People - Employee Engagement and Retention

A company is expanding into a new country and wants to extend its collaborative, team-based approach to help engage its new workforce. Which driver of engagement should the HR director consider first? Answers Conduct a pilot test in the new workplace to see if localization of company practices will be accepted. Proceed without delay; collaboration is a global driver of engagement. Align company practices to new country practices using valid research to guide changes. Continue with new country practices, as changes could cause engagement to decrease.

: Align company practices to new country practices using valid research to guide changes. Item ls2-2-63 Rationale The first step is to recognize that drivers of engagement may vary among cultures, and the HR director must obtain non-biased information about preferences among this new group of employees. Not addressing a different approach to collaboration up front may cause confusion as the teams integrate.

A manager of a new restaurant is having difficulty with her chef's interaction with servers as well as the quality of food he is preparing. After consulting with her HR partner, they plan to develop a performance management system. What is most critical to the effectiveness of the performance management system? Answers Equitable reward system that encourages desired behaviors Aligned individual contributions that drive organizational results Timeliness of reviews that address poor performance immediately Evaluation forms that clearly state management's expectations

: Aligned individual contributions that drive organizational results Item ls2-2-18 Rationale Clear communication of performance standards that are aligned to organizational goals and objectives is the basis of an effective performance management process. Behavior that is expected and evaluated must be communicated clearly.

Senior management has determined that a reduction in force (RIF) is the only way it can address financial difficulties. Which action would best minimize the impact of the downsizing on the organization and employee morale? Answers Suggest that terminated employees might be called back. Allow employees to volunteer to be separated. Encourage voluntary separations and treat them as terminations. Constructively discharge the least productive employees.

: Allow employees to volunteer to be separated. Item ls3-7-3 Rationale A reduction in force in which employees in selected task areas are allowed to volunteer for layoff has the potential to benefit both the organization and the employees. For the organization, a voluntary RIF creates opportunities for restructuring and assists in meeting the organization's fiscal responsibilities. For employees, it may facilitate a transition to retirement. Also, in some countries, an early "at will" separation can provide the employee with access to federal or local financial assistance for the pursuit of other career opportunities.

During the employee selection process, how can HR identify an employee who is more likely to become engaged in the organization? Answers By hiring only those who have the most experience and education By selecting those interested in working with a mentor within the company By assessing how well the candidate will fit with the organization's culture By questioning potential employees to determine how engaged they were at their last job

: By assessing how well the candidate will fit with the organization's culture Item ls2-2-29 Rationale When selecting employees, find candidates who are likely to perform duties well, who contribute voluntary behaviors, and who already fit the organizational culture and values. Then connect them with others in the company as part of their onboarding experience to support their optimum performance engagement.

How can HR best engage employees in developing the performance standards for a new performance management system? Answers By communicating performance expectations By evaluating performance annually rather than on a continuous basis By rewarding equally regardless of the task performed By providing praise and recognition rather than monetary rewards

: By communicating performance expectations Item ls2-2-19 Rationale The organization must communicate what it wants employees to do, and these behaviors have to be translated into performance standards. When performance standards are communicated, they must be defined so all employees understand the expected behavior. For example, if innovation counts, it must be identified and measured, and employees must be given clear examples of what represents innovation.

How should HR improve an organization's onboarding program to reduce voluntary turnover during the first 90 days of employment? Answers By offering bonuses to new hires if they exceed 90 days By implementing basic activities on the first day of work By providing the opportunity for job sharing after 60 days By conducting in-depth exit interviews to determine the cause of turnover

: By conducting in-depth exit interviews to determine the cause of turnover Item ls2-1-54 Rationale The HR professional should evaluate the organization's onboarding strategies using a variety of metrics. In this situation, in-depth exit interviews to determine the cause(s) of voluntary turnover could determine any areas of dissatisfaction with the onboarding process and/or other negative organizational issues the new hire may have encountered.

An HR professional is compiling the questions for an upcoming institutional engagement survey. How best can she determine the most effective survey questions? Answers By linking the questions to business objectives By exploring employee satisfaction By determining employee attitudes toward the employer By uncovering opinions and ideas to improve work processes

: By linking the questions to business objectives Item ls2-2-7 Rationale Employee engagement surveys focus on employees' level of job satisfaction, commitment, and morale. Survey questions or statements should explicitly link to business objectives.

Some managers in an organization rate their employees' performance as uniformly high. An HR audit reveals that business outcomes do not support these higher employee assessments. Recommendations include changing the appraisal method to the behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS). Which method's shortfalls are mitigated by using BARS? Answers Comparative Narrative Management by objectives Category rating

: Category rating Item ls3-7-66 Rationale Category rating methods, the least complex means of appraising performance, require managers to simply mark an employee's level of performance on a designated scale or checklist. The BARS method was designed to overcome the problems of category rating by describing examples of desirable and undesirable behavior. Examples are then measured against a scale of performance levels.

An organization recognizes the benefit of long-tenured employees—they provide valuable experience that is key to its success. What practice can HR use to help ensure that employees remain with the organization for a longer period of time? Answers Streamlining HR processes Conducting realistic job previews Improving benefit plans Performing annual salary reviews

: Conducting realistic job previews Item ls2-1-59 Rationale By conducting realistic job previews, the organization can help ensure that new hires are well prepared for the job duties and understand the organizational culture before they enter it. This can help keep employees engaged over time and may result in retaining them for a longer period of time. Performing salary reviews and improving benefit plans can help ensure that the total compensation for the position is competitive in the market, but that will not address other issues that may cause employees to exit the organization prematurely. Streamlining HR processes may not have any impact on the employee retention rate.

A line manager approaches HR to explore ways to increase cross-training among her employees. How can HR meet the manager's need while increasing employee engagement? Answers Advise the manager to review her hiring criteria to ensure that the role accurately portrays increased decision making in the recruitment process. Incorporate a job rotation program to expose employees to different jobs throughout the organization. Consult with the manager to understand which duties of the specific role incorporate higher levels of decision making. Consult with the manager to identify developmental opportunities for employees to expand their skills and abilities.

: Consult with the manager to understand which duties of the specific role incorporate higher levels of decision making. Item lsna-19-285 Rationale Prior to making a recommendation, the HR manager needs to understand the specific roles and responsibilities of the job. HR can then advise as to how the job may be modified to incorporate cross-training.

Which managerial competency would best support the relationship between the well-being and engagement of employees? Answers Demonstrating interest in employees as individuals and contributors Managing with a task orientation style to reinforce organization and structure Treating all employees the same with respect to work to minimize the perception of favoritism among staff Offering feedback in a manner that focuses on an employee's work performance and does not intrude on the employee's life outside of work

: Demonstrating interest in employees as individuals and contributors Item lsna-19-282 Rationale A nurturing style of management, demonstrated by getting to know employees' individual needs and abilities, has been shown to reinforce the relationship between well-being and engagement.

How should an HR director advise a supervisor to engage a typically high-performing employee whose performance has declined the past two quarters? Answers Explore transferring the employee to another department with a new manager to determine if job fit is an issue. Implement a written warning to convey to the employee how serious his performance decline has become. Authorize the supervisor to implement a spot bonus if the employee attains the next quarter's performance target. Discuss with the employee his overall goals and objectives as they relate to the particular role the employee occupies.

: Discuss with the employee his overall goals and objectives as they relate to the particular role the employee occupies. Item lsna-19-289 Rationale When an employee's performance has declined, the manager should work to identify what may be driving that decline. Feedback about current performance can be used to help identify developmental needs and long-term career goals.

Which question would be most appropriate in an employee opinion survey? Answers Are the organization's values accurately presented in your community? Does your supervisor administer the overtime policy in a consistent manner? Does the organization maintain high morale among employees? Is your current pay level adequate for you to remain with the organization?

: Does your supervisor administer the overtime policy in a consistent manner? Item lsna-19-301 Rationale Opinion survey questions are designed to elicit employee views related to specific issues, such as how work policies or practices are administered. Employee attitude surveys seek data on employee perceptions of the organization's culture and image. Engagement surveys examine employees' levels of job satisfaction, commitment, and morale.

In a downsizing environment, which question would be most appropriate to include in an employee opinion survey? Answers Do you feel that your employment is stable within the organization? Does your supervisor elicit your opinions about work processes? Is management doing enough to ensure the financial viability of this organization? Do you feel that your base pay level is adequate for an organization in our industry?

: Does your supervisor elicit your opinions about work processes? Item lsna-19-302 Rationale Employee opinion surveys focus on the opinions of employees related to work processes, such as cross-training programs, safety programs, or recognition plans.

A new HR leader would like to assess the level of employee engagement in the organization. His focus will be on behavioral engagement. Which of the following characteristics should the HR leader look for? Answers Characteristics that support transactional tasks Only characteristics found in trait engagement Effort employees put into their jobs Workplace conditions that are improved by management

: Effort employees put into their jobs Item ls2-2-1 Rationale 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 state engagement are present. The less desirable of the traits is transactional engagement.

Which program best allows HR to support long-term employee engagement and retention? Answers Concierge services Employee assistance Wellness Family assistance

: Employee assistance Item ls2-2-30 Rationale Employee assistance and employee development programs focus on immediate and long-term needs of the employee.

Which managerial behavior would most effectively increase employee engagement? Answers Ensuring that employees are safe and not allowing them to take on tasks they could fail in Limiting one-on-one meetings to avoid being perceived as micro-managing Encouraging employees to have a proposed solution when they come for assistance with a problem Not asking questions about an employee's well-being after a personal family emergency

: Encouraging employees to have a proposed solution when they come for assistance with a problem Item lsna-19-299 Rationale Autonomy and control over the job reinforces employees' ability to manage and solve problems. Encouraging employees to work through a problem prior to approaching the manager reinforces that they are capable and can solve the problem.

Exit data reveals a higher-than-normal rate of voluntary turnover. To investigate further, HR plans to survey the employees. Which type of survey should HR conduct? Answers Attitude survey Engagement survey Opinion survey Performance survey

: Engagement survey Item ls2-2-37 Rationale Engagement surveys focus on employee satisfaction, commitment, and morale, thus providing greater insights into employees' desire to stay with the company. Opinion surveys seek to gain opinions on certain processes, and attitude surveys attempt to determine employees' perceptions of their working environment.

Which is a critical consideration to address before proceeding with an online survey? Answers Ensuring the confidentiality of participants' responses Ensuring that employees can take the survey only once Verifying that employees have computer access Publicizing the survey in employee newsletters

: Ensuring the confidentiality of participants' responses Item ls2-2-47 Rationale The most critical issue is the confidentiality of the opinions and information participants provide. Without confidentiality, participants may be reluctant to provide constructive feedback. Questions of system security, access, and survey design are important but secondary.

A recent employee satisfaction survey indicated that 83% of respondents were satisfied with their jobs. The CEO believes that employee engagement initiatives have met expectations and that money budgeted for additional employee engagement efforts should be shifted to other projects. Which is the best way to respond? Answers Negotiate with the CEO to assess employee vigor, dedication, and absorption before ending the engagement effort. Explain that employee engagement is about performance outcomes not always reflected in survey results, so initiatives should continue. Thank the CEO for his faith in the survey results and assist in allocating the budget dollars elsewhere. Recommend that a second survey be administered before shifting to other projects to ensure that the satisfaction scores are truly valid.

: Explain that employee engagement is about performance outcomes not always reflected in survey results, so initiatives should continue. Item ls2-2-59 Rationale Employee engagement is a broader concept than employee satisfaction, commitment, and morale. It is an outcome-driven concept about behaviors that can positively influence individual- and business-level performance. As such, engagement initiatives should continue. However, efforts will most likely shift to acknowledge progress made in some areas and gaps that remain in others.

An engineering company aspires to have a culture that supports a family-friendly environment. What work/life program would support such a culture? Answers Financial planning Family assistance program Wellness program Family movie night

: Family assistance program Item ls2-2-22 Rationale Work/life programs help employees balance the demands of their work and home lives. Family assistance programs provide a variety of family resources and support, including child-care and elder-care assistance.

Which of the following actions is most likely to reduce job burnout? Answers Raising wages Giving employees control over their work Offering stress reduction classes Providing employees with more sick days

: Giving employees control over their work Item lspp-19-103 Rationale Burnout occurs when work is no longer meaningful to a person. Giving employees more say about how the work is done reduces burnout and makes employees more committed and engaged in their work.

A new employee is experiencing performance problems. What should HR do as a first step in determining the root cause of the employee's performance challenges? Answers Place a written warning in the employee's personnel file. Recommend that the employee be placed on probation. Support the supervisor's request to terminate the employee. Guide the supervisor to discuss the performance issues with the employee.

: Guide the supervisor to discuss the performance issues with the employee. Item ls2-2-28 Rationale The first thing the supervisor should do is have an honest discussion with the employee. Performance discussions should be held when needed, not just as part of a yearly performance appraisal. The employee must understand what is expected and why present performance is not adequate.

A benefits manager notices that several senior-level employees in her department are disengaged. The manager meets with the employees and discovers that they feel confined to the office and have actually become bored with their jobs. Which activity should best assist with this low-level trait engagement? Answers Relocate employees to another area in HR to increase engagement. Have the employees create and present a new wellness series. Allow the employees to leave early on Fridays. Encourage the employees to take on more data entry tasks.

: Have the employees create and present a new wellness series. Item ls2-2-3 Rationale 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.

HR is asked to evaluate the organization's overall retention. Which would be the best information for HR to assess first? Answers Various perceptions of key competitors Only the current year's turnover rate How the current turnover rate compares to the industry average Management's opinion on retention issues

: How the current turnover rate compares to the industry average Item ls2-2-12 Rationale Employee turnover has several unquantifiable costs besides recruiting, retaining, and retraining new employees. A starting point in evaluating retention is understanding employee turnover—the number of employees leaving, why they leave, and the impact those departures have on the organization's productivity and overall business performance.

A manufacturing organization's office employees are arriving late to work on a consistent basis. A focus group is conducted, and it is discovered that the employees' morning commute has changed significantly due to highway construction. Which of the following should HR recommend the organization implement to support the temporary needs of employees? Answers Enforce the tardiness policy consistently. Introduce a flextime policy with bandwidth hours. Introduce a job rotation plan to broaden the scope of the job. Establish a telecommuting policy.

: Introduce a flextime policy with bandwidth hours. Item ls3-7-5 Rationale Since this is a manufacturing organization, employees need to be at the organization's facility. Therefore, allowing employees to work on a flextime schedule is the best answer.

A sales organization's leadership team has just announced a very aggressive five-year sales plan. Which performance management method should HR suggest to support the plan's achievement? Answers Critical incidents method to measure sales for each manager Comparative method to rate managers against each other Behaviorally anchored rating scale method to define the sales behavior of management Management by objectives method to measure goals and objectives

: Management by objectives method to measure goals and objectives Item ls3-7-34 Rationale Management by objectives allows employees to set objectives for themselves and define what they intend to achieve within a specific time period. The objectives employees set are based on overall goals and objectives for the organization.

Which work relationships are most closely tied to creating and sustaining employee engagement? Answers Manager-employee relationships Leadership-employee relationships Coworker relationships Leadership-manager relationships

: Manager-employee relationships Item ls2-2-4 Rationale Research shows that manager behavior is pivotal to both employee engagement and employee well-being. Managers who manage in ways that not only encourage employees to demonstrate engagement externally by their actions but also engender emotional engagement represent a vital mechanism for creating a workforce that is sustainably engaged and well (and productive).

A sales manufacturing company has traditionally used paper versions of its employee engagement survey. With a recent expansion to other states, the company has found the paper survey process to be difficult to manage. Which survey method would be most effective for the company in the future? Answers Mail-in surveys Focused surveys Online surveys Phone surveys

: Online surveys Item ls2-2-16 Rationale Assuming that the workers have access to computers and have at least basic-level computer skills, online surveys have higher response rates due to convenience.

An HR manager recommends that, as a way to closely monitor engagement, briefer, more frequent surveys are given to specific segments of the workforce. This describes what type of survey? Answers Performance Opinion Pulse Specific

: Pulse Item ls2-2-14 Rationale Pulse surveys can be conducted between annual surveys and usually focus on specific issues or specific populations of employees.

Which would be the best way for HR to increase employee willingness to participate in pulse surveys to gauge improvement in comprehensive surveys? Answers Resolve the most challenging problem identified in a comprehensive survey to demonstrate efforts to follow up. Survey only every two or more years to minimize survey fatigue. Relate any employment practice changes made and their effectiveness to input provided on the last survey. Downplay areas that have not improved since the last survey.

: Relate any employment practice changes made and their effectiveness to input provided on the last survey. Item lsna-19-304 Rationale Employees respond favorably to tangible responses or program changes that are related back to initial surveys. This reinforces the value of employee surveys and subsequent pulse or quick surveys.

An advertising firm has experienced significant turnover among its creative writers. During exit interviews, the writers have expressed dissatisfaction with rigid starting times, a lack of recognition for their work, and poor communication between managers and employees. Which actions should HR recommend managers implement to improve employee engagement? Answers Meeting with employees to discuss projects and plans for completion Defining tasks and responsibilities and hold employees accountable Including employees and their families in social gatherings Requesting and valuing employee input on important organizational issues

: Requesting and valuing employee input on important organizational issues Item lsre-3-8-67 Rationale Participation is a process in which power or influence is shared between management and employees who are both engaged in the decision-making process. Employee input on important organizational issues is both asked for and valued. Depending on the organization or industry, a participative culture may also include giving the employees the discretion to act on their decisions.

A consulting company knows that its primary advantage lies in the expertise and commitment of its people. Which practice should HR recommend that leaders focus on? Answers Retention Recruitment Formal processes Improved benefits

: Retention Item lsre-2-1-59 Rationale A company that sells its employees' expertise will most likely focus on employee retention. In this situation, experienced employees who have developed strong relationships with customers cannot be easily replaced.

An organization seeks to evaluate the overall business impact of its employee retention strategies. What engagement metric would provide this insight? Answers Monthly voluntary turnover rate Revenue per employee Employee absence rate Yield ratio

: Revenue per employee Item ls2-2-46 Rationale Revenue per employee evaluates the costs of a lost employee due to voluntary or involuntary turnover. Employee absence rate and monthly voluntary turnover rate measure employee absences and voluntary turnover respectively, but not the resulting business effect. Yield ratio focuses on employee engagement initiatives.

A plant manager informs the HR manager that employees are leaving due to limited advancement opportunities. What is the first step the HR manager should take? Answers Review current promotional practices to encourage faster advancement for qualified employees. Review recruiting practices emphasizing expectations around growth and development. Review base pay programs to move employees more quickly through the pay ranges. Review exit interview data to see if it reflects limited promotional opportunities leading to employees leaving the organization.

: Review exit interview data to see if it reflects limited promotional opportunities leading to employees leaving the organization. Item lsna-19-296 Rationale The first step for the HR manager is to see if data supports this assumption. Exit interview data can help in this regard, as individuals are more apt to be honest about reasons for leaving an organization as they leave.

An organization recently changed its employee benefits package and has decided to measure employee satisfaction in response to this change by administering a survey. To ensure that the survey delivers its promised benefits, which action should the employer take before administering the survey? Answers Benchmark results against those of other organizations. Ensure confidentiality and anonymity. Share the purpose of the survey. Determine how to analyze the results.

: Share the purpose of the survey. Item ls2-2-8 Rationale While all the choices are relevant to good survey design and administration, communicating the goals of the survey early on is paramount. An employer shouldn't assume that employees will understand the intent of a survey. Employees want to know how it affects them and why it's being done.

Which best describes the impact when an organization's values are effectively paired with goal setting? Answers Strengthens the organization's ability to reward accomplishments through a pay-for-performance system Provides a way to measure how much work was produced based on the goals set by the employee Shows employees how their individual efforts contribute to the success of the organization's strategy Provides ability to compare employees' performance against others by the goals they set

: Shows employees how their individual efforts contribute to the success of the organization's strategy Item ls2-2-27 Rationale Performance goals should reflect the values that the organization has defined and communicated to employees. Individual performance goals provide an opportunity to show employees how their individual efforts contribute to the success of the organization's strategy.

An employee life cycle describes all of the activities associated with an employee's tenure in the organization. What is the impact of HR's understanding of the employee life cycle on the organization? Answers Supporting employee performance and engagement Planning for employee exit interviews Initiating employee promotions and demotions Knowing when to start the onboarding and orientation processes

: Supporting employee performance and engagement Item ls2-1-2 Rationale For HR practitioners, employee life-cycle phases influence the inputs and types of developmental activities the employee needs to support his or her optimum performance and engagement.

Which best describes technology's impact on employee engagement levels? Answers The boundaries between work and non-work life are increasingly overlapping, contributing to employee fatigue and burnout. Anxiety among employees has declined, as many mundane jobs can now be done by technology. Employees can work fewer hours while many tasks are completed much more quickly. Technology has enabled employers to more consistently comply with federal wage and hour laws due to time tracking.

: The boundaries between work and non-work life are increasingly overlapping, contributing to employee fatigue and burnout. Item lsna-19-300 Rationale While technology has provided flexibility in how, when, and where work is produced, many times at lower cost, it has contributed to employees having a harder time separating work from non-work time, leading to fatigue and burnout.

Which is a primary reason that organizations may not excel at performance management? Answers The concept of performance appraisal is interpreted in many ways. The process is not implemented consistently. There are multiple expectations of the process. The organizational systems, strategies, and philosophies are not aligned.

: The organizational systems, strategies, and philosophies are not aligned. Item ls2-2-53 Rationale While all of these options can explain the failure of a performance management system, a primary reason for failure is the lack of alignment of organizational systems, strategies, and philosophies. This is the foundation of effective performance management, and this process affects all others.

An organization has become dysfunctional: Morale is low, reports of discipline-worthy offenses and conflicts with supervisors are increasing, and productivity is down. Which initial step would HR take to gain more information about possible causes? Answers Third-party-administered survey Online survey Department focus groups Individual interviews

: Third-party-administered survey Item ls2-2-43 Rationale Since the problem may be with employee relationships with supervisors and/or management, ensuring the anonymity of employee feedback may be essential to gathering useful information. Using a third party to report anonymous results would be an effective first step in gathering data.

How will using a revenue-per-employee metric allow HR to demonstrate the impact of turnover on employee engagement? Answers The revenue-per-employee metric is the best indicator of employee engagement. The revenue-per-employee metric is not associated with employee engagement. A decrease in revenue per employee may indicate higher employee engagement. A decrease in revenue per employee may correlate with lower employee engagement.

: A decrease in revenue per employee may correlate with lower employee engagement. Item ls2-2-61 Rationale A decrease in revenue per employee may correlate with a decrease in employee engagement. This is especially important when evaluating the cost of a lost employee due to turnover. Although there is no single calculation for measuring engagement, HR can measure specific outcomes of engagement action plans.

Which metric should an organization look to when evaluating an employee engagement strategy that is focused on safety? Answers Monthly voluntary turnover rate Revenue per employee Workers' compensation incident rate Employee absence rate

: Workers' compensation incident rate Item ni-300-9 Rationale While each of the metrics may assist in assessing employee engagement, the workers' compensation incident rate is the metric most closely tied to safety initiatives.

How should a chief HR officer explain to her senior leadership colleagues the value of measuring employee attitudes through an annual survey? Answers By providing in-depth information about employee attitudes By explaining how the survey may be counterproductive By demonstrating how the survey can reveal unreported problems By convincing leadership of how the survey solves organizational problems

: By demonstrating how the survey can reveal unreported problems Item ls2-2-9 Rationale Asking for evaluations of a variety of issues and often allowing anonymity, surveys can identify issues employees are hesitant or don't think to raise with supervisors or management.

Which factor is critical for HR to consider before conducting an employee engagement survey? Answers Clear idea of issues important to employees Plans to follow the survey with employee focus groups Leadership buy-in and commitment to act on survey results Choosing a sample of all employees to participate in the survey

: Leadership buy-in and commitment to act on survey results Item ls2-2-6 Rationale Leaders and managers must demonstrate a commitment to responding to survey results. Surveys that are administered and not followed up on can signal a lack of respect and commitment to the employees and can erode the trust employees have in their leaders

Workplace accidents have increased over the past few years. Which type of survey would best gather employee ideas that could improve overall safety in the workplace? Answers Employee engagement survey Employee opinion survey Employee attitude survey Employee performance survey

: Employee opinion survey Item ls2-2-5 Rationale Opinion surveys seek to gain opinions on certain processes. Attitude surveys attempt to determine employee perceptions of the working environment, and engagement surveys focus on employee satisfaction, commitment, and morale.