Ch. 8 The Employment Process

Question 1

The people who work in an organization

Answer 1

Human resources

Question 2

The department within an organization that is responsible for personnel matters, setting policy and procedures related to employees, and training managers to deal with human relations issues

Answer 2

Human resources department

Question 3

The determination of the type and number of employees that are needed to carry out the work of an organization

Answer 3

Staffing

Question 4

A decrease in the number of employees in an organization (also called layoffs)
- Employees may be either terminated or transferred to another part of the organization

Answer 4

Reductions in Force (RIFs)

Question 5

Jobs typically defined through these 3 tools, which should be reviewed annually and revised as necessary for staffing purposes

Answer 5

Job specifications
Job descriptions
Job analyses

Question 6

A list of requirements or qualifications for a specific job, which can be evaluated objectively and which apply to all candidates for that job
These may include:
- A credential (e.g. RD, or DTR)
- A particular skill (e.g. cooking or keyboarding)
- Physical ability (e.g. ability to lift a certain weight)
- Certain personal characteristics (note that these are less easy to measure objectively)

Answer 6

Job Specification

Question 7

The listing of the general duties related to a job or a job classification
- May also indicate job title, pay range, reporting relationships
- Often has a stipulation related to “other duties”
- Used for selecting and hiring new employees
- Used to evaluate the performance of employees

Answer 7

Job Description

Question 8

A detailed description of the daily duties to be carried out in a specific job, often including a time frame for each activity
- Useful when training or cross training employees
- Particularly helpful when the job involves meeting multiple deadlines in a day
- Not required for all positions

Answer 8

Job Analysis

Question 9

The person who currently holds a position
- This individual is the best source of information about what tasks should be included on the job analysis
- Without employee input, the accuracy of this tool may be compromised

Answer 9

Incumbent

Question 10

________ in staffing may be necessary
- If available candidates do not meet or exceed the job requirements
- To comply with Americans with Disabilities Act
- When budget constraints are in place

Answer 10

Flexibility

Question 11

A staffing strategy that anticipates what jobs will open and prepares other staff members to be eligible to move into these positions

Answer 11

Succession planning

Question 12

The process of finding qualified applicants for open positions in an organization

Answer 12

Recruitment

Question 13

Recruitment tools

Answer 13

Advertisement
Networking
Recruitment firms
Hiring incentives

Question 14

A job recruitment method in which the organization has complete control over the content
- May be publicized within the organization or externally (or both)
- May be targeted to a local audience or to a wider geographic region
- Includes the use of publications, media, bulletin boards, job hotlines, or Internet sites

Answer 14

Advertisement

Question 15

The sharing of information between individuals; main way of finding a job
- Can be through “word-of-mouth” exchanges or by using other communication technologies

Answer 15

Networking

Question 16

Agencies that specialize in matching qualified candidates to available jobs
- Some charge a fee to the employer (usually for professional or upper-level positions that require wide-area searches)
- Some charge the fee to the job seeker (usually for local, lower-level positions)

Answer 16

Recruitment firms

Question 17

Rewards or bonuses that are given to job candidates to entice them to take a position; used in times of low unemployment
- “Perks” like relocation allowance, a company car, a generous expense account
- Signing bonus

Answer 17

Hiring incentives

Question 18

The screening process for job candidates
- if many candidates, a secondary screening process may be completed
- designed to provide for an exchange of information
- should be a consistent format so all candidates have a similar experience

Answer 18

Interviewing

Question 19

Parts of the employment interview

Answer 19

1. Introduction and rapport-building
2. Information seeking (from the candidate)
3. Information giving (to the candidate)
4. Closure, with a plan for follow up

Question 20

An interview that resembles an informal conversation
- Not very consistent in providing reliable information
- Often used by individuals who are inexperienced at conducting interviews
- Not recommended for employment interviews

Answer 20

Unstructured interview

Question 21

An interview that takes on a conversational tone, organized by an outline of topics to be addressed and an idea of how questions will be asked
- Allows for some spontaneous interaction
- Often used by experienced interviewers
- Care is needed to keep the interview on topic

Answer 21

Semi-structured interview

Question 22

An interview that follows a predetermined agenda, using an interview schedule which lists all the questions that will be asked of each candidate
- More objective way to compare candidates with one another
- Use behavioral questions to learn about past behavior in situations related to job requirements: initiative, judgement, problem solving
- Relate to job duties
- May be stressful for the candidate

Answer 22

Structured interview

Question 23

An interview in which more than one person interviews the candidate (aka panel interview)
Participative management
Structured interviews are used
- For Civil Service Examinations when hiring individuals for governmental positions
- By Search Committees whose job it is to screen and interview candidates for some upper-level management, administrative, or academic positions

Answer 23

Group interview

Question 24

Taking notes during an interview

Answer 24

• Especially important when multiple interviews occur within a short period
• Recording devices may be used if candidates are informed
• For group interviews, 1 person may be assigned to take notes
• Care must be taken so that taking notes does not interfere with the interview

Question 25

Interview questions must be related to the job and the candidate’s ability to do the job, all others should be avoided.

What not to ask about in an interview:

Answer 25

Age
Sexual Orientation
Marital Status
Parental obligations
Anything else that is not related to the job itself

Question 26

Content of the interview

Answer 26

• Questions to gather information about the candidate relevant to the job
• Provision of information about the job/organization to the candidate
• Opportunity for candidate to ask questions

Question 27

Closing the interview

Answer 27

Indicate when hiring decision is expected
- Allow extra time, so that if a candidate refuses the job offer, an alternate candidate may be offered the job

Question 28

The selection of the best candidate for the position considering:
- references
- background check
- compensation
- equal opportunity/affirmative action
- start date, scheduling, physical exam
(experience not always the deciding factor)

Answer 28

hiring decision

Question 29

Includes insurance (health, life, disability), PTO, employee assistance programs, product discounts, wellness programs, etc.

Answer 29

Benefits

Question 30

A selection of benefits offered to employees from which they can pick and choose according to their individual needs

Answer 30

cafeteria package

Question 31

Time that an employee can be absent from work with pay; usually includes:
- holidays
- vacation
- sick leave

Answer 31

Paid time off

Question 32

Social Security
Unemployment insurance
Workers’ compensation
Health insurance as outlined in the Affordable Care Act of 2010

Answer 32

Insurance coverage that is required by law

Question 33

Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Life insurance
Dependent life insurance
Legal insurance
Retirement program

Answer 33

Optional insurance coverage