Exam 11: Human Resource Management: Finding and Keeping the Best Employees

Management is turning to a strategy of offering more lateral transfers due to the fact that many companies are operating under a flatter organization structure.

Mini-Case Dee Pozitt had been the assistant HR director at Fleesum Financial Services for a bit more than a year when the company's HR director was injured in a sky-diving accident. Because of his injuries the director would be unable to work for several months. Howie Fleesum, the company's CEO, decided to name Dee the acting director of human resources. Though she had been at the firm for a shorter period of time than most other managers, he felt that her position as the director's assistant had given her insights into the company's human resource issues that the other managers lacked. He also was very impressed by the glowing performance appraisal Dee recently received from the director, her peers, and even subordinates. Before accepting the position as acting director, Dee made sure that Mr. Fleesum recognized her authority to implement some major changes in policies she and the director had been planning before his accident. The changes were intended to make the company more responsive to the needs of employees, thus improving morale and reducing worker turnover. Although Dee was sorry the director was injured, she was pleased that Mr. Fleesum had confidence in her and was willing to give her the authority to implement important new programs. The only aspect of her opportunity that worried her was the resentment and hostility she sensed from a few of the older, more experienced managers. One of the most hostile coworkers was a fellow named Mort Gage. Dee decided she had better talk to Mort and find out why he was so upset. -Fleesum recently began using cross-functional teams. Dee wants to make sure the teams collaborate effectively, but also wants to avoid stifling individual initiative. One method she could use to achieve this goal would be to

As companies continue to develop women and minorities for management positions, they

Which of the following statements about recruiting is most accurate?

Today's workers place a lower priority on leisure time than they did in the past.

Employees at American Earners Credit Cards are criticizing the company's fringe benefits package because it forces all employees to accept the same benefits regardless of differences in their personal needs. In fact, they even offer some soft benefits such as an on-site day care that over 80% of the employees are too young or too old to use. American Earners should consider a cafeteria-style benefits plan.

According to the Reaching Beyond Our Borders box, companies must consider a number of compensation-related issues for employees who work abroad. These may include currency conversion issues, special concessions such as travel and housing allowances, differences in health care standards in different countries, and even vacation benefits.

A human resource inventory is designed to reveal whether

A(n) ________ is prepared as part of the human resource planning process, and indicates the characteristics and qualifications of the organization's labor force, thus helping the firm determine whether its employees are technically up-to-date and adequately trained.

A job ________ is a statement that identifies the objectives of a job, the type of work to be done, the responsibilities and duties that are associated with the job, the working conditions, and the relationship of the job to other functions.

During her annual review, Susan admitted to her supervisor that she is more productive in a quieter environment. The openness of her office setting and the recent increase in staff that came to her for training made it difficult for her to process as many insurance claims in one day as she had accomplished in the past. The supervisor agreed to move Susan's desk to the back of the office, and create a barrier with plants. The supervisor would take a more active role in training new employees, so they would not be coming to Susan with questions. In HR, we refer to this action as creating

Recent federal law clearly and strongly supports the notion that companies must use strict employment quotas to correct for past discriminatory actions.

One purpose of a human resource inventory is to determine whether the labor force is technically up-to-date and well trained.

A department manager evaluated the performance of her subordinates as part of a performance appraisal process. If she follows the six-step appraisal process, the next step is

In recent years, many companies have avoided hiring permanent workers during periods of growth by using temporary employees and outsourcing some of their functions.

Selection is the process of gathering information and deciding who should be hired, under legal guidelines, for the best interests of the individual and the organization.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that women cannot be barred from "men only" clubs, where business contacts are often made and business activity occurs.

Tracy was brought on as a lower-level manager at Higdon and Associates. Shortly after starting, she was introduced to Clara and told that Clara would be her mentor. As a mentor, Clara will coach and guide Tracy, introduce her to the right people, and be her organizational sponsor.

Which of the following statements about how current HR law views disabilities is accurate?

Which of the following statements describes the relationship between employee training and employee development?