Assessment questions

Name three good strategic planning practices:

1) The strategic planning team invites input from all divisions and from managers and employees alike. 2) An organization invests considerable time in researching internal and external factors before setting strategy. 3) Business unit and functional strategies are developed after the organization strategy is defined.

Third-party contractors take what two forms:

1) outsourcing (third party vendor provides activities) 2) Cosourcing (in which a third party provides dedicated services to HR, often locating contractors within HR's organization) ie Human Resource Outsourcing companies can administer payroll or benefits programs

What characterizes the most successful talent management OED initiatives?

A consideration of the strategic needs of the organization as well the individual needs of the employee. The more overlap an initiative has between organizational and individual needs, the greater the opportunity for joint satisfaction.

What is the best definition of moral hazard?

A person engages in risky behavior knowing that someone else will absorb any losses; Moral hazard exists when someone takes risks because he or she will not be affected by losses or damages that occur as a result.

In an assessment center, a candidate is asked to handle a hypothetical situation dealing with typical job-related challenges. This is an example of what type of selection tool?

A simulation or situational case study is tailored to reflect typical problems that might be encountered. Trained assessors can evaluate how well the candidate performs.

What is a characteristic of alternative dispute resolution (ADR)?

ADR does not prevent disputes from winding up in court or in formal arbitration, but it can result in fewer cases going to trial. It is generally used in union-free organizations. While some ADR systems do include peer review, it is not a requirement. Similarly, some systems may bring in neutral third parties from outside the organization, but that also is not an ADR requirement.

To reinforce the importance of safety, employees' annual bonuses are linked to the aggregate safety key performance indicators (KPIs). Which effect is this likely to have on the rate of accidents?

Accidents will increase due to underreporting. Tying annual bonuses to aggregate safety KPIs incentivizes the wrong behavior. To get the bonus, certain safety measures are likely to be underreported, which will lead to an increase in risks and accidents.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which statement is true?

Accommodation is not required if it results in undue hardship for the organization.

What fits the definition of workplace retaliation?

An employer takes an adverse action against an employee. When an employer, employment agency, or labor organization takes an adverse action against an employee—often as a result of a conflict or complaint—that constitutes workplace retaliation.

What is the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability?

An organization's CSR strategy will most likely include goals related to sustainability. The definition of CSR has broadened from the traditional areas of ethics, governance, corporate philanthropy, and volunteerism to include sustainability.

An HR specialist prepares a business case to support an initiative. The case includes descriptions of the project's goals and benefits, method, budget, and time line. What other information would have been good to include?

Analysis of the initiative's possible risks. The business case should include some discussion of possible risks and approaches to managing them. Detailed descriptions and plans are not appropriate for this audience. Endorsements are not usually part of a business case, but it would certainly be a good idea to encourage supporters to communicate to management their reasons for support.

What converts HR metrics into decision-support tools by providing additional context?

Analytics convert a metric into a decision-support tool by adding context. HR measures collect and tabulate data. HR objectives and strategies stem from analytics.

How should the HR director handle the complaints from the more-tenured managers about the new manager's delegation style?

Arrange a meeting with all three managers, expressing confidence in each of them and asking the older managers to help the new one learn the routine and expectations.

How is today's global organization best characterized?

As any organization, large or small, whose every process, action, and decision is firmly rooted in a carefully conceived global strategy. Because of technologies and the growing ease of doing business across borders, a global organization is no longer defined by its size or physical presence in multiple countries but by its global strategy.

What type of engagement is evident in the effort an employee puts into his or her job?

Behavioral engagement is evident in the effort employees put into their jobs, which leads to greater value, creating higher performance than from less-engaged employees. It can occur when both trait and stage engagement are present.

What balance must be struck for effective information management?

Between openness and security

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which occupation is considered nonexempt?

Blue-collar workers, such as electricians, are considered nonexempt employees regardless of how highly they are compensated. Insurance adjustors who interview witnesses, make claim recommendations, and negotiate settlements are considered exempt employees, as are human resource managers who formulate, interpret, and implement employment policies and salaried executives.

Employee potentially provided alcohol to a minor. The HR manager reviews the memo and decides to contact the director. What approach should the HR manager pursue next?

Call the director and ask for details about what happened.This is the quickest and most direct action, which is appropriate in the case of an employee termination and a suggestion of illegal activity (providing alcohol to a minor).

What is an example of direct compensation? Deferred pay, Cash achievement award, Disability insurance, Use of a company car

Cash achievement award. Direct compensation deals with pay systems and includes cash achievement awards. Indirect compensation deals with benefits programs and includes items like a company car, disability insurance, and deferred pay.

Recently, top management agreed on major organizational changes without including HR in change planning. Now, HR has been tasked with developing a plan for communicating the changes to the employees. Which is the most effective way to communicate the changes?

Change-related information should be communicated to employees through multiple channels and from multiple sources (executive management, HR, departments).

What is most critical to the effectiveness of performance management systems?

Clarity of performance standards Clear communication of performance standards is the basis of an effective process. Behavior that is expected and evaluated must be communicated clearly.

What are some situations that can lead to workplace violence that can be controlled by an organization?

Conditions causing employee frustration and anger can lead to violence. Examples include pressure for productivity, rigid management style, and layoffs.

What is the best action for the HR manager to take in order to foster acceptance and adoption of the new role definitions, role expectations, and performance management approach by all the social service professionals?

Conduct a two-pronged communication campaign comprising regular and ongoing centralized communications for all employees and training for supervisors and managers to enable them to provide individualized messages to their direct reports.When managing a change, ensuring effective communication throughout the organization is critical for success. A two-pronged approach helps ensure that the right level of detail is being communicated based on the individuals' roles and the degree of impact the new program will have. The centralized messages are generic and relevant to the entire organization. Training the supervisors and managers enables them to deliver specific messages to each of their direct reports individually to help them understand the impact and what the change means to them.

What type of policy clarifies performance expectations and demonstrates organizational support of individual performance improvement?

Constructive discipline gives the employee an opportunity to understand expectations and change behavior. This demonstrates organizational support of performance improvement. Conflict resolution, complaint policies, and workplace retaliation policies can support engagement but are not necessarily geared toward performance improvement.

What are three potentially successful generic strategies according to Michael Porter?

Cost leadership, differentiation, focus

What belief best defines cultural relativism?

Cultural relativism holds that ethical systems do exist but that norms are influenced by local culture, laws, and practices.

How can defined talent pools influence compensation decisions?

Defined talent pools may aid in clarifying or guiding compensation decisions to ensure that key talent is motivated and rewarded. Talent pools do not specify limits for recruiting or compensation or divert compensation from lower-level positions.

How should the HR manager respond to the executive committee member who proposes to fire all current social services employees and start over by hiring new employees who are better qualified?

Demonstrate the projected return on investment for the proposed integrated HR programs, including several scenarios that show building a new workforce vs. training the existing workforce.

What is a primary goal during supply analysis?

During supply analysis, the organization looks at whether it has the right personnel mix to achieve its short- and long-term business goals. It finds gaps in supply and looks for internal and external ways to fill them.

What does an HR audit measure?

Effectiveness and efficiency. An HR audit measures HR effectiveness and efficiency and demonstrates the value of HR in helping an organization meet its strategic goals. The HR audit has two main functions: to help organizational decision makers understand what is happening with various HR activities and to allow HR managers to determine which programs and positions should be eliminated or enhanced.

Which situation violates the Employee Retirement Income Security Act standards for pension funds?

Employees are required to have a minimum of 15 months of service before they can participate in their employer's defined benefit plan.Employees must be allowed to participate if they are at least 21 years old and have completed 12 months of service. An organization cannot set the age for participation at more than 21 or the service requirement at more than 12 months.

What action during the termination process might violate an employee's due process?

Failure to offer an opportunity for the employee to explain actions.Employees may claim violation of due process if they are not allowed a chance to question evidence and defend themselves. Due process does not necessarily involve ADR or peer review. Warnings are not required in terminations for summary offenses. After investigation and hearing, an employee can be terminated immediately for a summary offense.

In the value chain, which business function is likely to be closer to the customer?

Fulfillment is the last function completed before the product reaches the customer.

What do judgmental forecasting, trend and ratio analysis projections, and turnover analysis help predict?

Future staffing needs. Accurate forecasts account for movement into and inside the organization (new hires, promotions, and transfers) and out of the organization (resignations, layoffs, retirements, and discharges). Forecast approaches include a variety of quantitative and qualitative tools such as trend and ratio analyses, turnover analysis, judgmental forecasts, and statistical forecasts.

Points, challenges, leaderboards, rules, and incentives characterize which employee engagement technology?

Gamification. Derived from the premise that doing (and playing) enhances learning, gamification is the selective use of game design and game mechanics to drive employee engagement.

After completing a benefits needs analysis, HR begins to compare existing benefits to the needs of the organization and of the employees. What does this activity exemplify?

Gap analysis. The HR professional performs a gap analysis to identify the set of benefits that best matches the needs of the organization and its employees.

What features characterize globalization?

Global markets, economies, and technologies are increasingly interconnected. The integration of markets, nation-states, and technologies is enabling individuals, corporations, and nation-states to reach around the world farther, faster, deeper, and cheaper than ever before.

What quality of mind suggests that an employee has a global mindset?

Global minds are comfortable with change and ambiguity and can live with conflict management as opposed to resolution. They value teamwork and interdependence and trust the process to solve problems.

Third-party contractors are best used for what types of activities?

HR activities that are not strategic but are resource-intensive or that require specialized expertise are the best applications for using third-party contractors.

As the deadline approaches, the HR business partner has not met the hiring goal. What should the HR business partner do next?

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

Teams are conducting performance evaluations. No team member wants to address another team member's poor performance. What is the best action the HR manager can take to help teams learn to give accurate performance reviews?

Have coaches assist their teams during the performance evaluations, and hold teams accountable for giving accurate performance evaluations. Having coaches assist their teams during the performance evaluations will show team members how to effectively address performance issues and give accurate performance evaluations.

Employee has been taking extended lunches. After a discussion with the manager, what should the HR generalist recommend?

Have the manager meet with the employee individually to reset expectations about what the attendance policy requires.it will require the manager to address the behavior in question and discuss it with the employee while reinforcing the policy.

In a midsummer strategy session, a company determines that they will close their West Coast manufacturing unit and move the entire manufacturing effort to the East Coast business head office. To bring the East Coast office fully online, 90 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 planning and implementation processes, what is the most important ethical concern for HR?

Having a clear understanding of the business case for the initiative and building a robust communication campaign

How can the HR manager determine whether any ethical implications exist with the contract recruiter?

IT departments can monitor company computers legally and quickly. Having visible data is irrefutable if an ethical violation exists.

What is the strongest strategy for a retailer trying to manage the risk of interrupted merchandise supply?

Identify and develop multiple vendor relationships.

Which level of learner participation offers the best opportunity for retention?

Immediate use of learning provides a 90% or higher retention rate in on-the-job activities.

One month after the termination of employment, the HR manager receives a notice of unemployment insurance claimed by the groundskeeper. The notice indicates that the groundskeeper does not understand why his employment was terminated as he never received any documentation. What should the HR manager do next?

Immediately file an appeal with the unemployment insurance agency to contest the groundskeeper's claim for unemployment benefits.Filing an appeal immediately is the best first step to take, as it may be time-sensitive and this termination was due to gross misconduct, including the illegal behavior that took place.

During which stage of strategic planning do managers develop action plans and assign staff members to projects?

Implementation

An organization becomes entrenched in rules and policies and is resistant to change. According to Greiner's five phases of organizational growth, how can an organization successfully meet this challenge?

Implementing processes that foster diversity and collaboration. A growing organization often passes through a phase during which it needs to centralize control and decision making and define roles more narrowly. This can discourage innovation. Organizational development activities now focus on making functional silos more porous and pushing decision making power down from top management into the organization—for example, by creating work processes that incorporate diversity, communication, and collaboration.

According to Goleman, what leadership attribute separates good leaders from great leaders?

In his study of 181 competency models, Goleman found that 67% of the abilities deemed essential for effective performance for managers were emotional (interpersonal) competencies. And, compared to intellect and technical expertise, emotional competence mattered twice as much.

In which form of budgeting is the prior year's budget the basis for the next budget?

Incremental or line-item budgeting uses the previous year's budget. The prior budget is simply increased by a set percentage. Additional funds are requested based on need and objectives.

A major reorganization is announced. What is most likely to happen after the initial shock?

Individuals may deny the reality of the change.

What is the basis for international law?

International law is based on treaties, conventions, pacts, protocols, and covenants. The Geneva Conventions and Protocols is an example.

What recommendation would you make to a new HR practitioner concerning investigating workplace complaints?

Investigators should be familiar with the requirements of labor contracts and local laws.

What is the primary advantage of developing a career management program?

It ensures that the company will have the skilled employees it needs in the future. Career management involves preparing, implementing, and monitoring employees' career paths, with a primary focus on the goals of the organization. The organization provides development opportunities that align with its interests.

How should the HR generalist advise the manager if she insists on documenting the employee behavior?

It entails creating a partnership with management and becoming a trusted advisor while also protecting the company.Partner with the manager and the next level of management to gain effective buy-in that expectations must be reset before documentation can commence.

What is true of common law?

It evolves over time through judicial decisions. Common law is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative actions. Because these legal precedents can change over time, common law can evolve gradually.

How has talent acquisition been affected by social media?

It is easier to find passive candidates. Social media make it easier to find passive candidates. In addition to finding passive candidates directly online 24/7, social media enable talent scouts access to passive candidates' networks of key connections.

How can the recruiting manager prevent the appearance of misconduct in the recruiting department now and for the future?

It is important to negotiate terms and conditions with the recruiting firm prior to beginning any transaction. The agreement should include a clause that prevents the recruiting firm from soliciting any employees they place. In some jurisdictions, absent an agreement, the recruiters do not have to consider employees of their client "off limits."

What is the purpose of a works council?

It promotes communication between management and employees on issues that affect workers' interests.Works councils are composed of workers and management representatives. Their purpose is to promote communication between management and employees on issues that affect workers' interests.

What is the relationship between an organization's code of conduct and its compliance program?

Key to good governance are developing organizational standards for behavior, communicating principles and standards throughout the organization, and training managers and employees in how to apply these standards to common work-related situations. The foundation for this is the code of conduct, which forms the basis of the organization's specific policies and procedures regarding compliance and ethical issues. The compliance program, in turn, proactively ensures that all members of the organization understand and adhere to that code and are able to apply it to new situations and issues as they arise.he code of conduct defines organizational standards for compliance and ethical issues; the compliance program ensures that everyone can understand and adhere to that code.

What should the HR generalist do in order to effectively assess whether to update the policy?

Laws and regulations change, and a best practice is to update an employee handbook at least once a year to stay current. Determine when the last update was, and, if over a year ago, partner with the HR manager to begin the process of updating.

Two weeks after the groundskeeper's employment was terminated, the groundskeeper contacts the HR manager and claims he was discriminated against due to his age and that he could not handle the physical demands of the job, particularly during the summer heat. He points out that this is why the director hired much younger college students. What should the HR manager do?

Let the groundskeeper know that the HR manager can discuss the situation with him at a later time, and schedule a time for him to call back later in the day or week.

Employee has been taking extended lunches. HR manager talks to employee about it and reviews policy. If the employee agrees to follow the policy, what should the HR generalist recommend that the manager do?

Make a note of the date and time the employee agreed to the policy. Send a recap e-mail to the employee regarding their acknowledgment and the expectation they have agreed to.

What is the impact of cognitive barriers on risk management?

Managers perceive risks in an outdated manner. Cognitive barriers to risk management relate to managers' tendencies to rely on older perceptions of the risks they face and the most effective ways of managing them.

What stage of the life cycle concept is characterized by stability?

Maturity. As an industry, organization, or product matures, problems are largely resolved. In an organization, staffing and culture begin to stabilize, and the rate of change levels off. Policies, procedures, and rules are formalized and communicated to all employees. Training is emphasized, and labor cost control becomes a factor.

What should the HR generalist recommend to the manager regarding the most effective way to reset expectations in the department?

Meet one-on-one with the employee to explain the expectations of the role and the time and attendance policy.

The HR generalist realizes that there is the potential for other employees to have been shielded from accountability. What should the HR generalist do in order to ensure that all employees are being treated equally?

Meet with managers who have the most tenured employees first to ensure that shielding of tenured employees from accountability is not an ongoing, acceptable practice in the organization.

If the new manager feels frustrated with the pace at which the HR director is assigning him new tasks and challenges, what approach should he take with the HR director?

Meet with the HR director to discuss the working relationship and affirm his confidence in his ability to do the job. is the best response, as it shows that the manager is comfortable in having a discussion with the HR director where he can outline a plan to work more independently from her. This approach also demonstrates to the HR director the manager's comfort level in having potentially uncomfortable conversations with others.

What is the most important consideration when forming focus groups?

Members should be a representative sample of the employee population.It is important to select members who are representative of the employee population at large and to appoint a moderator who is unrelated to the participants.

Which is a specific and measurable aspect of strategy that serves as the basis for implementation decisions?

Objectives tie to strategic goals, which, in turn, relate to the mission statement. Objectives are the most specific and measurable of the strategic statements.

What is the difference between offshoring and outsourcing?

Offshoring relocates processes or production to another country; outsourcing transfers portions of work to outside suppliers.

What kind of surveys yield the highest response rates?

Online surveys

What HR-directed policy initiatives could best help resolve glass ceiling issues for women?

Organization-wide diversity training can help make the organization more open to women's upward mobility, and flextime policies can help some women do their best at work. However, the most direct way to help women move up the organizational ladder is through mentoring with upper-level executives and programs to hone their leadership skills.

What term describes the process where training or educational activities occur at multiple levels in an organization?

Organizational learning

The HR generalist wants to ensure that all employees are aware that they are to be held to the same standards and that employees know what the standards are. What is the most effective way to do this?

Partner with management to hold small group meetings reviewing the most up-to-date employee handbook and signing an acknowledgment of receipt.

The HR generalist wants to ensure that employees are held accountable but also that they are set up for success. How can the HR generalist help make certain this happens?

Partner with management to make certain that employees are aware of additional training resources available in order to ensure that they stay current on technology and other job-related requirements as updated yearly.

Goal setting is most effective when paired with which performance management tool?

Performance feedback (so progress can be monitored)

Which tools are used in building an employment brand?

Principles of marketing. Job candidates need to be approached in much the same way as prospective customers: carefully identified and targeted, attracted to the company and what it has to offer, and sold on the job.

The HR manager needs to define key metrics to show the return on investment for the proposed HR initiatives. Which of the following would be the most critical indicator of improved performance for the organization? Turnover rate, Quality of service, Ratio of HR to employee, Training completion rates

Quality of service

What does the term "business intelligence" mean?

Raw internal and external data translated into meaningful information to support decision making

Some teams are having trouble making the transition to the team structure. What is the best recommendation HR can make to resolve this problem and keep production at acceptable levels?

Recommend that coaches be placed back over the teams to manage the operation until the teams can develop the skills needed to manage themselves. Returning the coaches to positions of managers over dysfunctional teams allows production to continue at acceptable levels while giving dysfunctional teams time to become more self-managing.

An employee life cycle describes all of the activities associated with an employee's tenure in the organization. What is the first phase in the employee life cycle?

Recruitment initiates the employer-employee relationship and begins the employee's life cycle.

Which function has the most responsibility for future revenue stream generation?

Research and development. Since research and development is responsible for new product design and development, it's the function most responsible for future revenue stream generation.

In a midsummer strategy session, a company determines that they will close their West Coast manufacturing unit and move the entire manufacturing effort to the East Coast business head office. To bring the East Coast office fully online, 90 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 best 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. Accurate job descriptions and updated policies and procedures provide the proper infrastructure to support all aspects of the initiative.

In a midsummer strategy session, a company determines that they will close their West Coast manufacturing unit and move the entire manufacturing effort to the East Coast business head office. To bring the East Coast office fully online, 90 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. Spending time in consultation with the business leaders about the business case will help HR quickly identify the key elements needed for successfully supporting the initiative.

What is likely to be of the most concern to the chief information officer or IT director?

Security. The security of the organization's information assets is a major concern for executive management, especially the chief information officer. Anything that impacts security will be closely scrutinized.

Negotiations for an executive at a company have stalled with a prospective new international partner. How can the organization's global HR expert contribute to a better negotiation outcome for this executive?

Share the cultural perspective of the other side in the negotiation.

An organization has some managers who have too many employees reporting to them, hindering efficiency and resulting in conflicting goals. Which type of organizational effectiveness and development strategy will address this problem?

Structural- Structural intervention strategies look at how the organization is helped or hindered by its organizational structure.

Most of the supervisory and management staff in a start-up company have limited interviewer training and experience. What interview technique will best mitigate this inexperience?

Structured interview. In the structured interview, the interviewer asks every applicant the same questions. (Follow-up probes may be different, however.) This encourages a consistent evaluation of candidates.

What is the difference between succession planning and replacement planning?

Succession planning is based on a pool of talented candidates for several assignments; replacement planning designates a preferred candidate for a position.

What is the purpose of training program objectives?

Support measurement of learning. Objectives not only guide the development of the course; they also provide a way to measure learning when training is completed.

In an effort to enrich jobs, management wants employees working at one of three assembly stations to complete the entire assembly job and put their names on the finished product. About half of the employees are resisting the change. What is the best course of action?

Talk with those opposed to the change to determine their concerns. Taking the time to talk with the employees resisting the change may help identify new issues or misunderstandings and can turn resistance into acceptance.

How should the new manager respond to the pressure to give preference to the job candidate who has ties to the HR director?

Tell his colleagues that they all should evaluate the candidates based on their experience. as it shows that the new manager is comfortable in having a direct discussion with others who hold a different opinion and possibly disagreeing with them.

What does OSHA's General Duty Clause mandate

That employers must provide work environments free of recognized hazards to safety

What type of learning is characterized by rapid and easy access and opportunities for continuous learning?

The "pull" model of learning and development is a continuous process, with training "pulled" seamlessly through computers or mobile devices anywhere, anytime. "Pull" training is usually linked to acquiring skills, abilities, knowledge, and competencies needed to better perform one's job. "Pull" models may use e-learning and blended delivery methods.

Should the HR business partner agree to the colleague's offer to discuss recruiting in exchange for wage and benefit information?

The HR business partner should decline the offer, recommend that the clinic participate in a broader industry wage survey, and share names of good surveys.

A hospital has recently seen a significant increase in turnover of nurses. How might the HR business partner go about addressing the broader trends uncovered in the exit interviews?

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

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.

How should the HR leader address the information uncovered in relation to promotional pay practices?

The HR leader should benchmark multiple data sources and recommend a comprehensive structure for all positions. While the current practice might not be unlawful, it has the potential to be a cause for concern and may be unethical. The president rightly has decided to bring in knowledgeable expertise in the area of compensation to drive this project, as he is not proficient in compensation and the continuation of the ad hoc approach could lead to legal or other issues.

How should the HR leader maximize benchmark source data to establish new pay ranges?

The HR leader should compare, contrast, and analyze multiple different data sources to design a new wage structure that is best for the division.

How should the HR leader approach analyzing internal equity among the employee population, within each job title, as part of the wage structure project?

The HR leader should review employees' rates of pay to determine if they are appropriately positioned within the range.

After meeting with several of the managers of the organization and discussing employees, the HR generalist arrives at the conclusion that managers are uncomfortable having accountability conversations with employees. What should the HR generalist recommend to rectify the issue?

The HR manager should conduct a survey of managers to gauge their level of confidence, create a training tool designed to aid in developing their confidence, and set a time line for completion of the training.

During which stage of the global assignment process should criteria for the ideal expatriate candidate be developed?

The criteria and standards should be defined in the assessment and selection stage. These criteria help narrow the focus for successful candidates.

How should an organization's diversity and inclusion strategic initiative affect supply chain management and relations?

The organization can build diversity requirements into searches for vendors and suppliers and seek out minority-owned vendors. An integral part of any organization's diversity program is to ensure that it promotes diversity outside of the company in addition to its internal efforts. Changes can include building diversity requirements into searches for vendors and suppliers and seeking out minority-owned vendors. The diversity and inclusion program should also ensure that the practices of all the organization's suppliers are consistent with (though not necessarily identical to) the organization's own diversity policies.

Why should the division president be concerned about having a competitive and equitable compensation structure?

The president can ensure that the organizational strategy is positively impacted by having an appropriate reward system for the employees.

What is the primary focus of organizational development?

The primary focus of organizational development is managing change and disrupting the status quo to improve outcomes. In this process, HR professionals serve as change agents and manage the evaluation of OD interventions.

What is the most important reason to complete a risk assessment?

The primary outcome of a risk assessment is to give organizations the information they need to develop an efficient and effective program that manages strategic and operational risk across the organization. The choices related to workers' compensation and compliance focus on reactive HR roles in managing negative risks. Roles in the management strategy can be assigned only after it is decided which risks will be managed and how they will be managed.

What is a benefit associated with informal organizations?

These elements make it easier to try new approaches and practices. The informal is hard to define, because it does not have clear structural boundaries. Informal elements include shared values, informal networks, communities, and pride. Because informal elements are generally not written and are not rigidly defined, they are easier to use. This informality makes it easier to try new approaches and practices.

What is a major disadvantage of time-based pay systems?

They can raise pay levels over time even if performance is mediocre.A major disadvantage of a time-based pay system is that it does not reflect performance differences, except for unsatisfactory performance, and it can raise average pay levels over time even if performance is below average.

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

They expedite forecasting of current and projected staffing. Global management of information about numbers of various jobs and current and projected openings is based on consistent job descriptions.

What is the key benefit of defining an organization's values?

They guide employee behavior and decision making.

What are the three key reasons for approaching diversity and inclusion as a comprehensive, organization-wide strategic initiative?

To make it a priority, to allow for its complexity, and to address organizational resistance to change

What organization is most likely to fail in its strategic planning and management?

To preserve competitiveness, strategic plans are shared among top management only.

What is the best reason to review other organizations' annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) or sustainability reports when first devising a sustainability strategy?

To see how general principles and guidelines can be adapted to an organization's unique strategic focus. The best starting point for developing and implementing a CSR strategy is gaining a clear perspective of work already done internationally on defining CSR issues and responses. it is equally valuable to review the annual CSR or sustainability reports of other organizations. These show how others have customized general principles and reporting guidelines to focus on their own particular industry's areas of interest and their own strategic goals.

Why are costs easier to justify using corporate shared value (CSV) rather than traditionally defined corporate social responsibility (CSR)?

Traditional CSR efforts focus on reputation rather than outcomes.

What type of engagement describes the inherent personality-based elements that predispose an individual to being engaged?

Trait engagement. Trait engagement describes the inherent personality-based elements that predispose an individual to being engaged: a natural curiosity, a desire to be involved, an interest in problem solving. These traits may figure into recruiting and hiring efforts.

Which legal protection source assists employers in complying with federal regulations against discrimination?

Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures

Whose representation is most critical to a diversity council's success?

Upper management must be directly involved. Direct involvement of upper management is critical.

When is a narrow span of control the best option?

When tasks are complex. "Span of control" refers to the number of individuals who report to a supervisor. Narrower spans of control are typically used when tasks are complex, subordinates are poorly trained or inexperienced, or a team effort is required.

HR has been asked to target and identify how to improve employee performance. This will necessitate examining current organizational competencies against those needed in the future and reconciling the differences. What process would help HR to make these determinations?

Workforce analysis would allow HR to mine employee data, evaluate the internal environment, and help to identify the steps necessary to improve employee performance.

What is the first step the HR business partner needs to take to achieve his hiring objectives?

Working back from the date of the onboarding, the HR business partner needs to establish when he will need to advertise the positions and create an advertisement to attract individuals whose values align with those of the hospital.

Should a firm require that its suppliers follow a specific code of conduct?

Yes, this is a good way to make sure that suppliers are behaving ethically.A good way to make sure that suppliers operate in an ethical manner is to require in contracts that suppliers comply with a specific code of conduct.

A manager begins with no allocated budget and must justify allocations based on how the function will contribute to the organization's strategic goals. What budgeting method is being used?

Zero-based budgeting requires all managers to start at zero. A department must justify its entire budget and show how its funding will help the organization to meet its goals. In zero-based budgeting, all operations are given a priority rating, each unit or goal is ranked, and funds are given in order of the ranking.