Chapter 5 Personnel Planning and Recruiting

Which of the following enhances the security of a firm's database management system by specifying the type of information that a user can obtain? A) file-sharing B) search engine C) access matrix D) main server E) intranet

C

What is the typical compensation structure for on-demand recruiting services? A) hourly rate B) commission C) percentage fee D) 20-30% of the hire's salary E) 50% of the hire's signing bonus

A

Which of the following is a primary goal of college recruiters? A) supporting employment diversity programs B) building relationships with college career centers C) cutting future recruiting costs for the firm D) developing a pool of temporary workers E) attracting good candidates

E

Which of the following is most frequently used by retailers to estimate short-term personnel needs? A) recruiting yield pyramids B) position replacement cards C) personnel replacement charts D) qualifications inventories E) computerized forecasting programs

E

A small software firm is seeking several permanent employees with experience in the semiconductor industry and advanced degrees in computer science. The firm is a small one and cannot afford to pay a traditional recruiting firm a fee of 30% per each hire's salary. Instead, this firm should consider using a(n) ________. A) contingency-based recruiter B) state-run employment agency C) temporary staffing agency D) outsourcing staffing service E) on-demand recruiting service

E

An employer's computerized recruitment system should include all of the following elements EXCEPT ________. A) hypertext transfer protocol to enable applicants to post their resumes in any format or font B) requisition management systems to facilitate routing, approval, and posting of job openings C) hiring management software to collect and manage candidate information D) recruitment marketing to improve applicant pool quality E) skills and behavioral assessment services

A

Employment planning requires making forecasts of three elements: the supply of inside candidates, the likely supply of outside candidates, and ________. A) personnel needs B) job specifications C) supervisor salaries D) global trends E) labor relations

A

Jackie works as a nurse on temporary assignment for hospitals throughout the region on an as-needed basis. Jackie is ________. A) a contingent worker B) on job rotation C) using job enlargement D) in a benchmark job E) forecasting personnel needs

A

Marie Boyd has been hired by Barnum Hotels to manage staffing for the regional hotel chain. Barnum intends to open two new hotels within the next three years and will have many job positions to fill. Historically, employee turnover is high at Barnum as employees remain with the company for one or two years before quitting. Marie realizes that Barnum needs to make significant changes in its personnel strategy in order to meet the company's goals for the future and improve employee retention rates. Which of the following, if true, most likely undermines Marie's decision to fill top positions with inside candidates? A) Barnum needs to head in a different direction with innovative ideas if it is to remain competitive with other hotel chains. B) Many current Barnum employees have indicated they are loyal to the firm by rejecting offers to work at competing hotels. C) Internet job postings generate too many applicants with inadequate experience in the hotel industry. D) Training new employees about the practices and procedures at Barnum is costly in regards to both time and money. E) The influence of local labor unions and EEO legislation is blamed for the high turnover rate among Barnum employees.

A

Qualifications inventories can be tracked and maintained by using all of the following EXCEPT a ________. A) ratio analysis matrix B) personnel replacement chart C) position replacement card D) skills inventory software E) personnel inventory and development record form

A

Which of the following determines future staff needs by using ratios between a causal factor and the number of employees required? A) ratio analysis B) forecasting ratio C) ratio trend D) personnel ratio E) ratio matrix

A

Which of the following factors plays the greatest role in determining the best medium for a job advertisement? A) skills needed for the job B) job compensation and salary C) time allowed to fill the position D) length of the employment ad E) graphics used in the advertisement

A

All of the following are common concerns that have been expressed to researchers by temporary employees EXCEPT ________. A) feeling angry towards the corporate world B) being in compliance with equal employment laws C) feeling insecure about their employment situation D) worrying about the lack of insurance benefits E) being treated by employers in an impersonal manner

B

Counselors in state-run employment agencies conduct all of the following activities EXCEPT ________. A) reviewing employer job requirements B) filing employer tax reports C) visiting employer work sites D) writing job descriptions E) filling job positions

B

Finding or attracting applicants for an employer's open positions is known as ________. A) succession planning B) employee recruiting C) personnel planning D) employee contracting E) job posting

B

In regards to on-campus recruiting, which of the following is most likely to help sell the employer to the interviewee? A) recruiter's professional attire B) sincerity of the recruiter C) emphasis on the job location D) well-written job descriptions E) asking only a few questions

B

Mandatory alternative dispute resolution agreements require ________. A) disgruntled employees to contact the local EEOC office prior to filing formal complaints B) applicants to agree to arbitrate certain legal disputes related to employment or dismissal C) applicants to take unpaid leaves of absence during employment disputes D) employees to meet with human resources officials prior to submitting a resignation E) applicants to agree that they will accept decisions handed down by federal appellate courts

B

Marie Boyd has been hired by Barnum Hotels to manage staffing for the regional hotel chain. Barnum intends to open two new hotels within the next three years and will have many job positions to fill. Historically, employee turnover is high at Barnum as employees remain with the company for one or two years before quitting. Marie realizes that Barnum needs to make significant changes in its personnel strategy in order to meet the company's goals for the future and improve employee retention rates. All of the following questions are relevant to Marie's decision to fill top positions at the new hotels with internal candidates EXCEPT ________. A) What are the key managerial positions that are available at the new hotels? B) What percentage of employers in the service industry use succession planning? C) What skills, education, and training have been provided to potential candidates? D) What is the designated procedure for assessing and selecting potential candidates? E) How can potential candidates be made more viable with relevant developmental experiences?

B

Marie Boyd has been hired by Barnum Hotels to manage staffing for the regional hotel chain. Barnum intends to open two new hotels within the next three years and will have many job positions to fill. Historically, employee turnover is high at Barnum as employees remain with the company for one or two years before quitting. Marie realizes that Barnum needs to make significant changes in its personnel strategy in order to meet the company's goals for the future and improve employee retention rates. Which of the following, if true, best supports the argument that a scatter plot is the most appropriate tool for Marie to use in estimating future personnel needs? A) Productivity levels for Barnum employees typically vary from month to month. B) The size of the two new Barnum hotels will be similar to the chain's other hotels. C) Barnum requires HR to maintain qualifications inventories for all current employees. D) Personnel replacement charts serve as useful tools when filling Barnum's managerial positions. E) Barnum's marketing department will develop a new promotional campaign about the new hotels.

B

Newton Building Supplies hopes to generate an extra $4 million in sales next year. A salesperson traditionally generates $800,000 in sales each year. Using ratio analysis, how many new salespeople should Newton hire? A) 2 B) 5 C) 10 D) 15 E) 20

B

Pamlico River Productions is seeking a top-level manager to oversee its finance division. Qualified candidates can be difficult to find, so the business would most likely benefit from using a(n) ________ to recruit potential candidates. A) state-run employment agency B) executive recruiter C) temporary agency D) Internet-based job site E) alternate staffing recruiter

B

SB&A Consulting plans to do some college recruiting to fill entry-level management positions this year. Which of the following factors is most important for the firm to consider when deciding which colleges to visit? A) location B) reputation C) tuition and fees D) enrollment numbers E) student-teacher ratio

B

The best way for employers to avoid improper applicant screening at private employment agencies is by ________. A) using non-profit agencies to locate advertise open jobs B) providing the agency with an accurate job description C) posting jobs on the firm's intranet and bulletin boards D) developing applicant screening software for internal hires E) sending HR experts to monitor the agency's activities

B

The process of deciding how to fill executive positions at a firm is known as ________. A) internal recruiting B) succession planning C) long-term forecasting D) advanced interviewing E) candidate testing

B

When constructing a job advertisement, all of the following are aspects of the AIDA guide EXCEPT ________. A) attracting attention to the ad B) implying long-term benefits C) creating desire for the job D) prompting applicant action E) developing interest in the job

B

Which of the following is NOT a tool used by firms to recruit outside candidates? A) newspaper advertising B) intranet job postings C) employment agencies D) executive recruiters E) online job boards

B

Which of the following is the primary disadvantage of using internal sources of candidates to fill vacant positions in a firm? A) lack of knowledge regarding a candidate's strengths B) potential to lose employees who aren't promoted C) costs associated with transferring employees D) questionable commitment of candidates to the firm E) significant training and orientation requirements

B

Which of the following is typically responsible for paying the fees charged by a private employment agency when an applicant is placed in a job? A) U.S. Department of Labor B) employers C) employees D) state employment commissions E) independent recruiters

B

Which of the following terms refers to studying a firm's past employment needs over a period of years to predict future needs? A) ratio analysis B) trend analysis C) graphical analysis D) computer analysis E) organization analysis

B

A ________ is a graphical method used to help identify the relationship between two variables. A) trend analysis B) ratio analysis C) scatter plot D) productivity chart E) correlation analysis

C

A ________ is used to calculate the number of applicants a firm must generate to hire the required number of new employees. A) trend analysis B) ratio analysis C) recruiting yield pyramid D) scatter plot E) log function matrix

C

All of the following terms are used to describe the contingent workforce of an organization EXCEPT ________. A) seasonal employees B) part-time employees C) collateral workers D) temporary workers E) just-in-time workers

C

For most firms, which of the following is the most effective source for recruiting new hires? A) college recruiting B) regional career fairs C) employee referral programs D) newspaper advertisements E) contingency recruiters

C

Marcus, an HR manager for Samsung, must decide what positions the firm should fill in the next six months., which means Marcus is currently working on ________. A) employee contracting B) screening job candidates C) personnel planning D) interviewing job candidates E) writing job descriptions

C

The ________ run by the U.S. Department of Labor enables public employment agency counselors to advise applicants about local and national job openings. A) U.S. Career Center B) American Job Network C) National Job Bank D) National Employment Agency E) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

C

The ongoing process of systematically identifying, assessing, and developing organizational leadership to enhance performance is known as ________. A) action learning B) employee mentoring C) succession planning D) work sampling E) employee recruiting

C

What is the first step in succession planning? A) creating an applicant pool B) assessing possible candidates C) identifying and analyzing key jobs D) selecting who will fill key positions E) developing the strengths of current employees

C

What is the purpose of an applicant tracking system? A) sorting resumes based on an applicant's years of work experience B) generating advertisements for attracting and gathering applicants C) assisting employers in attracting screening, and managing applicants D) providing employers and applicants with an interactive Web site E) assisting recruiters with locating internal applicants for key positions

C

When managers need to determine which employees are available for promotion or transfer, they will most likely use ________. A) organizational charts B) scatter plots C) skills inventories D) estimated sales trends E) personnel forecasts

C

Which of the following contains data regarding employees' education, career development, and special skills and is used by managers when selecting inside candidates for promotion? A) computerized forecasting tools B) replacement charts C) qualifications inventories D) trend records E) personnel files

C

Which of the following has improved the ability of executive recruiters to find potential candidates? A) electronic performance support systems B) mobility premiums C) Internet-based databases D) corporate intranets E) broadbanding

C

Which of the following is a service that provides short-term specialized recruiting to support specific projects without the expense of retaining traditional search firms? A) top-executive searches B) contingent-based searches C) on-demand recruiting services D) just-in-time recruiting services E) ad hoc recruiting services

C

Which of the following is the primary disadvantage for employers who use private employment agencies to fill positions? A) White-collar applicants are difficult to attract. B) Internal recruitment specialists are necessary. C) Applicant screening may not be thorough. D) Applicant processing time is too lengthy. E) Application procedures are complicated.

C

Which of the following motivates most employees over 65 to work? A) overtime payments B) promotion opportunities C) schedule flexibility D) supportive work environments E) additional sick days

C

A firm's ________ should guide employment planning and determine the types of skills and competencies the firm needs. A) job analysis B) organization chart C) marketing plan D) strategic plan E) recruitment process

D

All of the following are advantages of a firm recruiting through a central office EXCEPT ________. A) reducing the duplication of efforts B) implementing company-wide strategic priorities C) ensuring EEO compliance among recruiters D) developing autonomous divisions and Web sites E) simplifying the recruiting process

D

An employer will most likely use a private employment agency in order to ________. A) reach unemployed individuals B) receive assistance writing job ads C) adhere to federal hiring practices D) fill a specific job opening quickly E) spend more time recruiting applicants

D

Jessica Garza is a manager at a large retail store. Currently, Jessica has four temporary workers under her supervision that a local staffing agency has provided. In which of the following tasks should Jessica become directly involved? A) negotiating the pay rate of a temporary worker B) discussing job opportunities with a temporary worker C) discussing harassment issues with a temporary worker D) answering task-related questions posed by a temporary worker E) terminating a temporary worker directly

D

Marie Boyd has been hired by Barnum Hotels to manage staffing for the regional hotel chain. Barnum intends to open two new hotels within the next three years and will have many job positions to fill. Historically, employee turnover is high at Barnum as employees remain with the company for one or two years before quitting. Marie realizes that Barnum needs to make significant changes in its personnel strategy in order to meet the company's goals for the future and improve employee retention rates. Which of the following, if true, best supports the argument that Marie should implement a computerized skills inventory database? A) Barnum offers its employees the opportunities to participate in job rotation and job expansion experiences. B) Barnum primarily recruits for management trainee positions at college campuses and through online job boards. C) Barnum's recruiting yield pyramid indicates that the firm should generate 1,000 leads in order to fill 100 positions. D) Barnum executives would like to transfer the firm's most qualified employees to the new hotels to fill supervisory positions. E) HR managers at Barnum frequently receive discrimination complaints that must be investigated by the EEOC.

D

Smith Industries has set a goal of recruiting minority applicants. Which of the following methods is LEAST likely to be successful for Smith Industries? A) implementing employee referral campaigns B) offering flexible work schedules C) providing flexible benefits plans D) utilizing executive recruiters E) collaborating with professional organizations

D

The fastest growing labor force segment in the United States over the next few years will be those from ________ years old. A) 18-22 B) 23-29 C) 30-44 D) 45-64 E) 65+

D

When using either a trend analysis or a ratio analysis, it is assumed that ________ will remain the same. A) staffing levels B) currency rates C) economic forecasts D) productivity levels E) recruitment plans

D

Which of the following best explains why employers frequently use Internet recruiting methods to find outside candidates for jobs? A) simplified EEO compliance B) standardized questionnaires C) pre-screened applicants D) cost effectiveness E) data collection

D

Which of the following best explains why firms are using temporary workers more frequently? A) low cost when hired through agencies B) workers' desires for flexible schedules C) high cost of workers' compensation insurance D) need of businesses to increase productivity E) desire of businesses to avoid paying overtime

D

Which of the following is NOT information that should be requested on application forms? A) work history B) experience C) technical skills D) marital status E) training

D

Which of the following is a recommended method for HR departments to protect employee data? A) hiring temporary employees to manage personal employment information B) requiring HR data access through peer-to-peer file-sharing applications C) retaining written rather than computerized personnel files D) performing random background checks on employees with HR database access E) providing full database access to employee files only through a firm's intranet

D

Which of the following is the primary advantage of college recruiting? A) minimal preparation required B) flexible, short-term interview schedule C) inexpensive method of screening applicants D) access to a source of management trainees E) opportunity to keep firm's identity confidential

D

Which of the following terms refers to the use of nontraditional recruitment sources? A) negligent hiring B) personnel planning C) human resource management D) alternative staffing E) organizational development

D

Which of the following would be the best option for a business that needs to attract local applicants for hourly jobs? A) employee referral campaigns B) on-demand recruiting services C) college recruiting D) walk-ins E) headhunters

D

________ are special employment agencies retained by employers to seek out top management talent for their clients. A) State-run employment agencies B) Private employment agencies C) Temporary agencies D) Executive recruiters E) Job banks

D

A trend analysis is limited in its usefulness because it ________. A) overlooks the passage of time in regards to staffing B) considers too many possible influences on employment C) addresses only the financial impact of employment changes D) assumes constant increases in worker productivity E) overlooks how changes in sales volume affect staffing

E

All of the following are characteristics of a job posting EXCEPT ________. A) listing the job's attributes B) providing the job's pay rate C) publicizing the open job to employees D) listing the job's required qualifications E) indicating the preferred number of applicants

E

All of the following are methods used by firms to develop high-potential candidates for future positions EXCEPT ________. A) providing internal training B) offering cross-functional experiences C) implementing job rotation D) offering global assignments E) developing skills inventories

E

Marie Boyd has been hired by Barnum Hotels to manage staffing for the regional hotel chain. Barnum intends to open two new hotels within the next three years and will have many job positions to fill. Historically, employee turnover is high at Barnum as employees remain with the company for one or two years before quitting. Marie realizes that Barnum needs to make significant changes in its personnel strategy in order to meet the company's goals for the future and improve employee retention rates. Which of the following, if true, best supports Marie's plan to centralize Barnum's recruitment efforts? A) Online screening tests are given to all candidates for positions at Barnum to assess their potential and skills. B) Barnum plans to end its succession planning program, which the firm believes is to blame for poor candidate assessment. C) Barnum executives believe that the high turnover rate at the firm is due to inadequate training requirements. D) Barnum enforces a strict policy about hiring friends and family members of current employees. E) EEO selection violations have occurred in the past when hiring responsibilities were given to Barnum managers at each individual hotel.

E

Recruiting is necessary to ________. A) determine whether to use inside or outside candidates B) forecast the short-term supply of outside candidates C) create positive word-of-mouth about a firm D) create qualifications inventories E) develop an applicant pool

E

What is the first step in the recruitment and selection process? A) performing initial screening interviews B) building a pool of candidates C) performing candidate background checks D) interviewing possible candidates E) deciding what positions to fill

E

Which of the following refers to company records showing present performance and promotability of inside candidates for a firm's top positions? A) yield pyramids B) trend analysis charts C) succession planning tools D) employee scatter plots E) personnel replacement charts

E

________ is the process of deciding what positions the firm will have to fill and how to fill them. A) Recruitment B) Selection C) Job analysis D) Interviewing E) Personnel planning

E

According to EEO law, it is legal to ask job applicants if they have ever received workers' compensation.

F

According to EEO laws, it is always illegal to recruit applicants with gender-specific ads, but using word-of-mouth to spread information about job opportunities is legal in all situations.

F

An in-house temporary employee is a highly skilled worker, such as an engineer or software designer, who is supplied for long-term projects under contract from an outside technical services firm.

F

The fees associated with both retained and contingent executive recruiters are increasing as firms struggle to find qualified candidates.

F

Trend analysis assumes that productivity increases over time.

F

Video resumes eliminate the possibility of applicants claiming discrimination in a firm's hiring practices.

F

When firms prove that they will use the information on job application forms as a predictor of job performance, they are allowed under EEO laws to request information regarding an applicant's age and marital status.

F

When it refers to filling jobs like that of a maintenance clerk, personnel planning is called succession planning.

F

Employment planning should be an integral part of a firm's strategic and HR planning process.

T

Every state has a public, state-run employment service agency.

T

Firms can predict job performance of applicants by modeling the relationship between success on the job and responses on the application form.

T

Firms can reduce potential problems associated with rehiring former employees by crediting them with the years of service they had accumulated before they left.

T

Many firms use temporary hiring as a way to give prospective employees a trial run before hiring them as full-time workers.

T

Personnel planning requires an estimation of personnel needs, the supply of inside candidates, and the likely supply of outside candidates.

T

Publicizing an open job to employees through a firm's intranet or bulletin board is known as job posting.

T

Retained executive recruiters are paid whether or not they eventually fill the client's vacant position.

T

The U.S. Department of Labor maintains a nationwide computerized job bank called the National Job Bank.

T

To prevent the appearance of discriminatory hiring practices, firms are advised to avoid asking job applicants on an application form whether they own or rent a house.

T

Which of the following terms refers to the background investigations, tests, and physical exams that firms use to identify viable candidates for a job? A) selection tools B) job analysis methods C) job specifications D) personnel techniques E) forecasting tools

A

Due to EEO laws, firms are only allowed to use contingency workers for clerical or maintenance positions; managerial staff must consist of full-time employees of the firm.

F

In most cases, it is more cost effective for firms to hire contingent workers through a temp agency than to hire comparable permanent employees.

F

In most cases, job applicants view concise job advertisements as more attractive and credible than lengthy ads with too many details about a job.

F

Offshoring means having outside vendors supply services that a firm's own employees previously did in-house, while outsourcing means having overseas outside vendors provide services once performed in-house.

F

Older workers usually have higher absenteeism rates compared to younger workers due to illness.

F

The HR manager who recruits for a vacant job is typically the one who is responsible for supervising the performance of that position.

F

The dot-jobs domain is primarily used by HR managers for succession planning purposes.

F

The assumption shared by both trend analysis and ratio analysis is that productivity remains about the same from year to year.

T

The use of the Internet enables firms to centralize their recruitment efforts.

T

A recruiting yield pyramid is the historical arithmetic relationship between all of the following EXCEPT ________. A) internal and external candidates B) offers made and offers accepted C) recruitment leads and invitees D) invitees and interviews E) interviews and offers made

A

A question on an employment application form that requests the dates of attendance and graduation from various schools may be illegal as it could reflect an applicant's age.

T

Access matrices are used to define the rights of users to various kinds of access for each element in a personnel database.

T

According to most employment laws, employees of temporary staffing firms that are working in an employer's workplace are considered workers of both the temporary agency and the employer.

T