SHRM Pre-Test
Which form of negotiation is most consistent with the leadership characteristics found to be effective in global settings?
Collaborative Soft Principled Hard Principled negotiation aims to create win-win solutions that are based on the negotiators' needs. It avoids taking hard positions in favor of developing trust and mutual understanding. This is consistent with most global definitions of leaders as honest, interested in learning other perspectives, and committed to problem solving rather than winning. -Principled
An organization erroneously withholds deductions from several exempt employees' paychecks. Under the safe-harbor provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which action should the organization take?
- Create a written policy to prevent future improper pay deductions. - Make a good-faith effort to comply in the future. - Forfeit the overtime exception for the class of employees as a penalty. - Reimburse employees for any improper deductions plus interest. The safe-harbor provision prevents an employer from losing the overtime exemption for improper pay deductions, regardless of the reason, if the employer has "a clearly communicated" policy (not necessarily in writing) and makes a good-faith effort to comply in the future. While the organization must reimburse employees for any improper deductions, there is no requirement to pay any amount beyond the improperly deducted amount. - Make a good-faith effort to comply in the future.
Which tactic should HR consider first to ensure staffing needs will be met during an organizational restructuring?
- Wage concessions/adjustments -Cross-training -Recruitment -Redeployment During solution analysis, an organization decides whether to "build," "buy," or "borrow" the talent needed to attain the staffing levels and competencies required to meet the organizational goals and objectives. Redeployment is a solution to meet the organizational future needs. -Redeployment
HR creates a program to increase employee engagement. Which is the best method to generate organizational support?
-Ask management to choose the pilot location. -Target the program's marketing to different employee groups. -Use employees as peer mentors. -Encourage employee participation in a pilot program. Stakeholder buy-in is critical for success. It involves employees in the organizational effectiveness and development process. People support what they help create. Encouraging stakeholders to participate in a pilot program provides them with another opportunity to stay involved with the program and gives them a sneak peek at the program content. They will then be able to communicate the benefits of the program to the rest of the organization and, in effect, assist with the internal marketing campaign. They can also provide feedback on the design and content of the program. -Encourage employee participation in a pilot program.
In addition to initiating a new quality management program, a company is planning to simultaneously implement a workshop to increase employee buy-in and a customer service pilot program. How can HR best support these initiatives?
-By conducting annual employee performance appraisals -By being consistent and prompt in terminating employees for lapses in quality -By disciplining employees who have poor attitudes or low motivation -By supporting employees in developing and defining team needs Organizational effectiveness and development interventions aimed at teams or units are often triggered by reports of poor performance. The causes may include high levels of unresolved conflict within the team, poor leadership, and poor communication. Teamwork produces success in quality management. This teamwork requires supervisors to create a more participative work environment. HR can provide support by empowering employees to develop and define their team decisions. The other activities are ongoing HR management processes. -By supporting employees in developing and defining team needs
A manager from Asia has transferred to lead a U.S. operation. During team meetings, the manager observes constant and open conflict. According to Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory, how is the manager most likely to respond?
-By working individually with team members to address interpersonal differences that are fueling conflict -By demanding that the disagreements and fighting cease immediately and stating that if they do not, termination will result -By encouraging conflict as a catalyst to improve the project's outcome -By urging team members to focus on a harmonious way to interact with one another Collectivist cultures like China tend to prefer harmony and group decisions, so the manager may see this team's conflict as leading to the project's failure. -By urging team members to focus on a harmonious way to interact with one another
Which initiative would be pursued by an HR leader in an organization with a strategy to be an employer of choice?
-Completing a SWOT analysis of the human resources function to determine areas of focus -Implementing stay interviews to better understand employees' perspectives and values -Benchmarking relevant market turnover data to compare with the organization's current turnover rate -Sharing turnover trends with business leads to provide a summary of reasons for resignations Stay interviews provide perspective on what current employees value about the organization and the work they do and why they remain with the organization. This data would best support a strategy to be an employer of choice. -Implementing stay interviews to better understand employees' perspectives and values
A manufacturer's new strategy is focusing on increasing customer satisfaction by avoiding shipping delays. The vice president of HR has been charged with making sure that operations has access to the labor it needs to meet scheduled orders. This sometimes requires hiring temporary workers. HR has outsourced its hiring to a trusted vendor. How could technology most effectively support the vice president of HR in achieving this goal?
-Enterprise resource planning (ERP) access could be extended to the vendor, eliminating communication delays. -Historical staffing data could be analyzed to establish staffing metrics. -The vendor can submit invoices through a vendor portal in the ERP. -Simulations can be run with advanced analytic software to determine future staffing needs. The most effective use of technology in this case is to include the vendor in the ERP. This would allow the vendor to see operations' work flow and worker requirements and to act independently to secure the necessary resources. Staffing metrics have probably been defined in order to estimate resource requirements. Simulations and submitting invoices directly to accounting will probably not affect efficiency in staffing. -Enterprise resource planning (ERP) access could be extended to the vendor, eliminating communication delays.
Which action should HR recommend to ensure due diligence in the outsourcing process?
-Evaluate the competitive environment. -Promote consistency in standardizing processes. -Define the boundaries of local responsiveness. -Weigh the cost savings against the risk factors. Identifying potential risks and analyzing the costs of the occurrence of those risks are two parts of the due diligence process. -Weigh the cost savings against the risk factors.
Which is an implication of a downstream strategy for global HR?
-Global strategies are mandated at the local level. -Staffing decisions for all locations are made at headquarters. -Strategies must include agreements with local workforce groups. -There is decreased responsiveness to local conditions. Downstream strategies allow for decision making at a local level rather than at headquarters. -Strategies must include agreements with local workforce groups
What information technology (IT) priority is HR in a good position to support?
-Managing the organization's investment in information system infrastructure -Protecting the integrity and security of the organization's information -Enforcing IT's vendor requirements when procuring IT products and services -Identifying the organization's key business processes for continuity and contingency planning Since HR generally controls the code of conduct, employee policies and handbooks, and new employee orientation, HR is in a good position to communicate the need for data security and policies to uphold security. IT or procurement will enforce purchasing guidelines, although HR is responsible for its own compliance with the guidelines. Managing investment in the infrastructure is beyond HR's expertise. Identifying key business processes should involve all functions, although HR could provide expertise in consultation. -Protecting the integrity and security of the organization's information
Which action violates the International Labour Organization standards?
-Men receive higher wages than women for the same work. -Children under 18 are allowed to work if they have finished required schooling. -Management explains to workers why it opposes unionization. -Prisoners are required to spend a number of hours on site maintenance. The ILO standards prohibit unequal pay and opportunities for men and women. Management may not prohibit employees' from associating and organizing, but it is allowed to state its reasons for not wanting a unionized workplace. Prisoners are exceptions to the ILO ban on forced labor. Children under 18 may be employed as long as they have completed schooling required in their communities and the work is not hazardous. -Men receive higher wages than women for the same work. -
Which of these are activities in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) risk management process?
-Plan and do; check and adjust -Avoidance and reduction; sharing and retention -Communication and consultation; monitoring and review -Analyze and design; develop and implement Communication and consultation and monitoring and review are ongoing activities that are core to the continuous improvement of the risk management process. -Communication and consultation; monitoring and review
A company is experiencing computer virus problems introduced by employees opening non work-related files. Which action can HR take to reduce the problem?
-Publishing a policy that prohibits opening files that are not work-related -Creating a progressive discipline policy to deal with infractions -Identifying employees with virus issues and providing training -Recommending that IT create a policy defining Internet use at work Certainly a written policy could set limits for employees' personal use of the Internet and reduce the influx of computer viruses. Other benefits are possible, too. A policy may never eliminate employee misconduct, but it could help the employer avoid incidents that may lead to embarrassment for the company and/or potential legal problems. Further, having a formal policy in place and communicating it to employees reduces the employer's exposure to invasion-of-privacy claims. -Recommending that IT create a policy defining Internet use at work
Employees in an entitlement-oriented culture are most likely to expect which of the following ?
-Receiving a bonus for exceptional performance -Placing less emphasis on individual productivity -Assuming cost-sharing responsibility for benefits -Sharing a common set of values with their organization Some organizations foster a caring, paternalistic feeling and want employees to feel that they are a "part of the family." These organizations usually provide employees with a variety of benefits which gradually increase over time. Typically, as these benefits increase, less emphasis is placed on individual employee contributions, initiative, and responsibility and while more emphasis shifts to the profitability and success of the whole organization. -Placing less emphasis on individual productivity
Employees in an entitlement-oriented culture are most likely to expect which of the following ?
-Receiving a bonus for exceptional performance -Placing less emphasis on individual productivity -Assuming cost-sharing responsibility for benefits -Sharing a common set of values with their organization Some organizations foster a caring, paternalistic feeling and want employees to feel that they are a "part of the family." These organizations usually provide employees with a variety of benefits which gradually increase over time. Typically, as these benefits increase, less emphasis is placed on individual employee contributions, initiative, and responsibility and while more emphasis shifts to the profitability and success of the whole organization. -Placing less emphasis on individual productivity
Which is the most important consideration in developing a records retention policy?
-Reducing the amount of data being collected and stored. -Creating redundancy in how records are stored. -Eliminating physical copies by digitizing all records. -Avoiding storing any records in off-site and third-party locations. One of the most critical aspects of an employment records policy-besides accessibility, security, integrity, accuracy, and the ability to audit-is data redundancy or the secure and current backup of data, onsite and/or offsite. There is no inherent reason why paper records cannot continue to be utilized offsite storage is acceptable if the vendor and/or location has a robust security system in place. Employee data will continue to be collected, although its collection must be justified to comply with data practices regulations. -Creating redundancy in how records are stored.
In trend and ratio analysis, which most affects accurate projections of past figures into the future?
-Relationship between two consistent variables. Support of senior management for the analysis findings. -Acceptance of the analysis by the entire organization. -Length of time it takes to complete the analysis. The key to accurate projections is whether the relationships will continue to hold. The length of time it takes to complete the analysis could affect the relationships, but it is the relationship, not the time, that is the key factor. The acceptance and support of key management has nothing to do with the ability to project past figures into the future. -Relationship between two consistent variables.
A manufacturer experiences markedly lower capacity in one plant. The plant does not differ significantly in equipment, workforce size and skill, or processes. Which action should HR take to best assist the operations function in correcting this?
-Reviewing parts supplier management practices -Delivering quality training to plant supervisors -Conducting a needs analysis in this location -Sharing best practices from other locations Capacity is a problem in achieving an expected level of output. Since lowered capacity can result from many factors, likely causes should be identified before applying solutions such as quality programs, revised procedures, or training. HR can help operations by conducting a needs analysis to identify potential causes. The needs assessment will help provide a thorough understanding of what must be corrected. -Conducting a needs analysis in this location
The CEO directs all functional leaders to submit plans to reduce costs by 10% while increasing revenue by 10%. The operations functional leader requests HR to assist in identifying positions to eliminate. What should HR recommend the leader review first?
-Seniority list -Termination policy -Performance evaluations -Strategic plan An organization's strategic plan should generate a list of the workforce capabilities needed to execute the business strategy as well as a monetary value for each capability based on how critical it is to generating new revenues or reducing costs. Afterward, if staff terminations are needed to support cost reduction, the termination policy, performance evaluations, and a seniority list can be considered. -Strategic plan
Which best describes the impact of an organization having both a code of conduct and a compliance program?
-The code of conduct and the compliance program determine appropriate punishments for infractions made by employees only. -The code of conduct is for management; the compliance program is for employees. -The code of conduct and the compliance program both address ethical and legal issues. -The compliance program ensures understanding and adherence to the code of conduct. Key to good governance are developing organizational standards for behavior, communicating principles and standards throughout the organization, and training managers and employees in how to apply these standards to common work-related situations. The foundation for this is the code of conduct, which forms the basis of the organization's specific policies and procedures regarding compliance and ethical issues. The compliance program, in turn, proactively ensures that all members of the organization understand and adhere to the code of conduct and are able to apply it to new situations and issues as they arise. -The compliance program ensures understanding and adherence to the code of conduct.
What is a good end result that should be worked toward while forming a new team or partnership?
-The storming phase of team building can be omitted, and they can go straight to norming. -Team goals are kept fluid so the leader can reshape them on the fly. -Trust should lead to synergy, which is when team goals outweigh individual goals. -Team members feel accountable not just to the leader but to other team members. High-functioning team members should feel accountable to not just the leader but to each other. -Team members feel accountable not just to the leader but to other team members.
Why are well-written, accurate, and current job descriptions important?
-They preclude litigation under disability laws. -They provide a basis for job-related performance standards. -They are necessary for a job analysis. -They serve as the starting point for reengineering efforts. Job descriptions provide written definitions of jobs for employees. They establish standards that help to assess employee performance, specifying how the incumbent performing a job will be evaluated against goals, objectives, and organizational performance factors. -They provide a basis for job-related performance standards.
To ensure that a large organization's pay structure is consistently competitive, which is the best practice an HR leader should consider?
-Use the job ranking system to adjust hierarchical ordering. -Annually benchmark positions using a salary survey. -Use a job classification system to compare jobs. -Automatically adjust pay grades up one grade each year. Many organizations use a combination of surveys and benchmarking to help them remain competitive. -Annually benchmark positions using a salary survey.
Once an organization determines that it needs to invest in an HRIS, which is the next decision that needs to be made?
-What the front end will look like to users -What types of transactions users will perform -What the systems policy will be for the organization -Whether to build, customize, or outsource development The organization must determine whether to build or customize the HRIS or to outsource its development. -Whether to build, customize, or outsource development
An HR manager is scheduled to receive a salary merit increase that is significantly above average compared to peers in similar positions. The employee's manager decides to implement the increase but fails to consult the corporate compensation function, who reviews such decisions. The increase is effective in the next performance cycle. The manager has not notified the employee. The issue arises during the annual salary merit review and performance appraisal process. All employees are reviewed for possible merit increases in accordance with merit budget guidelines and applicable compensation policy. Each manager is expected to comply with the guidelines before communicating salary increase decisions to employees. Should the merit increase be implemented, it will create a negative salary equity impact based on race, gender, length of service, and scope of responsibilities of other HR managers. In the context of HR policy and practice, this action reflects a poor management decision, lacking the collegial and collaborative behavior expected of senior managers at this level. The senior manager of corporate compensation is a member of the HR leadership team and is responsible for the applic
A. Add alternative pay plans for rewarding exemplary performance, such as stock options or performance grants. B. Engage an outside consultant to review the performance appraisal process in order to suggest possible improvements or changes. C. Form a company-wide project committee to evaluate the performance appraisal process and make recommendations for improvements or changes. D. Review proposed salary increases tied to performance appraisals for compliance with guidelines prior to communicating them to employees. -D. Review proposed salary increases tied to performance appraisals for compliance with guidelines prior to communicating them to employees.
A global, 10,000-employee, performance-driven manufacturing company recently instituted a major cultural shift with the board's announcement of a new CEO. The CEO outlined a revitalized focus on performance and productivity, including an update to the 100-year-old company's culture, vision, and values. The CEO tasks a newly hired chief human resources officer (CHRO) with developing a new performance management system aligned to these changes. The CHRO researches the history of the company's performance management system and discovers that, although employees have usually achieved individual targets, the company has not hit its overall performance and financial targets even once. The CHRO determines that significant elements in a new performance management system would be stronger management capabilities and increased individual accountability. After careful analysis, the CHRO recommends an approach. The CHRO believes that this new system will create a way to differentiate performance among employees at all levels as well as identify high-potential future leaders. It also creates a way to identify poor performers, giving the company an approach to close performance gaps through various
A. Administering an employee engagement survey immediately to determine the success of the initiative B. Recognizing all milestone successes of the implementation and then communicating the next steps C. Making a decision on how to align recognition and rewards with the new performance management system D. Announcing a revamp of all other HR processes supporting the performance management system =Recognizing all milestone successes of the implementation and then communicating the next steps
A company's division president arrives late for the annual staff holiday party. As the division president greets the 200 guests in attendance, the HR VP notices some erratic behavior. The division president casually mentions to the HR VP to drinking prior to the party. The division president then begins loudly complaining that the directions to the event facility provided by the new HR site manager were wrong, causing the late arrival time. The HR VP reads the directions and confirms their accuracy, but the division president continues making rude and disparaging remarks about the directions and the HR site manager. As the evening progresses, many employees begin expressing concerns to the HR VP about the division president's erratic behavior. After the party, the division president states the desire to terminate the HR site manager for providing inaccurate directions. How should the HR VP negotiate a disagreement with the division president over the termination of the HR site manager following the holiday party?
A. Ask to meet one-on-one with the division president to openly identify relevant issues to settle the dispute. B. Email the map directions to the division president confirming they were accurate. C. Ask the division president to summarize the facts supporting the recommendation. D. Respectfully inform the division president that no adverse action will be taken against the HR site manager. -CORRECT A. Ask to meet one-on-one with the division president to openly identify relevant issues to settle the dispute.
The president of a global automotive business headquartered in the U.S. is conducting annual global all-employee meetings. The president travels with the executive staff, which includes the chief financial officer (CFO), the chief HR officer (CHRO), and the chief technology officer (CTO), to all the factories around the world to deliver key messages to the employees. The employees gather in large meeting rooms for the presentations, which focus mainly on successes from the past year and priorities for the new year, followed by a question-and-answer session. The president delivers most of the presentation, the CHRO presents on employee engagement and development initiatives, the CFO presents on the financials, and the others participate in the question-and-answer session. Within a two-week period, they travel to meetings in China, Malaysia, Ireland, and several large U.S. sites. In addition to the presentations at each site, they take facility tours and have one-on-one meetings with front-line employees of their functional organizations and with key talent while they are on site. It is a rigorous schedule, but it is very important to the president, who is committed to building a strong
A. Commit to the local HR manager that you will explore options and provide him with an update at the end of the month. B. Talk with the local HR manager and ask for a specific proposal to present to the president and headquarters executives. C. Let the local HR manager know that you are aware of the issue and will address it at some point with the president. D. Explain to the local HR manager that it makes sense for the calls to be scheduled during usual headquarters work hours -Commit to the local HR manager that you will explore options and provide him with an update at the end of the month.
A global, 10,000-employee, performance-driven manufacturing company recently instituted a major cultural shift with the board's announcement of a new CEO. The CEO outlined a revitalized focus on performance and productivity, including an update to the 100-year-old company's culture, vision, and values. The CEO tasks a newly hired chief human resources officer (CHRO) with developing a new performance management system aligned to these changes. The CHRO researches the history of the company's performance management system and discovers that, although employees have usually achieved individual targets, the company has not hit its overall performance and financial targets even once. The CHRO determines that significant elements in a new performance management system would be stronger management capabilities and increased individual accountability. After careful analysis, the CHRO recommends an approach. The CHRO believes that this new system will create a way to differentiate performance among employees at all levels as well as identify high-potential future leaders. It also creates a way to identify poor performers, giving the company an approach to close performance gaps through various
A. Employee locations for training on the new performance management system B. Readiness of employees to use the software program in the new system C. Employees' ability to provide feedback on self-evaluations in the new system D. Determining the frequency of and schedule for performance evaluations -Readiness of employees to use the software program in the new system
A health-care delivery organization has experienced significant and rather sudden growth in membership over the last year. Because this fast pace of growth is forecast to continue, HR and finance complete a labor demand analysis. They determine that the organization must increase its current employee base by approximately 30% in the next two years to properly manage the growth and to handle upcoming voluntary and involuntary separations. The analysis also indicates that approximately 30% of the current employees are either eligible for retirement now or will be in the next few years. Many of those eligible for retirement have been in leadership roles for many years and are considered key employees. High-potential employees have been identified within the organization, but not all are aligned with the departments that will be impacted most by upcoming retirements. The increase in the workload, along with the challenges associated with managing the changing demographics of members, has placed a burden on employees across the organization. Morale has declined as employees are feeling more stress. The positive message of growth in the organization is being overshadowed by the discontent of
A. Encourage use of the organization's open-door policy to solicit voluntary feedback from employees. B. Schedule and complete discussions with employee focus groups to better understand current concerns. C. Regularly communicate information about the recruiting status across the organization to employees. D. Develop and implement a survey process to capture more specific feedback from employees about morale. -Regularly communicate information about the recruiting status across the organization to employees.
A company's division president arrives late for the annual staff holiday party. As the division president greets the 200 guests in attendance, the HR VP notices some erratic behavior. The division president casually mentions to the HR VP to drinking prior to the party. The division president then begins loudly complaining that the directions to the event facility provided by the new HR site manager were wrong, causing the late arrival time. The HR VP reads the directions and confirms their accuracy, but the division president continues making rude and disparaging remarks about the directions and the HR site manager. As the evening progresses, many employees begin expressing concerns to the HR VP about the division president's erratic behavior. How should the HR VP address the division president's behavior to demonstrate a high level of personal integrity?
A. Immediately call the company CEO to request quick removal of the president to prevent further risks to the company. B. Discreetly mitigate the president's behavior during the event and schedule a debrief meeting first thing next morning. C. Request the other executives in attendance to intervene during the event by distracting the division president away from employees. D. Email the CEO to schedule a follow-up coaching session with the division president the next day. -CORRECT A. Immediately call the company CEO to request quick removal of the president to prevent further risks to the company.
An electronics/aerospace manufacturing organization specializing in drone development for the movie industry has been in business for 15 plus years. The company has just over 1,500 employees. It has sustained double-digit growth for the past four years and owns 80% of this specialized market. Based on this growth, employees have received on average a 6% increase, exceeding local wage increase rates. Over the past year, the employee turnover rate has increased. A majority of employees who voluntarily exited the company had received exceptional performance reviews. While there is a new competitor in the market, the competitor's starting pay rates are very similar. A recently hired HR manager reviews the exit interview data. The review identifies a perceived inequity in how disputes are resolved and the distribution of privileges, job duties, and performance rewards. Additionally, decreased attendance at company events indicates low engagement. The CEO believes strongly that good performers are leaving because competitors are "stealing" them; he does not believe that employees are leaving because of poor engagement. The CEO states that decreasing unwanted turnover is an immediate priority
A. Meet individually with key leadership stakeholders, starting with the CEO's direct reports and other designated leaders. B. Meet as a group with key leadership stakeholders, including leaders from across business units and geographies. C. Meet individually with targeted employees throughout the company who are vocal and seen as informal leaders. D. Meet individually with targeted employees and leaders from every level of the company and business unit. -A. Meet individually with key leadership stakeholders, starting with the CEO's direct reports and other designated leaders.
A global, 10,000-employee, performance-driven manufacturing company recently instituted a major cultural shift with the board's announcement of a new CEO. The CEO outlined a revitalized focus on performance and productivity, including an update to the 100-year-old company's culture, vision, and values. The CEO tasks a newly hired chief human resources officer (CHRO) with developing a new performance management system aligned to these changes. The CHRO researches the history of the company's performance management system and discovers that, although employees have usually achieved individual targets, the company has not hit its overall performance and financial targets even once. The CHRO determines that significant elements in a new performance management system would be stronger management capabilities and increased individual accountability. After careful analysis, the CHRO recommends an approach. The CHRO believes that this new system will create a way to differentiate performance among employees at all levels as well as identify high-potential future leaders. It also creates a way to identify poor performers, giving the company an approach to close performance gaps through various
A. Meet with senior leadership to seek input on how to best implement the new performance management system. B. Create and send an e-mail to senior leadership informing them of coming performance management changes. C. Develop training on the new system and schedule members of management for mandatory training over 30 days. D. Personally meet with each senior leader to explain the benefits of the new system and ask for feedback and questions. -Personally meet with each senior leader to explain the benefits of the new system and ask for feedback and questions.
A company operates in a very cost-focused environment, keeping its customers in the forefront of every decision they make. A recent merger has doubled the company size and expanded the product offerings to better serve customers. Each of the merged organizations had a significantly different approach to HR's service delivery. However, despite these and a number of other differences, the merger went ahead. The merged company recently hired a new senior director of HR, selected primarily due to her expertise and experience in mergers and acquisitions. She reports to the CEO and the president of the newly merged company and has been tasked with leading the integration activities from an HR perspective. The HR director recognizes immediately that, aside from needing to get the new HR organization established, HR service delivery is critical due to increasing cost pressures, a larger global workforce, and increasing internal and external customer expectations. She has met with her new HR team and key business stakeholders to obtain valuable feedback and proposals. Which is the best approach for the HR director to use to incorporate the lessons learned from her experience into the integrati
A. Proceed with what she believes is the best approach based on her extensive background and experience. B. Take time to understand the company's needs and determine if her experience is applicable. C. Wait to make recommendations until she has met with the CEO and the president to get their expectations. D. Make recommendations regarding the direction of the integration to the senior leadership team. -Take time to understand the company's needs and determine if her experience is applicable.
At an organization with 3,500-plus full-time employees, annual benefits enrollment is done manually on paper documents, which are reviewed, audited, and then uploaded into the HRIS benefits program. This manual process takes approximately 30 to 45 days. The HR director provides staff not trained in benefits for the data entry phase when overtime is required, resulting in a 20% to 30% data entry error rate each year, with slow response times for corrections. These manual processes are in place because the former benefits manager was uncomfortable implementing new computer programs. Since the organization has a shared database and a majority of the employees have computer access at their desks, a newly hired HR benefits manager suggests activation of an employee self-service (ESS) online enrollment process in the HRIS. The executive team approves this suggestion for full implementation within the next 14 months. The new ESS process should result in a significant reduction in errors, a faster customer service response time, and a shorter budget reconciliation period. The new benefits manager develops a plan to implement the ESS program within 12 months, but the HR director insists on impl
A. Recommend that the benefits and training staff receive additional training to ensure that employees adequately understand the ESS system enrollment process. B. Identify errors and notify leadership of both positive implementation results of the ESS system and steps being taken to resolve the errors going forward. C. Share positive implementation results; advise leadership that all new business program implementations have challenges at first and these will subside. D. Report that accelerating the implementation date from 14 months to five months did not allow for sufficient orientation, familiarization, and training. -A. Recommend that the benefits and training staff receive additional training to ensure that employees adequately understand the ESS system enrollment process.
An electronics/aerospace manufacturing organization specializing in drone development for the movie industry has been in business for 15 plus years. The company has just over 1,500 employees. It has sustained double-digit growth for the past four years and owns 80% of this specialized market. Based on this growth, employees have received on average a 6% increase, exceeding local wage increase rates. Over the past year, the employee turnover rate has increased. A majority of employees who voluntarily exited the company had received exceptional performance reviews. While there is a new competitor in the market, the competitor's starting pay rates are very similar. A recently hired HR manager reviews the exit interview data. The review identifies a perceived inequity in how disputes are resolved and the distribution of privileges, job duties, and performance rewards. Additionally, decreased attendance at company events indicates low engagement. The CEO believes strongly that good performers are leaving because competitors are "stealing" them; he does not believe that employees are leaving because of poor engagement. The CEO states that decreasing unwanted turnover is an immediate priority
A. Research all departments' three-year turnover trends and patterns data. B. Analyze messaging in job postings to identify misleading qualifications. C. Analyze and post onboarding orientation attrition rates, trends, and patterns. D. Conduct one-to-one interviews with strategically selected high-performing employees -Conduct one-to-one interviews with strategically selected high-performing employees
A health-care delivery organization has experienced significant and rather sudden growth in membership over the last year. Because this fast pace of growth is forecast to continue, HR and finance complete a labor demand analysis. They determine that the organization must increase its current employee base by approximately 30% in the next two years to properly manage the growth and to handle upcoming voluntary and involuntary separations. The analysis also indicates that approximately 30% of the current employees are either eligible for retirement now or will be in the next few years. Many of those eligible for retirement have been in leadership roles for many years and are considered key employees. High-potential employees have been identified within the organization, but not all are aligned with the departments that will be impacted most by upcoming retirements. The increase in the workload, along with the challenges associated with managing the changing demographics of members, has placed a burden on employees across the organization. Morale has declined as employees are feeling more stress. The positive message of growth in the organization is being overshadowed by the discontent of
A. Review customer feedback surveys and develop a list of competencies to be added to job descriptions. B. Partner with the department that manages concerns from members to better understand current challenges. C. Ensure that candidates selected for consideration for open positions have a proven track record in customer service. D. Determine which departments will have the most new hires, and provide customer service training to those teams. -Partner with the department that manages concerns from members to better understand current challenges.
An HR professional works as a human capital consultant for a management consultancy group and is discovering the challenges of consultancy. His contact in his engagement is the client's HR manager. The consultant has been given authority to set up private meetings with individuals he wants to talk to. The list includes the HR manager. The consultant has been trying to speak with this person for a week, but the manager seems to be avoiding him. The consultant has sent the manager an e-mail reminding him of the deadline for the consultant's report for the company president and board of directors. Now the consultant has only two days to complete the report. The consultant must also speak with the CEO, who has expressed concerns to the head of the consultancy group about the consultant's experience and who does not provide much support or cooperation. The consultant has also become aware of tension between the HR manager and the CEO. He anticipates intense disagreement over the report and is correct. These two clients expect him to pick a side, which places the consultant in an uncomfortable position. Before the report can be presented, the HR manager asks the consultant to change some of t
A. Send an e-mail to the manager, copying the CEO and the supervisor, explaining that a meeting is critical. B. Call his supervisor and ask her for assistance in securing a meeting and the HR manager's cooperation. C. Be persistent and continue to leave messages on voicemail asking the HR manager to meet. D. Complete the report to the best of his abilities, highlighting and noting the missing information. -A. Send an e-mail to the manager, copying the CEO and the supervisor, explaining that a meeting is critical.
A new HR director with a manufacturing firm is completing a new-hire rotational training program. The director spends six months in three departments: manufacturing, finance, and facility services. During the rotation, the HR director works closely with the leadership team in each department to complete a recruiting needs assessment. During the finance rotation, the HR director learns that the finance director has a close working relationship with a recruiting firm in which the owner is a former employee with significant knowledge of the organization. However, the current time-to-fill ratio and turnaround time for the firm are below average. The HR director carefully reviews the current recruiting strategies and decides to begin a search for a primary vendor partner for recruitment services. The HR director sets a goal to present a list of finalists with a final recommendation at the next quarterly executive leadership meeting. With the decision made to begin a search for a new primary vendor partner for recruitment services, which next step should the HR director take?
A. Solicit recommendations from each department lead to compile a final list based upon the needs in each department. B. Develop a survey for hiring managers to capture feedback on their satisfaction with current recruiting vendors. C. Partner with the department leads to design a request for proposal (RFP) to send to potential recruiting vendors. D. Compile a list of all current recruiting partners used across all departments and request rankings from department leads -Partner with the department leads to design a request for proposal (RFP) to send to potential recruiting vendors.
A company's division president arrives late for the annual staff holiday party. As the division president greets the 200 guests in attendance, the HR VP notices some erratic behavior. The division president casually mentions to the HR VP to drinking prior to the party. The division president then begins loudly complaining that the directions to the event facility provided by the new HR site manager were wrong, causing the late arrival time. The HR VP reads the directions and confirms their accuracy, but the division president continues making rude and disparaging remarks about the directions and the HR site manager. As the evening progresses, many employees begin expressing concerns to the HR VP about the division president's erratic behavior. Which action should the new HR site manager take to resolve the conflict with the division president over the accuracy of the directions to the event facility?
A. Warmly welcome the division president to the event. B. Pull the division president aside to confirm the accuracy of the directions. C. Ask the HR VP to inform the division president that the directions were correct. D. Ask the division president to indicate the way in which the directions were not accurate. Warmly welcome the division president to the event.
Which is the best approach for an HR director to select for managing an employee survey project?
Functional work group Cross-sectional committee Peer review Focus group According to Bob Kelleher, effective management of employee survey projects includes establishing a cross-sectional committee to review overall company results and to make recommendations to management. -Cross-sectional committee
What facet of employee engagement should a manager focus on to enable employees to participate in work decisions?
Trait engagement Behavioral engagement State engagement Transactional engagement State engagement is influenced by workplace conditions or practices (e.g., task variety, opportunities to participate in work decisions) that can be improved through organizational interventions directly under management's control. -State engagement -
