Workforce management quiz
In which scenario would having a knowledge management program be beneficial to an organization? An employer is implementing an education reimbursement policy. An organization is increasing the employer premium share of its medical insurance plan. Employees volunteer at a charitable event on the weekend. A company's workforce has a large percentage of employees nearing retirement age.
A company's workforce has a large percentage of employees nearing retirement age. Rationale A knowledge management program would be beneficial in an organization that has a large percentage of employees nearing retirement age; this will allow the organization to retain the departing employees' institutional knowledge. The other answers do not require knowledge use, retention, or transfer.
HR has undertaken a review of the company's talent management plan in order to make recommendations for possible improvements. Which action should HR take first? Look at the succession plan for key high-potential employees in the company. Evaluate the organizational structure to see if changes need to be made. HR has undertaken a review of the company's talent management plan in order to make recommendations for possible improvements. Which action should HR take first? Look at the succession plan for key high-potential employees in the company. Evaluate the organizational structure to see if changes need to be made. Conduct a thorough review of the organization's strategic plan and goals. Review all job descriptions to determine if they are still relevant.
Conduct a thorough review of the organization's strategic plan and goals. Rationale Key to talent development is to first conduct a thorough review of the organization's strategic plans and annual goals in order to develop a deep understanding of all critical abilities needed to achieve those goals and to then evaluate whether the competencies to achieve these goals are clearly defined.
HR has defined key groups of employees who possess certain characteristics and abilities that are closely aligned with the organization's strategy. What effect will this have on the organization's staffing and compensation strategies? Greater clarity in compensation decisions Slower increase in executive recruiting investment Diverting compensation from entry-level positions Capping payroll for administrative compensation
Greater clarity in compensation decisions Rationale Having defined talent pools may clarify compensation decisions to ensure that key talent is motivated and rewarded. Having defined critical talent pools does not necessarily reduce the need for executive recruitment; this may be a factor of the labor market. Compensation for certain job descriptions will also be driven by market factors. Diverting compensation from lower-level positions could cut off the supply of future talent.
An organizational crisis is rapidly unfolding as several key employees have been killed in a car accident. How can HR best contribute to rapid recovery of operations? HR can notify all related clients of an impending workforce interruption. HR can plan and execute the memorial celebrations for the employees' families. HR can fill in or supplement workforce gaps with the best qualified employees. HR can write the press release and speak to the local media.
HR can fill in or supplement workforce gaps with the best qualified employees. Rationale HR can research the most qualified candidates to handle operations based on critical skill sets and experiences. A workforce interruption may be avoided. Writing the press release, contacting the media, and planning a memorial are not necessarily HR responsibilities.
What activity is necessary for successfully implementing a knowledge management system? Writing an article for the company newsletter Establishing a 24-hour help line Deleting unnecessary knowledge from the database Identifying situations in which knowledge is lost or underused
Identifying situations in which knowledge is lost or underused Rationale A critical action in establishing a knowledge management system is identifying those places in an organization's processes and structures where valuable knowledge has been developed and where losing that knowledge can endanger the organization's success.
What is the first step in developing a knowledge management system? Monitoring both the formal and informal knowledge management systems Inventorying knowledge assets Choosing the technology Separating collections from connections
Inventorying knowledge assets Rationale The first step in developing a formal knowledge management system is to inventory the types of knowledge assets that exist and the assets themselves. This can be a time-consuming and considerable task, and a system must be established to properly index and mark each asset.
What approach is most characteristic of succession planning? It is initiated as soon as it is clear that a senior executive is leaving. Local requirements are given the highest priority. It focuses on issues likely to occur in the short term of approximately one to 12 months. It focuses on long-term global issues.
It focuses on long-term global issues. Rationale Succession planning takes a long-range, strategic view and considers the entire organization and its business conditions.
Which technology has the primary mission of sharing information in meaningful ways to augment employee performance? Human resource information systems Knowledge management systems Project management systems Talent management systems
Knowledge management systems Rationale Knowledge management systems are increasingly popular as a knowledge-sharing tool in organizations. These systems facilitate access and exchange of information, expertise, and learning throughout the organization.
An elder care service organization is challenged with retention of staff. Recently the service director left the organization with little notice. HR wants to prepare for future unplanned vacancies to avoid any disruption in client services. What is the best way for HR to mitigate this risk? Managers can cross-train a subordinate. Leaders can authorize more compensation. Employees can be required to give two weeks' notice. HR can offer developmental programs.
Managers can cross-train a subordinate. Rationale Replacement planning concentrates on immediate needs and a "snapshot" assessment of the availability of qualified backups for individuals in key positions. It is an important element in business continuity planning in the event of an emergency or business interruption. When identifying potential replacements for their position, managers use their best judgment based on observation and experience.
Staff have been reluctant to share on-the-job experiences with coworkers. HR wants to update all job descriptions to reflect the expectation that this should take place. How can HR assess that this change has been successfully implemented? Peer evaluations Management rewards distributed Meeting attendance Performance evaluations
Performance evaluations Rationale HR professionals play a key role in fostering knowledge management. They instill a knowledge-sharing attitude in new employees and use training and performance management systems to encourage creativity, innovation, and knowledge transfer.
What best describes the difference between replacement planning and succession planning? Replacement planning is designed for individual countries; succession planning is designed to serve corporate headquarters. Replacement planning focuses on short-term needs; succession planning focuses on long-term needs. Replacement planning is optional; succession planning is mandatory in order for an organization to achieve results. Replacement planning focuses on long-term success; succession planning focuses on short-term success.
Replacement planning focuses on short-term needs; succession planning focuses on long-term needs. Rationale Although the two overlap in practice, replacement planning focuses on the short term and succession planning focuses on the long term. Both are important in headquarters as well as nonheadquarters countries.
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? Revise participation criteria to reflect the organization's maturity and processes. Review the succession planning strategy to ensure alignment with current business conditions. Immediately evaluate the succession planning process in terms of its cost-effectiveness. Maintain the current practice to preserve employee expectations and engagement.
Review the succession planning strategy to ensure alignment with current business conditions. Rationale Effective succession planning should be developing the type of talent the organization will need in the future. This means that the organization's needs should be reviewed regularly against the organization's strategy and competitive environment. It is not necessarily a good idea to limit succession planning participation to managers, and it could turn out that an organization needs skills other than management ones, such as technical and business analysis competencies. Evaluating cost-effectiveness is a good idea, but not the most pressing concern, given the possibility that the process is no longer aligned with the business's situation.
Which is considered a flexible staffing strategy? Compressed workweek Job rotation Family assistance programs Seasonal contracting
Seasonal contracting Rationale Employing seasonal workers is an example of a flexible staffing strategy. The other options are ways to create employee engagement, not employer flexibility. A compressed workweek is an example of flexible scheduling to meet employee needs and preferences.
Which statement best describes a productive knowledge management system? Acquiring knowledge from outside sources to solve problems Sharing of organizational learning and reducing knowledge loss Implementing changes and committing to employee development Supporting new product development and creation of organizational policies
Sharing of organizational learning and reducing knowledge loss Rationale Knowledge management programs typically focus on two key elements: expertise sharing and knowledge retention/reduction of knowledge loss due to employee attrition.
As the result of a reorganization, an employer is laying off 20% of its sales employees. Which existing practice will help ensure that the company retains the knowledge of the departing employees? The sales department maintains a customer database. All new hires attend customer service training. Employees are permitted to telework. The employer has multiple work locations.
The sales department maintains a customer database. Rationale The sales department's customer database is an effective way to store and share information. The other answers do not necessarily influence whether knowledge is captured.
When is knowledge management most productive? When it focuses on sharing organizational learning and reducing knowledge loss When it develops new procedures and creates organizational policies When the organization implements change and commits to employee development When it focuses on acquiring knowledge from outside sources and solving problems
When it focuses on sharing organizational learning and reducing knowledge loss Rationale Knowledge management programs typically focus on two key elements: expertise sharing and knowledge retention/reduction of knowledge loss due to employee attrition.
HR professionals must anticipate future talent needs as well as plan for the future employee talent pool. Which key factor typically contributes to an anticipated shortage in the labor pool? Less reliance on contingent workers Less diverse workforce Workforce skewed toward older employees Abundance of knowledge workers
Workforce skewed toward older employees Rationale When older employees represent a large portion of an organization's workforce, the organization can anticipate talent shortages as these employees reach retirement age. The amount of diversity and an abundance of knowledge workers do not contribute to a labor shortage. A labor shortage will force greater reliance on contingent workers.
