Talent Acquisition Flashcards
People
Process by which an organization generates a pool of qualified job applicants
Souring
Primary job duties that a qualified individual must be able to perform, either with or without accommodation
Essential functions
Interviews designed to probe areas of interest to the interviewer in order to determine how well a job candidate meets the needs of the organization
Selection interviews
Process of positioning an organization as an “employer of choice” in the labor market
Employment branding
Employees’ perceived value of the total rewards and tangible and intangible benefits they receive from the organization as part of employment, which drives unique and compelling organizational strategies for talent acquisition, retention, and engagement
Employee value proposition (EVP)
Document that describes a job and its essential functions and requirements (including tasks, knowledge, skills, abilities, responsibilities, and reporting structure)
Job description
Number of people on an organization’s payroll at a particular moment in time
Head count
HR function that acts on the organizational human capital needs identified through workforce planning and attempts to provide an adequate supply of qualified individuals to complete the body of work necessary for the organization’s financial success
Staffing
Clusters of highly interrelated attributes, including knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs), that give rise to the behaviors needed to perform a given job effectively
Competencies
Process by which new employees become familiar with the organization and with their specific department, coworkers, and job
Orientation
Analyzing candidates’ application forms, curricula vitae, and resumes to locate the most-qualified candidates for an open job
Selection screening
Process of evaluating the most suitable candidates for a position
Selection
Software application that automates organizations’ management of the recruiting process (such as accepting application materials, screening applicants, etc.)
Applicant tracking system (ATS)
Process of systematically studying a job in order to identify the activities/tasks and responsibilities it includes, the personal qualifications necessary to perform it, and the conditions under which it is performed
Job analysis
Written statements of the minimum qualifications for the job incumbent
Job specifications
Process by which an organization seeks out candidates and encourages them to apply for job openings
Recruitment
Process of assimilating new employees into an organization through orientation programs and their experiences in their first months of employment
Onboarding
Modifying a job application process, a work environment, or the circumstances under which a job is performed to enable a qualified individual with a disability to be considered for the job and perform its essential functions
Reasonable accommodation
How should non-selected candidates be handled under ideal circumstances?
Prompt notification via personal phone call or letter
Ideally, a non-selected candidate will be promptly notified once they are no longer under consideration, via personal phone call or letter. It may be necessary to utilize a standardized rejection letter if there are many applicants for a job, but that would not be considered the ideal method for notification.
A hiring manager is concerned with the number of resumes received compared to the number of qualified candidates selected for interviews. What area should the hiring manager discuss with the recruiter?
Effectiveness of recruiting methods
The applicant yield ratio is the percentage of applicants who proceed to the next step of the selection process. It demonstrates the effectiveness of recruiting methods. Cost per hire is total costs of hiring divided by number hired. It demonstrates increased efficiencies in the recruitment and hiring process. The success ratio is the proportion of selected applicants who are later judged to be successful on the job. It indicates the effectiveness of the recruiting, selection, and orientation methods. The absence rate is the ratio of lost days to number of employees. It can reflect the benefits of a change in workplace conditions.
Service specialists are given a lot of discretion when dealing with customers, and those interactions have a big effect on the organization’s sales. The difference in revenue generation and customer satisfaction between high performers and low performers is significant. What best describes the high performers?
Pivotal talent pool
These service specialists would be an example of what Boudreau and Ramstad call “pivotal talent pools.”These service specialists would be an example of what Boudreau and Ramstad call “pivotal talent pools.” Boudreau and Ramstad maintain that these can lead to improved organizational decisions and performance.
An organization received 150 applicants from an advertisement, 50 of whom were minority applicants. It interviewed 36 qualified applicants, 12 of whom were minority applicants. What is the yield ratio of qualified applicants to total applicants?
0.24
This yield ratio is determined by dividing the number of qualified applicants by the number of total applicants (36 / 150 = 24%).
Which describes the primary purpose of an essential job function?
To identify the necessary duties of a position
The purpose of an essential job function is to identify the necessary duties of a position. An employee must be able to perform the essential job functions of a position with or without a reasonable accommodation. The other two answer choices are uses of, but not reasons for, an essential job function.
Which branding technique is the most effective in an organization that has an urgent need for high-quality employees?
Conducting formal and informal labor market research to determine organizational fit as an employer of choice
When the need for high-quality employees is urgent, identifying the main competition for high-quality talent is essential and is accomplished by conducting formal and informal labor market research to determine where the organization fits as an employer of choice.
An HR manager is recruiting to fill several customer service representative positions in a high-volume call center. Which interview method should the HR manager use to understand the candidates’ customer service experience and predict their future performance?
Behavioral interview
The premise of behavioral interviews is that past behavior is the best predictor of future performance. Stress interviews, group interviews, and panel interviews don’t focus on past or predictive behaviors
HR professionals use metrics to demonstrate contributions to the organization. Which metric best reflects recruiting costs?
Cost of hire
Cost of hire is calculated by dividing the total recruiting costs by the number of new employees. It is used to provide recruiting cost projections for budget planning.
What is the term used to describe a job offer that requires that the candidate pass certain tests to actually become employed?
Contingent job offer
A contingent job offer is contingent on the candidate passing certain tests or meeting certain requirements, such as a medical examination, physical fitness test, and/or a psychological test
What is the best approach HR can use to help leaders understand the impact job analysis has on organizational success?
Explain to them how it identifies the linkage between tasks and company goals by documenting the accurate and relevant description of jobs and KSAs.
All jobs must be interrelated to accomplish the organization’s mission and goals, and job analysis is the first step in this process. Accurate job descriptions have many uses, and their value is maximized only with thorough job analysis performed in a collaborative manner.
What should be done when writing job descriptions?
Use realistic and descriptive titles
When writing job descriptions, jobs should be given realistic and descriptive titles, summaries should be kept short, and only the most important duties, tasks, and responsibilities should be included
Which recruiting source would be the most effective way to extend the employment brand for a global enterprise?
Online social networks and blogs
Online sites can effectively expand an organization’s talent database, extend the employment brand, and help in acquiring top talent
After raising compensation to above market average, an organization continues to struggle to attract and retain top talent. Which action should the organization take next to address the issue?
Create an employee value proposition to attract top-level candidates
Creating an employee value proposition is the best course of action. Highly qualified individuals may have their pick of organizations to move to, so it is important to advertise reasons that candidates should choose the organization over other options, including reasons unrelated to remuneration. Catering to younger generations doesn’t necessarily address the issue of attracting highly qualified individuals. Investing in internal talent development programs may help lessen the need to look outside of the organization to fill important positions but does not necessarily help attract top talent, especially in the short term. With the compensation levels being above average already, it is unlikely that an increased signing bonus will achieve the desired result.
Which is a legal consideration that is associated with using social media for recruiting?
Inadvertently discovering information that is illegal to use when considering an applicant
Use of social media in recruiting may inadvertently uncover information such as marital status or sexual orientation that is illegal to use when considering a candidate, which may open the organization up to discrimination allegations from candidates.
An internal report shows that many employees do not have a strong relationship with their supervisor or feel aligned with the organizational culture. These employees are considering leaving the company. Which action should HR take to address this issue?
Improve the onboarding program
The onboarding program should be improved. Onboarding focuses on relationship building. The other choices may address some of the listed employee grievances, but onboarding is the most effective option
An organization is looking to fill an IT position that requires the person fulfilling the role to focus on continuing education. Which type of substantive assessment may help the organization determine if a candidate is able to learn and acquire new skills as required?
Aptitude tests
Aptitude tests measure the general ability or capacity of an individual to learn or acquire a new skill. This would give the organization the best idea of whether or not the individual would be able to continue to learn new technology as it evolves
How can an organization with a global presence ensure that it selects the best job candidates?
By using multiple tools that include a cultural assessment component
No single method should be used, and, with a global organizational aspect, it is necessary to assess a candidate’s cross-cultural orientation
Why are well-written, accurate, and current job descriptions important?
They provide a basis for job-related performance standards
Job descriptions provide written definitions of jobs for employees. They establish standards that help to assess employee performance, specifying how the incumbent performing a job will be evaluated against goals, objectives, and organizational performance factors.
If an organization is having trouble getting résumés of enough qualified candidates for their inclusion and diversity (I&D) efforts, which workaround listed might help the most?
Manually review all resumes rejected by the applicant tracking system to find more qualified candidates
An applicant tracking system (ATS) can perform résumé screening by scanning candidate documents for keywords, aligning candidate qualifications with job requirements. An issue with ATS is that qualified candidates may be screened out, which may hinder both hiring and I&D efforts.
Which action should the HR director take to help increase awareness of ancillary benefit programs to newer employees?
Implement an orientation program
An orientation program can be used familiarize employees with the organization, including benefit programs, facility amenities, and organizational departments. By incorporating available benefit programs into the orientation process, HR can ensure that all new employees are made aware of the presence of the programs and their ability to participate in them.
An HR director recognizes the need to work with a preferred staffing vendor to address the organization’s short- and long-term staffing needs and to help streamline recruiting for specialized positions in several departments. This approach falls into which category of the organization’s talent acquisition strategy?
Creating a talent pipeline
Partnering with the preferred staffing vendor will help develop a pipeline of quality candidates with the required experience to fill specialized positions that may be open now or in the future. Reactive recruitment focuses on immediate hiring needs. Succession planning can address long-term (but not short-term) hiring needs. Skill banks and skill tracking systems can support internal recruiting; the staffing vendor focuses on external recruiting.
The ratio of offers made to offers accepted for job candidates has been falling. Which could be a contributing factor to this trend?
Additional rounds of separate interviews have been added
Adding rounds of separate interviews may not show sufficient respect for the candidates’ time. Conducting interviews with multiple stakeholders on the same day or using panel or team interview techniques can avoid the need for separate interviews with every member of the interview decision group.
Which assessment approach would provide the deepest insight into the potential of a manager for a position of global leadership at corporate headquarters?
Panel interviewing conducted by senior managers from various locations, including host-country managers
Each assessment approach could provide useful data, but the perspective of managers from multiple countries probably will provide the deepest insights, because global leadership requires the ability to interact with and understand the issues of people living in different countries and cultures.
Which is the best approach for gathering information about prospective candidates?
Using multiple measures to ensure reliability
By using several data-gathering techniques, the weaknesses of one technique can be minimized and a more reliable and accurate representation of the candidate can be obtained.
Which process allows a new hire to become familiar with departmental processes and specific job tasks and tools?
Orientation
During orientation, new employees learn what they will do, whom they will interact with, and what tools and processes they will use. Onboarding is a longer process in which new hires deepen their relationships with coworkers and become part of the organization’s culture. Realistic job previews are a hiring tool, a way of letting recruits know what a job really involves. Peer mentoring could be part of an onboarding program.
Which of the following tasks should be done first during the final step of the talent selection process?
Organize/summarize information in terms of selection criteria
The fourth and final step in the talent selection process is to select the best candidate and offer them employment. In order to best complete this step, a decision-making process is followed. This process typically consists of the following steps in order:
- Organize/summarize information in terms of selection criteria.
- Identify and rank acceptable candidates.
- Collect additional information as necessary.
- Make an offer to the top candidate.
Thus, the proper first task during the final step of the talent selection process is to organize/summarize information in terms of selection criteria.
Which information should an HR leader review when conducting an analysis of a vacated position?
Knowledge, skills, and abilities
A job analysis looks at the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for a person to have a reasonable chance of successfully performing the job.
What is a major talent acquisition consideration when engaging in a greenfield operation?
Understanding local laws and employment regulations
A greenfield operation involves opening a new site, often in a new location. It’s important to consider local laws and employment regulations when doing so. The other considerations are important when going through mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, or strategic alliances.
The results of an employee engagement survey indicate newly hired employees do not see the organization as a long-term stop in their career. What action should the HR director take to make the organization a long-term destination for newly hired employees?
Discuss career path options during the interview process to show employees how they can grow in their career
Discussing a career path during the interview process may help potential employees see growth options with the company and change their outlook on staying with the organization long-term. Partnering new employees with veteran employees and creating an online application page with information on company culture might assist with navigating the organization and the new employees’ understanding of the organizational culture, but these issues were not identified in the employee survey. A structured onboarding experience may help sustain new employee engagement but may not change employees’ view of the organization as a long-term career stop.
In an attempt to turn around a floundering organization, a new CEO has recently tightened the organization’s focus on core products to cut spending, boost revenue, and reduce task redundancy. Since all jobs must be interrelated to accomplish the organization’s updated mission, vision, and goals, which action should HR recommend the organization take first?
Completing a job analysis to understand the job requirements and interconnections with other jobs
To focus on core products, the organization should begin with job analysis. This systematic study of all jobs, including tasks, qualifications, education, experience, and training, will help identify the best options for supporting the new approach.
After conducting a reference background check, HR discovers that a leading candidate misrepresented dates of previous employment on both the résumé and the job application. What is the most probable outcome of learning this information?
Do not extend an offer of employment
Every employer has a legal duty to exercise due diligence in hiring. In certain circumstances, an employer may give the candidate the opportunity to explain results of a reference background check that might have an adverse effect on an employment decision. However, most job applications include a statement that signing the job application attests to the truthfulness of the information contained in the document. Some employers even advise candidates at the onset of the application process about the potential negative consequences of providing any false or intentionally misleading information.
The HR director in a rapidly growing start-up needs to secure specific talent for a specialty department with a very short time frame for full productivity. Which type of interviewing will be especially valuable in the selection process?
Behavioral
Behavioral interviewing is built on the premise that past performance is the best predictor of future performance. With a short time to full productivity, prior experience and success in the field will be critical for the success of the individual.
Which formal employment branding tactic should HR suggest to enhance the employee value proposition at a technology services company without a corporate social responsibility program?
Communicate the brand through social media and community involvement
Many generations of tech-savvy employees rely on social media for information on employers, and they then form opinions about working for a firm.
