Competencies Test Questions

Which motivation theory appeals to an employee's need for achievement? Vroom McClelland Theory X/Theory Y Attribution

McClelland McClelland's theory proposes that individuals are motivated by achievement, affiliation, and the desire for power. (C-LN)

An HR manager observes that team members are refusing to collaborate with a particular individual. Upon further inquiry, she learns that others think the individual is inconsistent and unpredictable, effecting her dependability. What has this individual failed to establish with other team members? 1.Integration 2.Communication 3.Trust 4.Competence

Trust Trust is essential to building relationships and influencing others. One necessary ingredient for developing trust is behaving consistently-following through on commitments and being truthful. (C-LN)

An HR manager receives a memo from a department director for termination of a groundskeeping employee. The company's recreational vehicle resort is at the same location as company headquarters. The terminated employee works and lives at the resort, and has no prior record of performance issues in his 10 year career. The memo states that the director terminated the employee yesterday for gross misconduct. The groundskeeper was working in the heat all morning and then informed the director he was going home for lunch. Later the groundskeeper radioed the director that he was running late in returning from lunch. Subsequent communications led to the director sending a student worker to the employee's trailer to pick him up and return to the office. Upon their return, the groundskeeper smelled of alcohol, and the student worker reported to the director that the intoxicated groundskeeper offered the under-aged student worker a beer, which was refused. The student worker stressed that she did not want to get the groundskeeper in any trouble; however, the groundskeeper insisted that he be allowed to drive the golf cart back to the office after drinking beer, which made the student feel uncomfortable. Two weeks after discharge, the groundskeeper contacts the HR manager and claims he was discriminated against due to his age and presumptions that he could not meet that the physical demands of the job, particularly during the summer heat. He points out that this is why the director hired much younger college students. How should the HR manager respond? 1.Advise the groundskeeper that the HR manager can schedule a time and day for him to come in to the office to discuss the situation. 2.Let the groundskeeper know that if he wishes to pursue allegations of discrimination he can seek legal counsel; however, the HR manager can do nothing further. 3.Inform the groundskeeper that, since he is a former employee, the HR manager has no obligation to investigate the allegations of discrimination and end the call. 4.Inform the groundskeeper that it would be futile to argue the termination because it was clear that he was intoxicated.

1.Advise the groundskeeper that the HR manager can schedule a time and day for him to come in to the office to discuss the situation. (C-GCE)

An HR team has mined the enterprise resource planning (ERP) database for data related to implementation of the performance management system. What step must they complete before proceeding to analysis of the data? 1.Aggregation 2.Acquisition 3.Application 4.Assessment

1.Aggregation Once the data has been acquired or collected, it must be aggregated (combined) and organized in a way that supports the goals of the analysis.

A talent sourcing strategist at a retail corporation is charged with building and maintaining external relationships with colleges and universities to ensure that the corporation has a strong talent pipeline. To avoid conflicts of interest, corporate policy forbids talent sourcing strategists from having personal relationships with college or university staff. An HR specialist files a formal grievance stating that the talent sourcing strategist is engaged in a personal relationship with an admissions coordinator at a university. During the ongoing formal internal investigation, the HR director discovers that the admissions coordinator is employed by the university that provides the most recruits compared to all other academic partners. What should the HR director do to increase the likelihood that employees will adhere to the company's policy concerning personal relationships with college and university staff? 1.Conduct training with talent sourcing strategists on ethical relationships with university partners. 2.Meet with talent sourcing strategists and emphasize the consequences of violating the policy. 3.Communicate the policy to all HR staff during the next HR department meeting. 4.Send a copy of the corporation's policy to all college and university partners.

1.Conduct training with talent sourcing strategists on ethical relationships with university partners. (C-RM)

Which term refers to the process of framework to address cultural differences? 1.Dilemma reconciliation 2.Parochialism 3.Cultural relativism 4.Determinism

1.Dilemma reconciliation Trompenaars' model refers to the process of resolving cultural differences as dilemma reconciliation, noting that solutions to dilemmas need not be either-or propositions. Dilemma reconciliation refers to the process of creating a "third way" as an alternative to opposing cultural demands. The other terms relate to cultural perspectives. (C-GCE)

In his initial meeting with the HR team, a newly hired HR director hears several concerns relating to the organization's talent acquisition process including inconsistent questions, different decision-making criteria, and a lack of diversity across departments. The HR director believes these concerns, as he experienced several questionable actions during his own hiring. The HR team is not confident that the organization is hiring the best people, but each department believes its hiring approach is effective and shows no interest in trying a new approach. After confirming that an absence of diversity is an issue in certain departments, which next step should the HR director take? 1.Explain to interviewers and managers why diversity among employees is good for business. 2.Discipline the interviewers for engaging in discriminatory hiring practices that have occurred. 3.Develop a company-wide diversity hiring program to help reverse this identified trend. 4.Encourage interviewers to read a copy of the company's diversity policy.

1.Explain to interviewers and managers why diversity among employees is good for business. (C-COM)

An analyst predicts a total number of voluntary and involuntary separations over the next year and gives the report a statistical rating of P50. What does this mean? 1.Half of the forecasts will be above the reported number and half will be below. 2.The analyst is not very confident in the number's accuracy. 3.The simulation was repeated 50 times to test its accuracy. 4.The sample size was half of the total workforce size at the time of analysis.

1.Half of the forecasts will be above the reported number and half will be below. P50 indicates that an estimate lies in the middle of a range: half are higher and half lower. (C-CE)

The annual loss ratio for a company's health plan is 158%. The CHRO has been asked by the CEO to propose changes to the plan that will lower costs while retaining as many of the current benefits as possible. A review reveals that the dental and prescription drug coverage account for 84% of the plan's claims and that 3 of their 91 employees account for 73% of the claims. After reviewing a series of benefit options, the CHRO decides that the best option is a plan that doubles the deductibles on the dental and prescription benefits while also lowering the maximum reimbursement coverage by 25%. The CHRO makes a presentation outlining this suggestion to the company's executive committee. After a brief discussion of the rationale and the merits, the COO mentions that the company should announce the plan's changes to employees immediately. The CHRO responds that doing so would defeat the purpose of the changes. Without further discussion, the executive committee proceeds to vote and accept the changes to become effective upon plan renewal the following month. Two months after the introduction of the new plan, it is discovered that two employees made bulk prescription purchases (a six-month supply) one week prior to the changes in the benefit plan going into effect. The CHRO suspects a leak of the confidential information. Which is the best reason the company should remain with the benefit provider? 1.If benefit entitlements remain similar, finding and using a new benefit provider would not address the root cause as measured by the loss ratio. 2.A request for proposal to find a new benefit provider can take several months to finalize and may not provide a comparable plan at a cheaper rate. 3.It is unlikely that another benefit provider would accept the company's business without a thorough analysis of the previous year's use rates. 4.To ensure a minimum break-even, any new insurance provider will quote and charge at a rate that is equal to or more than that of the previous provider.

1.If benefit entitlements remain similar, finding and using a new benefit provider would not address the root cause as measured by the loss ratio. (C-BA)

An organization has witnessed a steady decline in revenue for the past 9 months. Department managers are highly competitive and favor an authoritarian management style with their teams, contributing to low employee morale. Communication across departments is infrequent, employees are distrustful of their managers, and work teams are continually experiencing delays. Product quality is decreasing and customers are complaining. The CEO tasks an HR manager with investigating workplace problems and developing solutions. With the CEO's approval, the HR manager begins monthly training workshops with department managers to encourage teamwork and collaboration. An employee submits a complaint stating that a lack of trust prevents the employee from approaching the department manager when problems arise. How should the HR manager respond? 1.Invite the employee to a meeting to discuss the complaint in greater detail. 2.Role-play with the employee on how to talk through problems with the manager. 3.Conduct employee-only focus groups to identify the causes of distrust in the department. 4.Facilitate a meeting between the employee and the department manager.

1.Invite the employee to a meeting to discuss the complaint in greater detail. (C-RM)

Where is a plaintiff more likely to file a legal suit when jurisdiction shopping? 1.Locale that historically provides the desired results 2.Country where the plaintiff is employed 3.District that allows for jury trials 4.Region where the company headquarters resides

1.Locale that historically provides the desired results Jurisdiction or forum shopping is the practice of litigants taking their legal cases to the most likely location that will provide a favorable judgment. Some jurisdictions have become known as "plaintiff-friendly" and so have attracted litigation even when there is little or no connection between the legal issues and the jurisdiction in which they are to be litigated. (C-GCE)

What describes a culture that prefers training activities that spell out details and use direct and logical communication? 1.Low-context 2.High-context 3.Small power distance 4.Large power distance

1.Low-context In low-context cultures, people react to what is explicitly communicated so that those coming into the environment know how to behave. (C-GCE)

An expatriate, recently transferred to a new country for a temporary assignment, assumes that colleagues in the host country will value timeliness just as much as colleagues in the home country do. The expatriate experiences frustration with slow response to e-mails and requests, inhibiting collaboration and the development of relationships among the new team. This example indicates a lack of understanding and exploration of what type of culture? 1.National culture 2.Organizational culture 3.Subculture 4.Professional culture

1.National culture Differences in assumptions, outlooks, and rules can challenge communication and comprehension. This challenge is remedied by remaining aware of and curious about the varied rules (written and unwritten) that each nation's business culture has, combined with respecting and adapting to those rules while working in the environment. (C-GCE)

A company of office workers has an informal culture of maintaining the status quo in that many employees adequately perform job tasks to satisfy the bare minimum requirements. If employees complete their tasks early, they often stay at their desks to give the impression of working but are actually engaging in non-work-related activities. Instead of collaborating across departments to improve the quality of work and increase knowledge sharing, employees focus on completing their own tasks. Some supervisors are aware of this behavior, but most supervisors do not work in close proximity to their employees and are primarily focused on results. One day, the HR manager notices the administrative assistant using a craft machine to work on a personal project during work hours. Some supervisors approach the HR manager to request help with cultivating a culture of proactivity in their employees. What guidance should the HR manager provide? 1.Recommend that supervisors engage more frequently with their employees. 2.Suggest that supervisors meet individually with employees to learn about their goals. 3.Provide examples of positive and negative reinforcers to implement. 4.Advise supervisors to model proactive behaviors for their employees.

1.Recommend that supervisors engage more frequently with their employees. (C-RM)

A company of office workers has an informal culture of maintaining the status quo in that many employees adequately perform job tasks to satisfy the bare minimum requirements. If employees complete their tasks early, they often stay at their desks to give the impression of working but are actually engaging in non-work-related activities. Instead of collaborating across departments to improve the quality of work and increase knowledge sharing, employees focus on completing their own tasks. Some supervisors are aware of this behavior, but most supervisors do not work in close proximity to their employees and are primarily focused on results. One day, the HR manager notices the administrative assistant using a craft machine to work on a personal project during work hours. The administrative assistant's supervisor tells the HR manager that there is no problem as long as job tasks are completed on time. How should the HR manager respond to the supervisor? 1.Recommend that the supervisor meet with the administrative assistant to identify career goals and create a job enrichment plan. 2.Advise delegating some of the supervisor's tasks to the administrative assistant. 3.Notify the supervisor that allowing this behavior is demotivating to other employees. 4.Suggest revisions to the administrative assistant's job description to include more complex tasks.

1.Recommend that the supervisor meet with the administrative assistant to identify career goals and create a job enrichment plan. (C-RM)

How is Porter's "Five Forces" framework used in developing strategies? 1.To understand competitive factors that influence the strategy 2.To identify internal strengths and weaknesses 3.To determine the cost-effectiveness of strategic initiatives 4.To assess the strength of various competitors

1.To understand competitive factors that influence the strategy Porter's "Five Forces" framework helps strategists understand the competitive forces at work in their industries so that they can assess the strengths and weaknesses of their own competitive position. (C-BA)

In his initial meeting with the HR team, a newly hired HR director hears several concerns relating to the organization's talent acquisition process including inconsistent questions, different decision-making criteria, and a lack of diversity across departments. The HR director believes these concerns, as he experienced several questionable actions during his own hiring. The HR team is not confident that the organization is hiring the best people, but each department believes its hiring approach is effective and shows no interest in trying a new approach. Which action should the HR director take to encourage department heads to use a new hiring process? 1.Present anecdotal evidence from similar companies that show the benefits of a centralized hiring processes. 2.Conduct a benchmarking study to compare the organization's hiring outcomes (diversity, etc.) to those of similar organizations. 3.Conduct an audit of company-wide hiring practices to demonstrate internal discrepancies. 4.Ask department heads what data they would need from a new hiring process.

2. Conduct a benchmarking study to compare the organization's hiring outcomes (diversity, etc.) to those of similar organizations. (C-COM)

A large clothing company has a bad reputation because of its hiring practices, its treatment of employees, and its lack of support to the communities it operates in. The CEO and senior managers are known to make decisions based solely on revenue potential, without regard for the impact it may have on society. In fact, the CEO has commented several times that investing money in anything other than operations is a bad business strategy and unethical in terms of the company's obligation to its investors. Recently, major suppliers for the company, located outside the company's home country, were accused of unethical labor practices, unsafe workplace conditions, and possible human rights violations. This has become a public relations nightmare. Several groups have called for boycotts against the company. At the last shareholders' phone conference, several institutional investors expressed their displeasure with management's failure to respond strongly to the problems with suppliers. The CEO expressed his belief that critics were being unrealistic about their expectations for the suppliers. In fact, they were themselves insensitive to business practices and local norms in these countries. Concerned with the negative publicity and lacking confidence in the CEO's response to it, the company's board of directors requests that the CHRO immediately be given the task of formulating a committee to audit the company's operating practices, its employer branding, and its attitude on social issues. This action would at least show that the company has heard the criticisms. The CEO immediately goes to the CHRO's office and angrily says that the CHRO will be showing disloyalty if the CHRO conducts this audit. The CHRO had been one of the CEO's first hires. How should the CHRO respond to this situation? 1.Explain the difficult position and promise to get the board to agree to a third-party audit. 2.Accept the board's assignment, explaining to the CEO the board's power to order this. 3.Persuade the CEO to accept the situation by promising the CEO a major role in the audit committee. 4.Tell the board that there is a conflict of interest that prevents the CHRO from complying with the board's request.

2.Accept the board's assignment, explaining to the CEO the board's power to order this. (C-BA)

A long-time employee of a small, rural branch of a national bank dies unexpectedly. This employee held a position requiring extensive institutional knowledge. Fellow employees are deeply saddened by the loss of their colleague, but bank policy allows bereavement leave for only members of the immediate family. The branch was already understaffed in several mid-level positions due to a limited pool of qualified applicants. The loss leads to increased workloads for the other employees, who are struggling to complete tasks on time. The branch manager notices an increase in transaction errors in all employees and asks the HR manager to recommend a solution. When the HR manager asks about the errors, employees indicate they have too much work to double-check for mistakes. How should the HR manager respond? 1.Provide refresher training on essential job tasks for each employee. 2.Analyze data about error rates and types over the last month to develop targeted solutions. 3.Conduct an analysis to identify job functions and tasks that can be automated. 4.Consult with employees to prioritize their work and identify less-important tasks.

2.Analyze data about error rates and types over the last month to develop targeted solutions. (C-BA)

A supplier offers to provide an employee with tickets to a professional athletic event. How should the code of ethics support the employee? 1.By reflecting the legal traditions of the home country 2.By guiding decision making and behavior 3.By accommodating the norms of the countries in which the organization operates 4.By managing risks to the organization's public image

2.By guiding decision making and behavior Effective codes of ethics help employees to recognize ethical issues and to respond in a way that reflects the organization's values. (C-EP)

What document is a formal statement describing a company's principles and the business practices? 1.Strategic plan 2.Code of conduct 3.Mission statement 4.Employee handbook

2.Code of conduct A corporate code of conduct is a formal statement that describes a company's principles and the business practices. (C-EP)

An organization is considering restructuring its sales function to align its salespeople against key vertical markets. HR is charged with exploring this initiative. What should HR do first? 1.Communicate the change to customers. 2.Complete an environmental scan. 3.Schedule a meeting with salespeople. 4.Communicate the change to the organization.

2.Complete an environmental scan. Before making such a change, the organization should complete an environmental scan. The environmental scan will help the organization to determine if such a change is necessary and what benefits it could expect to receive from the restructuring. (C-CONSULT)

A clothing retail company in business for over three years has three locations in a popular beach resort area. There are similar retailers in the same area competing for both the customers and labor pool. Recently the company has had extensive growth due to a new clothing design, however, employees are leaving within 90 days of hire. This turnover is now affecting customer satisfaction and increasing the workload on the remaining staff. Most of the management staff started as sales floor employees and received little to no management training. One of the key criteria used in promoting staff is their success on the sales floor, leading to complaints of internal selection unfairness. Recent exit interviews suggest low morale, poor leadership, and lack of work/life balance as the top three reasons for leaving the company. Knowing that there are plans to launch two new product lines in the near future, the CEO has asked the HR director to find a new vendor to provide new employee orientation. Twenty companies have submitted proposals, and the CEO wants a short list in the next two days. Based on the current turnover and lack of management training, what should the HR director do first as part of a needs analysis? 1.Facilitate management focus groups to evaluate the company's compensation, rewards, and incentive programs 2.Conduct a job analysis for all management positions to ensure that job descriptions and specifications are appropriate 3.Analyze exit interviews from managers who have left recently 4.Review customer satisfaction results and use these to guide the development of the training curriculum

2.Conduct a job analysis for all management positions to ensure that job descriptions and specifications are appropriate (C-BA)

The HR business partner (HRBP) of a large retail chain has compiled an annual report on turnover and shared it with the director of sales (DOS) and the district manager (DM) for one of the chain's retail districts. The DOS and the DM are pleased with the results, since the overall retention rate meets the requirement for them to be eligible for a bonus. However, the HRBP looks more deeply into the data and determines that several stores are extreme outliers and have high turnover rates. The HRBP informs the DOS and the DM. They tell the HRBP to not worry about it, as the overall number is fine. They have enough to deal with; it is not necessary to go looking for problems. The HRBP believes that the results that have been uncovered are a cause for concern in these stores. Which is the best approach for the HRBP to use to determine the root cause of the high rate of turnover? 1.Meet with members of management at the locations and determine if there are areas of opportunity for training. 2.Conduct stay interviews with employees to determine what challenges they are experiencing. 3.Sit in on interviews to determine if realistic job previews are being given or if interview training is needed. 4.Craft and launch an anonymous employee survey.

2.Conduct stay interviews with employees to determine what challenges they are experiencing. (C-GCE)

In his initial meeting with the HR team, a newly hired HR director hears several concerns relating to the organization's talent acquisition process including inconsistent questions, different decision-making criteria, and a lack of diversity across departments. The HR director believes these concerns, as he experienced several questionable actions during his own hiring. The HR team is not confident that the organization is hiring the best people, but each department believes its hiring approach is effective and shows no interest in trying a new approach. Which is the best immediate course of action the HR director could take to address organizations talent acquisition issues? 1.Maintain the current process, but have HR participate in all of the interviews going forward. 2.Create a structured interview process that standardizes the questions asked and the criteria for grading. 3.Solicit feedback from organizational stakeholders about the key qualities they are looking for in talent. 4.Analyze turnover, performance, and exit interview data over the past two years to present to leaders.

2.Create a structured interview process that standardizes the questions asked and the criteria for grading. (C-COM)

An organization is experiencing a high turnover rate in new hires within the first six to nine months. The HR director conducts research and determines that several of the employees have joined a competitor. The HR director decides to employ a third-party firm to conduct a salary survey, and a complete review of the job description and a job analysis for the position. Additionally, the HR director performs an internal employee opinion survey in which employees share that the current benefits package lags that of other companies in the area. The results from the third-party survey confirm that the company does lag the competitor by a large margin in compensation and benefits. Also, managers do not provide candidates an accurate representation of day-to-day activities within positions. Which action should the HR director take to help hiring managers understand the criticality of a realistic job preview? 1.Partner with managers to review current job descriptions to create a representation of the typical workday 2.Discuss with managers the importance of accurate representations in the interview, turnover costs, and their questions 3.Conduct refresher training for experienced managers and more in-depth training for new managers on effective interviewing 4.Recommend all hiring managers be placed on a performance improvement plan for their interviewing shortcomings

2.Discuss with managers the importance of accurate representations in the interview, turnover costs, and their questions (C-GCE)

During a team meeting, one member is dominating the discussion while others are quietly listening. What should the manager leading the meeting do? 1.Summarize what the talkative team member has said and then move to the next agenda item. 2.Encourage participation from less active team members by asking questions of those team members. 3.Allow the meeting to flow without interruption. 4.Tell the talkative team member that they manager is in charge of the meeting.

2.Encourage participation from less active team members by asking questions of those team members. (C-COM)

A company of office workers has an informal culture of maintaining the status quo in that many employees adequately perform job tasks to satisfy the bare minimum requirements. If employees complete their tasks early, they often stay at their desks to give the impression of working but are actually engaging in non-work-related activities. Instead of collaborating across departments to improve the quality of work and increase knowledge sharing, employees focus on completing their own tasks. Some supervisors are aware of this behavior, but most supervisors do not work in close proximity to their employees and are primarily focused on results. One day, the HR manager notices the administrative assistant using a craft machine to work on a personal project during work hours. The HR manager learns that the administrative assistant comes from a cultural background that differs from that of most other employees. Which step is most effective for the HR manager to take in conveying performance expectations to the administrative assistant? 1.Describe the differences in the two cultures to the administrative assistant. 2.Explain why the administrative assistant should not be working on a personal project during work hours. 3.Invite the administrative assistant to describe work behaviors from that culture. 4.Meet with the administrative assistant's supervisor to discuss how cultural differences may affect job performance.

2.Explain why the administrative assistant should not be working on a personal project during work hours. (C-RM)

he HR director of a 6,000-employee hospital is meeting with the hospital's CEO about potentially conducting an employee engagement survey. The hospital has never conducted an engagement survey. The hospital's turnover is low, and it pays competitive wages and benefits. It is nonunion except for about 200 employees in its food service department. There is a sense that a baseline assessment of employee work environment perceptions and the employees' commitment to serving patients is needed. While there is anecdotal evidence that employees are relatively satisfied with the work environment and committed to serving patients, employees have complained through the organizational hotline about lack of management support in some areas. Since other hospitals in the market have experienced union organizing activity, there is concern about possible unionization. While the CEO is interested in the survey, there is fear that it will raise employee expectations that the organization cannot meet, increasing employee dissatisfaction. The HR director is planning a follow-up meeting with the administrator and an external consultant. The goal is to share with the CEO best employer practices in conducting engagement surveys, the positive benefits of using surveys to improve morale, and appropriate engagement strategies and practices to support managers in improving performance and productivity. What is the best course of action for the HR director in proactively addressing employee concerns with the engagement survey? 1.Meet with the union representative and legal counsel to share insights and get their perspectives. 2.Explore employees' interest in participating in stay interviews to give insight to the organization. 3.Analyze new employee complaints to determine recurring trends and patterns indicating the need for the survey. 4.Advise the CEO about employee insights gained from complaints that support or negate the need for the survey.

2.Explore employees' interest in participating in stay interviews to give insight to the organization. (C-RM)

Which communication method is more effective in high-context cultures? 1.Written 2.Face-to-face 3.E-mail 4.Multimedia presentations

2.Face-to-face One aspect of high-context cultures is that their members rely more heavily on what surrounds a statement (nonverbal cues, history, the speaker's identity) rather than the literal meaning of the communication. (C-GCE)

The annual loss ratio for a company's health plan is 158%. The CHRO has been asked by the CEO to propose changes to the plan that will lower costs while retaining as many of the current benefits as possible. A review reveals that the dental and prescription drug coverage account for 84% of the plan's claims and that 3 of their 91 employees account for 73% of the claims. After reviewing a series of benefit options, the CHRO decides that the best option is a plan that doubles the deductibles on the dental and prescription benefits while also lowering the maximum reimbursement coverage by 25%. The CHRO makes a presentation outlining this suggestion to the company's executive committee. After a brief discussion of the rationale and the merits, the COO mentions that the company should announce the plan's changes to employees immediately. The CHRO responds that doing so would defeat the purpose of the changes. Without further discussion, the executive committee proceeds to vote and accept the changes to become effective upon plan renewal the following month. Two months after the introduction of the new plan, it is discovered that two employees made bulk prescription purchases (a six-month supply) one week prior to the changes in the benefit plan going into effect. The CHRO suspects a leak of the confidential information. Why would announcing plan changes to employees in this way be problematic? 1.The plan's normal renewal date must be allowed to transpire in order to verify, without bias, that yearly use rates are in fact occurring naturally 2.Incentivizing use just prior to a change could increase the loss ratio even further, requiring even more funding adjustments to make the plan sustainable 3.The terms and conditions of a benefit provider require a blackout period to avoid insider information about the change being leaked 4.It would be inappropriate to announce any pending policy changes until they become official and are implemented

2.Incentivizing use just prior to a change could increase the loss ratio even further, requiring even more funding adjustments to make the plan sustainable (C-BA)

What financial document lists the revenues, expenses, and profits of an organization for a designated period of time? 1.Financial statement 2.Income statement 3.Accounting entries 4.Balance sheet

2.Income statement The income statement shows revenues, expenses, and profits for the organization. The balance sheet shows its assets, liabilities, and shareholders' equity. (C-BA)

The CEO of a fast-growing start-up company is worried that the company will not have the skilled workforce needed in the future to keep up with the dynamic needs of the business, and he asks the HR manager to anticipate and plan for the workforce gaps. The HR manager has been partnering with educational institutions, other businesses, and the local workforce development office to get more information about anticipated skill gaps and to develop an action plan. These resources have been supportive but are unsure of what skills might be needed and when these gaps will exist. The HR manager must navigate this uncertainty and provide a plan to the CEO. The HR manager learns that other businesses in the same industry are sourcing candidates who have a rare, highly technical skill set because it was recently promoted in the press. What step should the HR manager take first after learning this? 1.Suggest to the CEO that obtaining this skill set could make the company more competitive. 2.Interview managers at the company to obtain their perceptions about the need for this skill set. 3.Ask local schools if their curriculum is focused on developing this skill set among students. 4.Ask the local workforce development office if they agree with the assessment of this skill set as critical.

2.Interview managers at the company to obtain their perceptions about the need for this skill set. (C-CE)

During an accident investigation, an HR manager determines that the injured employee could not read the safety data sheet (SDS). The manager reviews the company's training database and discovers that 10% to 15% of the current employees possess poor reading comprehension and cannot read the lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures for machinery or the MSDS for hazardous chemicals. Upon further investigation, the HR manager learns that these employees regularly ask coworkers for assistance with LOTO and MSDS. Fortunately the company has not had a major catastrophic injury or death related to these areas, although a review of historic data on employee injury rates indicates a high percentage of minor injuries involving chemical burns and skin abrasions. These injuries have resulted in a higher-than-average experience modification rate that has adversely impacted the company's workers' compensation insurance premiums. The HR manager decides to develop a reading literacy program to provide coaching and tutoring to raise the reading and comprehension levels for all employees, soliciting a local educational institution to develop these reading courses. Which additional benefit could the company gain from successful implementation of the reading program? 1.The company could use this initiative to improve its employee brand and corporate social responsibility. 2.It could result in greater performance output per employee and higher levels of engagement. 3.With positive reactions to the training, the company could institute additional employee improvement programs. 4.This could result in better communication between employees and management.

2.It could result in greater performance output per employee and higher levels of engagement. (C-CE)

Despite the fact that an employee's team is scheduled to work from 9:00am - 5:00pm each day, the employee consistently stays out late for lunch and makes up the time at the end of the day. A new manager has recently taken over the department and notices this pattern of behavior. During an informal conversation, the manager mentions to the employee that the individual is taking extended lunches. The employee responds with, "What does it matter? I stay and make up the time." The manager is concerned that the behavior was previously allowed and wants to start documenting the tardiness. Additionally, the manager worries that the morale of the team is suffering, as three team members have approached her about the situation since she was hired. If the employee agrees to stop returning from lunch late, which action should the HR generalist suggest to the manager? 1.Instruct the manager to keep detailed notes each day on what time the employee leaves for lunch and returns. 2.Note the date and time the employee agrees to the policy and send a recap e-mail to the employee regarding the acknowledgment and expectations. 3.Inform the three employees that have been complaining about this particular employee that the issue is resolved. 4.Reiterate to the employee that if the employee does not follow the policy going forward, there will be documentation.

2.Note the date and time the employee agrees to the policy and send a recap e-mail to the employee regarding the acknowledgment and expectations. (C-RM)

A large clothing company has a bad reputation because of its hiring practices, its treatment of employees, and its lack of support to the communities it operates in. The CEO and senior managers are known to make decisions based solely on revenue potential, without regard for the impact it may have on society. In fact, the CEO has commented several times that investing money in anything other than operations is a bad business strategy and unethical in terms of the company's obligation to its investors. Recently, major suppliers for the company, located outside the company's home country, were accused of unethical labor practices, unsafe workplace conditions, and possible human rights violations. This has become a public relations nightmare. Several groups have called for boycotts against the company. At the last shareholders' phone conference, several institutional investors expressed their displeasure with management's failure to respond strongly to the problems with suppliers. The CEO expressed his belief that critics were being unrealistic about their expectations for the suppliers. In fact, they were themselves insensitive to business practices and local norms in these countries. Concerned with the negative publicity and lacking confidence in the CEO's response to it, the company's board of directors requests that the CHRO immediately be given the task of formulating a committee to audit the company's operating practices, its employer branding, and its attitude on social issues. This action would at least show that the company has heard the criticisms. What would be the most effective tactic in persuading the CEO to accept the audit? 1.Ask the CEO to remember their joint commitment to doing what is in the organization's best interest. 2.Refer to examples of competitors who have met both financial and corporate social responsibility (CSR) objectives. 3.Assure the CEO that all recommendations will be reviewed by the organization's legal representatives. 4.Give specific examples of the impact that the publicity has had on hiring.

2.Refer to examples of competitors who have met both financial and corporate social responsibility (CSR) objectives. (C-BA)

To attract talented university students, a public accounting firm offers an internship program to students who have completed 75% of their coursework. If a student is successful during the internship, the firm offers the student a position after graduation and provides opportunities for the student to study for the industry licensure exam. The firm pays for the exam and provides additional compensation once the student successfully completes the exam. For the past several years, the firm has seen an increasing rate of turnover among newly licensed employees. While it is common in the industry for employees to leave public accounting after they are licensed, the firm is losing many of its licensed employees to competitors. The high rate of turnover is negatively affecting the firm's performance. The HR manager has been charged with reducing the number of employees leaving for competitive firms as quickly and efficiently as possible. Which action should the HR manager take to identify the reasons employees are leaving for the competition? 1.Contact competitor firms' HR directors to request information on their compensation and benefits. 2.Review exit interview feedback from employees who left to work for competitors. 3.Contact employees who left for competitor firms to gain information about the reasons they left. 4.Purchase and analyze industry survey results to learn about compensation and benefits offered by competitor firms.

2.Review exit interview feedback from employees who left to work for competitors. (C-CONSULT)

The director of the HR department is taking personal leave for three weeks and assigns an HR employee to work with a consulting firm to conduct a strategic planning process for the company. The consulting firm conducts interviews with 10% of the employees, but none of the interviews is with line staff. The HR employee feels that the consulting firm's approach did not fully capture the information required to support the strategic planning process, so the HR employee decides to conduct a separate data collection. The HR employee develops a company-wide survey, gains buy-in from key leaders, and presents the survey to the executive team. Once approved by the executive team, the employee administers the survey and achieves a 77% response rate. The company's CEO shares the survey results with the consulting firm so it can implement the next phase of the strategic planning process. The HR employee has noticed that the HR director has started treating the HR employee differently since returning from leave. Communication between the HR director and the HR employee is less frequent and disengaged. What should the HR employee do? 1.Ask the HR director if there are any problems the HR director wants to discuss. 2.Schedule a meeting with the director to discuss the situation. 3.Schedule a meeting with key leaders and the director to debrief about the strategic planning process and lessons learned. 4.Continue performing the HR employee's job and wait for the director to talk about any issues.

2.Schedule a meeting with the director to discuss the situation. (C-CONSULT)

At a staffing agency, recruiters are facing a challenge in finding high-quality candidates. Additionally, the recruiters adhere to an unwritten rule that they should not contact candidates who have already worked with other recruiters within the agency. A new recruiter corresponds with a candidate who was previously in communication with a veteran recruiter. The two recruiters get into an argument, and the recruitment manager tries to intervene. The new recruiter claims not knowing about this unwritten rule and challenges the rule's efficacy. The veteran recruiter says that the unwritten rule is explained during the onboarding process. The recruitment manager asks the HR manager to discipline the new recruiter. How should the HR manager respond? 1.Suggest that the two recruiters work together on this candidate. 2.Suggest adding the unwritten rule to the policy to avoid this situation in the future. 3.Recommend that the recruitment manager remind the new recruiter of unwritten expectations. 4.Facilitate a meeting between the new and veteran recruiters.

2.Suggest adding the unwritten rule to the policy to avoid this situation in the future. (C-BA)

A company has an outdated applicant tracking system, which upper management has been reluctant to replace. The HR department has had great difficulty managing the large number of applicants with this system. Many hiring-related tasks that the system is incapable of handling have been carried out manually. This has led to administrative errors, delay in application processing, and miscommunication for internal applicants. One day, the HR manager receives a call from an internal applicant who had applied for a position a month ago. This applicant immediately received an email from the HR department about scheduling next steps in the selection process but has not heard back since. During the phone call, the HR manager looks into the tracking system to find that this applicant had been screened out due to not being a good fit with the position, and the initial email had been sent due to an administrative error. The HR manager communicates this to the applicant. The applicant becomes furious about being misinformed and starts swearing at the HR manager over the phone. How should the HR manager respond? 1.Instruct the applicant to re-apply for the position once the system has been updated. 2.Tell the applicant that HR understands why the applicant is upset about the error. 3.Warn the applicant that such behavior will be recorded as misconduct if it does not stop. 4.Tell the applicant that the HR department is working to prevent such issues in the future.

2.Tell the applicant that HR understands why the applicant is upset about the error. (C-COM)

Which attribute is considered part of implicit culture? 1.Food and drink 2.Views toward power 3.Languages spoken 4.Pace of life

2.Views toward power Implicit culture deals with attitudes and beliefs, not tangible things like language, dress, rituals, life styles, and food. The view toward power is an example of implicit culture. (C-GCE)

Which budgeting method is being used by a manager who begins with no allocated budget and must justify allocations based on how the function will contribute to the organization's strategic goals? 1.Incremental budgeting 2.Zero-based budgeting 3Formula-based budgeting 4.Capital budgeting

2.Zero-based budgeting Zero-based budgeting requires all managers to start at zero. A department must justify its entire budget and show how its funding will help the organization to meet its goals. In zero-based budgeting, all operations are given a priority rating, each unit or goal is ranked, and funds are given in order of the ranking. (C-BA)

An HR manager receives a memo from a department director for termination of a groundskeeping employee. The company's recreational vehicle resort is at the same location as company headquarters. The terminated employee works and lives at the resort, and has no prior record of performance issues in his 10 year career. The memo states that the director terminated the employee yesterday for gross misconduct. The groundskeeper was working in the heat all morning and then informed the director he was going home for lunch. Later the groundskeeper radioed the director that he was running late in returning from lunch. Subsequent communications led to the director sending a student worker to the employee's trailer to pick him up and return to the office. Upon their return, the groundskeeper smelled of alcohol, and the student worker reported to the director that the intoxicated groundskeeper offered the under-aged student worker a beer, which was refused. The student worker stressed that she did not want to get the groundskeeper in any trouble; however, the groundskeeper insisted that he be allowed to drive the golf cart back to the office after drinking beer, which made the student feel uncomfortable. The day following the groundskeeper's termination, another resort employee calls the HR manager to state that the termination was too severe and that the groundskeeper made a mistake but has otherwise had a good employment record. How should the HR manager respond? 1.Tell the caller that it is inappropriate to give the HR manager feedback about this issue. 2.Promise the caller that the HR manager will look at the groundskeeper's employment history and discuss it further with the director. 3.Ask the caller if he was a witness to the incident, and, if so, would he be willing to provide a written statement on what he saw and heard. 4.Ask the caller how he feels about the director's leadership and if there are any cases of unfair treatment he can recall.

3.Ask the caller if he was a witness to the incident, and, if so, would he be willing to provide a written statement on what he saw and heard. (C-GCE)

An employee who holds a critical position in the company sustains a back injury on the job and is temporarily unable to continue working. To avoid a loss of income, the employee uses all available personal leave, adding up to 12 weeks. After the 12 weeks of leave, the employee has only been cleared by a doctor to work with physical restrictions and will not be assessed again for three months. The employee makes an appointment with the HR manager to discuss options for returning to work. The HR manager receives an email from the employee's supervisor stating concern that the employee is not being honest about the extent of the injury. Which action should the HR manager take? 1.Inform the supervisor that the employee should not be treated any differently and no punitive action should be taken. 2.Advise the supervisor to maintain confidentiality about the employee's work-related injury. 3.Ask the employee to provide a doctor's note to confirm the requirement for physical restrictions. 4.Advise the supervisor to provide proof or additional details that support the accusation of the employee's dishonesty.

3.Ask the employee to provide a doctor's note to confirm the requirement for physical restrictions. (C-COM)

The CEO of a sales company hires an HR consultant to assess the company's organizational structure, operating model, and culture due to declining sales, increasing expenses, and workforce environment challenges. The CEO asks the consultant to share the results with key stakeholders to gain support for the recommended changes. Because the company has little market competition, the CEO thinks the company's poor results stem from company-based issues and its inability to leverage its robust IT infrastructure. The HR consultant analyzes the company's financial statements and business processes and confidentially interviews every employee in the company to determine why the company is struggling. The consultant also works as an employee in every department in order to get a realistic understanding of how the company operates. The consultant's analysis reveals that the company has no mission statement, no company-wide or departmental goals, and no individual goals to hold employees accountable. Additionally, no formal recruitment, onboarding, or training procedures exist. The consultant thinks the poor results are caused by poorly trained sales representatives. Customer loyalty is strong; however, it is because of the low-cost products not easily found elsewhere. What is the critical first step the HR business consultant should do to determine the return on investment (ROI) of a new sales training program? 1.Calculate the ROI by dividing the revenue gained minus the cost of these types of programs based on data from similar sales companies. 2.Talk to the IT department to determine what new skills the sales team needs to learn. 3.Call several vendors to gather more information regarding training outcomes, price, and schedule. 4.Talk to the sales team about what new skills they need to learn.

3.Call several vendors to gather more information regarding training outcomes, price, and schedule. (C-CONSULT)

What challenge to effective cross-cultural communication is faced by an organization that believes that its way is the best way and that lacks interest in other ways of reaching a goal? 1.Cultural relativism 2.Cultural stereotyping 3.Cultural ethnocentrism 4.Cultural determinism

3.Cultural ethnocentrism Cultural ethnocentrism refers to the tendency to view one's own cultural norms as better than the norms of other cultures in interpreting and responding to decisions or events. Ethnocentrism can be corrected with more exposure to other cultures and development of an open mind. Stereotyping assumes that all members of a culture share certain characteristics. Determinism says that culture is the primary determinant of a person's actions. Relativism holds that there are so many cultural norms that there are only differences; in reality there are common norms among cultures, such as respect for honesty. (C-GCE)

Which approach describes the form of data gathering in which experts take turns presenting their assumptions and refining a composite answer but never meet face-to-face? 1.Managerial estimates 2.Nominal group technique 3.Delphi technique 4.Trend analysis

3.Delphi technique In the Delphi technique, members work as a group without ever meeting. Managerial estimates and trend analysis are generally completed by individuals and presented to management. The nominal group technique requires face-to-face meetings.

A mid-sized company has a strict attendance policy stating that any absence of three days or more without contact from the employee is considered job abandonment and the employee is subject to termination. The organization has experienced significant growth over the years, and the increase in the employee population has prompted stricter policies, which some staff view as unnecessarily controlling. One manager's best employee has been absent without contact for four days and calls in. The employee indicates he had some unexpected personal problems involving his teenage child. The employee did not call earlier due to being distraught, occupied with the situation, and also a bit embarrassed. According to the policy, the employee must be terminated, but the manager is reluctant to do so because this is the department's best employee. This is the first violation, and the serious family issues could escalate if the employee is terminated. Senior leadership has recently taken a tough stance on consistently adhering to company policies and practices due to complaints of favoritism. The manager is hesitant to go to HR for fear they will recommend termination. Instead the manager seeks counsel from a member of the senior leadership team who is a relative and who supports the decision to not terminate the employee. When the employee is not terminated, an anonymous complaint is filed via the employee hotline system. It alleges discrimination and favoritism; there is also a comment about too many new policies. The employee is named, and the complainant demands that other employees terminated under the no-call, no-show policy be reinstated. The protocol requires that HR review all discrimination complaints. Which is the first course of action HR should take? 1.HR should immediately suspend the employee without pay due to the violation of the company's attendance policy. 2.HR should review the employee's performance records and use the ratings to determine the outcome. 3.HR should inform the president of the issue and partner with her on the next steps for corrective action. 4.HR should immediately terminate the employee due to the violation of the company's attendance policy.

3.HR should inform the president of the issue and partner with her on the next steps for corrective action. (C-EP)

What best describes the appearance of a distribution curve in a data set with a low standard deviation (SD)? 1.Flat and long 2.Wide and bell-shaped 3.High and narrow 4.Short and tapered

3.High and narrow In a low SD data curve, data is grouped more tightly around a center value, so the distribution curve is high and narrow. (C-CE)

At a staffing agency, recruiters are facing a challenge in finding high-quality candidates. Additionally, the recruiters adhere to an unwritten rule that they should not contact candidates who have already worked with other recruiters within the agency. A new recruiter corresponds with a candidate who was previously in communication with a veteran recruiter. The two recruiters get into an argument, and the recruitment manager tries to intervene. The new recruiter claims not knowing about this unwritten rule and challenges the rule's efficacy. The veteran recruiter says that the unwritten rule is explained during the onboarding process. The agency implements a new initiative to increase the quality of candidates. How should the HR manager evaluate the effectiveness of the initiative? 1.Meet with the recruitment manager to discuss observed changes. 2.Track the performance of new candidates in their placements. 3.Identify the number of successful placements before and after the initiative. 4.Survey all hiring managers about changes in the quality of job candidates since the initiative's launch.

3.Identify the number of successful placements before and after the initiative. (C-BA)

A company has an outdated applicant tracking system, which upper management has been reluctant to replace. The HR department has had great difficulty managing the large number of applicants with this system. Many hiring-related tasks that the system is incapable of handling have been carried out manually. This has led to administrative errors, delay in application processing, and miscommunication for internal applicants. One day, the HR manager receives a call from an internal applicant who had applied for a position a month ago. This applicant immediately received an email from the HR department about scheduling next steps in the selection process but has not heard back since. During the phone call, the HR manager looks into the tracking system to find that this applicant had been screened out due to not being a good fit with the position, and the initial email had been sent due to an administrative error. The HR manager communicates this to the applicant. The HR manager discovers that the administrative error was caused by one of the company's HR specialists. What should the HR manager do to motivate the HR specialist to be more attentive when processing hiring-related tasks to prevent similar mistakes in the future? 1.Meet with the HR specialist to discuss the consequences of making administrative errors. 2.Tell the HR specialists to pay closer attention to details when processing applications. 3.Meet with the HR specialist to determine the root cause of the administrative error. 4.Meet with the HR specialist to discuss any challenges to using the application tracking system.

3.Meet with the HR specialist to determine the root cause of the administrative error. (C-COM)

At a staffing agency, recruiters are facing a challenge in finding high-quality candidates. Additionally, the recruiters adhere to an unwritten rule that they should not contact candidates who have already worked with other recruiters within the agency. A new recruiter corresponds with a candidate who was previously in communication with a veteran recruiter. The two recruiters get into an argument, and the recruitment manager tries to intervene. The new recruiter claims not knowing about this unwritten rule and challenges the rule's efficacy. The veteran recruiter says that the unwritten rule is explained during the onboarding process. The recruitment manager approaches the HR manager for help with attracting high-quality candidates. What guidance should the HR manager provide? 1.Advise the recruitment manager to review the job descriptions and update as needed. 2.Suggest that the recruitment manager examine recent trends in the fields and jobs candidates are pursuing. 3.Recommend evaluating the effectiveness of the agency's recruitment processes and tools. 4.Analyze the recruitment strategies used by veteran recruiters compared with new recruiters.

3.Recommend evaluating the effectiveness of the agency's recruitment processes and tools. (C-BA)

An organization has witnessed a steady decline in revenue for the past 9 months. Department managers are highly competitive and favor an authoritarian management style with their teams, contributing to low employee morale. Communication across departments is infrequent, employees are distrustful of their managers, and work teams are continually experiencing delays. Product quality is decreasing and customers are complaining. The CEO tasks an HR manager with investigating workplace problems and developing solutions. With the CEO's approval, the HR manager begins monthly training workshops with department managers to encourage teamwork and collaboration. The CEO asks the HR manager to determine the root cause of the competitive culture of the organization. How should the HR manager collect this information? 1.Review past employee complaints for common themes. 2.Compile past exit interview comments. 3.Schedule individual interviews with each department manager. 4.Conduct a focus group with employees from each department.

3.Schedule individual interviews with each department manager. (C-RM)

The annual loss ratio for a company's health plan is 158%. The CHRO has been asked by the CEO to propose changes to the plan that will lower costs while retaining as many of the current benefits as possible. A review reveals that the dental and prescription drug coverage account for 84% of the plan's claims and that 3 of their 91 employees account for 73% of the claims. After reviewing a series of benefit options, the CHRO decides that the best option is a plan that doubles the deductibles on the dental and prescription benefits while also lowering the maximum reimbursement coverage by 25%. The CHRO makes a presentation outlining this suggestion to the company's executive committee. After a brief discussion of the rationale and the merits, the COO mentions that the company should announce the plan's changes to employees immediately. The CHRO responds that doing so would defeat the purpose of the changes. Without further discussion, the executive committee proceeds to vote and accept the changes to become effective upon plan renewal the following month. Two months after the introduction of the new plan, it is discovered that two employees made bulk prescription purchases (a six-month supply) one week prior to the changes in the benefit plan going into effect. The CHRO suspects a leak of the confidential information. How should the company react to the employees who are using the benefits excessively? 1.Issue disciplinary action to those employees who have used the benefits in excess of normal use 2.Nothing should be done; the plan should be changed and no reason should be given to the employees 3.Wait until the plan changes are in effect and then hold a company-wide meeting using aggregated data to explain why the changes are necessary 4.Confidentially meet with the employees responsible and advise them that their use was the main reason why the plan had to change for everyone

3.Wait until the plan changes are in effect and then hold a company-wide meeting using aggregated data to explain why the changes are necessary (C-BA)

An HR manager works at a manufacturing company that is hiring new assembly-line employees. The HR manager helped to design and implement the selection system that is used to make these hires. The system includes a physical abilities test, a structured interview, and a personality assessment. The company has evidence demonstrating that each part of the system is a valid predictor of performance. Passing the physical abilities test is the first hurdle in the hiring process. Any applicant who passes this hurdle is interviewed by a plant manager, who then rates the applicant on several competencies. Applicants are not given any information about the competencies or questions prior to the interview. Interview scores and personality assessment scores are combined to rank the applicants. Many plant managers have complained to HR that the test does not assess the level of physical abilities required on the job, and recent hires have not performed well as a result. The HR manager's supervisor meets with the HR manager to discuss these concerns. The HR manager's supervisor wants the HR manager to review the physical abilities test to determine if it can be made more realistic. What should the HR manager do? 1.Search online for physical abilities tests used by other manufacturing companies. 2.Ask all current employees to take the physical abilities test. 3.Examine the documentation regarding the development of the current physical abilities test. 4.Ask plant managers to specify what physical abilities are required.

4.Ask plant managers to specify what physical abilities are required. (C-COM)

The CEO of a fast-growing start-up company is worried that the company will not have the skilled workforce needed in the future to keep up with the dynamic needs of the business, and he asks the HR manager to anticipate and plan for the workforce gaps. The HR manager has been partnering with educational institutions, other businesses, and the local workforce development office to get more information about anticipated skill gaps and to develop an action plan. These resources have been supportive but are unsure of what skills might be needed and when these gaps will exist. The HR manager must navigate this uncertainty and provide a plan to the CEO. The HR manager has identified the most critical skills that will be needed. Which is the most effective approach to developing the workforce? 1.Tell employees which skills are needed and ask them to refer people who have these skills. 2.Implement a bonus program that rewards employees for developing critical skills. 3.Provide managers with the list of skills and ask them to mentor employees on them. 4.Assess current employees on these critical skills to identify gaps that exist.

4.Assess current employees on these critical skills to identify gaps that exist. (C-CE)

A company has four full-time sales employees who receive a base salary, a 10% commission on new sales to existing clients, and a 30% commission on new sales to new clients. One sales employee has an existing, established territory. The clients were established prior to the salesperson's employment, and sales to these clients are strong and consistent, providing an excellent income for the employee. This employee makes no effort for new sales due to satisfaction with the current income level. The other three sales employees are in new territories and work hard to make sales. Their income levels are lower than that of the first sales employee. Management believes that the current sales compensation structure is unfair and that the first sales employee is overpaid in comparison to the others. Additionally, the current structure does not provide any incentive for the first sales employee to obtain new clients. Management has requested the HR director to reduce the first sales employee's compensation to be consistent with that of the other three sales employees. Which action should the HR director take regarding the compensation structure? 1.Explain to management that changing the current system can impact morale and employees might leave. 2.Conduct an assessment of the current compensation system to determine if it meets the needs of employees. 3.Conduct a round-table interview with the sales employees to ask their opinion about the current system. 4.Compare the current structure to the organizational strategy to evaluate alignment.

4.Compare the current structure to the organizational strategy to evaluate alignment. (C-CE)

To attract talented university students, a public accounting firm offers an internship program to students who have completed 75% of their coursework. If a student is successful during the internship, the firm offers the student a position after graduation and provides opportunities for the student to study for the industry licensure exam. The firm pays for the exam and provides additional compensation once the student successfully completes the exam. For the past several years, the firm has seen an increasing rate of turnover among newly licensed employees. While it is common in the industry for employees to leave public accounting after they are licensed, the firm is losing many of its licensed employees to competitors. The high rate of turnover is negatively affecting the firm's performance. The HR manager has been charged with reducing the number of employees leaving for competitive firms as quickly and efficiently as possible. The accounting firm's leadership team requests information on the reasons employees stay. What should the HR manager do to respond to the leadership team's request? 1.Contact HR directors in other accounting firms to learn the reasons their employees stay. 2.Conduct an anonymous online survey that asks employees to identify the reasons they stay. 3.Ask supervisors to identify what they do to encourage the employees in their departments to stay. 4.Conduct a focus group with a random sample of employees to find out the reasons they stay with the organization.

4.Conduct a focus group with a random sample of employees to find out the reasons they stay with the organization. (C-CONSULT)

To attract talented university students, a public accounting firm offers an internship program to students who have completed 75% of their coursework. If a student is successful during the internship, the firm offers the student a position after graduation and provides opportunities for the student to study for the industry licensure exam. The firm pays for the exam and provides additional compensation once the student successfully completes the exam. For the past several years, the firm has seen an increasing rate of turnover among newly licensed employees. While it is common in the industry for employees to leave public accounting after they are licensed, the firm is losing many of its licensed employees to competitors. The high rate of turnover is negatively affecting the firm's performance. The HR manager has been charged with reducing the number of employees leaving for competitive firms as quickly and efficiently as possible. What should the HR manager do to get buy-in from the accounting firm's leadership team to implement employee retention initiatives? 1.Ask leaders to identify retention initiatives they would like to see implemented. 2.Explain to the leadership team that their full support is necessary to reduce turnover. 3.Describe to leaders the expected return on investment associated with implementing the retention initiatives. 4.Create a business case that supports how the retention initiatives will reduce turnover.

4.Create a business case that supports how the retention initiatives will reduce turnover. (C-CONSULT)

HR meets with team leaders to analyze the pros and cons of a suggested change. As a group, they brainstorm on factors that could influence the outcome of the change in both positive and negative ways. The factors are assigned weights in order to quantify the pros and cons and assist the leaders in their decision making. What type of analysis is the group using in this situation? 1.SWOT analysis 2.Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) 3.Cost-benefit analysis 4.Force-field analysis

4.Force-field analysis Based on this force-field analysis, the group can decide to pursue opportunities with scores showing favorability for change or to avoid changes that face very strong resistance. They might also use analysis results in deciding how to allocate resources to mitigate negative risks and enhance opportunities. (C-CONSULT)

An organization who moved to larger facilities and doubled its workforce is still experiencing problems with back orders, resulting in customer dissatisfaction. What phase of the organization/product life cycle is the organization likely in? 1.Introduction 2.Maturity 3.Decline 4.Growth

4.Growth The growth phase is characterized by change and expansion in terms of facilities, marketing, and people. These resources are needed to keep up with the demand for products or services. This phase is often accompanied by backlogs and scheduling problems while the organization adjusts to increased demands. (C-BA)

A large clothing company has a bad reputation because of its hiring practices, its treatment of employees, and its lack of support to the communities it operates in. The CEO and senior managers are known to make decisions based solely on revenue potential, without regard for the impact it may have on society. In fact, the CEO has commented several times that investing money in anything other than operations is a bad business strategy and unethical in terms of the company's obligation to its investors. Recently, major suppliers for the company, located outside the company's home country, were accused of unethical labor practices, unsafe workplace conditions, and possible human rights violations. This has become a public relations nightmare. Several groups have called for boycotts against the company. At the last shareholders' phone conference, several institutional investors expressed their displeasure with management's failure to respond strongly to the problems with suppliers. The CEO expressed his belief that critics were being unrealistic about their expectations for the suppliers. In fact, they were themselves insensitive to business practices and local norms in these countries. Concerned with the negative publicity and lacking confidence in the CEO's response to it, the company's board of directors requests that the CHRO immediately be given the task of formulating a committee to audit the company's operating practices, its employer branding, and its attitude on social issues. This action would at least show that the company has heard the criticisms. While the company's leadership is struggling with this issue, the CHRO receives an urgent call from the global head of recruiting. Recruiters report that their appearance at job fairs has been met with what seems to be organized demonstrations. The fairs have produced very few prospective candidates. The recruiting head asks what the CHRO wants them to do. How should the CHRO respond? 1.Tell the recruiters to persist and to project a professional demeanor at all times. 2.Have recruiting directors contact local law authorities and the security directors for the fair venues and demand better protection. 3.Report this to the CEO as an example of what the company is doing wrong. 4.Hold off on appearances at job fairs for now and focus on using recruiting firms

4.Hold off on appearances at job fairs for now and focus on using recruiting firms. (C-BA)

Which action best illustrates HR's strategic role in an organizational change initiative? 1.Dealing with resistance to organizational change 2.Monitoring and ensuring compliance with change 3.Instituting radical changes in the organization 4.Influencing and affecting management's view of organizational change

4.Influencing and affecting management's view of organizational change In its strategic role, HR influences management's view of the organizational change, helping management identify and deal with organizational change issues before any action is taken. Once senior management institutes the changes, however, HR plays a secondary role in dealing with possible resistance and monitoring compliance. (C-CONSULT)

What is the purpose of paraphrasing in the communication model? 1.It provides context to help the receiver understand the message. 2.It indicates that the listener is paying attention. 3.It indicates the receiver's response to the message. 4.It serves as a feedback loop.

4.It serves as a feedback loop Paraphrasing describes what the receiver has understood in a communication and in this way serves as a feedback loop to the communicator. The communicator can confirm that the message is understood or can try again if it has not been understood correctly. A paraphrase does not necessarily indicate that a listener has been paying attention; it could indicate lack of attention. It is not a response but a repetition of the message. It is not an amplification of the message (context, for example), but an incorrect paraphrase could lead the speaker to amplify the message in some way. (C-COM)

A company has experienced a high degree of turnover during the past year. Senior leadership is concerned about the amount of turnover and worried that HR is not moving fast enough to fill these positions. The hiring managers say that the applicant pools have been weak lately and they have had trouble finding qualified applicants to hire from within the pools HR provides. HR has relied heavily on recruiting by word of mouth, which in the past has generated applicants that fit the company's culture. The award for referrals that result in hiring has also been popular with employees. What would be the best way for HR to bring in more qualified applicants? 1.Talk to senior leaders to figure out which types of jobs are most difficult to fill. 2.Interview hiring managers to determine the specific gaps in knowledge and skill that need to be addressed. 3.Investigate how other organizations are identifying quality applicants. 4.Post job openings on Internet job sites and examine the effect on the applicant pool.

4.Post job openings on Internet job sites and examine the effect on the applicant pool. (C-CE)

Which tool would be best for analyzing and presenting data about the relationship between years of education and amount of income? 1.Cause-and-effect diagram 2.Histogram 3.Control chart 4.Scatter diagram

4.Scatter diagram A scatter diagram shows possible relationships between two variables. For example, if an HR professional wants to find out if there is a relationship between years of education and amount of income, he or she could create a scatter diagram with the years of education placed on one axis and the amount of income on the other. (C-CE)

At a staffing agency, recruiters are facing a challenge in finding high-quality candidates. Additionally, the recruiters adhere to an unwritten rule that they should not contact candidates who have already worked with other recruiters within the agency. A new recruiter corresponds with a candidate who was previously in communication with a veteran recruiter. The two recruiters get into an argument, and the recruitment manager tries to intervene. The new recruiter claims not knowing about this unwritten rule and challenges the rule's efficacy. The veteran recruiter says that the unwritten rule is explained during the onboarding process. The HR manager wants to evaluate the benefits of the unwritten rule about contacting candidates. Which step is most effective for the HR manager to take to obtain feedback? 1.Facilitate a discussion with new and veteran recruiters to evaluate the benefits of the unwritten rule. 2.Conduct a meeting with all new recruiters to learn about their opinions on the benefits of the unwritten rule. 3.Ask the recruitment manager for input on the possible benefits of the unwritten rule. 4.Send an anonymous survey to all recruiters in the company to obtain feedback on the benefits of the unwritten rule.

4.Send an anonymous survey to all recruiters in the company to obtain feedback on the benefits of the unwritten rule. (C-BA)

How should an HR professional use trend analysis? 1.To understand how the organization's policies can be adapted globally 2.To assess the effectiveness of organizational development efforts 3.To align organizational and HR strategies 4.To plan possible responses to changes in labor supply

4.To plan possible responses to changes in labor supply Trend analysis describes patterns in the past and projects future conditions based on those patterns. For example, HR can see when declines in certain types of degrees will become problematic for the organization and require a strategic response. Analyzing the fit of HR-related policies to a specific country's cultural environment, creating strategic alignment, and assessing HR performance do not produce information about what will happen in the future. (C-CE)

The CEO of a small local company has decided that the organization needs to embrace a model of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Despite a formal strategy not being in place, the organization has been using the principles of CSR in certain circumstances. The CEO wants the HR manager to help lead the corporate change. This change involves mindset, planning, and helping everyone embrace the change. HR is not viewed as a true partner to the organization currently, so this will be a challenge. The CEO is seeking to create a company known for treating people well, operating in a sustainable manner, and giving to worthy causes. This change will be more noticeable in some departments than in others. Because of this, the CEO would like to start with a word-of-mouth campaign prior to a large company-wide announcement. The CEO wants the HR manager to put together a plan within two to four weeks that creates this low-key way to work toward the CSR culture for the organization. HR and the CEO discuss that it will be a long-term process for change to be fully implemented. The CEO understands this but wants a plan no later than one month from the meeting. What action should the HR manager recommend to measure the acceptance of the new culture after it's announced and implemented? 1.Have spontaneous conversations with employees to see how they feel about the recent changes. 2.Measure employee attrition rates and see if there is an increase in employee departures after the changes. 3.Solely rely on feedback from the heads of each department to determine the effectiveness of the change. 4.Use both process and outcomes evaluations to determine the effectiveness of the program.

4.Use both process and outcomes evaluations to determine the effectiveness of the program. (C-CONSULT)

Which situation illustrates Fisher and Uri's best alternative to a negotiated agreement approach to negotiating? 1.An HR manager and a vendor openly discuss their needs and expectations for a project. 2.An HR manager identifies enough potential qualified vendors to ensure competitive bids. 3.An HR manager determines internal costs to produce an orientation manual before speaking with a vendor. 4.Both sides in a negotiation for outsourcing an HR project agree to act in each other's best interests.

An HR manager determines internal costs to produce an orientation manual before speaking with a vendor "Best alternative to a negotiated agreement." (BATNA) refers to the best option if negotiations fail and an agreement cannot be reached. This entails knowing what options are available and what the other side may propose during negotiation. In this case, knowing internal costs allows the HR manager to know if a bid delivers the needed value. (C-RM)

Over the past 12 months, a global hotel franchise has been experiencing steady, significant growth, and needs to hire more employees at all levels. The leadership team asks the HR department to transition into a strategic business partner role to ensure that the franchise can meet current and future demands. However, some senior managers in the franchise believe that HR should focus only on administration of traditional HR activities such as recruiting, payroll, benefits, and these managers refuse to include HR in business conversations. As a result, many HR staff have adopted a strict policy enforcement role that has only made it more difficult for the HR department to make the transition. An HR manager is tasked with identifying ways to expand the role of the HR function in the organization and aligning it with business strategy. The HR manager is also charged with presenting an HR transformation plan to the executive leadership team. Which approach should the HR manager use to evaluate the success of the HR transformation plan? 1.Measure trends in HR department employee absenteeism before and after the transformation. 2.Estimate the cost savings associated with reduced HR involvement in transactional HR activities. 3.Administer an engagement survey to all HR department employees. 4.Assess the extent of change in key HR performance metrics over time.

Assess the extent of change in key HR performance metrics over time. (C-LN)

An employee at a large health-care company takes an extended leave of absence from work due to a personal matter. The company's policy states that the employee must re-apply for the position within a specified time period to be re-hired without having to go through the full external hiring process. The employee fails to meet the deadline for re-applying, and the position is filled with an external candidate. After finding out that the position was filled, the employee reports to the office. The employee begins yelling at the supervisor, demanding to have the employee's job back. The HR manager overhears the conversation and must respond to the situation. The employee tells the HR manager that the time period for re-applying for the position was not sufficient. The HR manager has been told this by other employees in the past. Which action should the HR manager take to evaluate whether the company's policy should be revised? 1.Construct a graph of the number of days it takes for employees to re-apply for a position after taking a leave of absence. 2.Calculate the percentage of employees who missed the deadline to re-apply but wanted to be considered for re-hire with the company in the past 12 months. 3.Compute the average time for an employee to complete the application for a position after being out on an extended leave of absence. 4.Compare the number of employees who re-applied within the specified time period to the number of employees who did not.

Calculate the percentage of employees who missed the deadline to re-apply but wanted to be considered for re-hire with the company in the past 12 months. (C-RM)

A VP of HR has responsibility for multiple manufacturing sites and is responsible for teams of HR managers and generalists that support each location. One evening, an HR generalist tells the VP of HR that when the HR generalist returned from dinner break, the HR office appeared to have been ransacked. The HR generalist reports that after checking camera footage, security personnel reached the conclusion that the site HR manager had done the damage before leaving the facility. The VP knows that the site HR manager has a volatile personality and has been counseled about it previously. What is the first step the VP should take before proceeding to the factory? 1.Call security to notify them of the VP's pending arrival and request to meet to review the surveillance coverage. 2.Call the local police to request their presence at the site to bring forward charges of property destruction against the manager. 2.Call the site general manager to inform him of the situation, advising that the HR manager will be terminated. 3.Call the HR manager to discuss the incident, conveying concern that this behavior is inconsistent with the organization's values and policies.

Call security to notify them of the VP's pending arrival and request to meet to review the surveillance coverage. (C-LN)

A manufacturing organization is in the decline phase of its life cycle. The organization's largest customer has notified the CEO that it plans to withdraw its business over the next two years. The CEO and his staff must consider options to replace the lost revenue related to this customer account. The company's employees are nervous and uncertain about their future. Two options are quickly identified to replace the expected loss of revenue. Option 1 is to develop a new product that could be manufactured and delivered in one week while the competition delivers product in six weeks. To compete successfully with this approach, the company would also need to design an order entry system so customers could place orders online. This strategy requires engineering to design the product line. It also requires IT staff to design the software and customer portals, marketing and sales to develop sales literature and pricing models, manufacturing to prepare for production, and HR to develop the workforce plan. Option 2 would be to acquire a struggling competitor and quickly turn that company around. The CEO has asked the HR manager to assess possible HR issues for both of these options. During this time of change and uncertainty for the organization, what should the HR manager do to encourage retention of key employees? 1.Review the organization's current knowledge management retention strategy and communicate it to all managers and leaders. 2.Remind employees where to access exit information and review the effectiveness of the exit interview process. 3.Clearly communicate job expectations and ensure that employees have adequate resources to perform their work. 4.Develop a long-term succession plan for each key position in the organization and ensure that it is updated.

Clearly communicate job expectations and ensure that employees have adequate resources to perform their work. (C-GCE)

In the past year, a mid-sized company has decided to strengthen its global operations. As an initiative to achieve this goal, there has been an increase in hiring in offices across countries. Employees have also been transferred to work in offices in different countries. However, this has caused some difficulties for supervisors at the local headquarters who must manage personnel transferred from foreign countries. In particular, supervisors have found it difficult to conduct performance ratings. Specifically, they have mentioned the difficulty in interpreting how employees transferred from abroad interact with locally hired coworkers, because some behaviors that are considered polite in some cultures may be seen as inappropriate in others. The supervisors have also expressed concerns that they may be seen as intolerant if they happen to rate employees from other countries lower than employees who share the same background as the supervisor. Because of these issues, many supervisors have missed the deadline for submitting the past quarter's performance ratings, which was a week ago. This delay has slowed down other corporate operations. An HR manager at the headquarters has been appointed to help the supervisors manage personnel from various backgrounds. What should the HR manager do first to facilitate better integration of expatriates (i.e., employees transferred from abroad) and local employees? 1.Highlight success stories of cross-cultural interaction in company-wide communications. 2.Administer anonymous surveys to gauge employees' level of inclusion every six months. 3.Conduct workshops within work groups where expatriate and local employees can discuss differences in customs. 4.Conduct training to clarify that performance management is consistent across cultural differences.

Conduct workshops within work groups where expatriate and local employees can discuss differences in customs. (C-GCE)

When presenting a business case to senior management for HRIS technology, which type of presentation would be most effective? 1.Bold presentation that glosses over negative points 2.Detailed presentation that shows proofs for all points 3.Dynamic presentation that focuses only on key points 4.Glossy presentation that states only what the customer wants to hear

Dynamic presentation that focuses only on key points Presentations to high-level decision makers need to be dynamic and focused on key points. Technical partners, such as IT, may need a more detailed presentation. (C-COM)

A group has formed to organize the annual company picnic. Because one member has experience planning a similar events, he volunteers to take the lead. The other employees choose to follow him. Which kind of leadership does this exemplify? 1.Contingency 2.Emergent 3.Situational 4.Behavioral

Emergent The emergent leadership theory proposes that leaders can emerge from a group, deriving their power from the group's agreement with this role. The other leadership theories refer to the ways team leaders use their roles to produce results and engage, develop, and motivate team members. (C-LN)

Company executives have identified the need to promote diversity and develop a global mindset within the organization. According to Goleman, what leadership ability would best complement this initiative? 1.High intellectual capability 2.Adaptability to change 3.Effective communication 4.Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence (C-LN)

A supervisor and an employee have a disagreement via e-mail that escalates into an outright argument. HR has been called in to intervene and learns that neither party has had a face-to-face meeting in over a month. How should HR help resolve this issue? 1.Encourage regular meetings between the supervisor and the employee to create a feedback loop. 2.Limit the use of jargon or historical information in communication between supervisor and employee. 3.Require that e-mails be used to document supervisor and employee interactions or challenges. 4.Suggest a template for written and in-person conversations between the supervisor and the employee.

Encourage regular meetings between the supervisor and the employee to create a feedback loop. Encouraging regular meetings strengthens the receiver-communicator link, which depends on an existing feedback loop. While tools, templates, or e-mail guidelines may help those responses, they do not capture the complete communication breakdown and lack of feedback. Limiting the use of specific language does not address the specific communication challenge in this scenario. (C-COM)

A new HR manager begins work for an organization whose business model is to be a low-cost provider. On the first day of work, the HR manager learns that the conditions are far different than those described in the interview, with a severe lack of employee training and an 80% turnover rate. Salary ranges are outdated and appear to be 35% below current market rates. The employee handbook is incomplete, outdated, and not in current use. The accounting department handles payroll and benefits; however, views communication with employees as the job of HR. While conducting introductory interviews with department directors who operate independently, the HR manager learns that the expectation of HR is to only prescreen applicants and take care of employee complaints. While everyone has been trained on a new HRIS, it is not being used. Senior management was accustomed to an HR department that completed transactional processes and was seen as representing employees when discussions of benefits or compensation were held. Which of the following should the new HR manager do to get buy-in for organizational change in the way it manages its employees? 1.Provide a balanced scorecard for HR activities that demonstrates the contribution HR is making to the organization. 2.Develop key performance indicators for the HR department that measure employee satisfaction. 3.Ensure alignment between the proposed HR strategies and the organizational business strategy. 4.Design a benefits and compensation survey to benchmark current practices.

Ensure alignment between the proposed HR strategies and the organizational business strategy. (C-LN)

A new HR manager is eager to win support for her idea for a new employee benefit. Which colleague would be a good ally in this situation? 1.Experienced HR manager familiar with how decisions are made and with connections in other areas in the company 2.Head of HR, who is also new and wants to make a strong impression on senior leadership 3.HR staff member who is expert in the organization's benefits program 4.HR manager known for a number of successful initiatives and marked for promotion

Experienced HR manager familiar with how decisions are made and with connections in other areas in the company The best ally in this situation is the experienced manager who can educate the new professional on organizational politics, preferences, and decision-making styles. The head of HR and the up-and-coming HR manager may be unreliable allies because of their own goals. The expert may be invested in the status quo of the benefits program. (C-LN)

Which is the most accurate statement about motivating employees? 1.Motivation will not sustain performance over time. 2.Followers are most motivated by a self-confident leader. 3.Team members from different generations will not be motivated by the same rewards. 4.Individual motivators can vary among individuals.

Individual motivators can vary among individuals. Individuals are motivated by different things, even individuals in the same workplace and from the same generation. Motivation can initiate, direct, and sustain desired behavior over time. It does this by appealing to individuals' needs, which could include having trust in a self-confident leader but is not limited to that factor. (C-LN)

A manufacturing company has signed a large contract with a prominent retailer. The contract lists steps that are to be included in the manufacturing process that the company has agreed to follow. A group of employees from the manufacturing department have learned that by skipping some of the steps outlined, they can improve productivity without actually causing a material change to the final product, so they begin to skip steps in the process. Their practices soon spread to other manufacturing teams, but leadership ignores it as unfounded rumors. The HR Manager learns of the practice after conducting an exit interview with a member of the manufacturing team. In a subsequent discussion, the HR Manager learns that only one supervisor and the supervisor's team are actively utilizing the incorrect manufacturing process. The employee further states the reason other employees have not come forward is because the division manager has an ownership interest in the retailer. After ruling out any conflict of interest by the division manager, what is the next step the HR Manager should take to respond to the information received in the exit interview? 1.Talk first only with the manufacturing supervisor before deciding on interviewing other employees to determine if sufficient information exists. 2.Inform the division manager of the shortcut so the division manager can determine the next course of action. 3.Immediately interview each employee and the supervisor of the manufacturing team. 4.Review productivity logs and quality control reports to determine if the allegations have merit before conducting interviews.

Inform the division manager of the shortcut so the division manager can determine the next course of action. (C-EP)

The HR director learns that an employee who has already met the sales goal for the month is keeping extra sales secret. The employee is moving the extra sales to the next month in order to ensure that future goals are met. Which should the HR director do first? 1.Meet with the employee privately to explain that this practice is unethical and request that the employee refrain from continuing it. 2.Inform the employee's manager and coach the manager on how to address the issue with the employee. 3.Send out a general e-mail reminder to the sales team about the ethics policy. 4.Inform the CEO and begin monitoring the employee's work.

Inform the employee's manager and coach the manager on how to address the issue with the employee. The HR director should inform the employee's manager and coach the manager on how to address the issue. This involves the manager in the process and ensures that the manager can address the ethical concern with the employee. Privately meeting with the employee is incorrect, because the HR director has no daily oversight to know whether or not the employee is continuing to practice ethical behavior. Informing the CEO escalates the issue without attempting to address it and doesn't give the employee a chance to correct their actions. Sending out a general e-mail reminder doesn't directly address the issue with the employee, and hoping someone takes a hint isn't an effective method of addressing an ethical issue. In addition, none of the three incorrect answer choices involves the employee's manager. (C-EP)

An HR manager works for a large university. One day, an adult student comes in to claim sexual harassment by a married professor. A week later, another student comes in with a similar claim. Both students are currently in classes taught by the professor. University policy prohibits relationships between employees and students who they teach. Punishment for violation of the policy is determined by the dean of the academic division. While talking to the second student, the HR manager discovers that the students have coordinated their stories. The second student admits that both relationships were consensual and no sexual harassment occurred. Once it was discovered the professor was having multiple affairs, both of the students felt betrayed. Which action should the HR manager take first based on the information provided by the students? 1.Question the head of the department to see if other claims have been made against the professor. 2.Speak to both complainants together to identify the level of collaboration in their statements. 3.Ask other students in the professor's classes about inappropriate behavior they may have witnessed. 4.Interview the professor about the allegations.

Interview the professor about the allegations. (C-EP)

Which technique is critical to being a more active listener? 1.Engaging in the conversation and avoiding paraphrasing what she just heard. 2.Maintaining hard eye contact, not looking away any more than she can help. 3.Asking follow-up questions during the conversation, especially if the speaker seems to be changing subjects in mid-speech. 4.Keeping an open mind, recognizing that she may think differently after the conversation.

Keeping an open mind, recognizing that she may think differently after the conversation. Keeping an open mind as an active listening technique involves accepting the fact that this conversation could change one's position on an issue, feelings about the speaker, or understanding of the subject. One should not interrupt as it could be rude, one should summarize and paraphrase to signal understanding, and one should maintain soft eye contact. (C-COM)

Over the past 12 months, a global hotel franchise has been experiencing steady, significant growth, and needs to hire more employees at all levels. The leadership team asks the HR department to transition into a strategic business partner role to ensure that the franchise can meet current and future demands. However, some senior managers in the franchise believe that HR should focus only on administration of traditional HR activities such as recruiting, payroll, benefits, and these managers refuse to include HR in business conversations. As a result, many HR staff have adopted a strict policy enforcement role that has only made it more difficult for the HR department to make the transition. An HR manager is tasked with identifying ways to expand the role of the HR function in the organization and aligning it with business strategy. The HR manager is also charged with presenting an HR transformation plan to the executive leadership team. Which action should the HR manager take to identify opportunities for the HR department to expand its role in the company? 1.Meet with senior managers to discuss ways the HR department can improve its services. 2.Invite senior managers to participate in a team-building exercise with HR staff members to learn more about them. 3.Submit a proposal to the leadership team to increase the total HR budget. 4.Hire an outside consultant to review and suggest improvements to HR services.

Meet with senior managers to discuss ways the HR department can improve its services. (C-LN)

A VP of HR has responsibility for multiple manufacturing sites and is responsible for teams of HR managers and generalists that support each location. One evening, an HR generalist tells the VP of HR that when the HR generalist returned from dinner break, the HR office appeared to have been ransacked. The HR generalist reports that after checking camera footage, security personnel reached the conclusion that the site HR manager had done the damage before leaving the facility. The VP knows that the site HR manager has a volatile personality and has been counseled about it previously. The following day, other members of the HR team contact the VP of HR with concerns about the incident. Which action should the VP take address the concerns of the HR team? 1.Request that they schedule time to discuss their concerns directly, one-on-one, with the HR manager. 2.Ask the HR team to document their concerns to share with the site general manager. 3.Bring the HR team together and ask the site HR manager to apologize to the team. 4.Meet with the HR team as a group, discussing what happened and listening to concerns they have.

Meet with the HR team as a group, discussing what happened and listening to concerns they have. (C-LN)

In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, how are the needs of self-actualization exemplified? 1.Opportunities for development, problem solving, and creativity 2.Interactions with work groups, clients, coworkers, supervisors 3.Training, recognition, high status, increased responsibilities 4.Working conditions, employment, security, pay and benefits

Opportunities for development, problem solving, and creativity According to Maslow, self-actualization is the need to fulfill one's potential, which would lead one to seek challenges and apply cognitive and creative abilities. The other answers refer to needs related to physical security, esteem, and belonging. (C-LN)

An HR business partner for a mid-sized company has been asked to investigate root causes of high employee turnover. The CEO thinks that the turnover is the result of HR failing to set clear expectations for managers and has stated that there is a disparity in how managers lead their employees versus what employees think their managers should be doing. The CEO believes that this inconsistency in expectations is the reason for attrition. HR currently conducts annual employee engagement and morale surveys and presents the results to management. However, most of the management team has been with the company for many years and are resistant to change. Past efforts to guide the management team have been unsuccessful due to limited participation. For example, leadership skills training has been held in the past, but most of the management team have declined to attend. The CEO has requested that the HR manager provide a detailed plan to address the turnover by next quarter. Which step should the HR manager take to ensure buy-in from the managers when implementing an initiative to address the turnover? 1.Ask employees about their managers' capabilities and provide managers with this feedback. 2.Present data to managers that shows how the high turnover has affected the company's profit. 3.Purchase off-the-shelf business competency models to use as a management tool. 4.Create a policy that links participation in leadership training with incentives and bonuses for managers.

Present data to managers that shows how the high turnover has affected the company's profit. (C-COM)

Over the past 12 months, a global hotel franchise has been experiencing steady, significant growth, and needs to hire more employees at all levels. The leadership team asks the HR department to transition into a strategic business partner role to ensure that the franchise can meet current and future demands. However, some senior managers in the franchise believe that HR should focus only on administration of traditional HR activities such as recruiting, payroll, benefits, and these managers refuse to include HR in business conversations. As a result, many HR staff have adopted a strict policy enforcement role that has only made it more difficult for the HR department to make the transition. An HR manager is tasked with identifying ways to expand the role of the HR function in the organization and aligning it with business strategy. The HR manager is also charged with presenting an HR transformation plan to the executive leadership team. Which action should the HR manager take to align the HR department's function with the organization's strategy? 1.Review and revise existing HR products to ensure that they use industry-specific terminology. 2.Redesign the HR department's performance management system to base compensation on performance. 3.Recommend to executive leadership that they invite HR staff to strategic planning meetings. 4.Create a vision statement for the HR department that uses keywords from the franchise's vision statement.

Recommend to executive leadership that they invite HR staff to strategic planning meetings. (C-LN)

Several employees have contacted the HR department multiple times about the company's lack of environmentally sustainable practices. In particular, employees have suggested that the company use reusable containers and utensils at official company events instead of plastic bottles and cups. Employees have provided alternative solutions, such as a cost estimate of a reusable liquid container with the company logo. Each time, the HR specialists have politely thanked the employees for their input but have not taken any specific action to avoid having to change contracts with the long-term vendor of supplies. At a recent company meeting, plastic cups and plates were used to serve refreshments and snacks. One of the employees who had been contacting the HR department was at the meeting. Upon seeing the plastic materials, the employee became very upset, expressed criticism for the company not taking any action, and left the meeting. The HR manager is put in charge of looking into environmentally friendly practices as well as resolving the conflict with this employee. The HR manager learns that the company's long-term vendor does not offer environmentally friendly options. How should the HR manager move forward with procuring such products? 1.Ask the long-term vendor if it is willing to lower its prices given the lack of environmentally friendly options. 2.Ask the long-term vendor if it knows any other vendors that offer a good selection of environmentally friendly options. 3.Request that the long-term vendor offer environmentally sustainable products. 4.Ask the purchasing department to discuss environmentally friendly options with the long-term vendor.

Request that the long-term vendor offer environmentally sustainable products. (C-RM)

A new HR manager joins a manufacturing organization that is experiencing an increase in workplace safety incidents. These incidents are resulting in higher insurance costs, increased absences, reduced productivity, and lower-quality products. A review of compliance functions and key performance indicators shows an excessive increase in the last 12 months. This timeline coincides with the retirement of the compliance manager and the transfer of the duties related to managing workplace safety to the HR department. The manager also compares the number of incidents in the organization with industry standards and determines that the organization's incident rates are 50% greater than the industry average. The HR manager recognizes that changes need to be made immediately in the HR department to improve safety and protect employees from future incidents and injuries. The CEO tasks the HR manager with finding solutions to increase safety knowledge and decrease incidents in the organization. What should the HR manager do to increase his own knowledge of safety practices and outcomes in the organization? 1.Interview employees at the organization about safety practices they use. 2.Visit similar manufacturing organizations to find out about their safety procedures. 3.Review incident reports from the past five years to identify themes and common problems. 4.Watch manufacturing safety videos to become familiar with industry best practices.

Review incident reports from the past five years to identify themes and common problems. (C-RM)

An HR manager conducts a market salary survey to make sure that team members are being adequately compensated and do not seek other employment. Which level of needs in Maslow's hierarchy is she attempting to address? 1.Physical needs 2.Self-esteem and respect for others 3.Safety and security 4.Belonging and love

Safety and security The safety and security level includes personal, emotional, and financial security along with health and well being. (C-LN)

Which is the best reason to use social media channels for corporate communication? 1.Social media channels provide instantaneous feedback to leaders through employee responses. 2.Social media channels are widely accepted and used by employees. 3.Social media usage confers more credibility to the corporate message. 4.Social media channels provide more control over the corporate image.

Social media channels provide instantaneous feedback to leaders through employee responses. (C-COM)

A new HR manager begins work for an organization whose business model is to be a low-cost provider. On the first day of work, the HR manager learns that the conditions are far different than those described in the interview, with a severe lack of employee training and an 80% turnover rate. Salary ranges are outdated and appear to be 35% below current market rates. The employee handbook is incomplete, outdated, and not in current use. The accounting department handles payroll and benefits; however, views communication with employees as the job of HR. While conducting introductory interviews with department directors who operate independently, the HR manager learns that the expectation of HR is to only prescreen applicants and take care of employee complaints. While everyone has been trained on a new HRIS, it is not being used. Which is the best first step for the HR manager to take? 1.Begin work on benchmarking the company's wage levels to build a business case for increasing wages as a means to reduce turnover. 2.Step back and take in the big picture before deciding how HR activities can be aligned to support the organization's strategy. 3.Implement the HR strategy that was successful at the HR manager's previous company. 4.Call for a committee to develop a plan for offshoring the work, as current wage levels are not sustainable at this location.

Step back and take in the big picture before deciding how HR activities can be aligned to support the organization's strategy. (C-LN)

Which feedback message will be most useful to the feedback receiver? 1."I notice that you never check back in with our HR customers. That's the last step in our process. Why do you skip that?" 2."I got an e-mail last month from one of our HR customers who wanted to know the status of a compensation dispute. Not good." 3."You need to improve your customer service delivery. We scored low on that in the last quality survey." 4."That was a good call. Please make sure to always follow up with our HR customers to explain the status of an issue."

That was a good call. Please make sure to always follow up with our HR customers to explain the status of an issue." Effective feedback should be clear about what behavior needs to be changed, and the feedback should be delivered in a timely manner. The best feedback statement is "Please make sure to always follow up...." It is specific about what should be done (follow up). It is timely, unlike the feedback based on an observation made a month ago. It is not a generalization, like "you never check back." (C-COM)

A new HR manager begins work for an organization whose business model is to be a low-cost provider. On the first day of work, the HR manager learns that the conditions are far different than those described in the interview, with a severe lack of employee training and an 80% turnover rate. Salary ranges are outdated and appear to be 35% below current market rates. The employee handbook is incomplete, outdated, and not in current use. The accounting department handles payroll and benefits; however, views communication with employees as the job of HR. While conducting introductory interviews with department directors who operate independently, the HR manager learns that the expectation of HR is to only prescreen applicants and take care of employee complaints. While everyone has been trained on a new HRIS, it is not being used. What priority should the HR manager give to the unused HRIS? 1.This should be the top HR priority, as the data available from the system will help in making better decisions on a variety of HR initiatives and cost-saving measures. 2.This should be a priority after maintaining services to the other departments. 3.This should be a lower priority than a SWOT analysis, as the results from that analysis will help determine if it is necessary to have an HRIS. 4.This should be a low priority due to the time required to implement the system. With more urgent issues to be addressed, it will take several months before useful information will be available from the system.

This should be a priority after maintaining services to the other departments. (C-LN)

A VP of HR has responsibility for multiple manufacturing sites and is responsible for teams of HR managers and generalists that support each location. One evening, an HR generalist tells the VP of HR that when the HR generalist returned from dinner break, the HR office appeared to have been ransacked. The HR generalist reports that after checking camera footage, security personnel reached the conclusion that the site HR manager had done the damage before leaving the facility. The VP knows that the site HR manager has a volatile personality and has been counseled about it previously. What steps should the VP of HR take to address the condition of the HR office? 1.Work with the second shift HR generalist to clean up the damage and destruction of the HR office. 2.Leave the office as is so everyone can see it when they arrive the next day. 3.Demand that the HR manager return and clean up the HR area. 4.Request employees from the site and ask for their help with cleaning up the office.

Work with the second shift HR generalist to clean up the damage and destruction of the HR office. (C-LN)

An organization is in in the middle of a change management process, and its important that this process happens for future success of the company. Several individuals are resisting the idea and are attempting to undermine the process. What are the critical change management steps to turn this situation into a positive? 1. Create and communicate the vision and build support for the change 2. Involve everyone and recognize emotional reactions to the change 3. Following all the steps in a sequential manner without deviating from the process 4. Involve only necessary stakeholders and push forward to the change moving

1. Create and communicate the vision and build support for the change Communicating vision and a reason for change will assist in building support and get buy in (Kelly-LN)

An organization has had difficulty sustaining its diversity and inclusion effort during economic downturns and has experienced resistance from managers and employees alike. What might be recommended to help this organization? 1. Increase alignment between business strategy and diversity initiatives 2. Increased use of outside facilitators and trainers 3. Increased attentiveness to backlash from employees 4. Increased attentiveness to training and development

1. Increase alignment between business strategy and diversity initiatives D&I initiatives will falter unless they are aligned with business strategy. (Amanda-Leadership)

An organizations workforce is extremely diverse in terms of education and ethnicity. What will be a unique challenge in developing an effective code of conduct? 1. Making the code understand to all member 2. Choosing the values that will underline the code 3. Ensuring that the code is relevant to employees experience 4. Gaining manager/supervisor commitment

1. Making the code understand to all member Code of conduct must be presented in a manner that all employees can understand. Different levels of literacy and fluency in a particular language can be problematic. (Amanda-Leadership)

Which should a leader provide to an employee who feels confident about performing job tasks and is ready to accept responsibility for achieving difficult goals? 1. The freedom to make and implement decisions 2. Two way communication and strategies for building confidence and motivation 3. The means for sharing ideas and mechanisms for ensuring work completion 4. Clear instructions specific direction and close supervision

1. The freedom to make and implement decisions Hershey blanchard : the competent employee may be given or delegated work for complete freedom or autonomy over one's work. (Amanda-Leadership)

A manager delegates work to team members by clearly explaining the desired result and any necessary processes to follow. The manager explains the consequences of failure, but then allows team members to self-manage. What motivational theory does this manager likely follow? 1.Theory Y 2.Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory 3.Theory X 4.Maslow's hierarchy of needs

1.Theory Y Under Theory Y, work is as natural as rest or play, and normal people can learn to seek responsibility and become problem solvers. Managers who believe this empower employees and use leadership and influence to get them committed to project goals without resorting to coercion. (C-LN)

What practice illustrates the concept of a "level playing field? 1. A department head sets aside two positions for diversity hires 2. An employer automatically enrolls a minority hire in a mentoring program 3. All employees have access to the same training 4. Employers are encourages to disregard differences in their coworkers

2. An employer automatically enrolls a minority hire in a mentoring program Question gets at the distinction between equality and equity. Equity is giving everyone the support they need to succeed; equality is giving everyone the same support. Enrolling every new hire in a mentoring program is equality; enrolling new hires who may need additional support and coaching to perform well is equity. (Amanda-Leadership)

A tech employer has few women employees and finds that its culture may be contributing to poor retention of female employees. HR gets funding for a women's resource group. What should the next step be? 1. Secure commitment from the organizations leaders 2. Communicate the existence of the group to the target employees 3. Prepare a group charter to define the group's purpose 4. Establish criteria so that the group's value relative to the investment can be measured

2. Communicate the existence of the group to the target employees To be effective employee resource groups should be self selecting. A good communication program that reaches all those who might be interested is essential. (Amanda-Leadership)

During a review the HR admin discovers that several jobs appear to not follow FLSA and reports it to HR Leadership. What should the HR leadership be concerned about? 1.what other departments will think 2. enforcing the law and protecting the employees 3. enforcing the law and taking steps with management to get company mission accomplished 4. why the HR admin is conducting a review

2. enforcing the law and protecting the employees leadership takes responsibility to enforce provisions and protect employees (Kelly-LN)

During a review the HR admin discovers that several jobs appear to not follow FLSA and reports it to HR Leadership. What should hr leadership do? 1. investigate and conduct and audit and take corrective action 2. inform exec team, conduct audit, and take corrective action 3. understand external benchmarks and conduct best practices 4. investigate and contact needed gov't agencies

2. inform exec team, conduct audit, and take corrective action leadership will validate admins findings and will take all appropriate corrective action and keeps leadership informed (Kelly-LN)

Which is an example of the organizational dimension of diversity? 1. the introverts and extroverts on the team get what they each need 2. Managers will vary in age from 30 to 60 3. A committee on benefits includes members from sites around the country and the world 4. A project team is staffed with new hires as well as veterans

4. A project team is staffed with new hires as well as veterans We can be diverse along many dimensions. At the core is a unique personality, which is surrounded and affected by internal, external, and organizational dimensions. The organizational dimension of diversity includes aspects of a person's position in an organization, including experience or seniority. (Amanda-Leadership)

An organization is in in the middle of a change management process, and its important that this process happens for future success of the company. Several individuals are resisting the idea and are attempting to undermine the process. What is the first thing that must be done to improve the situation? 1. Communicate the reason for the change to all stakeholders affected. 2. Establish roles and responsibilities for each stakeholder 3. Get specific feedback from all stakeholders affected 4. Understand individual differences for all stakeholders affected

3. Get specific feedback from all stakeholders affected Focuses on feedback which will get buy in and critical info to ensure a successful implementation (Kelly-LN)

In the Hersey Blanchard (situational model) how would you classify a team leader who invites her experienced and engaged team to critique and improve approaches? 1. Telling 2. Selling 3. Participating 4. Delegating

3. Participating Effective leaders adapt their leadership style to the needs of the group. An experiences group can be invited to participate in decisions and contribute ideas. (Amanda-Leadership)

An employee often wears brightly covered clothing that is characteristic of her culture. Her manager suggests that she will look more professional and get ahead faster if she adopt more muted colors and familiar styles. The manager mentions this to an HR colleague. How should the HR professional respond? 1. We dont state these expectations in our handbook 2. It might be more effective if you tried peer mentoring with this employee 3. You could be hurting out efforts at promoting diversity 4. Be sure shes rewarded in some way if she takes your advice

3. You could be hurting out efforts at promoting diversity The manager is promoting "covering" a situation in which a minority employee feels pressured to assimilate the cultural values of majority employee groups. Covering creates stress and harms engagement and retention. (Amanda-Leadership)

To reduce its use of paper, a large organization implements a new enterprise IT system with integrated HRIS modules for timekeeping and payroll. The new system requires all employees, including all exempt managers and senior executives, to submit their own digital time sheets by established deadlines. The implementation team includes the CHRO, the VP of accounting, and the chief information officer (CIO). During the roll-out, none of the senior executives, except the CHRO, complete their digital time sheets by the payroll deadline, even after being prompted several times by the payroll manager. This is causing a delay in payroll processing for the entire organization. The payroll manager contacts HR to discuss the issue, and the CHRO assigns the HR manager to work with the payroll manager to resolve it. The CHRO tells the HR manager that payroll should approve the senior executives' incomplete time sheets to prevent further delays. What should the HR manager do to help the payroll manager resolve the payroll processing delay? 1.Ask the CHRO to complete the senior executives' time sheets as their proxy. 2.Request a meeting with the senior executives to discuss why they have not completed their time sheets. 3.Notify the senior executives that failure to complete their time sheets will prevent all employees from receiving their pay. 4.Advise the payroll manager to send one more prompt to remind the senior executives to complete their time sheets.

3.Notify the senior executives that failure to complete their time sheets will prevent all employees from receiving their pay. (C-LN)

To increase diversity in its supply chain, an organization establishes a policy of requiring diversity when soliciting suppliers. An audit reveals that supplier pools have become more diverse, but the number of contracts awarded to minority-owned businesses have not increased. What should the D&I team do? 1. Ask executive leadership to reiterate their support 2. Communicate the benefits of diversity to all purchasers of goods and services 3. Arrange for purchasers to take anti bias training courses 4. Analyze decision rationales in a sample of purchases

4. Analyze decision rationales in a sample of purchases More info is needed about the decision-making process. It is possible that decision criteria are not weighted in a way that supports the program. (Amanda-Leadership)

Which phenomenon is occurring when many of a global organization's minority employees are avoiding other members of their minority group, adjusting their attire, matching grooming and mannerisms to the majority, and refraining from advocating for their minority group? 1. Bracketing 2. Assimilating 3. Integrating 4. Covering

4. Covering Covering occurs when an organization recruits a diverse workforce but promotes assimilation rather than inclusion. It affects worker's behavior along four dimensions- appearance, affiliation, advocacy, and association. (Amanda-Leadership)

To reduce its use of paper, a large organization implements a new enterprise IT system with integrated HRIS modules for timekeeping and payroll. The new system requires all employees, including all exempt managers and senior executives, to submit their own digital time sheets by established deadlines. The implementation team includes the CHRO, the VP of accounting, and the chief information officer (CIO). During the roll-out, none of the senior executives, except the CHRO, complete their digital time sheets by the payroll deadline, even after being prompted several times by the payroll manager. This is causing a delay in payroll processing for the entire organization. The payroll manager contacts HR to discuss the issue, and the CHRO assigns the HR manager to work with the payroll manager to resolve it. The CHRO tells the HR manager that payroll should approve the senior executives' incomplete time sheets to prevent further delays. The HR manager is aware that two of the senior executives were on paid leave during the pay period. What should the HR manager do to ensure that payroll is processed quickly and accurately? 1.Inform the CHRO that processing the time sheets without recording leave will create long-term problems. 2.Request a meeting with the senior executive team to discuss why processing incomplete time sheets is unethical. 3.Tell the CHRO that the two senior executives were on paid leave during the pay period. 4.Email the two senior executives a request to confirm the dates they were on paid leave.

4.Email the two senior executives a request to confirm the dates they were on paid leave. (C-LN)

Which action would be most important in building trust with colleagues? 1.Acting consistently in line with shared values 2.Developing one's professional expertise 3.Clarifying roles and authority 4.Socializing outside of work

Acting consistently in line with shared values "Walking the talk," or showing consistency with what one says or believes in, is most likely to generate a trusting relationship. Expertise builds credibility but not trust if one is not honest or does not follow through on commitments. Socializing may be a path to understanding each other's values but does not offer proof of consistency with those values. Clarifying roles and responsibilities is necessary to avoid some conflicts, but it does not build trust. (C-LN)

The critical care unit (CCU) at a large, reputable hospital is understaffed for registered nurse positions. Traditionally, there is a series of career hurdles a nurse must overcome to assume a role in the hospital's CCU, but it's essential for the hospital to have these positions filled. The CCU's head nurse, who directs nursing service activities for unit patients, has approached the hospital's HR manager with these staffing concerns and needs. In addition to presenting the HR manager with the current staffing problem, the head nurse recommends a strategy to staff the unit. The strategy described by the head nurse includes creating a pilot program where internal nurses, working in other departments with translatable skill sets, can enroll in an accelerated critical care course. Once those nurses successfully complete the accelerated course, they will be offered positions in the hospital's CCU. The head nurse tells the HR manager that both the organization and nurses would benefit from a program like this because it is an opportunity for career development and fulfills an organizational need. Additionally, this would reduce the burden on current CCU nurses who are overworked and experiencing burnout. What should the HR manager do to investigate whether the lack of CCU nurses is impacting the quality of care? 1.Compare the CCU's performance against other hospital departments' performance. 2.Administer a patient satisfaction survey upon discharge to collect feedback about the care received in the CCU. 3.Conduct focus groups with nurses to ask about the effects of the staffing shortages. 4.Meet with CCU doctors to ask about errors hospital staff are making as a result of staffing shortages.

Administer a patient satisfaction survey upon discharge to collect feedback about the care received in the CCU. (C-LN)

After the merger of two business entities, the new VP of HR would like the benefits manager to develop a plan to address six different post-merger vacation policies, each with slightly different criteria and provisions. Pressured by one of the business heads to prevent a power struggle among the new leadership, the benefits manager must decide if the organization should try to harmonize the policies from the merged entities or let them continue to coexist. Given the sensitive nature of the merger, which approach should HR implement to communicate changes to the vacation policy? 1.Include the decision and the new policy in the newsletter under the heading of ongoing merger and acquisition activity. 2.Communicate the decision to the business leaders and request that they only e-mail the information to their employees. 3.After leadership approval, directly communicate to all stakeholders the decision and the impact on them and the business. 4.Include the information about the policy in the employee handbook and on the intranet.

After leadership approval, directly communicate to all stakeholders the decision and the impact on them and the business. (C-LN)

The critical care unit (CCU) at a large, reputable hospital is understaffed for registered nurse positions. Traditionally, there is a series of career hurdles a nurse must overcome to assume a role in the hospital's CCU, but it's essential for the hospital to have these positions filled. The CCU's head nurse, who directs nursing service activities for unit patients, has approached the hospital's HR manager with these staffing concerns and needs. In addition to presenting the HR manager with the current staffing problem, the head nurse recommends a strategy to staff the unit. The strategy described by the head nurse includes creating a pilot program where internal nurses, working in other departments with translatable skill sets, can enroll in an accelerated critical care course. Once those nurses successfully complete the accelerated course, they will be offered positions in the hospital's CCU. The head nurse tells the HR manager that both the organization and nurses would benefit from a program like this because it is an opportunity for career development and fulfills an organizational need. Additionally, this would reduce the burden on current CCU nurses who are overworked and experiencing burnout. What should the HR manager do in response to the head nurse's staffing recommendation? 1.Meet with the hospital's CFO to inquire about financial assistance for pilot program participants. 2.Contact nurses outside of the CCU to determine their level of interest in enrolling in an accelerated program. 3.Contact a local community college about conducting the accelerated critical care course to meet the CCU's needs. 4.Analyze the impact a pilot program would have on staffing in other departments within the hospital.

Analyze the impact a pilot program would have on staffing in other departments within the hospital. Situational judgment tests (SJTs) require the examinee to think about what is occurring in the scenario and decide which response option identifies the most effective course of action. Other response options may be something you could do to respond in the situation, but SJTs require thinking and acting based on the best of the available options. Do not base your answer on your organization's approach to handling the situation, but rather, answer based on what you know should be done according to best practice. Panels of SHRM-certified subject matter experts rate the effectiveness of each response option, and the "best" answer is derived by statistical analysis of those expert opinions. (C-LN)

A company with a specialty product that has gained rapid popularity with hospitals has grown quickly from 15 employees to 300 in a one-year period. The organization expects to grow by several hundred employees per year for the foreseeable future. The president's secretary has been handling all human resources matters, and the accounting department has been handling payroll. The supervisors have been making their own human resources decisions regarding recruitment, employee relations, discipline, and rewards, with varying levels of success. The president pays little attention to the day-to-day operations of the business and focuses his attention on marketing and publicity. He decides that it is now necessary to hire an HR director to lead and manage the HR function. The supervisors are resistant to having a formal HR function in the company, believing that it will create unnecessary work and affect their ability to effectively manage the organization. During the interview process, the president indicates that there are a number of areas in need of focused attention, as the organization does not have job descriptions or a formal compensation structure and benefits are the same as when the company started. On the HR director's first day, there is no formal onboarding process. The president suggests that a good starting point for the HR director is to create a plan and catch up on the recruiting requests for the company. He then walks the HR director to her new office, offers to help with any questions, and walks away The HR director wants to determine if the current recruitment efforts are effective. Which action should she take first to best make this determination? 1.Analyzing the promotion pattern and key talent retention 2.Evaluating the absence rate and vacancy costs 3.Calculating the cost per hire and average time to fill 4.Computing the compa-ratio for both individuals and business units

Calculating the cost per hire and average time to fill (C-LN)

A business case to move to the cloud for information storage and enhanced web-based software has been approved. This will represent a major cultural and process shift for the organization, and, to assist a transition plan has been communicated. The plan allows for a short period of transition, where paper files will continue alongside electronic files as use of the cloud software expands. The new technology also supports the ability for employees to work from home. Due to the nature of the work of the company, teams are an integral part of the culture. Leadership has assumed that teams will be able to work in the virtual world as easily as they do in person. The virtual world implementation is planned to begin following the successful implementation of the cloud storage procedures. To move to this future state, employees are told they cannot keep any company files or information on their own devices. In addition, employees are informed that they cannot take company information home in paper format. The organization leaves it to individual supervisors to communicate the changes to their direct reports. Six months after the implementation some employees continue to do the double work of maintaining both electronic and paper copies of documents and, in some cases, they are maintaining only paper files. The company has noticed a decrease in morale and missed deadlines. What action should HR have taken prior to implementation of the virtual world to support the sustainability of the virtual environment? 1.Providing a platform where the teams could meet and discuss concerns 2.Mandating supervisors to train their employees on how to work in a virtual environment 3.Eliminating virtual teams, as they are not really sustainable in the long term 4.Conducting training for team members on how to work in a virtual environment

Conducting training for team members on how to work in a virtual environment (C-LN)

A manager uses his skill with people to smooth over problems and to make his employees feel secure in their positions. According to the Blake-Mouton theory, what leadership style is the manager using? 1. Impoverished management 2. Team management 3. Authoritarian management 4. Country club management

Country club management Managers who exhibit low task, high people (country club) leadership styles avoid using their authority because they fear that it will jeopardize relationships with employees. They try to create a supportive atmosphere and trust that employees will respond positively. An authoritarian leader emphasizes task. An impoverished leader neglects both task and people. A team leader attends to needs related to both tasks and people. (C-LN)

Which statement best describes how management differs from leadership? 1.Management maintains order, while leadership produces and manages change. 2.Management establishes the vision, while leadership establishes detailed steps and timetables. 3.Management aligns people to the vision, while leadership establishes a structure. 4.Management energizes people, while leadership organizes people

Management maintains order, while leadership produces and manages change. Managers administer and create orderly results that maintain the status quo and keep things working efficiently, while leaders create useful change through innovation and inspiration. Managers tend to ask how and when; leaders often ask what and why. (C-LN)

An organization with multiple locations across the United States and parts of western Europe wants to increase the diversity of its sales force to better reflect its customer base, which is diverse in terms of its racial, gender, and ethnic demographics. Their goal of promoting diversity has been moderately successful. However, senior leaders and the board of directors are becoming increasingly concerned about whether they are in the best position to compete for top talent. The organization also wants to better understand employee satisfaction from a diversity perspective and is analyzing its employee engagement survey results. The VP of HR considers engaging an external diversity consultant to assist in devising a new diversity strategy that will be different from the organization's traditional approach to diversity. The primary goal is to integrate this diversity and inclusion strategy with the human resources component of the organization's strategic plan in order to become an employer of choice. The secondary goal is to clearly articulate the role of the employees and managers and how they assist in implementing the strategy. Which action should the VP of HR take to develop performance metrics to measure the effectiveness of the diversity and inclusion strategy? 1.Present a proposal to the organization's board of directors, as there is no need for in-depth research. 2.Research what the general standards are in order to avoid any negative attention. 3.Analyze internal data and metrics that were previously used by the company. 4.Create performance metrics based on internal company data and external benchmarks.

Create performance metrics based on internal company data and external benchmarks. (C-LN)

An organization with multiple locations across the United States and parts of western Europe wants to increase the diversity of its sales force to better reflect its customer base, which is diverse in terms of its racial, gender, and ethnic demographics. Their goal of promoting diversity has been moderately successful. However, senior leaders and the board of directors are becoming increasingly concerned about whether they are in the best position to compete for top talent. The organization also wants to better understand employee satisfaction from a diversity perspective and is analyzing its employee engagement survey results. The VP of HR considers engaging an external diversity consultant to assist in devising a new diversity strategy that will be different from the organization's traditional approach to diversity. The primary goal is to integrate this diversity and inclusion strategy with the human resources component of the organization's strategic plan in order to become an employer of choice. The secondary goal is to clearly articulate the role of the employees and managers and how they assist in implementing the strategy. Which action should the VP of HR take to begin advancing the diversity and inclusion strategy for the organization? 1.Delegate the responsibility for developing the diversity and inclusion strategy to the HR director. 2.Seek advice from legal counsel to advance the strategy from a compliance perspective. 3.Develop a comprehensive business case to elicit support from senior leadership and other key stakeholders. 4.Advance a diversity and inclusion strategy by eliciting only board support for the proposed strategy.

Develop a comprehensive business case to elicit support from senior leadership and other key stakeholders. (C-LN)

The critical care unit (CCU) at a large, reputable hospital is understaffed for registered nurse positions. Traditionally, there is a series of career hurdles a nurse must overcome to assume a role in the hospital's CCU, but it's essential for the hospital to have these positions filled. The CCU's head nurse, who directs nursing service activities for unit patients, has approached the hospital's HR manager with these staffing concerns and needs. In addition to presenting the HR manager with the current staffing problem, the head nurse recommends a strategy to staff the unit. The strategy described by the head nurse includes creating a pilot program where internal nurses, working in other departments with translatable skill sets, can enroll in an accelerated critical care course. Once those nurses successfully complete the accelerated course, they will be offered positions in the hospital's CCU. The head nurse tells the HR manager that both the organization and nurses would benefit from a program like this because it is an opportunity for career development and fulfills an organizational need. Additionally, this would reduce the burden on current CCU nurses who are overworked and experiencing burnout. While meeting with the HR manager, the head nurse mentions that there is a shortage of health-care professionals globally. Which action should the HR manager take to recruit and retain more competitively after learning this information? 1.Publish job postings in health-care-specific online media. 2.Develop a long-term staffing plan for all health-care positions at the hospital. 3.Attend job fairs to increase the number of applicants from recruitment efforts. 4.Communicate the message of the shortage of health-care professionals to leadership during the next staff meeting.

Develop a long-term staffing plan for all health-care positions at the hospital. Situational judgment tests (SJTs) require the examinee to think about what is occurring in the scenario and decide which response option identifies the most effective course of action. Other response options may be something you could do to respond in the situation, but SJTs require thinking and acting based on the best of the available options. Do not base your answer on your organization's approach to handling the situation, but rather, answer based on what you know should be done according to best practice. Panels of SHRM-certified subject matter experts rate the effectiveness of each response option, and the "best" answer is derived by statistical analysis of those expert opinions. (C-LN)

Which reward could create job dissatisfaction rather than job satisfaction? 1.Employee D gives Employee E a small cash reward for getting done early even though Employee E wasn't expecting a reward. 2.Employee C, a trainer, is asked to come to a design team party. 4.Employee A can go to a training event, but only if Employee B succeeds in getting all of her people certified. 5.Employee B is rewarded if all of her team members pass a certification exam.

Employee A can go to a training event, but only if Employee B succeeds in getting all of her people certified. This situation is related to Vroom's theory of expectancy. Rather than motivating, linking rewards to things outside a person's sphere of influence can be a source of dissatisfaction and viewed as arbitrary or unfair. Employee A's reward is linked to the success or failure of an activity over which he has no control-the certification of Employee B's team. If Employee B's goal of getting all her team members certified is achievable, then the reward will encourage extra effort. As long as Employee C is not compelled to attend a social event that she does not want to attend, that could appeal to her desire to be part of the group. Employee E's reward will certainly not create dissatisfaction and may motivate if it is aligns to his motivational factors. (C-LN)

What is the difference between formal and informal characteristics of an organization? 1. Formal characteristics can be felt and informal characteristics can be seen. 2. Formal characteristics are documented and change less frequently than informal characteristics. 3. Formal characteristics focus on the role of the leader and informal characteristics focus on work teams. 4. Formal characteristics are better indicators of an organization's efficiency and effectiveness.

Formal characteristics are documented and change less frequently than informal characteristics. The formal characteristics of an organization are expressed in some documented form, such as a handbook or organizational chart. Informal characteristics describe the nature of relationships in the organization, how people interact and communicate. Perhaps because they are not documented, informal characteristics may change more frequently than formal characteristics. (C-LN)

A business case to move to the cloud for information storage and enhanced web-based software has been approved. This will represent a major cultural and process shift for the organization, and, to assist a transition plan has been communicated. The plan allows for a short period of transition, where paper files will continue alongside electronic files as use of the cloud software expands. The new technology also supports the ability for employees to work from home. Due to the nature of the work of the company, teams are an integral part of the culture. Leadership has assumed that teams will be able to work in the virtual world as easily as they do in person. The virtual world implementation is planned to begin following the successful implementation of the cloud storage procedures. To move to this future state, employees are told they cannot keep any company files or information on their own devices. In addition, employees are informed that they cannot take company information home in paper format. The organization leaves it to individual supervisors to communicate the changes to their direct reports. Six months after the implementation some employees continue to do the double work of maintaining both electronic and paper copies of documents and, in some cases, they are maintaining only paper files. The company has noticed a decrease in morale and missed deadlines. What should HR do to help complete total migration to the cloud-based software? 1.Stop accepting paper files and begin the disciplinary process for those who still use them. 2.Identify those employees who are still using paper and set up small group training sessions. 3.Instruct the supervisors to assist their employees in using the new system. 4.E-mail the entire company, identifying those still using paper files and offering additional training.

Identify those employees who are still using paper and set up small group training sessions. (C-LN)

A company with a specialty product that has gained rapid popularity with hospitals has grown quickly from 15 employees to 300 in a one-year period. The organization expects to grow by several hundred employees per year for the foreseeable future. The president's secretary has been handling all human resources matters, and the accounting department has been handling payroll. The supervisors have been making their own human resources decisions regarding recruitment, employee relations, discipline, and rewards, with varying levels of success. The president pays little attention to the day-to-day operations of the business and focuses his attention on marketing and publicity. He decides that it is now necessary to hire an HR director to lead and manage the HR function. The supervisors are resistant to having a formal HR function in the company, believing that it will create unnecessary work and affect their ability to effectively manage the organization. During the interview process, the president indicates that there are a number of areas in need of focused attention, as the organization does not have job descriptions or a formal compensation structure and benefits are the same as when the company started. On the HR director's first day, there is no formal onboarding process. The president suggests that a good starting point for the HR director is to create a plan and catch up on the recruiting requests for the company. He then walks the HR director to her new office, offers to help with any questions, and walks away In order for the HR director to effectively develop relationships, which action should she take first? 1.Getting accustomed to the work environment by sitting back and observing 2.Meeting colleagues by proactively walking around to introduce herself and her role within the company 3.Asking the president for detailed guidance 4.Creating an onboarding plan to use for the next new hire

Meeting colleagues by proactively walking around to introduce herself and her role within the company Situational judgment tests (SJTs) require the examinee to think about what is occurring in the scenario and decide which response option identifies the most effective course of action. Other response options may be something you could do to respond in the situation, but SJTs require thinking and acting based on the best of the available options. Do not base your answer on your organization's approach to handling the situation, but rather, answer based on what you know should be done according to best practice. Panels of SHRM-certified subject matter experts rate the effectiveness of each response option, and the "best" answer is derived by statistical analysis of those expert opinions. (C-LN)

The administrative assistant to the VP of operations confides in the HR manager that the administrative assistant's supervisor has been making inappropriate advances that have been getting progressively more forward and aggressive. As long-time personal friends, this information is shared outside of the work environment, on personal time. While the HR manager informs the administrative assistant that she should bring a formal complaint, the administrative assistant is very clear that she is sharing this information as a friend and does not want to do so out of fear of retaliation. Instead, the administrative assistant asks the HR manager to help her find a new role so that she can quietly leave her current position. On the next workday, the HR manager receives a letter from the attorney of a different employee that charges the same VP and the organization with unlawful harassment. What action should the HR manager take in response to hearing about this harassment? 1.Confront the VP of operations directly with the allegations and demand an explanation regarding the inappropriate behavior. 2.Have a follow-up discussion with the administrative assistant reassuring her of protection against retaliation and urging her to formally complain of the behavior. 3.Notify the VP of HR of the allegations so that a formal investigation can begin of these allegations of harassment. 4.Respect the friendship with the administrative assistant, honor the request for privacy on the issue, and not take any action in response to the administrative assistant's complaint.

Notify the VP of HR of the allegations so that a formal investigation can begin of these allegations of harassment. (C-LN)

An organization with multiple locations across the United States and parts of western Europe wants to increase the diversity of its sales force to better reflect its customer base, which is diverse in terms of its racial, gender, and ethnic demographics. Their goal of promoting diversity has been moderately successful. However, senior leaders and the board of directors are becoming increasingly concerned about whether they are in the best position to compete for top talent. The organization also wants to better understand employee satisfaction from a diversity perspective and is analyzing its employee engagement survey results. The VP of HR considers engaging an external diversity consultant to assist in devising a new diversity strategy that will be different from the organization's traditional approach to diversity. The primary goal is to integrate this diversity and inclusion strategy with the human resources component of the organization's strategic plan in order to become an employer of choice. The secondary goal is to clearly articulate the role of the employees and managers and how they assist in implementing the strategy. Which action should the diversity consultant take to help the VP of HR with the creation and implementation of a successful diversity and inclusion strategy? 1.Advise the VP on how to manage the six layers of diversity and avoid issues stemming from covering. 2.Propose to the board that the strategy be implemented to avoid negative public perceptions. 3.Partner with the VP to ensure that stakeholders actively support the diversity and inclusion strategy. 4.Tell the VP of HR to predominantly focus on assimilation and not inclusion.

Partner with the VP to ensure that stakeholders actively support the diversity and inclusion strategy. (C-LN)

After the merger of two business entities, the new VP of HR would like the benefits manager to develop a plan to address six different post-merger vacation policies, each with slightly different criteria and provisions. Pressured by one of the business heads to prevent a power struggle among the new leadership, the benefits manager must decide if the organization should try to harmonize the policies from the merged entities or let them continue to coexist. Which critical first step should the benefits managers take to begin the harmonization process? 1.Send an e-mail to leadership advising them of the situation. 2.Independently implement a policy that seems the most reasonable. 3.Perform a risk assessment of the two options: harmonize or coexist. 4.Determine if the differences generate employee relations issues.

Perform a risk assessment of the two options: harmonize or coexist. (C-LN)

The critical care unit (CCU) at a large, reputable hospital is understaffed for registered nurse positions. Traditionally, there is a series of career hurdles a nurse must overcome to assume a role in the hospital's CCU, but it's essential for the hospital to have these positions filled. The CCU's head nurse, who directs nursing service activities for unit patients, has approached the hospital's HR manager with these staffing concerns and needs. In addition to presenting the HR manager with the current staffing problem, the head nurse recommends a strategy to staff the unit. The strategy described by the head nurse includes creating a pilot program where internal nurses, working in other departments with translatable skill sets, can enroll in an accelerated critical care course. Once those nurses successfully complete the accelerated course, they will be offered positions in the hospital's CCU. The head nurse tells the HR manager that both the organization and nurses would benefit from a program like this because it is an opportunity for career development and fulfills an organizational need. Additionally, this would reduce the burden on current CCU nurses who are overworked and experiencing burnout. The head nurse wants to motivate employees who are feeling overworked. What should the HR manager do? 1.Recommend that the head nurse meet with HR to discuss departmental functions and redistribute employees' workloads. 2.Suggest that the head nurse arrange a team-building activity outside of work hours. 3.Advise the head nurse to provide nurses with the opportunity to opt out of their shift on days when patient volume is below capacity. 4.Recommend that the head nurse provide recognition to nurses for their hard work and achievements.

Recommend that the head nurse provide recognition to nurses for their hard work and achievements. Situational judgment tests (SJTs) require the examinee to think about what is occurring in the scenario and decide which response option identifies the most effective course of action. Other response options may be something you could do to respond in the situation, but SJTs require thinking and acting based on the best of the available options. Do not base your answer on your organization's approach to handling the situation, but rather, answer based on what you know should be done according to best practice. Panels of SHRM-certified subject matter experts rate the effectiveness of each response option, and the "best" answer is derived by statistical analysis of those expert opinions. (C-LN)

An HR professional has just joined an organization and she wants to better understand its informal characteristics. What should she pay attention to? 1.Reporting structure in the organization and number of management levels 2.Who people interact with and the nature of their interactions 3.Examples of business decisions the organization has made in the past 4.Mission statement on the organization's website

Who people interact with and the nature of their interactions The informal aspects of an organization are learned best by observing how people behave, communicate, and interact. The other choices all refer to the formal characteristics of an organization, aspects that have been articulated or documented in some way for all of the organization's members. (C-LN)

A company with a specialty product that has gained rapid popularity with hospitals has grown quickly from 15 employees to 300 in a one-year period. The organization expects to grow by several hundred employees per year for the foreseeable future. The president's secretary has been handling all human resources matters, and the accounting department has been handling payroll. The supervisors have been making their own human resources decisions regarding recruitment, employee relations, discipline, and rewards, with varying levels of success. The president pays little attention to the day-to-day operations of the business and focuses his attention on marketing and publicity. He decides that it is now necessary to hire an HR director to lead and manage the HR function. The supervisors are resistant to having a formal HR function in the company, believing that it will create unnecessary work and affect their ability to effectively manage the organization. During the interview process, the president indicates that there are a number of areas in need of focused attention, as the organization does not have job descriptions or a formal compensation structure and benefits are the same as when the company started. On the HR director's first day, there is no formal onboarding process. The president suggests that a good starting point for the HR director is to create a plan and catch up on the recruiting requests for the company. He then walks the HR director to her new office, offers to help with any questions, and walks away Building integrity with the management team is going to be vital in implementing HR policies and procedures. Which action should the HR director take to build credibility with the managers? 1.Scheduling one-on-one meetings with each department head to understand his or her business priorities and obstacles 2.Discussing with the president her concerns that the supervisors are not embracing the HR function 3.Designing a new requisition form, mandating its use to begin the recruiting process 4.Waiting for each department head to approach her with questions or concerns

Scheduling one-on-one meetings with each department head to understand his or her business priorities and obstacles (C-LN)

Under deadline pressure, a global team leader grows angry with workers from one region, resorting to threats and accusations. Realizing that this behavior is counterproductive, she apologizes and sets up a meeting to determine the source of the delays and how she can best help. Which critical ability is she applying? 1.Self-regulation component of emotional intelligence 2.Cognitive aspect of intercultural wisdom 3.Multidimensional perspective of a global mindset 4.Motivational component of intercultural wisdom

Self-regulation component of emotional intelligence Self-regulation enables the team leader to control her own emotions. That is the critical problem here. The cognitive skills of intercultural wisdom, a multidimensional perspective of a global mindset, and the positive motivation of intercultural wisdom may all help her better understand the perspective of the workers' region, but controlling her own emotions is a critical first step. (C-LN)

A company with a specialty product that has gained rapid popularity with hospitals has grown quickly from 15 employees to 300 in a one-year period. The organization expects to grow by several hundred employees per year for the foreseeable future. The president's secretary has been handling all human resources matters, and the accounting department has been handling payroll. The supervisors have been making their own human resources decisions regarding recruitment, employee relations, discipline, and rewards, with varying levels of success. The president pays little attention to the day-to-day operations of the business and focuses his attention on marketing and publicity. He decides that it is now necessary to hire an HR director to lead and manage the HR function. The supervisors are resistant to having a formal HR function in the company, believing that it will create unnecessary work and affect their ability to effectively manage the organization. During the interview process, the president indicates that there are a number of areas in need of focused attention, as the organization does not have job descriptions or a formal compensation structure and benefits are the same as when the company started. On the HR director's first day, there is no formal onboarding process. The president suggests that a good starting point for the HR director is to create a plan and catch up on the recruiting requests for the company. He then walks the HR director to her new office, offers to help with any questions, and walks away The HR director understands the need to develop and implement an effective strategic plan. What should be her first step in developing the plan? 1.Developing a recruiting plan, as that is the most pressing need as indicated by the president 2.Developing HR measures and metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the HR function and the recently implemented programs 3.Talking to senior leaders, long-time managers, and other key stakeholders to get an overall understanding of the company 4.Conducting a SWOT analysis of the current HR function and then understanding the organization's mission, culture, value, and ethics

Talking to senior leaders, long-time managers, and other key stakeholders to get an overall understanding of the company (C-LN)

A new HR manager begins work for an organization whose business model is to be a low-cost provider. On the first day of work, the HR manager learns that the conditions are far different than those described in the interview, with a severe lack of employee training and an 80% turnover rate. Salary ranges are outdated and appear to be 35% below current market rates. The employee handbook is incomplete, outdated, and not in current use. The accounting department handles payroll and benefits; however, views communication with employees as the job of HR. While conducting introductory interviews with department directors who operate independently, the HR manager learns that the expectation of HR is to only prescreen applicants and take care of employee complaints. While everyone has been trained on a new HRIS, it is not being used. Which communication approach should the HR manager apply to address the problem of turnover? 1.Speak to the president and suggest that everyone's compensation should be increased by at least 5%. 2.Collect all of the organization's written HR policies into a binder that can form the core of the new employee handbook, adding introductions and appropriate disclaimers as needed. 3.Encourage the president to hold all-employee meetings to explain the organization's strategic plan. 4.Work with leadership and employees to develop an employment brand that will carry consistent messages from job postings, through the application process and orientation, and continuing through employment.

Work with leadership and employees to develop an employment brand that will carry consistent messages from job postings, through the application process and orientation, and continuing through employment. (C-LN)

After the merger of two business entities, the new VP of HR would like the benefits manager to develop a plan to address six different post-merger vacation policies, each with slightly different criteria and provisions. Pressured by one of the business heads to prevent a power struggle among the new leadership, the benefits manager must decide if the organization should try to harmonize the policies from the merged entities or let them continue to coexist. A member of the HR team informs the benefits manager that one of the business heads is pressuring the HR team to support leaving the vacation policies of one of the merged entities intact. What should the benefits manager do about the business head's pressure to leave its current policies intact? 1.Contact the business head and request that this not happen again. 2.Tell the VP of HR about this incident and ask that the VP manage this behavior. 3.Work with the business head to understand the reason for the request. 4.Transition the request to the CEO and the VP of HR because this is beyond the benefits manager's responsibility.

Work with the business head to understand the reason for the request. (C-LN)