |
| Launch an employer brand | Resume/Vacancy | 30 | 100+ | Q4 |
| Build onboarding | % Checklist fulfillment | 20% | 100% | Q2 |
| HR Analytics | Number of metrics in the report | 2 | 5+ | Q2 |
Start today, for free
The free PapaHR template has 17 sections with hints and examples. Fill in business goals, analysis, priorities, budget and roadmap, then open the document and save it as a PDF.
- Fill in the HR strategy as an HR document in PapaHR and return to it as the plan develops.
- Use the free HR audit to assess the starting point: its results fill the strategy's audit section.
- In Free you can create 5 HR documents; unlimited — in Pro and in the academy subscription.
Tools you get in the course
HR strategy maturity assessment
Score the current approach and identify the parts that need attention.
ExcelHR strategy template
17 sections covering business goals, analysis, metrics, priorities, HR resources and the roadmap.
ExcelPESTEL, SWOT and TOWS worksheets
Review external factors and turn strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats into strategic choices.
ExcelHR metrics library
30+ metrics with formulas and reference benchmarks; includes a sheet for choosing your own measures.
ExcelHR initiative ROI calculator
Estimate costs and benefits when building the case for an HR initiative.
ExcelHR initiatives roadmap planner
Record initiatives, dates and owners, then view the schedule in a Gantt chart.
ExcelWho this course is for
HR generalist
is taking on strategy work and needs to connect HR actions with business goals
HR business partner
prepares priorities and resource requests for a business unit
HR director
needs a written strategy, budget and roadmap for leadership
HR consultant
creates an HR strategy with a client and needs a consistent structure
Program
Lesson 1. Set the direction
Distinguish a strategy from a budget or activity list. Assess strategy maturity. Use the business context to complete the vision, HR mission and business goals in sections 1–3.
Result: A maturity assessment and a clear starting point for the strategy.
Lesson 2. Choose priorities and goals
Complete sections 4–12: initiatives, audit results, PESTEL, SWOT/TOWS, metrics, EVP and employee voice. Set long-term priorities and annual HR goals. Use AI prompts to support analysis and wording.
Result: The analysis, priorities and measurable goals for your company.
Lesson 3. Plan resources and present the strategy
Complete sections 13–17: HR roles, budget, initiative ROI, HR team development and roadmap. Prepare a CEO presentation using the structure in the lesson and practise responses to common objections.
Result: A completed strategy with resources, a roadmap and a leadership presentation outline.
Your profile after the course
What you can add to LinkedIn and your CV — and what this work pays.
Your Name
HR Director · HR strategy and business planning
Experience
Prepared an HR strategy linking business goals with HR priorities, annual targets, budget, initiative ROI and a roadmap with owners and dates.
Licenses & certifications
HR Strategy Playbook — Mike Pritula AcademyDiploma after the course
Skills
- HR Strategy
- Business Alignment
- HR Metrics
- HR Budgeting
- HR Initiative ROI
Medians in the U.S.; pay depends on country, company and experience. * U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
Your diploma after the course
Complete the course assignments and get a personal diploma of Mike Pritula Academy.
- Add it to Licenses & certifications on LinkedIn
- Every diploma has its own unique code
- The QR code on the diploma opens its online version
- Issued on Accredible, the platform Google, Udacity and Rosetta Stone use for their certificates, so it cannot be forged
- Lesson 1. Set the direction
- Lesson 2. Choose priorities and goals
- Lesson 3. Plan resources and present the strategy
Learn from your phone
Recorded lessons fit into your day: on the way to work, at lunch or in the evening.
- Recorded video lessons — watch at any time
- A year of access, at your own pace
- Strategy template and planning tools in Excel
- Homework reviewed, Diploma after completing the assignments
Mike Pritula
Founder of Mike Pritula Academy and PapaHR
Mike Pritula founded the academy and built PapaHR, the HR system where the templates of his courses work for real companies. The playbooks are his own HR practice, step by step.
What graduates of the academy say
Graduates of related Mike Pritula Academy courses, from the surveys they fill in when they get the diploma.
“What’s more, the course gave me more confidence in my own experience, which let me change jobs and broaden my role. You change people’s lives!”
Course: HR Director · Profile on LinkedIn
“Thanks to regular feedback, the HR department got closer to people and no longer does just hiring and HR paperwork. As a result, we’ve already optimised many processes.”
Course: HR Formula · Profile on LinkedIn
“I used to think like an HR person, mostly on the side of “the people.” Now I think bigger and understand the need for balance — not only for the staff, but for the business too.”
Course: Chief Operating Officer (COO) · Profile on LinkedIn
“I think every HR person in any role should take this course to understand how much subjectivity there is in our work. The homework is highly relevant to an HR person’s everyday challenges at work.”
Course: People Analytics · Profile on LinkedIn
Price
for one person, access for a year
- 3 recorded lessons
- 6 template workbooks, plus AI prompts
- Homework review
- Diploma
a year for one person
- All 150+ courses of the academy, this one included
- All playbooks, now and new ones
- Homework review and certificates
- PapaHR Pro for up to 50 employees
a year for a team of up to 10 people
- Everything in the annual subscription
- For up to 10 people of your team
- PapaHR Pro for up to 200 employees
Questions
Can I take this as my first HR course?
The academy recommends at least two years of HR experience for this Playbook. It focuses on building a company strategy and assumes you already understand the main HR processes.
Do I need an HR audit before starting?
It is recommended because section 5 uses audit findings. You can begin with the business goals and add the audit results when they are ready.
What will I prepare during the course?
A 17-section HR strategy, including priorities, annual goals, HR resources, budget and a roadmap. There are three recorded lessons with homework and a year of access.
Do I need PapaHR for the course?
No: the strategy tools come as Excel workbooks. PapaHR is free for up to 25 employees and also has an online HR strategy template.
Do I get a Diploma?
Yes, after completing the course assignments. Homework is reviewed.
What does the annual subscription give?
All 150+ courses of the academy for a year, including this one. You can study the recorded classes at your own pace. The team subscription covers up to 10 people.