SHRM exam
which budgeting method is based on an HR leader comparing how much it costs to complete an initiative versus its strategic significance?
activity-based
what is the essential concept behind the stakeholder theory?
an organization affects and is affected by complex interests
SCENARIO: what is the best method to respond to IT's fears about outsourcing?
analyze whether the effects of outsourcing IT align with the long-term strategic objectives of the organization
what benefit is served by analyzing an organization's value chain?
appreciation of relationships between contributors to value
SCENARIO: what is the best way to handle the confusion regarding changes to the compensation model?
create a presentation that can be used by HR managers across the organization to communicate changes in compensation and bonuses
a review of the organization's cash flow statement shows that cash outflow has increased over the previous year. which action should HR take in response to this metric?
delay any resource-intensive projects
HR generalists, who may be located within divisions or other locales, implement polices, adapt them as needed, and interact with employees. which type of HR structure is this?
functional
SCENARIO: what should the HR consultant do to determine the true cause of the turnover asap?
further analyze exit interview info.
what constitutes bribery?
giving or receiving something of value to influence a transaction
based on the upstream/downstream metaphor for resolving the standardization/localization dilemma, which of the following activities is more likely to be driven at the global, rather than local, level?
goal setting
which of the following activities would be most useful in an organizational intervention to reshape culture?
identifying recognized heroes
how can an organization that is experiencing high turnover minimize the learning curve for new employees?
immediately provide appropriate access to the organization's info library
a retail chain's business model requires the handling of cash and credit/debit cards by a large number of cashiers who do not typically stay for long with the employer. what action reflects the appropriate priority for this risk?
implement immediate technical controls
an organization conducts a pay survey and finds that some of its key employees are underpaid. they want to raise the pay for these employees but are concerned about adding to their salary burden. which of the following is their best option?
incentive pay
an organization is in the process of updating its compensation system and has started the task of evaluating jobs and grouping those with similar duties together. which documents would be most useful for this purpose?
job descriptions
which of the following determines the relative worth of each job in an organization?
job evaluation
a manger leaves an organization to follow a transferred spouse. which recruiting practice would be readily accessible to current employees and help the employer pinpoint and identify qualified internal candidates for the open job?
job posting
as it relates to diversity and inclusion, what is the phenomenon of covering?
promoting cultural assimilation
which conditions encourage a higher retention rate for adult learners?
practicing what they have learned
how can data analytics be used to improve employee recruitment and retention?
predicting employee preferences and aligning HR practices accordingly
a cosmetics company opens a division in a geographical area where it has never competed before. it opts for a strategy of localization. what is the likely effect on HR?
the local HR office will develop a code of conduct, policies, and procedures and submit them for headquarters review
what 1st step should HR take when assessing a recent trend that shows an increase in telecommuting in the industry?
review current functions to determine which are conducive to a flexible work arrangement
SCENARIO: which approach best enables the HR manager to evaluate the effectiveness of the new compensation system to increase sales?
review existing research and literature on best practices to see if similar changes in other organizations have been effective
an organization or its chief executive officer adopts a risk position based upon which factors?
risk appetite and risk tolerance
what is the best way to address a high volume of annual staffing fluctuations and the need to onboard new employees quickly?
seasonal workers
which of the following is a compensable factor?
skills
a risk scorecard provides a weighted number for each event or threat and the probability of that threat occurring. which other factors are needed to complete a threat ranking index?
speed of onset, existing mitigation, and severity of impact
an HR manager is planning to outsource the creation of the employee newsletter, which has long been created by several HR staff with input from departments. what possible negative outcome should the manager consider?
staff motivation and attitude
which should be the 1st step in solving an organization's problems with a sharp increase in back orders of shipments?
performing a process analysis
What company is using a corporate strategy of differentiation?
a company develops a product that is uniquely easy to use and charges a premium price
what is the difference between career planning and career management?
career planning responsibility lies with the individual; career management responsibility lies with the organization
salespeople are polled to determine their top training needs. the majority say they want to be able to identify key decision makers and their needs. what learning activity would work best for this?
case studies
which action should an organization take to help prevent retaliation against its employees?
check in on employees who have made complaints
which leader behavior illustrates the concept of social intelligence?
checking the group continually for visible signs of reactions
which is a key advantage that market-based (external) job evaluation provides organizations over job-content-based (internal) job evaluation?
comparing compensation to those externally in the same labor market competing for the same employees
SCENARIO: what is the best way for the HR director to respond to other organizations poaching their employees?
conduct a compensation analysis to benchmark against the market, implementing appropriate responses to further the company's mission to be an employer of choice (ex. retention bonuses, adjustment to compensation policy)
SCENARIO: which of the following is the best move to socialize the eastern office into the new compensation program?
conduct a market analysis of compensation rates in the eastern region for comparison to the eastern office rate
SCENARIO: which is the best step the VP of HR should take to address the differences in opinion and concerns on the salary increase budget?
conducting a quantitative analysis that would model risks, costs, and benefits in order to develop scenarios and a recommendation on the optimal solution
a business operates in an industry characterized by a high level of competition. the sales function is evaluated on its ability to build market share. what service could HR provide to the sales function?
consultation on sales force incentive compensation design
what should a HR professional do to prepare global assignees for their international assignments?
discuss country-specific risks
after conducting a reference background check, HR discovers that a leading candidate misrepresented dates of previous employment on both the resume and the job application. what is the most probable outcome of learning this info.?
do not extend an offer of employment
management has a history of poor communication with employees. they act with little input and offer little rationale for decisions. a senior manager wants to conduct an employee attitude survey, believing it will help improve morale. what would be the most important thing you would advise?
don't do it unless management commits to responding to results
a technology company's competitive strategy requires that it have highly trained employees with unique knowledge and skills. what HR activities should have a primary focus in HR's strategic plan?
employee retention and succession planning
which of the following activities is MOST likely to protect sensitive corporate data?
encrypting employee computers and network communications
what action reflects the requirements of due process in a disciplinary process?
ensuring that disciplined employees have a chance to defend themselves
in an organization with a multi-cultural workforce, which measure designed to minimize the need for discipline may be hindered by a high power distance culture?
establishing a climate of communication
SCENARIO: what solution should the HR consultant suggest to improve training for new hires?
evaluate and enhance the company's orientation and on-boarding program
dissatisfaction among clerical staff is high, as measured by turnover and mistake rates. exit interviews indicate boredom as a primary reason for leaving. what strategy would be MOST successful in addressing this problem?
expanding the tasks to be performed
what is the dominant characteristic of a learning organization?
failures viewed as opportunities to make change
SCENARIO: which action should the country HR director recommend country leaders take that would proactively support a union avoidance strategy?
instilling a culture of trust and teaming between employees and management
what is a Benefit Corporation, or B Corp?
international certification of corporate sustainability achievement
a benefits manager is looking for a creative program to assist employees with retirement planning. if cost is a strong factor in the decision, which is the best choice the benefits manager should consider?
invite employees to the benefits office to discuss retirement options
which test is used to ensure due process when disciplining an employee?
issuing discipline in a consistent and predictable manner
how is sustainability viewed in the 1st stage of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) maturity curve?
it is an issue of compliance and the cost of doing business
a manager tends to use his position in the organization's hierarchy to justify his decisions. what type of power is this manager demonstrating?
legitimate
SCENARIO: which is the best step that the VP of HR should take at this point in time?
meeting with all key stakeholders individually, in advance of a group meeting in order to socialize the recommendations and gather support
which step might an organization take to retain a multi-generational workforce?
offer employees a broad range of customized benefits
SCENARIO: what is the best way to handle the situation between the operations team and IT?
offer to work with the operations and IT team leaders to develop organization-wide project management guidance
what policy encourages employees to speak to management 1st regarding suggestions, concerns, or complaints?
open door
what would be the BEST way for a new global HR vice president to understand the perspective of the communities in which the organization operates?
require local HR managers to develop contacts and programs with local groups and report results and observations
SCENARIO: which approach is most effective for the HR manager to use to resolve his disagreement with the VP of sales?
suggest that HR conduct several focus groups and exit interviews to find out why employees are leaving the company and if they are dissatisfied with their jobs
a company is experiencing high turnover of female engineers. which initiative should the company support in its effort to improve retention rates?
support an affinity group
an organizational effectiveness and development (OED) initiative focuses on several departments that are expanding or facing future challenges. what type of OED intervention is this?
team
which situation illustrates task conflict in team interactions?
team members argue continually about the best measurement of project success
which of the following statements best describes cultural determinism?
the culture made me do it
what is one of the disadvantages of implementing multiple smaller systems ("best of breed") to support multiple HR functions?
this solution could pose difficulties in integrating data across applications
senior management at a company has determined that it must speed up the production of its most popular product. doing so will involve changing some of the company's production processes. why should HR conduct employee focus groups before a project plan is finalized?
to encourage employees to ask questions and express their reactions
over 5 years, an employee has been promoted from Scientist I to Scientist III and then laterally moved to the operations dept. as Engineer III, a position more routine than previous jobs. the employee performed well in previous positions but it clearly performing poorly in the current one. what action should the employee's manager consider?
transfer
what is an example of implicit culture?
values
what question does the employee value proposition (EVP) answer?
why would a talented person want to work for this organization
what type of strike occurs w/o the approval of union leadership?
wildcat strikes
