Chapter 15
Humphry works as a human resources (HR) assistant for a large software company. His company is committed to creating a diverse and equitable work environment, so they have instituted policies to increase their number of hires from underrepresented groups. To help achieve his company's goal, Humphry has arranged for recruiters to attend job fairs at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and in other areas known to have large populations of Black and Indigenous people of color. These policies are a result of _________. a. affirmative action b. the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) c. Title VII d. Civil Rights Act of 1964
a. affirmative action
The Black Lives Matter movement inspired many companies to publish commitments to raising awareness of systemic racism. These commitments often came with a promise to hire more employees from underrepresented groups, with priority given to Black and Indigenous people of color. These companies are attempting to support ___________. a. the diversity in the workplace b. diverse skills and experience c. deeper talent pools d. a broader range of markets
a. the diversity in the workplace
Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions (EEOC)
Federal agency designed to regulate and enforce the provisions of Title VII
why do we need HR?
HR focuses on maximizing effectiveness of the workforce to boost organizational effectiveness by: Recruiting talent, Promoting career development, Determining workforce strategies
Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII
Prohibiuts discrimination in privileges of employment based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin
what are the advantages of internal recruitment?
boost employee morale, reduces risk for the firm, lowers cost of both recruitment & training
Shigeru references the employee database to find the sales personnel with the best numbers for each quarter. The company uses this information to hand out awards during its quarterly town hall meetings. The company believes that this kind of recognition improves employee morale. Why is Shigeru using the employee database? a. to manage healthcare costs b. to quantify human resources' impact c. to identify top performers d. to build strong teams
c. to identify top performers
Henrietta is studying how to become an electrician. Once she finishes her classwork, she will shadow a working electrician until she is well versed enough to be considered a fully-credentialed electrician. At that point, she will be able to work on her own. This kind of training is known as _________. a. on-the-job training b. an orientation c. management development d. an apprenticeship
d. an apprenticeship
Tre works as a stock analyst for a large, competitive financial services firm. He sometimes works long hours and even over the weekend just to keep up. He also tends to eat quick, unhealthy meals from the vending machines at work because he doesn't have time to pack a healthy lunch or go out to get something more substantial. Human resources (HR) used to offer free passes to a local gym and discounts on a meal delivery service as an employee benefit, but they had to cut those services during the recent financial recession to avoid layoffs. What HR management challenge does this describe? a. older workers b. outsourcing c. the wage gap d. work-life balance
d. work-life balance
contingent workers
employees who do not expect regular, full-time job, including full-time temporary workers, independent contractors, etc.
job description
explanation of the responsibilities for a specific position
internal recruitment
seeking employees working with the firm to fill open position
external recruitment
seeking new employees from outside the firm
job specifications
specific qualifications necessary to hold a particular position
probationary period
specific time frame during which new hires can prove their worth on the job before they become permanent
job anaylsis
the examination of specific tasks that are assigned to each position, independent of who might be holding the job at any specific time
Chanello's Pizzeria is a restaurant franchise that operates in five different states. Whenever a franchisee hires a new employee, they are required to show them a series of interactive videos produced by corporate headquarters that talk about the company culture, development opportunities, and worker expectations. These videos serve as ________. a. an orientation b. an apprenticeship c. on-the-job training d. management development
a. an orientation
Deja is an HR consultant. She was hired by a firm to figure out what characteristics and qualifications its top security personnel possess. Deja spends time interviewing its current directors of security and extensively reviews their backgrounds and performance on the job. Based on this information, she recommends that the company requires prior law enforcement or military experience for anyone who wants to hold the position of director of security. What is Deja working on? a. job specifications b. a job description c. job recruitment d. a job analysis
a. job specifications
Elton is the CEO of Steaks R' Us, a chain of quick service restaurants. During the recession, he approved massive layoffs to help reserve cash to keep the restaurant afloat. This meant that frontline workers were forced to work double shifts and manage chaotic environments with less support. They did not receive any kind of bonuses or hazard pay for their extra work. This left many of his employees feeling overwhelmed and taken for granted. When the company's annual report was released, they learned that Elton had not only been awarded a merit increase, but he also received a yearly bonus that bumped his total compensation up to $5M, more than 200x the average frontline workers' pay. What human resources (HR) challenge does Elton's situation present? a. managing the wage gap b. managing lawsuits c. managing outsourcing d. managing work-life balance
a. managing the wage gap
Scenario 15.1. The leadership team at PupLove, Inc. a company that makes monthly subscription boxes for pet lovers has just approved a capital project to build a fulfillment center. To ensure the success of this project, they will need an experienced project manager. Refer to Scenario 15.1. The company works with human resources (HR) to put together a job description for the ideal candidate and determine the appropriate pay scale and benefits package. They also assist in the interview process by vetting candidates. This is part of the _________ function of HR management. a. talent recruitment b. career development c. outsourcing d. organizational effectiveness promotion
a. talent recruitment
Punam has been tasked with analyzing her company's risk as a number of key leaders and workers retire. Punam has interviewed these workers to find out how much they contribute to the company and how readily someone could take their place. She reports that the main risks are in continuity, loss of institutional knowledge, and company culture. She proposes that they start a mentorship program where these employees will work with the next generation of employees to ensure they avoid these risks. Punam is working to address the challenges posed by ___________. a. the wage gape b. older workers c. outsourcing d. work-life balance
b. older workers
Tamela is the director of human resources (HR) at a large IT services firm. She provides the CEO of her company with an annual report that includes the results of an employee survey that her team sends out. The report outlines a few key metrics: employee churn (or how many people left the company), employee satisfaction with compensation and benefits, and profit per employee. Tamela hopes that this report will demonstrate how important her team's work is. What is Tamela attempting to do? a. manage healthcare costs b. quantify human resources' impact c. identify top performers d. build strong teams
b. quantify human resources' impact
Nabil conducts orientation training for all new hires at his company. He spends a lot of time going over the specifics of the company's medical plan options, paid leave, and optional pet insurance. Nabil is helping the new hires understand their ___________. a. compensation b. wages c. salary d. benefits
d. benefits
As Hongyan prepares her company for the expected baby boomer retirements, she spends a lot of time interviewing various employees. She is trying to identify the specific tasks that they perform on a daily basis and how those tasks contribute to the overall success of the company. She also interviews their managers to confirm that those tasks are specific to the job title rather than to the people holding those positions. What is Hongyan working on? a. job recruitment b. job specifications c. job description d. job analysis
d. job analysis
Brinda is the senior vice president (SVP) of human resources (HR) at a real estate development firm. She led a task force during the company's annual planning meeting to address one of the company's priorities to implement a more purposeful commitment to diversity and inclusion. Because this is just one of a few different priorities for the year, Brinda must understand how this commitment fits with other projects and the company's revenue and profit goals. This is an example of why HR professionals need to understand their company's ____________. a. core customer b. work-life balance c. competition d. strategic goals
d. strategic goals
Paulina was fired from her job as a paralegal. She was told it was because of her performance on the job, but she suspects that her country of origin may have been a factor. Paulina believes that her employer may have violated the tenets of _________ when they fired her. a. affirmative action b. the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) c. the Equal Pay Act of 1934 d. the Civil Rights Act of 1964
d. the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Scenario 15.2. Kiki was recruited as a sales rep right out of college. She has had excellent performance reviews in her first two years on the job. Her manager was especially impressed with the initiative she took to improve the company's sales report dashboard. Refer to Scenario 15.2. After hearing so much praise, Kiki is frustrated to learn that she is still not eligible for promotion. She believes that promotion should be based on her results, not the number of years she has been at the company, but the company has a strict policy about not promoting anyone before they have completed three full years of service. This is an example of the challenges presented by ____________. a. the wage gap b. older workers c. women workers d. younger workers
d. younger workers
Ryan is the director of hiring at a large university. He has asked his team to rethink their traditional recruiting methods in an attempt to hire more people of color. This has opened up an entirely new set of potential recruits where they would only attend certain job fairs and recruiting events in the past, they now attend fairs across the country and have found amazing candidates that they would have otherwise overlooked. This is an example of how prioritizing diversity can give a company access to _________. a. diversity in the workplace b. a broader range of markets c. deeper talent pools d. diverse skills and experience
c. deeper talent pools
Linda works in human resources (HR) for Apple. One of her favorite tasks is meeting one-on-one with employees to talk through their goals at the company. She refers them to different training opportunities and helps them connect with mentors and networking groups in the company. Linda is working on _________. a. promoting organizational effectiveness b. outsourcing c. developing careers d. recruiting talent
c. developing careers
Cheyenne attended a career fair at her school and met recruiters from a large healthcare company. During her chat with one of the recruiters, she mentioned that she grew up on an American Indian reservation and had experience working on public health initiatives there. The recruiter was excited to hear that she had already done this kind of work—most of the students she spoke with didn't have that kind of real-world exposure to on-the-job training. This is an example of the __________ that come with hiring with a focus on diversity. a. diversity in the workforce b. deeper talent pools c. diverse skills and experience d. a broader range of markets
c. diverse skills and experience
Alexey works as a recruiter for Allstate. He has been asked to review its hiring process for senior analysts. He starts by asking managers about the educational backgrounds and experiences of their most successful analysts. He uses this information to start building a list of qualifications that he will use as a screener when looking for new hires. What is Alexey working on? a. job recruitment b. job analysis c. job specifications d. job description
c. job specifications
Refer to scenario 15.2. Kiki was recruited as a sales rep right out of college. She has had excellent performance reviews in her first two years on the job. Her manager was especially impressed with the initiative she took to improve the company's sales report dashboard. Refer to Scenario 15.2. Kiki attended the company's quarterly "all-employee meeting" where leadership presented plans for the coming year. The director of operations laid out a plan to move the company's manufacturing facility to Mexico by the year 2026. Kiki is concerned that the company's willingness to move certain job functions overseas means that her job could one day be moved as well. What human resources (HR) challenge is Kiki concerned about? a. managing the wage gap b. managing older workers c. managing outsourcing d. managing younger workers
c. managing outsourcing
Christiane received a job offer, and she is in negotiations with HR. They offered her generous pay but only one week of paid vacation. She would prefer a slightly lower pay in exchange for more paid vacation days. Christian is negotiating her _____________. a. benefits b. salary c. wages d. compensation
d. compensation
Kramer just started working in human resources (HR) for a large shipping company. Sometimes his friends tease him because they think that HR professionals are too serious and do not know how to have fun. Kramer doesn't let this bother him because he studied business, and he knows that HR plays a much more important role in the company. For example, he has to know what companies might potentially poach their top talent, including other shipping companies. He studies these companies in depth so that he can make strong recommendations on how they win at attracting and retaining top talent. Kramer understands the need for HR professionals to understand the company's __________. a. strategic goals b. core customer c. work-life balance d. competition
d. competition
Narayan cares for his mother. He was able to find a caretaker to help while he works, but she can't get to his house until 10 a.m. on Tuesdays. Narayan worked out an arrangement with his manager to work in the office from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on those days. This kind of arrangement is known as _________. a. a compressed work week b. remote work c. cafeteria-style benefits d. flextime
d. flextime
Seyyed owns a small accounting firm. He has 18 employees, which means that he is required to follow legislation that prohibits discrimination in areas such as hiring and compensation. This is a requirement that is enforced by _________. a. Title VII b. the Civil Rights Act of 1964 c. affirmative action d. the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
d. the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)