Workforce Management Flashcards
35.Which of the following is a true statement with respect to succession planning?
A.Succession planning is focused on the internal pipeline of senior management employees.
B.Succession planning is exclusively an HR responsibility.
C.A successful succession plan has measurable results.
D.A successful succession plan concentrates on immediate staffing needs.
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (pp. 1210-1211). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
35.C is correct. A successful succession plan has measurable results. This way you have the data you need to continually review and revise your plan based on the needs of the organization.
A, B, and D are incorrect.
They are incorrect because succession planning is an activity that is not exclusive to senior management, involves all relevant stakeholders, and focuses on long-term staffing needs.
Replacement planning focuses only on immediate staffing needs and determining who is currently available internally to fill those needs.
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (p. 1251). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
36.Which judgmental forecast prevents skewed results due to “groupthink”?
A. Delphi Technique
B. Nominal Group Technique
C. Managerial Estimate
D. Regression Analysis
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (p. 1211). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
36.A is correct. Delphi technique is a judgmental forecast that involves a coordinator that solicits feedback from participants located in different locations. The participants never meet face to face.
B, C, and D are incorrect.
B is incorrect because the nominal group technique requires a face-to-face meeting.
C is incorrect because managerial estimates are solely projections made by managers. These managers may meet face to face to collaborate in the formulation of their estimates.
D is incorrect because a regression analysis is a statistical analysis used to project future demands.
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (p. 1251). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
37.A customer service call center implemented a customer relationship management (CRM) system. Each time a customer calls in with a problem, the customer service representative places notes on the account’s record, which is accessible for any employee who views the account notes in the future. What is this an example of?
A. Human resource management system
B. Learning management system
C. Knowledge management system
D. Communication platform
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (p. 1211). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
37.C is correct. A knowledge management system (KMS) collects, stores, and disseminates organizational information/knowledge. A CRM is an example of a knowledge management system because it allows individuals across the enterprise to access the same information and use that knowledge to solve current and future customer problems as well as make recommendations. Even if several employees leave the organization or are assigned to different roles, new employees have access to the historical information regarding the company’s customers.
A, B, and D are incorrect.
A is incorrect because an HRMS, also known as an HRIS, is a system used to manage employee data.
B is incorrect because a learning management system (LMS) is a software application used by the organization to document, track, report, and deliver electronic training programs.
D is incorrect because a communication platform refers to central locations that employees access to stay informed of company strategy and initiatives.
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (pp. 1251-1252). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
38.Wendy is a financial planner at Genoa Financial Consultants. She manages the portfolio of six of the company’s major clients. The investments she chooses for one of the clients has outperformed the market upward of 30 percent year over year for the past 4 years. The portfolios of her other five clients have been fledgling during that same time frame. For the past 4 years Wendy has been rated as exceeds expectations during her annual performance appraisal meeting. What performance appraisal error is displayed in this case?
A. Primacy
B. Halo
C. Leniency
D. Bias
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (p. 1211). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
38.B is correct. The halo effect is present when the appraiser rates the employee high in all areas because of their stellar performance in one area.
A, C, and D are incorrect.
A is incorrect because the primacy error is present when the appraiser gives more weight to an employee’s earlier performance and minimizes more recent performance.
C is incorrect because leniency exists when the appraiser is not comfortable giving low scores to any employee.
D is incorrect because the bias error is present when the appraiser allows their personal beliefs and values to affect how they rate an employee.
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (p. 1252). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
39.A charter school network goes through a reduction in force (RIF) of all educational resource teachers because of a loss of state funding. What is the most strategic support that HR can provide to school administrators with respect to supporting the morale of the retained employees?
A.Remind employees that RIFs are normal for private school networks
B.Communicate the rationale for the RIF
C. Change work assignments
D. Provide outplacement services
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (pp. 1211-1212). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
39.B is correct. HR should craft the communication for employees to detail the rationale that supports the change in structure and reasons for the RIF. Central to the communication should be why this move was an overall positive one for the organization and the retained employee’s work life.
A, C, and D are incorrect.
A is incorrect because telling employees that RIFs are normal only makes them more uneasy about their job security, which leads to them searching for other employment and becoming disengaged from their work.
C is incorrect because changing the retained employees’ work assignments without additional supports and reassurances makes them more uneasy about their ability to be successful in their work. This also can result in them searching for other employment.
D is incorrect because outplacement services would be a good benefit to offer the employees who have been downsized. This allows them to move on more smoothly. If they were an otherwise quality employee, you may mutually agree that they return to the organization when there is a change in the company’s financial health.
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (pp. 1252-1253). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
40.For the 2014 fiscal year an organization employs 6,000 people. During this same time period, 220 employees were separated from the company. What is the turnover ratio?
A. 37 percent
B. 3.7 percent
C. 44 percent
D. 4.4 percent
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (p. 1212). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
40.C is correct. The turnover ratio is 44 percent. Turnover ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of employees for a time period in order to obtain an average number of employees for that time period. In this case, it’s 12 months. Then divide the number of separations for the time period by the average number of employees.
A, B, and D are incorrect.
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (p. 1253). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
41.What is a benefit of utilizing social media as a communication platform to influence organizational change?
A. Establishment of a counterculture
B. More effective means of communication
C. Groupthink
D. Large amounts of information
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (p. 1212). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
41.B is correct. One benefit of utilizing social media with respect to supporting organizational change is that it provides another way to disseminate information to employees that is very effective.
A, C, and D are incorrect. They are incorrect because these are all risks associated with an organization utilizing social media.
Social media is open to anyone with an Internet connection. Some of the individuals commenting or sharing information may be disgruntled ex-employees or current employees who are unhappy with the company’s strategic direction.
They may be able to garner support for their counter views that may be harder for them to coalesce and be affected by groupthink than without this communication platform.
The result may be the creation of a counterculture that is undesirable to the company. In addition, social media lends itself to providing a lot of information to employees, which may cause them to simply “tune out” and have the unintended effect of causing them to become disengaged employees.
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (pp. 1253-1254). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
42.In an effort to improve turnover, senior management has tasked HR with shifting its recruitment strategy to include more internal candidates promoted into mid- to senior-level positions even if there are no present openings. HR has decided to survey entry-level employees to determine whether there is an interest in moving into leadership positions and develop a mentorship program for these individuals. HR also reviewed the most recent employee engagement surveys and found that entry-level employees wanted a more positive environment and better benefits package. HR then took steps to address those concerns. Which answer best describes the kind of program HR developed?
A. Knowledge management program
B. Succession planning program
C. Career pathing program
D. Talent management program
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (p. 1213). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
42.D is correct. A talent management program is the strategic and integrated approach an organization takes to ensure that the company has a continuous supply of quality individuals to fill the right jobs at the right time. An effective plan considers an employee’s professional goals, company culture, and overall compensation plans.
A, B, and C are incorrect.
A is incorrect because knowledge management is focused on creating systems that allow the organization to create and easily access knowledge needed to run the organization.
B is incorrect because succession planning is an aspect of a talent management program. It is heavily focused on training and developing internal talent.
C is incorrect because career pathing is sometimes employee driven. Employees determine their desired career path within an organization. Then management, collaboratively with HR, determines what knowledge, skills, and abilities are necessary for the employee to achieve the desired progress in their career.
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (p. 1254). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
43.A recent report identified that the number of college graduates is expected to continue to decrease over the next 5 years while the number of retirees will increase during the same time frame. For a local manufacturing company, this means that over the next 5 years they will have four openings for chemists due to retirements. As the HR manager, how would you increase the company’s ability to fill these key positions?
A.Identify the KSAs necessary to be successful as a chemist and identify current employees who could be groomed for the positions
B.Develop a recruiting strategy focused on local colleges with strong science programs
C.Identify skill gaps and training needs among current employees
D.Boost employee morale in an effort to retain the other chemists
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (pp. 1213-1214). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
43.A is correct. Succession planning is beneficial to all companies. In this case there is predictive data early enough for the company to implement a succession plan that should minimize the possibility of these key positions going unfilled.
B, C, and D are incorrect.
B and C are incorrect because these are all great strategies that would be useful if the company needed to fill the positions relatively quickly. However, the company is 5 years out from expecting an issue, so a well-thought-out and implemented succession plan would best serve its needs. Generally speaking, if you have at least 1.5 to 3 years to fill a position, then implementing a succession plan is the most appropriate way to address a future staffing need.
D is incorrect because the organization would be relying on too many uncontrollable variables to solve a relatively straightforward issue. It is always positive for an employer to create a work environment where employees are engaged and morale is positive. However, that does not guarantee that employees will stay because many external factors affect an employee’s motivation and ability to remain with an employer. In this case, the company has the time to implement a solid succession plan. They should go that route to give themselves the best chance at ensuring these critical positions are filled.
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (pp. 1254-1255). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
44.The superintendent of the Division of Planning & Natural Resources has decided that the traditional performance evaluation tool for his cabinet members does not effectively capture their overall value to the department’s strategic goals. He has asked you as the HR manager to develop a tool that allows him more of an opportunity to expound on these key employees’ strengths and weaknesses. The tool will be implemented during the next performance evaluation cycle. Which of the following performance appraisal methods would best meet the superintendent’s needs?
A. Essay
B. BARS
C. Forced comparison
D. Checklist
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (p. 1214). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
44.A is correct. An essay format would give the superintendent the most flexibility of the choices listed. It is also subjective but if managed well can be a useful tool in communicating the areas that the superintendent views as most important to the success of the person in the role.
B, C, and D are incorrect.
B is incorrect because behaviorally anchored rating scales offer rating scales for actual behaviors that exemplify various levels of performance.
C is incorrect because forced comparison places employees on a bell curve with a small number noted as top performers, a small number noted as poor performers, and most employees noted as average performers.
D is incorrect because a checklist is a list of phrases on the performance appraisal tool. The evaluator simply checks off those phrases that best describe the employee.
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (p. 1255). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
45.At Global Integration Systems, the chief technology officer notices that the IT department supervisors are consistently retaining level 1 technicians whose performance is perceived as below average by the end users they support. HR is asked to review the level 1 technician job description and the prior 2 years of performance reviews. The evaluations reveal that the items the technicians are appraised on are generally not related to their job descriptions or the expectations of the end users. HR is tasked with developing a new evaluation tool that appropriately rates and ranks the competencies level 1 technicians are expected to master. Which of the following appraisal tools would be the best choice to achieve this goal?
A. Rating scale
B. Behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS)
C. Ranking method
D. Narrative method
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (pp. 1214-1215). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
45.B is correct. A behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS) utilizes the job description to establish the most important behaviors for doing a job properly. For example, a BARS review method for a receptionist position would include an anchor statement similar to “Answers phone within four rings” rather than “Answers phone promptly.” Once the behaviors are established, a numerical scale is established to measure how well or how poorly the employee exhibits those essential behaviors.
A, C, and D are incorrect.
A is incorrect because rating scales set a value that is used to differentiate levels of performance. The value may be narrative or numeric. An example of a narrative value would be statements similar to “…significantly exceeds expectations, meets expectations, and does not meet expectations.”
C is incorrect because the ranking method lists employees in order from highest to lowest performers.
D is incorrect because narrative methods summarize employee performance through short essays or a summary of critical incidents that have taken place over the review period.
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (pp. 1255-1256). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
46.Half of a manager’s department is slated to be laid off. As the HR manager, how would you advise the manager to handle the layoff meeting?
A.Since there are so many people affected, a group meeting with time for questions would be most efficient.
B.Hold a group meeting with the affected employees. Be sure to be completely clear regarding the conditions of the layoff. Show compassion.
C.Hold individual meetings. Provide the employee with a clear message regarding the conditions of the layoff. Show compassion. Meet with the remaining employees to offer support.
D.Hold individual meetings with affected employees. Give them a few weeks to properly say goodbye to their co-workers.
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (p. 1215). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
46.C is correct. To allow for the smoothest possible exit, managers should address affected employees individually and with compassion. There should be complete clarity regarding the conditions of the layoff (in other words, indefinite, may be recalled, unemployment compensation eligibility). Following the completion of the individual meetings, managers should meet with the employees who survived the layoff collectively and answer questions candidly and clearly. This is an important emotional transition for those employees as well.
A, B, and D are incorrect.
A and B are incorrect because layoffs should rarely be done in a group setting. The effect on the employee is complicated and potentially devastating. It should not be about maintaining efficiency. The layoff meeting should be focused on ensuring a proper exit for affected employees. Some considerations for management are the occurrence of workplace violence and the retention of the employees left behind.
D is incorrect because those who have been laid off should not be allowed to linger. Their understandable angst toward the company will have a negative impact on the remaining employees.
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (p. 1256). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
47.Ushma is the new CEO of a thriving hedge fund. The board of directors wants to expand its portfolio of services and enter the U.K. and Switzerland markets. You are the chief people and culture officer. How would you determine what your company needs to do to prepare its workforce for its next evolution?
A. Conduct a flow analysis
B. Conduct a supply analysis
C. Conduct a workforce analysis
D. Conduct a demand analysis
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (p. 1215). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
47.C is correct because a workforce analysis is used as part of the workforce planning process. It is a thorough look at the current state of the workforce and includes four types of analysis. They are a supply analysis, demand analysis, gap analysis, and solution analysis. Workforce analysis is used to collect information about the current workforce and predict future needs.
A, B, and D are incorrect because they do not provide a complete view of the workforce needs.
They are subsets of the overall, more detailed workforce analysis needed to make informed recommendations to Ushma, the new CEO.
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (pp. 1256-1257). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
48.An employee has taken on the full-time care of an elderly cousin. He requests a change in the working relationship that would allow him to work remotely, but your organization does not have a remote working policy. You agree to end his full-time employment and engage his services as an independent contractor. Which of the following should be the primary consideration before entering this relationship?
A.Can he work remotely after regular business hours?
B.Will you put an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provision in his contract?
C.Should you pay him an hourly rate that is equivalent to his current salary?
D.Will he have control over how, when, and where he works?
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (pp. 1215-1216). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
48.D is correct. When possible, employers should hire people outright and avoid having independent contractors on staff. The IRS, in part, defines an independent contractor as someone for whom the employer does not control how, when, or where they work. If a person is classified as an independent contractor and does not pass this test, the employer may be noncompliant with IRS regulations as well as violated the person’s right to pay and benefits that are afforded to other employees. There may also be fines and penalties associated with the misclassification.
A, B, and C are incorrect. These are all important considerations.
However, if the employer fails to ensure that an independent contractor meets the IRS definition, all other considerations are a moot point.
The employer will be fined heavily and potentially must provide back pay or provide benefits to the employee for the period of time he was misclassified.
Willer, Dory; Willer, Dory; Truesdell, William H.; Truesdell, William H.; Kelly, William D.; Kelly, William D.; Simon-Walters, Joanne; Simon-Walters, Joanne. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certification Bundle (All-In-One) (p. 1257). McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.
