HR Exam 2 Study Guide

1) What does recruitment involve?**** A) encouraging qualified people to apply for employment with a firm B) selecting qualified people for employment at a firm C) attracting and selecting employees for the firm D) determining sources of employees

A

13 The student placement director at a university helps corporate recruiters in all of the following ways EXCEPT ________. A) negotiating salaries and benefits B) identifying qualified candidates C) providing interview rooms D) scheduling interviews

A

25) A student takes an IQ test one week and scores 140. The student retakes the test one week later and scores 90. Which of the following best describes the test? A) unreliable B) abnormal C) subjective D) objective

A

28) What does the unstructured interview involve? A) asking candidates probing, open-ended questions B) using novice interviewers to assess candidates C) validating candidate test scores against norms D) asking identical questions to all candidates

A

29) The HR manager at a manufacturing plant is required to use E-Verify to check the information provided on each employee's ________. A) I-9 B) W-2 C) W-4 D) 1099

A

3) The recruitment process entails several activities EXCEPT ________. A) making a job offer B) determining whether it will be necessary to search outside the company for potential talent C) selecting the appropriate recruitment methods D) tapping productive sources of applicants

A

58) Showing a worker how to operate a bulldozer or an administrative assistant how to schedule appointments are examples of ________. A) training B) development C) morale improvement D) behavioral development

A

60) Which of the following is NOT true as it regards on-site, instructor-led training? A) The classroom setting is easily replicated online. B) The instructor may deliver a great deal of information in a relatively short time. C) A charismatic instructor may excite the students to want to learn. D) The classroom setting allows for real-time discussion.

A

8) Many well-qualified employees at Advanced Control were laid off when the firm struggled financially. The firm has actively stayed in touch with these former employees in hopes of rehiring them when the economy improves. Which of the following best supports the argument that Advanced Control should rehire these former employees? A) Advanced Control knows the strengths and weaknesses of the employees. B) Advanced Control will avoid being sued for discriminatory hiring practices. C) Advanced Control will prevent competitors from learning trade secrets. D) Advanced Control has already established employee database information.

A

73) A strengths/weakness balance sheet survey is an example of a formal career planning assessment tool. a. true b. false

a. true

22) Hiring the wrong person is time consuming but has little monetary or emotional impact on the firm and its employees. a. true b. false

b. false

34) Interviews are valid predictors of success on the job, which is why they are commonly used to evaluate applicants. a. true b. false

b. false

38) The manner in which an organization fills a position is always the same for every job within the organization. a. true b. false

b. false

50) The primary disadvantage of using peers to appraise performance is that they do not work closely enough with evaluated employees to provide useful feedback. a. true b. false

b. false

53) The critical incident method is a variation of the ranking method in which the performance of each employee is compared with every other employee in the group. a. true b. false

b. false

65) Interest in online higher education has sharply declined in recent years due to the lack of academic rigor associated with most programs. a. true b. false

b. false

66) The traditional lecture model of learning is the premise behind the educational success of social networking. a. true b. false

b. false

7) Online job boards are the most effective method used by employers such as Microsoft and Southwest Airlines to identify top performers. a. true b. false

b. false

69) Effective employee onboarding efforts that span several weeks rather than a day or two are most like ________. A) apprenticeship training B) classroom instruction C) just-in-time training D) learning organization

C

71) Employees view career development opportunities as more important than ________. A) indirect financial compensation B) employee benefits C) pay D) work-life balance

C

44) Monica, a sales consultant, will receive a performance appraisal soon. Monica's supervisor will be assessing Monica's ability to deliver products to clients according to schedule and her ability to meet customer quality requirements. Which performance standard is most likely important to Monica's employer? A) improvement potential B) strategic contribution C) goal achievement D) employee traits

C

47) Which appraisal method is most likely to cover the entire evaluation period and not focus on the last few weeks or months? A) essay B) rating scale C) critical incident D) paired comparison

C

16) What is the primary reason that employers use sign-on bonuses? A) eliminate the need to offer costly stock options B) attract talented workers in high-demand fields C) recruit young, energetic workers into sales jobs D) encourage workers to apply for technical jobs

B

17) HealthCorp has an immediate need for an experienced IT manager. The firm's HR manager has decided that the best external source for the position is the firm's competitors in the labor market. Which of the following methods would most likely be LEAST effective for HealthCorp? A) media advertising B) competitive games C) executive search firm D) professional association

B

21) What are the two possible outcomes of a good selection decision? A) cognitive invalid or valid B) a qualified candidate is offered employment or an unqualified candidate is not offered employment C) qualified candidate not offered employment or unqualified candidate offered employment D) low reliability or high validity

B

27) Robert, an HR manager, is preparing to interview candidates for a software engineer position. Which of the following is LEAST likely to appear on Robert's interview planning checklist? A) developing questions related to the qualities sought B) prescreening additional applicants with behavioral selection tests C) comparing an applicant's application and résumé with job requirements D) preparing a step-by-step plan to present the position, company, division, and department

B

36) The total recruiting expense divided by the number of recruits hired is ________. A) applicant tracking B) cost per hire C) human capital metrics D) work-sample validity

B

41) What is the first step of the performance appraisal process? A) establishing employee job expectations B) identifying specific performance goals C) conducting a thorough job analysis D) evaluating work performance....

B

43) Gina and her team members at Marshall Marketing recently received their annual performance appraisals. Each team member was evaluated for developing others, cooperation, and customer service orientation. Which of the following best describes these criteria? A) traits B) behaviors C) goal achievement D) improvement potential

B

46) Dixon Manufacturing is a large firm that produces automotive parts for sports cars. Employees at Dixon receive annual performance appraisals from their supervisors. However, top executives at Dixon have decided that performance appraisals should be conducted more frequently and that a new method of appraisal should be implemented. Which of the following, if TRUE, best supports the argument that the forced distribution method is the most appropriate performance appraisal tool for Dixon to use? A) Organizational fit is a problem among newly hired Dixon employees. B) Many managers at Dixon are hesitant to fire poor performing employees. C) Dixon organizes most departments into project-based teams of employees. D) Multiple appraisals are needed at Dixon to minimize employee discrimination.

B

54) Which of the following is NOT an advantage associated with using team members to appraise performance? A) Team members are familiar with each other's performance. B) Team members are receptive to criticism from coworkers. C) Peer review relies on more than one opinion. D) Peer pressure motivates members of a team.

B

55) At Wilson Manufacturing, evaluators are required to justify in writing extremely high or extremely low performance ratings that are given to employees. Which of the following is the most likely outcome of this requirement? A) leniency or strictness B) central tendency error C) halo error D) recent behavior bias

B

56) Which of the following is NOT characteristic of effective performance appraisal systems? A) standardized evaluation tools B) annual employee feedback C) formal grievance process D) trained evaluators

B

59) Chelsea Paper Products is a large manufacturer that employs nearly 800 workers. Executives at the company are interested in implementing a training and development program in order to improve employee competencies and enhance the firm's overall performance. Which of the following most likely supports the plan to establish a training and development program at Chelsea? A) Firms of similar size typically provide mentors to new employees. B) The firm has consistently had a high turnover rate in all departments. C) The firm's new CEO established a T&D program at a previous firm. D) Other firms in the paper industry are implementing T&D programs.

B

61) Ben is a supervisor at a candle manufacturing plan. Absenteeism is high and often disrupts production goals. Which T&D method would most likely be used to help Ben ensure that production goals are met? A) on-the job training B) cross-training C) apprenticeship D) team coordination training

B

62) For most firms, what is the primary reason for establishing corporate universities? A) aligning with educational institutions B) creating organizational change C) providing e-learning for expatriates D) offering degrees to employees

B

67) What is the primary purpose of including a socialization program during orientation? A) explaining employee benefits options B) reducing anxiety of new employees C) providing management training D) initiating team projects

B

9) Which of the following is TRUE about contingent workers? A) Contingent workers are primarily unskilled workers. B) Contingent workers do not have an implicit or explicit contract for ongoing employment. C) Contingent workers usually have the choice to continue employment after completion of their initial assignments. D) all of the above

B

5) The complaint that employees never hear of a position until it is filled can best be handled through a system of ________. A) networking and onboarding B) job analysis and staffing C) job posting and bidding D) recruiting and testing

C

11) Employers and employment agencies are using Weblogs to ________. A) share information about job applicants B) discuss company policies and procedures C) conduct background checks of applicants D) hire contingent workers for short-term projects

C

12) Jack, an HR manager at an electronics firm, has been informed that he needs to hire twenty technicians immediately. Which of the following would most likely be the best method for quickly attracting experienced technicians? A) job fair B) event recruiting C) radio advertisement D) newspaper advertisement

C

14) A representative from an executive search firm would most likely ________. A) write a potential job candidate's résumé to match the client's needs B) temporarily hire employees for a client to train and interview C) interview a client's managers about the required job qualifications D) create newspaper advertisements for a client's available positions

C

15) Which of the following is LEAST likely to be offered by a professional association? A) job referral services B) recruitment services C) reduced headhunter fees D) Web site job advertisements

C

2) Jeremy, an HR manager, has received an employee requisition for a data analyst job at his firm. Which of the following would most likely help Jeremy determine the qualifications the recruited person needs for the data analyst job? A) job posting B) job identifier C) job description D) job-knowledge test

C

23) Which of the following should NOT be requested on a job application form? A) experience B) education C) birthplace D) skills

C

26) During the selection process for a telemarketing position, Alex was given a test to measure his awareness of the job's duties. Which type of test did Alex most likely take? A) psychomotor abilities B) cognitive aptitude C) job knowledge D) work-sample

C

33) Persons who take polygraph tests have all of the following rights EXCEPT the ________. A) right to refuse or discontinue a test B) right to a written notice before testing C) right to review results prior to distribution D) right not to have test results disclosed to unauthorized persons

C

35) A company's ________ is the number of times on average that employees have to be replaced during a year. A) retention percentage B) quantity of hire C) turnover rate D) cost per hire

C

39) A company's ________ is the number of times on average that employees have to be replaced during a year. A) retention percentage B) quantity of hire C) turnover rate D) cost per hire

C

42) Which of the following is NOT a standard used in effective performance appraisal systems? A) competencies B) behavior C) years of service D) traits

C

75) Firms most likely implement reverse mentoring programs to ________. A) discourage the retirement of experienced managers B) provide job rotation opportunities for minorities C) help older employees learn from younger ones D) address federal hiring requirements

C

18) Erin is presently employed as a public relations specialist at a news organization. Erin enjoys her job and the company. Recently, Erin learned of an available position at an advertising agency that sounds interesting. Erin is gathering information about the position, although she is unsure whether leaving her current job would be wise. Which of the following best describes Erin? A) contingent worker B) active job seeker C) contract employee D) passive candidate

D

10) Which of the following is a characteristic of an effective corporate career Web site? A) indicates appraisal methods B) specifies health benefit plans C) provides a brief job description D) promotes the firm in a positive tone

D

19) ________ is the period of time that permits many firms to evaluate an employee's ability based on established performance. A) Organizational fit B) Selection C) Candidate relationship management D) Probationary

D

20) The selection process typically begins with the ________. A) application review B) employment interview C) background check D) preliminary interview

D

31) Applicant tracking systems are being redesigned to include ________. A) automated résumé ranking tools B) background check capabilities C) customized input forms D) quality-of-hire metrics

D

32) Kim is applying for a job as an accounts specialist, which will require extensive use of Excel. During the selection process, the employer provides Kim with data and asks her to compile an Excel spreadsheet with the information. Which type of test did Kim most likely take? A) cognitive aptitude B) psychomotor abilities C) job knowledge D) work-sample

D

4) Job postings and job bidding procedures enable current employees of an organization to ________. A) request promotions and salary raises B) locate skilled subordinate workers C) receive training for new positions D) learn about current job openings

D

45) Dixon Manufacturing is a large firm that produces automotive parts for sports cars. Employees at Dixon receive annual performance appraisals from their supervisors. However, top executives at Dixon have decided that performance appraisals should be conducted more frequently and that a new method of appraisal should be implemented. Which of the following, if TRUE, best supports the argument that the BARS method is the most appropriate performance appraisal tool for Dixon to use? A) Dixon recently invested in an applicant tracking system to help HR manage recruiting and selection tasks. B) Dixon supervisors want to provide subordinates with upward feedback to illustrate employee ratings. C) Dixon has provided HR with a small budget for implementing a new performance appraisal system. D) Dixon supervisors want specific examples of good and poor behavior in order to facilitate rating discussions.

D

48) Marco, who works on an assembly line at GM, received his annual performance appraisal, which compared his job performance to an expected level of output. Which method is most likely used by GM? A) BARS B) ranking C) critical incident D) work standards

D

63) Which of the following LEAST likely explains why it is difficult to implement training and development programs at many organizations? A) Managers are typically action-oriented. B) Qualified trainers are not available. C) Scheduling poses problems. D) Records are unavailable.

D

68) All of the following are reasons for the use of peers during orientation EXCEPT for their ________. A) accessibility B) empathy C) experience D) benchmarking

D

74) High quality leaders are more likely to outperform their competition in ________ metrics. A) employee engagement B) product quality and services C) financial accomplishment D) all of the above

D

24) Modern job seekers should use keywords to ensure that their résumés are not immediately discarded by a firm's applicant-tracking system. a. true b. false

a. true

30) A growing number of firms use social networking sites, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, to investigate the backgrounds of potential employees. a. true b. false

a. true

37) HR professionals use metrics to evaluate recruitment and selection effectiveness by determining the turnover rate, selection rate, and acceptance rate. a. true b. false

a. true

49) It is essential that line managers play a key role in performance appraisal from beginning to end. a. true b. false

a. true

51) Opponents of forced distribution contend that the system fosters paranoia among employees and destroys company loyalty. a. true b. false

a. true

52) The work standards method compares each employee's performance to a predetermined standard. a. true b. false

a. true

57) A halo error occurs when a manager generalizes one negative performance feature to all aspects of employee performance. a. true b. false

a. true

6) By having companies maintain detailed staffing and recruitment records, the EEOC can determine whether a firm's hiring practices are legal. a. true b. false

a. true

64) The use of a corporate university is proactive and strategic rather than reactive and tactical and can be closely aligned to corporate goals. a. true b. false

a. true

70) During orientation, employees typically learn about the firm and how their job fits into the firm's organizational structure and goals. a. true b. false

a. true

72) Career planning is a general course that a person chooses to pursue throughout his or her working life. a. true b. false

a. true