Google People Management Essentials
What makes a great manager? With People Management Essentials, you'll gain the skills to manage people confidently and effectively. Learn how to set clear goals, give constructive feedback, and build a high-performing team.
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Learn management skills from leaders at Google
Develop the core skills to manage a high-performing team in under 8 hours, with a curriculum built on nearly 20 years of Google’s management research.
$40,000+
for roles requiring people management skills compared to roles that don’t1
"My favorite thing about the course is how comprehensive and practical it is. I learned everything from techniques for self-development and assessment to principles for managing in all directions.”
Raphael Google People Management Essentials Graduate
What to expect
From navigating difficult conversations to using AI to help with management tasks, People Management Essentials has you covered.
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No experience required
For current or aspiring managers -
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<8 hours to complete
Master management skills quickly -
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Hands-on activities
Based on real workplace scenarios -
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Flexible learning
Progress at your own pace
COURSE
People Management Essentials
Set goals that drive results
Practice strategies for setting clear goals and communicating expectations to your team.
Give constructive feedback
Learn to coach and provide effective feedback so you can bring out the best in your team.
Inspire others to do amazing work
Create a culture of constant learning & open communication to keep your team motivated.
Course breakdown
Create a High-Performing Team
Set and Achieve Team Goals
Support Individual Growth and Development
Grow as a Manager
Gain the skills to lead a team with confidence
Maybe you’re a new manager, or you’re hoping to be one soon. No matter what your level is, this course will help you develop the skills and confidence you need to take that next step in your career.
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Earn a certificate
Boost your resume and professional profiles with the Google People Management Essentials Certificate.
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Get hands-on experience
Through real workplace scenarios, you'll master practical management skills you can use immediately.
Hear from our People Management Essentials Graduates
"I'm a people manager, but before Google People Management Essentials I had no formal management training. This course met me right where I was and helped me solidify my skill set and gain confidence as a leader.”
Crystal People Management Essentials Graduate
“The real-world scenarios allowed me to fully engage with the content and connect examples and lessons to my own career. I completed the course feeling confident and excited to apply the skills I've learned.”
Jane People Management Essentials Graduate
“Google People Management Essentials definitely succeeded in motivating me to seek a managerial position in my organization. It gave me the tools I need to start preparing, and helped me map out my next steps.”
Wendy People Management Essentials Graduate
"I'm a people manager, but before Google People Management Essentials I had no formal management training. This course met me right where I was and helped me solidify my skill set and gain confidence as a leader.”
Crystal People Management Essentials Graduate
“The real-world scenarios allowed me to fully engage with the content and connect examples and lessons to my own career. I completed the course feeling confident and excited to apply the skills I've learned.”
Jane People Management Essentials Graduate
“Google People Management Essentials definitely succeeded in motivating me to seek a managerial position in my organization. It gave me the tools I need to start preparing, and helped me map out my next steps.”
Wendy People Management Essentials Graduate
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Frequently asked questions
Every organization needs great people managers. At Google, we know from our own internal research that the best managers have better performing teams, better retention, and happier team members. People managers motivate and inspire their teams, provide direction, create a supportive and inclusive environment, foster communication and collaboration, and harness their team’s strengths to deliver results.
In addition to making a real impact, people management is a path to career progression, allowing you to take on more responsibility and leadership within an organization. This opens up opportunities for advancement and increased compensation, with people managers typically earning $40,000 more per year than non-managers.1
At Google, we’ve been studying what makes managers and teams effective for nearly 20 years. We’ve analyzed millions of data points and conducted hundreds of interviews— and we continue that research to this day.
Google People Management Essentials is the result of all that research, distilled into practical, actionable lessons designed by management experts at Google. In this course, you’ll learn the same management skills that Google managers learn too.
People Management Essentials is an online course that you can complete at your own pace.
The course is self-paced and takes about 8 hours to complete.
This course does not have any prerequisites, and you don’t need any management experience to get started.
This course is designed for new and aspiring people managers who want to build the skills to be confident and effective, as well as managers with experience who are looking to sharpen their existing abilities. No prior management experience is needed to get started.
Google People Management Essentials gives you the practical, job-ready skills required to succeed in roles with people management responsibilities. This course is designed to equip you with the essential attributes of effective managers, whether you are an aspiring individual contributor or a current manager seeking to sharpen your abilities. Upon completion, you’ll earn a professional certificate from Google and be ready to apply your new management skills across any industry.
The content features readings and interviews with leaders at Google that discuss the ways in which AI tools can help managers in their day-to-day work. You will learn how to use AI to enhance your management skills and gain access to AI prompts to help you with management tasks like setting goals and running effective check-ins. One example is using AI to set goals using the SMART goal framework.
Throughout the course, you will complete practical, hands-on activities, which will allow you to develop key skills you can apply to your work right away. These activities range from practicing allocating work to team members, to preparing to give a performance review, to using AI to write a SMART goal.
Google People Management Essentials distills the best of Google's knowledge about great management into an actionable course. This course reflects Google’s data-driven approach as it is built on a foundation of nearly 20 years of research and millions of data points. The curriculum covers the same core people management skills and responsibilities that Google managers learn, offering you insights directly from the source. You'll learn from Google leaders who have extensive experience managing people and teams, ensuring you receive practical guidance and insights.
1Lightcast™ US Job Postings, 'People Management', 'Team Leadership’ and 'Team Management’ (Aug 31, 2020 - Aug 31, 2025)