SHRM CP prep

Which solution would best resolve a growing problem with absenteeism?

Administering the organization's attendance policy consistently.

How has the sustainability movement changed organizations' relations with their stakeholders?

A broader range of stakeholders is now considered, allowing for a more active role in shaping policies and goals.

Which should be the first step in creating an organization's philanthropic strategy as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy?

Aligning philanthropic activities with strategy and values

The CEO of an organization has requested regular, comprehensive reports on staffing, turnover, engagement, and performance. What would be the most effective strategy to fulfill this request?

Begin a project to implement an HR dashboard.

A large metropolitan hospital acquires a small community hospital, resulting in a total employee population of 1,000. As a result of the acquisition, the accounts receivable department from the small hospital, which has only five employees, is handling all outstanding patient accounts. During a management workforce planning session, the HR director questions the accounts receivable manager about staffing requests for the following year. The manager informs the HR director that the department is adequately staffed and will not need more employees. Later the HR director learns that the manager has confessed to other managers that he hopes to be promoted to vice president by saving the hospital money from not hiring additional personnel. Two accounts receivable employees terminate their hospital employment abruptly. When cleaning out the desks of these employees, the accounts receivable manager finds over 100 accounts that have not been processed; monies are still outstanding on these overdue accounts. The manager distributes these overdue invoices to the other three remaining department employees and tells them not to mention this to the controller. These employees come to the HR director in confidence to complain about the additional work, and they confide that they were instructed not to tell the controller about the incomplete work. Which approach should the HR director take after learning that a competing health-care facility is opening nearby and recruiting for office positions?

Benchmark the competition and other relevant comparison groups, and develop an employment branding strategy.

What is the difference between career management and career planning?

Career management focuses on the organization's needs; career planning focuses on the individual's needs.

For which position and in which situation would a stress interview be most appropriate?

Correct For emergency room nurses, where behaviors can have life or death consequences

A stock brokerage firm incents in-house brokers with trips if they generate more than $500,000 worth of sales in a particular fund that the firm currently owns 20% in. Management asks HR to comment on the program. What should HR recommend?

Correct Recommend that this unethical practice stop and discuss alternative incentive plans.

The senior management team of a company with 400 employees announces that it will be hiring over 100 new employees during the next 12 months. The new employees will be located in the company headquarters. The COO is in charge of the expansion and has asked the HR director for assistance with this initiative. The company headquarters is located in a somewhat small rural city. The nearest city with cultural outlets and an airport is one hour away. The local school system is slightly above the state average in terms of funding and graduation rates, as is the local community college. The local economy is based on small business, farms, and manufacturing. The wage base in this rural city is lower than that of the nearest larger city. The HR director is concerned about the ability to attract new candidates. The new positions will be clerical/administrative, business development, technical, and managerial. The HR director realizes that some current employees can be developed for promotion. The HR staff of two and one-half FTEs is excited about the project. Which method would best prepare current employees for potential promotion into the open positions?

Creating a formal career management plan for high-potential employees that includes an individual development plan for each

What is the primary driver of aligning the HR business unit and functional area strategies to the organizational strategy?

Creating a line of sight between individual and organizational results

What challenge to effective cross-cultural communication is faced by an organization that believes that its way is the best way and that lacks interest in other ways of reaching a goal?

Cultural ethnocentrism

A global organization implements a clothing policy that sets general guidelines for a neat appearance and safety in the workplace but allows regional management to issue appropriate expectations for the local operations. Which does this action illustrate?

Cultural relativism

Which type of HR structure allows organizations with different strategies in multiple units to apply HR expertise to each unit's specific strategic needs?

Dedicated

In order to approach global assignments from a strategic-systematic perspective, which action should HR take?

Develop future executives with essential global perspectives.

A salesperson takes a personal phone call while a customer needs help. Which is the best approach the supervisor should take when providing feedback to the sales person?

Discuss the incident with the salesperson immediately and in private, reminding them of policy on personal phone calls.

In a downsizing environment, which question would be most appropriate to include in an employee opinion survey?

Does your supervisor elicit your opinions about work processes?

Which approach should help the change process go more smoothly?

Ensuring that employees have input into change alternatives

Which activity best illustrates HR's strategic role in managing organizational risk?

HR conducts a workshop with other functions to identify potential upside and downside risks under the workforce management plan.

When administered in the same way in different countries, which assessment approach would provide the most consistent results in collecting information on job candidates?

Evaluation of work samples

Which factors contribute to the cost of diversity and inclusion initiatives?

Expanded training

A union is attempting to organize employees in a non-union workplace. Which action is management permitted to engage?

Explaining why the organization seeks to maintain a union-free workplace

Which activity is critical to ensure that strategy is implemented effectively?

Feedback on strategic initiatives are obtained on a regular basis from all parts of the organization.

What would indicate a cultural shift as a result of an OED change initiative?

Fewer product returns due to quality issues

Which example illustrates strategic drift?

Front-line managers continue to perpetuate old ways of doing things and fail to address changing external forces.

Which statement best describes how HR can enhance its social media policies?

Gather information from throughout the organization about possible risks.

Which court case established the criteria for disparate impact?

Griggs v. Duke Power

The senior management team of a company with 400 employees announces that it will be hiring over 100 new employees during the next 12 months. The new employees will be located in the company headquarters. The COO is in charge of the expansion and has asked the HR director for assistance with this initiative. The company headquarters is located in a somewhat small rural city. The nearest city with cultural outlets and an airport is one hour away. The local school system is slightly above the state average in terms of funding and graduation rates, as is the local community college. The local economy is based on small business, farms, and manufacturing. The wage base in this rural city is lower than that of the nearest larger city. The HR director is concerned about the ability to attract new candidates. The new positions will be clerical/administrative, business development, technical, and managerial. The HR director realizes that some current employees can be developed for promotion. The HR staff of two and one-half FTEs is excited about the project. Which step should the HR director take to quickly identify employees who the company might be able to promote into new positions, factoring in the short time frame?

Identify the open positions and skills needed, use the HRIS to match skill sets of existing employees, and then analyze those employees' performance evaluations.

Discussions on pursuing new customers and taking the organization global have begun. The HR manager recommends publishing assignee qualifications now and inviting employees to apply. The CFO suggests waiting until a facility has been purchased and then informing needed employees that they must go on assignment. Why is the CHRO's recommendation a better option?

It identifies willing employees who can be developed specifically for this assignment.

A manager has lost several staff members to a competitor in the last quarter but continues to meet her team targets. Which type of report can HR share to ease this discomfort?

Key talent retention

Which organizational initiative should HR recommend to resolve glass ceiling issues for women?

Leadership development and mentoring programs

Which is an advantage of blended learning over only instructor-led training?

Less expensive to deliver

A Taiwanese manufacturer of electronic components for major global brands has production locations in several countries, including Vietnam, Turkey, Mexico, and the United States. What offshoring trend does this exemplify?

Multidirectional shift in the flow of offshoring jobs to and from developed and emerging economies

A scientist is hired to perform research for a new product at a pharmaceutical company. Which clause is most critical to include in the employment contract?

Non-disclosure of trade secrets and other confidential information

In the past, a customer service training program received low participant satisfaction scores. What recommendation should HR propose in order to enhance the effectiveness of the program?

Obtain feedback from members of the target audience.

In a midsummer strategy session, a company determines that it will close its West Coast manufacturing unit and move the entire manufacturing effort to the East Coast head office. To bring the East Coast office fully online, 100 new positions will have to be filled. The work is going to migrate to the East Coast over a 90-day period that will begin September 1. HR has been asked for advice and support. In trying to ensure strategic alignment of human capital activities, what would be most beneficial to HR?

Scheduling a meeting with the business leaders to understand business needs and goals for the future

Which of the following employment practices would an HR director recommend to increase employees' behavioral engagement levels?

Select applicants who have demonstrated interest in solving problems requiring them to adopt a variety of work practices.

Which practice should have the best potential to decrease talent acquisition costs and increase an organization's ability to compete for skilled employees?

Staying current with labor market and economic trends

Which is the most advantageous outcome of employers treating employees with care and respect during termination of employment?

The employees may return to the organization, and little training time will be needed.

How does the Global Integration-Local Responsiveness (GI-LR) matrix aid HR in developing policies and determining staffing needs?

The globalization strategy reflected in the matrix helps define HR's role at headquarters and subsidiaries.

Which statement about using social media as a primary recruiting tool is correct?

There is a risk of unintentional discrimination against certain groups

Which is an advantage of having job descriptions in a global environment?

They expedite forecasting of current and projected staffing.

Which of the following is the primary reason to conduct stay interviews with employees?

To address issues that affect engagement and retention

Why is it crucial that HR partner with other functions?

To align human capital to organizational needs

What is the ultimate function of executive management?

To be responsible for all core business functions and their effect on the organization's performance

Why is a growth-share matrix used in some large organizations?

To understand the competitive position and value of each sector of the business

Contrary to policy, disciplinary actions taken by supervisors in the last year were not documented and terminations within the past six months have not been reviewed. Which action should a new HR manager take after learning about this situation?

Training supervisors and monitoring to ensure compliance.

An HR director is creating a talent acquisition strategy. What should the director do first to incorporate risk management into the plan?

Understand the organization's risk appetite and tolerance.

In a midsummer strategy session, a company determines that it will close its West Coast manufacturing unit and move the entire manufacturing effort to the East Coast head office. To bring the East Coast office fully online, 100 new positions will have to be filled. The work is going to migrate to the East Coast over a 90-day period that will begin September 1. HR has been asked for advice and support. In the planning and implementation processes, what is the most important ethical concern for HR?

Understanding the business case for the initiative and minimizing impact on affected employees

Which of the following terms describes the impact on an employer when an employee reports an incident of workplace harassment by a supervisor but the supervisor fails to act on it?

Vicarious liability

An HR manager is preparing a risk management plan for a manufacturing floor. The manager has reviewed accident records from the past five years and talked with an insurer. Which approach to obtain additional useful information is best?

Walk through the area and observe conditions during work operations.

A mid-sized dentistry practice has five different offices across a small region. A senior dentist working in one of the offices reports to the HR manager that the receptionist in that office has been found sleeping at the front desk by customers several times in the last month. The senior dentist wants to terminate the receptionist's employment right away, mentioning that tardiness has been a big problem for the receptionist as well. The receptionist consistently has excellent performance ratings, and this is the first the HR manager has heard of any issues. A junior dentist also approaches the HR manager, with suspicions that the senior dentist and the receptionist were having an affair and the receptionist decided to end it. When asked about sleeping at work, the receptionist tells the HR manager that several personal issues are preventing the receptionist from sleeping properly. The receptionist claims to have fallen asleep at work only once, while the senior dentist claims it was several times. How should the HR manager figure out the actual number of times to include in the receptionist's HR record?

Accept the receptionist's story as the truth and document that in the employee file.

A newly hired HR director of a small nonprofit organization notices that the organization is lacking a comprehensive compensation philosophy and salary rate structure. New hires routinely receive higher pay than more-senior employees. The organization does not have a performance management process, and not all employees receive yearly salary increases. The CEO is concerned that the organization will lose quality staff without a strategic focus on its employees, and she tasks the HR director with designing and implementing a performance management model for the organization. An employee submits a complaint to the HR director stating that he has not received a pay raise in two years because of a physical disability. How should the HR director respond to the complaint?

Analyze salary increase history for all employees in that department.

A newly hired HR director of a small nonprofit organization notices that the organization is lacking a comprehensive compensation philosophy and salary rate structure. New hires routinely receive higher pay than more-senior employees. The organization does not have a performance management process, and not all employees receive yearly salary increases. The CEO is concerned that the organization will lose quality staff without a strategic focus on its employees, and she tasks the HR director with designing and implementing a performance management model for the organization. The CEO decides to implement 360-degree performance assessments for the upcoming year. What should the HR director do to ensure buy-in for this effort?

Arrange training sessions for managers and employees.

A young learning and development specialist, having recently completed graduate studies in adult education and training, is hired into an HR department that has a strong history of management and employee training programs. For now, the specialist's assignment is to undertake scheduled revisions of specific elements in the learning and development system. The programs have been well-attended and well-received by the organization, so there has been little need to change the learning approach. The specialist soon realizes that, while the course content is well-designed, built on sound practices, and engaging for participants, it offers little support or direction for transferring learning to the job environment. It is missing a major opportunity for improving job performance. She also notes a lack of competency-based learning that can be used by participants and their managers as performance standards to make it easier to implement and assess learning and performance levels. The specialist would like to propose changes, but she is new to the company and the HR function. Her colleagues are older than she is and much more experienced. They have created or directed the curriculum that she wants to change. She notices that they smile condescendingly when she speaks at department meetings about her ideas. They seldom talk to her and have been rather harsh in their reviews of her initial projects. It is difficult for her to argue for change using actual data because the evaluation tools the department uses focus primarily on Kirkpatrick's Levels 1 and 2. How can the specialist improve her relationship with her colleagues?

Ask a well-liked and respected colleague in the department to mentor her for the next year.

A team leader in the accounting department has been recommended for promotion. As part of due diligence, an HR staff member reviews the employee's record, including the employee's most recently completed 360-degree feedback report. The summary report mentions a discrepancy between the feedback provided by the team leader's supervisor, the members of the leader's team, and the team leader in the self-assessment section of the exercise. The supervisor sees the team leader as focused, disciplined, organized, and committed to the department's goals. The team leader describes herself as goal-driven and results-oriented; she acknowledges that she could improve her interpersonal skills. The team sees its leader as rude, abrupt, and unwilling to listen. They are afraid to disagree, because the team leader then berates them. Policy regarding 360-degree feedback is that the subject and the supervisor have access only to a summary report. Subordinates do not receive summaries. Looking further into the records, the HR staff member finds that an earlier 360-degree exercise pointed to similar conflicting impressions. The HR staff member must provide the HR manager with an evaluation and a recommendation. The HR manager and staff member discuss this case, and the HR manager asks for the staff member's opinion about changes that migth be needed to the performance appraisal process. How should the HR staff member respond?

Ask for permission to review other assessments to see if this type of unaddressed conflict occurs regularly.

A financial analyst at an investment banking firm notices that one of the firm's newest investment bankers has made an inappropriate investment recommendation to a customer. The financial analyst decides to report the issue to the branch manager. Upon entering the branch manager's office, the analyst sees the branch manager removing several pills from an unlabeled plastic jar. The analyst tells the branch manager that the investment banker has a poor work ethic. After leaving the manager's office, the analyst submits a complaint to the firm's compliance authority stating that the branch manager has a drug abuse problem and the investment banker is committing fraud. The compliance authority notifies the firm's HR manager about the issues. Which action should the HR manager take in response to the allegation about the branch manager?

Ask the financial analyst to describe the situations that triggered the complaint.

In a growth-share analysis which business would be considered a question mark?

Business line with steady growth in new market segment

How does HR support strategic management in a global organization?

By implementing processes to increase integration and knowledge exchange

Which initial step should an HR director recommend to best support a global pay-for-performance initiative?

Clear, meaningful, and challenging goal setting

What has become a popular solution to the problem of the volume of data created by big data strategies?

Cloud computing

A company is consistently having trouble hiring designers in its creative department, a critical team within marketing that produces all the graphic and visual art deliverables for clients. After several weeks, the recruiting team finds a strong candidate. The candidate requests working first as an independent contractor and then transitioning to permanent employment. After two weeks, things are going well, and the creative department manager is working with the HR manager to extend an employment offer. Company policy requires all new hire candidates to successfully pass a drug screen as a condition of employment, but the candidate tests positive for marijuana. The HR manager questions the candidate, who states that the drug was used only in a state where recreational use is legal. The creative manager asks the HR manager for help in recruiting designers since the department has had difficulty finding qualified applicants. How should the HR manager respond?

Collaborate with the creative manager on a social media recruiting effort

A young learning and development specialist, having recently completed graduate studies in adult education and training, is hired into an HR department that has a strong history of management and employee training programs. For now, the specialist's assignment is to undertake scheduled revisions of specific elements in the learning and development system. The programs have been well-attended and well-received by the organization, so there has been little need to change the learning approach. The specialist soon realizes that, while the course content is well-designed, built on sound practices, and engaging for participants, it offers little support or direction for transferring learning to the job environment. It is missing a major opportunity for improving job performance. She also notes a lack of competency-based learning that can be used by participants and their managers as performance standards to make it easier to implement and assess learning and performance levels. The specialist would like to propose changes, but she is new to the company and the HR function. Her colleagues are older than she is and much more experienced. They have created or directed the curriculum that she wants to change. She notices that they smile condescendingly when she speaks at department meetings about her ideas. They seldom talk to her and have been rather harsh in their reviews of her initial projects. It is difficult for her to argue for change using actual data because the evaluation tools the department uses focus primarily on Kirkpatrick's Levels 1 and 2. How should the specialist deal with the scarcity of company-specific data to support her belief that the learning and development system should be improved?

Compare the results of alternative and current evaluation methods for an upcoming program.

The HR department in a musical instrument company is struggling to support the company's rapid growth. The company, which started as the home business of a casual musician, logged $17 million in sales last year. The HR department has hired additional team members over the years but hasn't changed its structure since start-up. All HR team members currently function as generalists, doing whatever it takes to support the company. The organization now consists of multiple store franchises. Each store has a sales department, a service and repair department, and a department offering music lessons. This initial product and service offering was followed by instrument rentals and later the acquisition of a publishing company that specializes in learning guides for new musicians and music teachers. The company's newest effort, the production of their own brand of mandolin, is recognized by most of the senior leaders as a high-risk effort but with the potential for a profitable high-margin instrument being added to their product line. With the rapid growth and expansion, the CEO is becoming increasingly concerned about quality and has made it clear that the entire corporation is to prioritize quality and efficiency while maintaining focus on the strategic plan. What is the most critical step the HR director should take to determine if outsourcing a non-core function is more efficient than the current process?

Complete an analysis of current gaps in the process and evaluate this information in terms of the benefits of an outsourced model.

An organization is considering restructuring its sales function to align its salespeople against key vertical markets. HR is charged with exploring this initiative. What should it do first?

Complete an environmental scan.

A rapidly growing technology company focused on business development and customer creation is entering its third year of operations. Currently, the company has 35 employees and 15 consultants and is managed by its two owners. There is no focus on creating a solid and sustainable infrastructure, a formalized system of policies and procedures, or a formal talent acquisition or compensation program. Recently, the owners hired five new employees at salaries that exceed those of employees who have been with the company for several years. Due to the size of the company, it is very difficult to keep things confidential, and existing employees are hearing rumors that the newly hired employees are receiving higher salaries. The owners have indicated that the higher pay was the only way to attract qualified candidates. The owners are also recruiting external candidates to fill open managerial positions rather than allowing current employees to apply for those roles; however, the owners proclaim that it is also a priority to retain the company's current employees. Employee morale is at an all-time low, and the company's owners feel pressure to make changes. The owners decide to hire an external HR consultant to assist with all of the challenges. Which is the first step the HR consultant should take to create a compensation system?

Conduct a job analysis of all positions within the company.

The shared service centers of a multinational technology company are concentrated in one country. They provide back-office operational support for the finance and accounting, procurement, and HR functions of the company. The local talent market for the back-office operations skills is very competitive. To date, the company has been successful in recruiting experienced professionals from its competitors. The main draw has been the generous compensation and benefits package and the general perception of an amiable and cooperative management team. While competitors' workforces have unionized in this country, this company's workforce has remained union-free. The annual planning process has kicked off. The process requires the global HR and finance teams to recommend the payroll increase budget for each country based on key economic indicators, company performance, affordability, and compensation market survey data. The teams recommend a salary increase budget of 18% for the country with the shared service centers. The country HR director is concerned that the recommended budget is too low and believes that, in order to remain competitive and compensate for inflation, the increase should be 30%. The country director brings her concerns and recommendations to the global VP of HR. In a discussion with the global VP of finance and the global functional leaders, the global VP of HR learns that the 18% increase budget is a stretch and that going any higher will have a negative bottom-line impact. Which is the best first step the VP of HR should take to address the opinions and concerns on the salary increase budget?

Conducting a quantitative analysis that would model risks, costs, and benefits in order to develop scenarios and a recommendation on the optimal solution

Which is a characteristic of activity-based budgeting?

Considering the cost and strategic significance of key tasks

The leadership of a medium-sized technology company has determined that the most viable option to expand their product line is to merge with an existing, larger company. HR is part of the team conducting due diligence for the merger. One item that concerns HR is the different approaches the companies have to work/life balance. The employees of the old company feel that they are treated unfairly because pay, benefits, and working conditions are different within work groups. HR believes that the new company should have a blend of the cultures and the benefits of the two companies. HR is responsible for communicating the decision to the current employees and developing a timetable for the integration. Employees are excited to join the larger company, based on rumors of better pay and benefits with the new organization. The new company is ready to reduce redundancy in key leadership positions and develops a work group to identify positions for elimination. After identifying duplicate positions, managers must recommend individual employees for termination. The merger of the two companies is underway, and HR has been asked to develop organizational effectiveness measures to improve performance and productivity. HR has undertaken the OED process. One group has declined in performance, productivity, and profits. The leadership team has asked HR to review the situation and provide a recommendation. The manager of this group has a reputation of having an abrasive management style. Leadership has tasked HR with outlining an effective change management plan. What is the first thing HR should do to help manage the change in the organization?

Consult with the organization's leaders to identify potential gaps in culture and processes.

A VP of HR for a growing 1,500-employee high tech firm has received feedback regarding the lack of effectiveness of the HR team. The internal customers have not been pleased with the level of service and support that is being provided by HR. One of the biggest challenges cited is the recruiting process—specifically, opening a new requisition. The business leader is first required to contact a recruiter to open a requisition and then to contact the compensation and benefits team to determine the pay level for the role. Business leaders may have to contact a different recruiter each time a requisition must be opened. If the recruiter is unfamiliar with the business unit and the nuances of the culture as well as common skill sets, the business leader has to spend additional time to ensure that the recruiter has all the information needed. As a result, some business leaders have asked for one point of contact in HR for all recruiting needs. Given the feedback and the request for one point of contact, which action is best for the VP of HR to take?

Coordinate in-person discussions with business leaders to better understand their experience and expectations

A rapidly growing technology company focused on business development and customer creation is entering its third year of operations. Currently, the company has 35 employees and 15 consultants and is managed by its two owners. There is no focus on creating a solid and sustainable infrastructure, a formalized system of policies and procedures, or a formal talent acquisition or compensation program. Recently, the owners hired five new employees at salaries that exceed those of employees who have been with the company for several years. Due to the size of the company, it is very difficult to keep things confidential, and existing employees are hearing rumors that the newly hired employees are receiving higher salaries. The owners have indicated that the higher pay was the only way to attract qualified candidates. The owners are also recruiting external candidates to fill open managerial positions rather than allowing current employees to apply for those roles; however, the owners proclaim that it is also a priority to retain the company's current employees. Employee morale is at an all-time low, and the company's owners feel pressure to make changes. The owners decide to hire an external HR consultant to assist with all of the challenges. Which action should the HR consultant recommend for incentives in an organization-wide incentive system?

Corporate-wide profit-sharing plan based on reaching company goals

Which recruitment metric can help to assess the economic value of filling an open position?

Cost per hire

A nonprofit organization has had a history of employees who have enjoyed a long tenure with the company. However, turnover in recent years has been high among new hires. A downturn in the economy has resulted in reduced funding. Recently other nonprofits have entered the field and are vying for the same financial resources, resulting in employees working longer hours in a fierce competition to earn grants. Key areas in the most recent employee engagement survey dropped significantly, citing the long hours and pay inequities. In contrast, however, employees were quite pleased with the benefits that are offered, the positive work environment, and recognition for their corporate social responsibility (CSR) work. How should the HR director respond to the negative feedback from employees?

Create an employee engagement strategy and business case to present to the CEO and the board.

The HR department in a musical instrument company is struggling to support the company's rapid growth. The company, which started as the home business of a casual musician, logged $17 million in sales last year. The HR department has hired additional team members over the years but hasn't changed its structure since start-up. All HR team members currently function as generalists, doing whatever it takes to support the company. The organization now consists of multiple store franchises. Each store has a sales department, a service and repair department, and a department offering music lessons. This initial product and service offering was followed by instrument rentals and later the acquisition of a publishing company that specializes in learning guides for new musicians and music teachers. The company's newest effort, the production of their own brand of mandolin, is recognized by most of the senior leaders as a high-risk effort but with the potential for a profitable high-margin instrument being added to their product line. With the rapid growth and expansion, the CEO is becoming increasingly concerned about quality and has made it clear that the entire corporation is to prioritize quality and efficiency while maintaining focus on the strategic plan. After careful research, the HR director learns that many similar organizations have successfully implemented a shared services model with focused HR business partners, centers of excellence, and a centralized HR service center. Which approach is best for the HR director to take to determine the viability of this option?

Develop a business case for the shared services model, including cost implications, and present it to the CEO.

Which occupation is considered nonexempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act?

Electrician

An organization is moving from employees working in silos to a team environment. Which corporate social responsibility activity best supports this initiative?

Employee volunteerism

What positive outcome will result from coaching high-potential employees?

Employees will contribute more effectively to the organization.

As part of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, a company has set up a community center and employees are given paid time off to run it. This is an example of what type of volunteering?

Employer-planned

A large metropolitan hospital acquires a small community hospital, resulting in a total employee population of 1,000. As a result of the acquisition, the accounts receivable department from the small hospital, which has only five employees, is handling all outstanding patient accounts. During a management workforce planning session, the HR director questions the accounts receivable manager about staffing requests for the following year. The manager informs the HR director that the department is adequately staffed and will not need more employees. Later the HR director learns that the manager has confessed to other managers that he hopes to be promoted to vice president by saving the hospital money from not hiring additional personnel. Two accounts receivable employees terminate their hospital employment abruptly. When cleaning out the desks of these employees, the accounts receivable manager finds over 100 accounts that have not been processed; monies are still outstanding on these overdue accounts. The manager distributes these overdue invoices to the other three remaining department employees and tells them not to mention this to the controller. These employees come to the HR director in confidence to complain about the additional work, and they confide that they were instructed not to tell the controller about the incomplete work. Since the accounts receivable manager is resistant to adding staff, which workforce strategy should the HR director encourage the manager to take for developing the accounts receivable department?

Encourage the manager to "buy or build" new workforce approaches to help the department meet the organizational demands in the immediate future.

HR has noticed a higher-than-normal rate of voluntary terminations and determined that this warrants investigation. Plans are made to survey the employees. Which type of survey would best determine reasons for the employee departures?

Engagement survey

How can HR support an organization's technological challenges during an acquisition?

Enhance communication.

Which factor is essential for the success of a diversity and inclusion initiative?

Executive commitment

Which should an HR leader do after learning that some HR team members question the necessity for the project?

Explain the benefits of the initiative to the team.

A company is consistently having trouble hiring designers in its creative department, a critical team within marketing that produces all the graphic and visual art deliverables for clients. After several weeks, the recruiting team finds a strong candidate. The candidate requests working first as an independent contractor and then transitioning to permanent employment. After two weeks, things are going well, and the creative department manager is working with the HR manager to extend an employment offer. Company policy requires all new hire candidates to successfully pass a drug screen as a condition of employment, but the candidate tests positive for marijuana. The HR manager questions the candidate, who states that the drug was used only in a state where recreational use is legal. The creative manager requests that the HR manager make an exception to the company policy and allow the hiring process to continue. How should the HR manager address the request?

Explain to the creative manager that this is a long-standing employment requirement.

A manager has been assigned to lead a team of employees in organizing corporate-wide participation for a community event next month. The manager knows that in order to meet the goals of the effort, she must make sure that the tasks and expectations are clear and that she provides plenty of direction. What leadership theory is the manager following?

Fiedler's contingency theory

A young learning and development specialist, having recently completed graduate studies in adult education and training, is hired into an HR department that has a strong history of management and employee training programs. For now, the specialist's assignment is to undertake scheduled revisions of specific elements in the learning and development system. The programs have been well-attended and well-received by the organization, so there has been little need to change the learning approach. The specialist soon realizes that, while the course content is well-designed, built on sound practices, and engaging for participants, it offers little support or direction for transferring learning to the job environment. It is missing a major opportunity for improving job performance. She also notes a lack of competency-based learning that can be used by participants and their managers as performance standards to make it easier to implement and assess learning and performance levels. The specialist would like to propose changes, but she is new to the company and the HR function. Her colleagues are older than she is and much more experienced. They have created or directed the curriculum that she wants to change. She notices that they smile condescendingly when she speaks at department meetings about her ideas. They seldom talk to her and have been rather harsh in their reviews of her initial projects. It is difficult for her to argue for change using actual data because the evaluation tools the department uses focus primarily on Kirkpatrick's Levels 1 and 2. What should the specialist do in this situation?

Focus on developing relationships with HR's internal customers in this area, the functional managers.

The CEO of a manufacturing company decides that the organization needs to be restructured immediately in order to support current business needs. Productivity has been declining due to low employee satisfaction and engagement, particularly on the second shift where there are mostly new employees with only one manager. The CEO decides to implement a team-based work structure, believing that work decisions need to be made by the employees doing the work. The managers are to act as coaches for production teams and the employees are to act as team members, with each team electing a team leader. An HR consultant is brought in to help implement the new structure and provide training on team dynamics and collaboration in the workplace. The structure has been implemented, and the organization is struggling with operating in the new model. Decisions that were once made quickly are now delayed due to confusion of roles and a lack of ownership among team members and coaches. Morale is low, tensions are high, and turnover is rising. Conflicts arise constantly between first and second shift teams because of incomplete work, and shipments are slipping. The teams have decided to conduct performance evaluations on one another; however, no members want to address poor performance. What is the best action the HR consultant can take to ensure a fair evaluation process while respecting the decision of the teams?

Have coaches deliver the performance evaluations but incorporate a peer evaluation to allow team members to provide feedback.

How can HR involve employees in supporting the organization's goals and mission?

Have individuals and departments develop goals that link to those of the company.

Engagement drivers differ from country to country, making it important to understand cultural differences that may influence survey results. In a multinational organization, in which type of culture may employee surveys be less acceptable?

Hierarchical

The senior management team of a company with 400 employees announces that it will be hiring over 100 new employees during the next 12 months. The new employees will be located in the company headquarters. The COO is in charge of the expansion and has asked the HR director for assistance with this initiative. The company headquarters is located in a somewhat small rural city. The nearest city with cultural outlets and an airport is one hour away. The local school system is slightly above the state average in terms of funding and graduation rates, as is the local community college. The local economy is based on small business, farms, and manufacturing. The wage base in this rural city is lower than that of the nearest larger city. The HR director is concerned about the ability to attract new candidates. The new positions will be clerical/administrative, business development, technical, and managerial. The HR director realizes that some current employees can be developed for promotion. The HR staff of two and one-half FTEs is excited about the project. Which tactic should the HR director take to most effectively recruit outside the local market upon realizing that the company will not be able to find all qualified candidates locally, especially for specialized positions?

Hire a staffing agency to find people for these out-of-market positions.

The HR generalist at a regional bank informs managers when fully qualified candidates apply for jobs. Although there may not be any current openings, HR and position-specific managers will screen candidates and determine next steps. How can HR reliably predict when an opening is likely to occur?

Historical data of movement

The leadership of a medium-sized technology company has determined that the most viable option to expand their product line is to merge with an existing, larger company. HR is part of the team conducting due diligence for the merger. One item that concerns HR is the different approaches the companies have to work/life balance. The employees of the old company feel that they are treated unfairly because pay, benefits, and working conditions are different within work groups. HR believes that the new company should have a blend of the cultures and the benefits of the two companies. HR is responsible for communicating the decision to the current employees and developing a timetable for the integration. Employees are excited to join the larger company, based on rumors of better pay and benefits with the new organization. The new company is ready to reduce redundancy in key leadership positions and develops a work group to identify positions for elimination. After identifying duplicate positions, managers must recommend individual employees for termination. The merger of the two companies is underway, and HR has been asked to develop organizational effectiveness measures to improve performance and productivity. HR has undertaken the OED process. One group has declined in performance, productivity, and profits. The leadership team has asked HR to review the situation and provide a recommendation. The manager of this group has a reputation of having an abrasive management style. What is the first step HR should take to ensure that all employees are treated fairly in regard to pay, benefits, and working conditions?

Hold focus groups to understand the issues and recommend any changes to the leadership team.

A cross-functional team analyzes the customer experience in comparison to upcoming product development initiatives. One set of recommendations from this team identifies several changes to manufacturing and shipping processes that could reduce the overall delivery cycle time by 10%. If the organization decides to act on this team's recommendations, which action should HR take that would best promote implementation of this process change?

Identifying possible skill gaps created by the new processes

An organization needs to prioritize spending for its risk management initiatives. Which is the first step the HR leader should take?

Identifying processes and individuals critical to the organization's delivery of value

A nonprofit organization has had a history of employees who have enjoyed a long tenure with the company. However, turnover in recent years has been high among new hires. A downturn in the economy has resulted in reduced funding. Recently other nonprofits have entered the field and are vying for the same financial resources, resulting in employees working longer hours in a fierce competition to earn grants. Key areas in the most recent employee engagement survey dropped significantly, citing the long hours and pay inequities. In contrast, however, employees were quite pleased with the benefits that are offered, the positive work environment, and recognition for their corporate social responsibility (CSR) work. How can the director leverage employees' commitment to their work and the recognition of that work by outside agencies?

Include this information in all employee branding and employee value proposition information and activities.

A mid-sized dentistry practice has five different offices across a small region. A senior dentist working in one of the offices reports to the HR manager that the receptionist in that office has been found sleeping at the front desk by customers several times in the last month. The senior dentist wants to terminate the receptionist's employment right away, mentioning that tardiness has been a big problem for the receptionist as well. The receptionist consistently has excellent performance ratings, and this is the first the HR manager has heard of any issues. A junior dentist also approaches the HR manager, with suspicions that the senior dentist and the receptionist were having an affair and the receptionist decided to end it. When asked about sleeping at work, the receptionist tells the HR manager that several personal issues are preventing the receptionist from sleeping properly. How should the HR manager address the junior dentist's suspicions?

Independently investigate whether the rumor is true and if the senior dentist is retaliating against the receptionist.

The HR department in a musical instrument company is struggling to support the company's rapid growth. The company, which started as the home business of a casual musician, logged $17 million in sales last year. The HR department has hired additional team members over the years but hasn't changed its structure since start-up. All HR team members currently function as generalists, doing whatever it takes to support the company. The organization now consists of multiple store franchises. Each store has a sales department, a service and repair department, and a department offering music lessons. This initial product and service offering was followed by instrument rentals and later the acquisition of a publishing company that specializes in learning guides for new musicians and music teachers. The company's newest effort, the production of their own brand of mandolin, is recognized by most of the senior leaders as a high-risk effort but with the potential for a profitable high-margin instrument being added to their product line. With the rapid growth and expansion, the CEO is becoming increasingly concerned about quality and has made it clear that the entire corporation is to prioritize quality and efficiency while maintaining focus on the strategic plan. What is the best course of action the HR leader should take to determine how to structure the HR department to support the needs of the growing business?

Initiate an assessment of the HR function to include internal and external considerations.

Which recommendation should HR provide to assist an organization that wants a benefit plan that manages increased costs without sacrificing employee morale?

Initiate several representative focus groups to determine preferences.

The shared service centers of a multinational technology company are concentrated in one country. They provide back-office operational support for the finance and accounting, procurement, and HR functions of the company. The local talent market for the back-office operations skills is very competitive. To date, the company has been successful in recruiting experienced professionals from its competitors. The main draw has been the generous compensation and benefits package and the general perception of an amiable and cooperative management team. While competitors' workforces have unionized in this country, this company's workforce has remained union-free. The annual planning process has kicked off. The process requires the global HR and finance teams to recommend the payroll increase budget for each country based on key economic indicators, company performance, affordability, and compensation market survey data. The teams recommend a salary increase budget of 18% for the country with the shared service centers. The country HR director is concerned that the recommended budget is too low and believes that, in order to remain competitive and compensate for inflation, the increase should be 30%. The country director brings her concerns and recommendations to the global VP of HR. In a discussion with the global VP of finance and the global functional leaders, the global VP of HR learns that the 18% increase budget is a stretch and that going any higher will have a negative bottom-line impact. Which action should the country HR director recommend that country leaders take that would proactively support a union avoidance strategy?

Instilling a culture of trust and teamwork between employees and management

Which technology has the biggest impact on benefits administration?

Internet access

How does HR make sure that organizational effectiveness and development (OED) interventions deliver value?

Intervention objectives link outcomes to organizational goals.

A financial analyst at an investment banking firm notices that one of the firm's newest investment bankers has made an inappropriate investment recommendation to a customer. The financial analyst decides to report the issue to the branch manager. Upon entering the branch manager's office, the analyst sees the branch manager removing several pills from an unlabeled plastic jar. The analyst tells the branch manager that the investment banker has a poor work ethic. After leaving the manager's office, the analyst submits a complaint to the firm's compliance authority stating that the branch manager has a drug abuse problem and the investment banker is committing fraud. The compliance authority notifies the firm's HR manager about the issues. The HR manager discovers that the financial analyst has exaggerated the severity of the investment banker's error in an attempt to have the investment banker transferred to another office. Which action should the HR manager take?

Interview the investment banker and the financial analyst to gain a better understanding of their interactions.

A large metropolitan hospital acquires a small community hospital, resulting in a total employee population of 1,000. As a result of the acquisition, the accounts receivable department from the small hospital, which has only five employees, is handling all outstanding patient accounts. During a management workforce planning session, the HR director questions the accounts receivable manager about staffing requests for the following year. The manager informs the HR director that the department is adequately staffed and will not need more employees. Later the HR director learns that the manager has confessed to other managers that he hopes to be promoted to vice president by saving the hospital money from not hiring additional personnel. Two accounts receivable employees terminate their hospital employment abruptly. When cleaning out the desks of these employees, the accounts receivable manager finds over 100 accounts that have not been processed; monies are still outstanding on these overdue accounts. The manager distributes these overdue invoices to the other three remaining department employees and tells them not to mention this to the controller. These employees come to the HR director in confidence to complain about the additional work, and they confide that they were instructed not to tell the controller about the incomplete work. What should the HR director do about the accounts receivable that have not been processed?

Investigate, evaluate, document, and respond to the reports of the unethical behavior with the controller and the manager.

What is the chain of command?

Line of authority within an organization

When designing a training program, which should a global HR professional consider first?

Local differentiation and stakeholder support

Which strategy should HR recommend to embrace diversity in the workforce at a greenfield operation?

Local responsiveness

What demonstrates the use of artificial intelligence in an organization?

Machine learning chatbot that answers benefit questions and gets smarter as it collects more information

Which best describes how management differs from leadership?

Management maintains order, while leadership produces and manages change.

An elder care service organization is challenged with retention of staff. Recently the service director left the organization with little notice. The HR director wants to prepare for future unplanned vacancies to avoid any disruption in client services. Which best represents how HR can mitigate this risk?

Managers can cross-train a subordinate.

Which statement characterizes diversity and inclusion in a global context?

Many countries have laws prohibiting employment discrimination.

Which is the best method for an HR compensation director to use to evaluate the jobs and salary ranges of the organization's key positions compared to those of its competitors?

Market-based evaluation to establish the worth of positions

The senior management team of a company with 400 employees announces that it will be hiring over 100 new employees during the next 12 months. The new employees will be located in the company headquarters. The COO is in charge of the expansion and has asked the HR director for assistance with this initiative. The company headquarters is located in a somewhat small rural city. The nearest city with cultural outlets and an airport is one hour away. The local school system is slightly above the state average in terms of funding and graduation rates, as is the local community college. The local economy is based on small business, farms, and manufacturing. The wage base in this rural city is lower than that of the nearest larger city. The HR director is concerned about the ability to attract new candidates. The new positions will be clerical/administrative, business development, technical, and managerial. The HR director realizes that some current employees can be developed for promotion. The HR staff of two and one-half FTEs is excited about the project. Which would be the first step the HR director should take to gather more detailed information to begin the staffing process?

Meet with the COO to discuss a comprehensive talent acquisition strategy.

A company is consistently having trouble hiring designers in its creative department, a critical team within marketing that produces all the graphic and visual art deliverables for clients. After several weeks, the recruiting team finds a strong candidate. The candidate requests working first as an independent contractor and then transitioning to permanent employment. After two weeks, things are going well, and the creative department manager is working with the HR manager to extend an employment offer. Company policy requires all new hire candidates to successfully pass a drug screen as a condition of employment, but the candidate tests positive for marijuana. The HR manager questions the candidate, who states that the drug was used only in a state where recreational use is legal. The CEO requests that the HR manager research industry trends regarding hiring policies and drug use that takes place during personal time. How should the HR manager gather the information?

Meet with the executive board to determine their specific goals for this research regarding drug use during personal time.

A financial analyst at an investment banking firm notices that one of the firm's newest investment bankers has made an inappropriate investment recommendation to a customer. The financial analyst decides to report the issue to the branch manager. Upon entering the branch manager's office, the analyst sees the branch manager removing several pills from an unlabeled plastic jar. The analyst tells the branch manager that the investment banker has a poor work ethic. After leaving the manager's office, the analyst submits a complaint to the firm's compliance authority stating that the branch manager has a drug abuse problem and the investment banker is committing fraud. The compliance authority notifies the firm's HR manager about the issues. What should the HR manager do to prevent future conflict between the financial analyst, the investment banker, and the branch manager?

Meet with the financial analyst to discuss the firm's ethical and team expectations of its employees.

A global consulting firm hires a director of business development from outside the organization, much to the disappointment of one of the managers in the department, who also applied for the position. This manager complains bitterly about the decision to go outside of the firm, and he continues to exhibit disruptive and angry behavior. He feels that he has been unfairly treated, since he believes that he has more experience than the newly hired director. Two months later, the new director of business development has made changes that most of her team are quite excited about. Unfortunately, this does not include the disappointed manager. He openly criticizes the director's ideas, even escalating this criticism to the CEO. He comes to HR to discuss his options in the company. The new director has also come separately to HR regarding the continued hostility from this manager and also about a new employee on the global sales team, who tends to stay to herself and does not interact with the rest of the team. The new sales employee has no problems with attaining her sales goals, but the director does not see her as a "team player" and asks the HR manager for assistance with how best to deal with both of these situations. What should the HR manager recommend the director of business development do to build the relationship with the disappointed manager?

Meet with the manager to understand his concerns, explain that bypassing her authority is not acceptable, and encourage him to share his ideas for the benefit of the department.

A rapidly growing technology company focused on business development and customer creation is entering its third year of operations. Currently, the company has 35 employees and 15 consultants and is managed by its two owners. There is no focus on creating a solid and sustainable infrastructure, a formalized system of policies and procedures, or a formal talent acquisition or compensation program. Recently, the owners hired five new employees at salaries that exceed those of employees who have been with the company for several years. Due to the size of the company, it is very difficult to keep things confidential, and existing employees are hearing rumors that the newly hired employees are receiving higher salaries. The owners have indicated that the higher pay was the only way to attract qualified candidates. The owners are also recruiting external candidates to fill open managerial positions rather than allowing current employees to apply for those roles; however, the owners proclaim that it is also a priority to retain the company's current employees. Employee morale is at an all-time low, and the company's owners feel pressure to make changes. The owners decide to hire an external HR consultant to assist with all of the challenges. Which action should the HR consultant take first?

Meet with the owners and get a strong understanding of the company's strategy.

A rapidly growing technology company focused on business development and customer creation is entering its third year of operations. Currently, the company has 35 employees and 15 consultants and is managed by its two owners. There is no focus on creating a solid and sustainable infrastructure, a formalized system of policies and procedures, or a formal talent acquisition or compensation program. Recently, the owners hired five new employees at salaries that exceed those of employees who have been with the company for several years. Due to the size of the company, it is very difficult to keep things confidential, and existing employees are hearing rumors that the newly hired employees are receiving higher salaries. The owners have indicated that the higher pay was the only way to attract qualified candidates. The owners are also recruiting external candidates to fill open managerial positions rather than allowing current employees to apply for those roles; however, the owners proclaim that it is also a priority to retain the company's current employees. Employee morale is at an all-time low, and the company's owners feel pressure to make changes. The owners decide to hire an external HR consultant to assist with all of the challenges. Which action should the HR consultant take first when determining salaries?

Meet with the owners to understand organizational goals and strategies.

A team leader in the accounting department has been recommended for promotion. As part of due diligence, an HR staff member reviews the employee's record, including the employee's most recently completed 360-degree feedback report. The summary report mentions a discrepancy between the feedback provided by the team leader's supervisor, the members of the leader's team, and the team leader in the self-assessment section of the exercise. The supervisor sees the team leader as focused, disciplined, organized, and committed to the department's goals. The team leader describes herself as goal-driven and results-oriented; she acknowledges that she could improve her interpersonal skills. The team sees its leader as rude, abrupt, and unwilling to listen. They are afraid to disagree, because the team leader then berates them. Policy regarding 360-degree feedback is that the subject and the supervisor have access only to a summary report. Subordinates do not receive summaries. Looking further into the records, the HR staff member finds that an earlier 360-degree exercise pointed to similar conflicting impressions. The HR staff member must provide the HR manager with an evaluation and a recommendation. How should the HR staff member approach reconciling these divergent sets of feedback?

Meet with two team members separately and confidentially to gather examples of the team leader's behavior.

The shared service centers of a multinational technology company are concentrated in one country. They provide back-office operational support for the finance and accounting, procurement, and HR functions of the company. The local talent market for the back-office operations skills is very competitive. To date, the company has been successful in recruiting experienced professionals from its competitors. The main draw has been the generous compensation and benefits package and the general perception of an amiable and cooperative management team. While competitors' workforces have unionized in this country, this company's workforce has remained union-free. The annual planning process has kicked off. The process requires the global HR and finance teams to recommend the payroll increase budget for each country based on key economic indicators, company performance, affordability, and compensation market survey data. The teams recommend a salary increase budget of 18% for the country with the shared service centers. The country HR director is concerned that the recommended budget is too low and believes that, in order to remain competitive and compensate for inflation, the increase should be 30%. The country director brings her concerns and recommendations to the global VP of HR. In a discussion with the global VP of finance and the global functional leaders, the global VP of HR learns that the 18% increase budget is a stretch and that going any higher will have a negative bottom-line impact. The VP of HR has completed the analysis and developed recommendations for resolving the short- and long-term workforce cost issues in this country. Which is the best step that the VP of HR should take at this point in time?

Meeting with key stakeholders individually, before the group meeting, to familiarize them with the recommendations and gather support

An organization with unionized and non-unionized workers negotiates a union contract that includes early retirement benefits and a 10% reduction in starting wages for new employees. Which should the organization likely expect as a result?

Non-unionized workers will expect similar terms

A new division manager wants to terminate a new employee for borrowing work equipment for personal use, an act specifically prohibited in the employee handbook. This has happened before, but, in that case, the employee was not terminated. Which action should HR recommend the manager take?

Not proceeding with the termination because it may not be defensible

For whom does HR measure and demonstrate its value?

Organization

A VP of HR for a growing 1,500-employee high tech firm has received feedback regarding the lack of effectiveness of the HR team. The internal customers have not been pleased with the level of service and support that is being provided by HR. One of the biggest challenges cited is the recruiting process—specifically, opening a new requisition. The business leader is first required to contact a recruiter to open a requisition and then to contact the compensation and benefits team to determine the pay level for the role. Business leaders may have to contact a different recruiter each time a requisition must be opened. If the recruiter is unfamiliar with the business unit and the nuances of the culture as well as common skill sets, the business leader has to spend additional time to ensure that the recruiter has all the information needed. As a result, some business leaders have asked for one point of contact in HR for all recruiting needs. Which next step should the VP of HR take to send a clear message to business leaders that HR has heard the concerns and is working to improve the customer experience?

Outline a plan of action to address customer concerns and communicate with business leaders on an ongoing basis.

A nonprofit organization has had a history of employees who have enjoyed a long tenure with the company. However, turnover in recent years has been high among new hires. A downturn in the economy has resulted in reduced funding. Recently other nonprofits have entered the field and are vying for the same financial resources, resulting in employees working longer hours in a fierce competition to earn grants. Key areas in the most recent employee engagement survey dropped significantly, citing the long hours and pay inequities. In contrast, however, employees were quite pleased with the benefits that are offered, the positive work environment, and recognition for their corporate social responsibility (CSR) work. How should the director build upon the organization's strengths in employee engagement?

Outline a strategy to capitalize on them.

An exit interview assessment finds that the primary reason employees leave is for better total rewards offered at other organizations. Which is the best action HR should take to gather information on competitive total rewards packages to potentially offer its employees?

Participate in an external remuneration survey to assess the competitiveness of the organization's current offerings.

A VP of HR for a growing 1,500-employee high tech firm has received feedback regarding the lack of effectiveness of the HR team. The internal customers have not been pleased with the level of service and support that is being provided by HR. One of the biggest challenges cited is the recruiting process—specifically, opening a new requisition. The business leader is first required to contact a recruiter to open a requisition and then to contact the compensation and benefits team to determine the pay level for the role. Business leaders may have to contact a different recruiter each time a requisition must be opened. If the recruiter is unfamiliar with the business unit and the nuances of the culture as well as common skill sets, the business leader has to spend additional time to ensure that the recruiter has all the information needed. As a result, some business leaders have asked for one point of contact in HR for all recruiting needs. Once the work flow is amended, which is the best way for the VP of HR to identify the measures of success and the impact on the organization?

Partner with the business unit leaders to outline meaningful measures and outcomes that demonstrate alignment with strategy.

A newly hired HR director of a small nonprofit organization notices that the organization is lacking a comprehensive compensation philosophy and salary rate structure. New hires routinely receive higher pay than more-senior employees. The organization does not have a performance management process, and not all employees receive yearly salary increases. The CEO is concerned that the organization will lose quality staff without a strategic focus on its employees, and she tasks the HR director with designing and implementing a performance management model for the organization. What should the HR director do to ensure that the organization's job descriptions are accurate?

Perform a job analysis to identify the activities, tasks, and responsibilities of each position in the organization

How should an HR manager address an employee's concern about pay equity between his job and the job of another employee with a similar role?

Perform a job evaluation of the employee's position.

Which is the best way for an HR professional to persuade a function to embrace changes in work processes that are part of an organizational effectiveness intervention?

Presenting the changes as necessary to maintaining competitiveness

A young learning and development specialist, having recently completed graduate studies in adult education and training, is hired into an HR department that has a strong history of management and employee training programs. For now, the specialist's assignment is to undertake scheduled revisions of specific elements in the learning and development system. The programs have been well-attended and well-received by the organization, so there has been little need to change the learning approach. The specialist soon realizes that, while the course content is well-designed, built on sound practices, and engaging for participants, it offers little support or direction for transferring learning to the job environment. It is missing a major opportunity for improving job performance. She also notes a lack of competency-based learning that can be used by participants and their managers as performance standards to make it easier to implement and assess learning and performance levels. The specialist would like to propose changes, but she is new to the company and the HR function. Her colleagues are older than she is and much more experienced. They have created or directed the curriculum that she wants to change. She notices that they smile condescendingly when she speaks at department meetings about her ideas. They seldom talk to her and have been rather harsh in their reviews of her initial projects. It is difficult for her to argue for change using actual data because the evaluation tools the department uses focus primarily on Kirkpatrick's Levels 1 and 2. Which is the most persuasive approach the learning and development specialist should use to influence design changes with her new colleagues?

Provide research about strategically based competencies and, for a to-be-revised course, compare objectives with business competencies.

The CEO of a manufacturing company decides that the organization needs to be restructured immediately in order to support current business needs. Productivity has been declining due to low employee satisfaction and engagement, particularly on the second shift where there are mostly new employees with only one manager. The CEO decides to implement a team-based work structure, believing that work decisions need to be made by the employees doing the work. The managers are to act as coaches for production teams and the employees are to act as team members, with each team electing a team leader. An HR consultant is brought in to help implement the new structure and provide training on team dynamics and collaboration in the workplace. The structure has been implemented, and the organization is struggling with operating in the new model. Decisions that were once made quickly are now delayed due to confusion of roles and a lack of ownership among team members and coaches. Morale is low, tensions are high, and turnover is rising. Conflicts arise constantly between first and second shift teams because of incomplete work, and shipments are slipping. How can the HR consultant assist the teams in making workplace decisions on their own?

Provide training on defining roles, establishing trust, and giving teams ongoing support and coaching in workplace decisions.

Which is the best justification for offshoring production to another country to remain competitive?

Proximity to new markets will lower costs.

The CEO of a manufacturing company decides that the organization needs to be restructured immediately in order to support current business needs. Productivity has been declining due to low employee satisfaction and engagement, particularly on the second shift where there are mostly new employees with only one manager. The CEO decides to implement a team-based work structure, believing that work decisions need to be made by the employees doing the work. The managers are to act as coaches for production teams and the employees are to act as team members, with each team electing a team leader. An HR consultant is brought in to help implement the new structure and provide training on team dynamics and collaboration in the workplace. The structure has been implemented, and the organization is struggling with operating in the new model. Decisions that were once made quickly are now delayed due to confusion of roles and a lack of ownership among team members and coaches. Morale is low, tensions are high, and turnover is rising. Conflicts arise constantly between first and second shift teams because of incomplete work, and shipments are slipping. What recommendation should the HR manager make to the CEO to address these issues?

Recommend that more coaches be placed on the second shift production floor to provide guidance and direction to the newer teams' members.

A nonprofit organization has had a history of employees who have enjoyed a long tenure with the company. However, turnover in recent years has been high among new hires. A downturn in the economy has resulted in reduced funding. Recently other nonprofits have entered the field and are vying for the same financial resources, resulting in employees working longer hours in a fierce competition to earn grants. Key areas in the most recent employee engagement survey dropped significantly, citing the long hours and pay inequities. In contrast, however, employees were quite pleased with the benefits that are offered, the positive work environment, and recognition for their corporate social responsibility (CSR) work. How should the HR director manage the threat of key employees being recruited by the competition?

Recommend that the CEO meet with mission-critical employees individually to reiterate their value and commitment to organizational and individual success.

An organization has experienced rapid growth, hampering its ability to respond quickly to competitive threats. Which form of restructuring will offer the best opportunity to minimize response times?

Redistributing decision-making authority

A mid-sized dentistry practice has five different offices across a small region. A senior dentist working in one of the offices reports to the HR manager that the receptionist in that office has been found sleeping at the front desk by customers several times in the last month. The senior dentist wants to terminate the receptionist's employment right away, mentioning that tardiness has been a big problem for the receptionist as well. The receptionist consistently has excellent performance ratings, and this is the first the HR manager has heard of any issues. A junior dentist also approaches the HR manager, with suspicions that the senior dentist and the receptionist were having an affair and the receptionist decided to end it. When asked about sleeping at work, the receptionist tells the HR manager that several personal issues are preventing the receptionist from sleeping properly. What should the HR manager do to help the receptionist stay awake at work?

Refer the receptionist to the employee assistance program.

The HR department monitors the emergency response plans and updates them as needed, at least annually. Which is the best way to evaluate the plan as part of the annual review?

Rehearsing drills of the plan

The leadership of a medium-sized technology company has determined that the most viable option to expand their product line is to merge with an existing, larger company. HR is part of the team conducting due diligence for the merger. One item that concerns HR is the different approaches the companies have to work/life balance. The employees of the old company feel that they are treated unfairly because pay, benefits, and working conditions are different within work groups. HR believes that the new company should have a blend of the cultures and the benefits of the two companies. HR is responsible for communicating the decision to the current employees and developing a timetable for the integration. Employees are excited to join the larger company, based on rumors of better pay and benefits with the new organization. The new company is ready to reduce redundancy in key leadership positions and develops a work group to identify positions for elimination. After identifying duplicate positions, managers must recommend individual employees for termination. The merger of the two companies is underway, and HR has been asked to develop organizational effectiveness measures to improve performance and productivity. HR has undertaken the OED process. One group has declined in performance, productivity, and profits. The leadership team has asked HR to review the situation and provide a recommendation. The manager of this group has a reputation of having an abrasive management style. Which is the best and most objective way for HR to support the company's position of blending both cultures and convince leadership to move forward with the recommendation?

Research evidence-based practices that support the recommendation from HR.

What legal principle is followed by national policies requiring affirmative action to prevent discrimination?

Reservation

Which factor differentiates successful training programs from unsuccessful programs?

Results showing transfer of learning

In a midsummer strategy session, a company determines that it will close its West Coast manufacturing unit and move the entire manufacturing effort to the East Coast head office. To bring the East Coast office fully online, 100 new positions will have to be filled. The work is going to migrate to the East Coast over a 90-day period that will begin September 1. HR has been asked for advice and support. What is the first action for HR to take to begin to support this business initiative?

Review all of the job descriptions, current salaries and benefits, and existing policies to support the initiative.

A mature organization has relied on stable processes that supported its current success. One of these processes is succession planning. This HR team has followed a strategy of identifying effective higher-level managers and grooming them for leadership positions. If you were a new HR manager assigned to lead this team, what would you advise

Review the succession planning strategy to ensure alignment with current business conditions.

A manufacturing organization's HR team has revised the staffing plan. The plan needed revision due to a new competitor entering the market and attracting many of the organization's employees with higher hourly wages. Which could be used to measure the need for future revisions?

Reviewing exit interview data

A company identifies a need for training on unlawful harassment for front-line supervisors as one aspect of an OED intervention. Which best describes the organizational impact of this activity?

Risk will be mitigated because front-line supervisors will be equipped to recognize, correct, and report harassing behaviors.

A mid-sized dentistry practice has five different offices across a small region. A senior dentist working in one of the offices reports to the HR manager that the receptionist in that office has been found sleeping at the front desk by customers several times in the last month. The senior dentist wants to terminate the receptionist's employment right away, mentioning that tardiness has been a big problem for the receptionist as well. The receptionist consistently has excellent performance ratings, and this is the first the HR manager has heard of any issues. A junior dentist also approaches the HR manager, with suspicions that the senior dentist and the receptionist were having an affair and the receptionist decided to end it. When asked about sleeping at work, the receptionist tells the HR manager that several personal issues are preventing the receptionist from sleeping properly. When separately asking the senior dentist and the receptionist about the sleep incidents, the HR manager observes strong hostility between them. Which approach should the HR manager take to manage the conflict between the two employees?

Serve as mediator while they talk through their issues.

The HR director and the management team of a small resort hotel have been working to solidify a union avoidance strategy. As this is occurring, they discover that a union's representatives are talking with the employees about organizing. Which action should the HR director recommend the resort take in response to the union activity?

Share the company's position and the union's strategy with the employees honestly.

A European employee travels to transfer company technology for a manufacturing process. The employee remains on home-country compensation and benefit plans while on assignment. Incentives include one trip home every 12 weeks to visit family that remained at home. What type of global assignee is this individual?

Short-term assignee

A global consulting firm hires a director of business development from outside the organization, much to the disappointment of one of the managers in the department, who also applied for the position. This manager complains bitterly about the decision to go outside of the firm, and he continues to exhibit disruptive and angry behavior. He feels that he has been unfairly treated, since he believes that he has more experience than the newly hired director. Two months later, the new director of business development has made changes that most of her team are quite excited about. Unfortunately, this does not include the disappointed manager. He openly criticizes the director's ideas, even escalating this criticism to the CEO. He comes to HR to discuss his options in the company. The new director has also come separately to HR regarding the continued hostility from this manager and also about a new employee on the global sales team, who tends to stay to herself and does not interact with the rest of the team. The new sales employee has no problems with attaining her sales goals, but the director does not see her as a "team player" and asks the HR manager for assistance with how best to deal with both of these situations. What response should the HR manager provide to the disappointed and angry manager?

Show empathy for his disappointment, confirm that the process was objective, and provide specific deficiencies from his interview for the job.

A global consulting firm hires a director of business development from outside the organization, much to the disappointment of one of the managers in the department, who also applied for the position. This manager complains bitterly about the decision to go outside of the firm, and he continues to exhibit disruptive and angry behavior. He feels that he has been unfairly treated, since he believes that he has more experience than the newly hired director. Two months later, the new director of business development has made changes that most of her team are quite excited about. Unfortunately, this does not include the disappointed manager. He openly criticizes the director's ideas, even escalating this criticism to the CEO. He comes to HR to discuss his options in the company. The new director has also come separately to HR regarding the continued hostility from this manager and also about a new employee on the global sales team, who tends to stay to herself and does not interact with the rest of the team. The new sales employee has no problems with attaining her sales goals, but the director does not see her as a "team player" and asks the HR manager for assistance with how best to deal with both of these situations. What should HR recommend as the best approach for the director to take in regard to the sales employee keeping to herself?

Spend time with the sales employee, interacting the same way she does with all the other team members.

Which is the difference between a strategic alliance and a joint venture?

Strategic alliances do not involve equity; joint ventures require that both partners contribute equity.

Under the system of codetermination, whose approval is required by management prior to implementing strategic plans?

Supervisory board

As part of a software company's corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, during non-working hours employees volunteer time and expertise helping low-income people build their own small businesses. Participation has been consistent but at a very low level. What recommendation should HR make to assist the company in increasing employee involvement?

Support employee participation with paid time off.

Technology automates many HR tasks, shrinking the HR department. Yet, as HR evolves from transactional to transformational work, the workload may increase and become more complex. Staff may complain about being overloaded. Which is the best way to solve this problem?

Support training to help HR staff make full use of available technology.

A hospital has recently seen a significant increase in the turnover of nurses. Many recent hires have left to work at a nearby privately run clinic. This is puzzling since there have been rumors about this clinic's financial outlook. The HR business partner for the hospital has been asked to design and oversee a recruitment campaign to attract ten new nurses and an additional five nurse trainees. One of the measures of success that has been given to the HR business partner is that these new hires need to remain with the hospital for a minimum of 18 months. The hospital is looking to have these individuals onboarded within six weeks. While trying to manage recruiting and hiring, the HR business partner keeps thinking about the hospital's retention issue. In reviewing exit interview information, the business partner has noticed a trend: Many of the nurses who have left indicated that the private clinic has a more modern location, better hours, and great employee facilities that include a gym. Hospital leadership has also been criticized, in particular, the hospital administrator, for her negative attitude and lack of recognition. Over lunch with an HR acquaintance who works at the private clinic, the business partner inquires about how the clinic has been so successful in attracting and retaining staff. To the HR business partner's surprise, the colleague shares that much of the feedback she hears as to why people leave the hospital is the hospital's wage and benefits structure. The business partner realizes that he has his hands full in addressing the many issues in order to achieve his hiring objectives, improve retention, and decrease turnover. What is the first step the HR business partner needs to take to attract and hire for the vacant positions?

The HR business partner needs to establish a time line for meeting the six-week due date that includes when and how he will advertise the positions and create an advertisement to attract individuals whose values align with those of the hospital.

A hospital has recently seen a significant increase in the turnover of nurses. Many recent hires have left to work at a nearby privately run clinic. This is puzzling since there have been rumors about this clinic's financial outlook. The HR business partner for the hospital has been asked to design and oversee a recruitment campaign to attract ten new nurses and an additional five nurse trainees. One of the measures of success that has been given to the HR business partner is that these new hires need to remain with the hospital for a minimum of 18 months. The hospital is looking to have these individuals onboarded within six weeks. While trying to manage recruiting and hiring, the HR business partner keeps thinking about the hospital's retention issue. In reviewing exit interview information, the business partner has noticed a trend: Many of the nurses who have left indicated that the private clinic has a more modern location, better hours, and great employee facilities that include a gym. Hospital leadership has also been criticized, in particular, the hospital administrator, for her negative attitude and lack of recognition. Over lunch with an HR acquaintance who works at the private clinic, the business partner inquires about how the clinic has been so successful in attracting and retaining staff. To the HR business partner's surprise, the colleague shares that much of the feedback she hears as to why people leave the hospital is the hospital's wage and benefits structure. The business partner realizes that he has his hands full in addressing the many issues in order to achieve his hiring objectives, improve retention, and decrease turnover. How might the HR business partner go about addressing the broader trends uncovered in the exit interviews and from his colleague?

The HR business partner should recap the trends for the hospital's leadership team and recommend specific changes in programs and practices.

A hospital has recently seen a significant increase in the turnover of nurses. Many recent hires have left to work at a nearby privately run clinic. This is puzzling since there have been rumors about this clinic's financial outlook. The HR business partner for the hospital has been asked to design and oversee a recruitment campaign to attract ten new nurses and an additional five nurse trainees. One of the measures of success that has been given to the HR business partner is that these new hires need to remain with the hospital for a minimum of 18 months. The hospital is looking to have these individuals onboarded within six weeks. While trying to manage recruiting and hiring, the HR business partner keeps thinking about the hospital's retention issue. In reviewing exit interview information, the business partner has noticed a trend: Many of the nurses who have left indicated that the private clinic has a more modern location, better hours, and great employee facilities that include a gym. Hospital leadership has also been criticized, in particular, the hospital administrator, for her negative attitude and lack of recognition. Over lunch with an HR acquaintance who works at the private clinic, the business partner inquires about how the clinic has been so successful in attracting and retaining staff. To the HR business partner's surprise, the colleague shares that much of the feedback she hears as to why people leave the hospital is the hospital's wage and benefits structure. The business partner realizes that he has his hands full in addressing the many issues in order to achieve his hiring objectives, improve retention, and decrease turnover. As the deadline approaches, the HR business partner has not met the hiring goal. What should the HR business partner do next?

The HR business partner should take a proactive approach and meet with the hospital administrator to review success to date, renegotiate the deadline, and propose a strategy to fill the last few positions.

A hospital has recently seen a significant increase in the turnover of nurses. Many recent hires have left to work at a nearby privately run clinic. This is puzzling since there have been rumors about this clinic's financial outlook. The HR business partner for the hospital has been asked to design and oversee a recruitment campaign to attract ten new nurses and an additional five nurse trainees. One of the measures of success that has been given to the HR business partner is that these new hires need to remain with the hospital for a minimum of 18 months. The hospital is looking to have these individuals onboarded within six weeks. While trying to manage recruiting and hiring, the HR business partner keeps thinking about the hospital's retention issue. In reviewing exit interview information, the business partner has noticed a trend: Many of the nurses who have left indicated that the private clinic has a more modern location, better hours, and great employee facilities that include a gym. Hospital leadership has also been criticized, in particular, the hospital administrator, for her negative attitude and lack of recognition. Over lunch with an HR acquaintance who works at the private clinic, the business partner inquires about how the clinic has been so successful in attracting and retaining staff. To the HR business partner's surprise, the colleague shares that much of the feedback she hears as to why people leave the hospital is the hospital's wage and benefits structure. The business partner realizes that he has his hands full in addressing the many issues in order to achieve his hiring objectives, improve retention, and decrease turnover. The leadership team agrees with many of the HR business partner's recommendations on how to address the employee engagement issues. What is the best approach for the HR business partner to take as he begins to tackle this task?

The HR business partner should work with the leadership team to develop a complete strategy to improve and sustain employee engagement.

A large metropolitan hospital acquires a small community hospital, resulting in a total employee population of 1,000. As a result of the acquisition, the accounts receivable department from the small hospital, which has only five employees, is handling all outstanding patient accounts. During a management workforce planning session, the HR director questions the accounts receivable manager about staffing requests for the following year. The manager informs the HR director that the department is adequately staffed and will not need more employees. Later the HR director learns that the manager has confessed to other managers that he hopes to be promoted to vice president by saving the hospital money from not hiring additional personnel. Two accounts receivable employees terminate their hospital employment abruptly. When cleaning out the desks of these employees, the accounts receivable manager finds over 100 accounts that have not been processed; monies are still outstanding on these overdue accounts. The manager distributes these overdue invoices to the other three remaining department employees and tells them not to mention this to the controller. These employees come to the HR director in confidence to complain about the additional work, and they confide that they were instructed not to tell the controller about the incomplete work. Which information should the director of HR present to the controller and the accounts receivable manager during the next discussion of workforce planning?

The HR director should present critical information about the exit interviews of accounts receivable staff and benchmark data on the staffing plans of large hospitals

Which is the most appropriate reason for an HR professional to create a business case?

To secure budget and resources for a proposed project.

Which aspect of communication is a primary focus in low-context cultures?

Words

Which best exemplifies a risk mitigation approach?

Workers operating dangerous machinery cannot exceed a set shift length.