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

As a project manager for a large construction company, Shaun decided to make the performance appraisal process as painless as possible for his crew. He spent a considerable amount of time creating performance standards he felt were reasonable, and after six months' time, he scheduled individual appointments with each worker to discuss strengths and weaknesses and areas that needed improvement according to the standards he privately set. Some employees were sent to vestibule training, and one even got a promotion with additional compensation. What did he fail to do correctly?

Recent court cases include drug-addicted employees who claim their addiction is an illness and, therefore, they are protected from wrongful discharge under the American with Disabilities Act.

Antonia is interested in transferring to a new position recently opened in her company. But first, she wants to find out more about the type of work and responsibilities involved in the job. A document that would have the information she wants is the job specification.

Essentially, the steps of the human resource plan require the HR professional to (1) take inventory of the type of workers (including the skills of the workers) that the business already has, in order to determine if it has the most up-to-date workforce for its needs; he/she then proceeds with (2) analyzing each job; (3) forecasting the firm's requirements for various job titles; and (4) making a determination of the future supply of skilled labor available to meet the demands of the business. Lastly, the HR professional (5) develops a human resource strategic plan.

Compensation is one of the main tools a firm uses in its efforts to attract qualified employees.

Advertisements, public and private employment agencies, and college placement bureaus are all ________ sources that human resource managers can use in the recruiting efforts.

Recent trends suggest that the best way for firms to control labor costs is to focus on limiting the growth of wages and salaries rather than controlling fringe benefits.

Corporate HR for Corner Bookstores knows that sexual harassment in the workplace is a serious issue. In order to provide consistency in its effort to train employees about sexual harassment, HR management created a(n) ________ program. Employees have a flexible time period when they can log on and receive exactly the same training as employees in all of the Corner Bookstores.

Janie is an HR manager with Creative Kitchen Cooking Supplies. She needs to recruit sales professionals to fill several positions within her company. Janie is likely to rely on external recruiting sources if she

One purpose of employee orientation programs is to initiate new workers to the organization's policies, practices, and objectives.

A disadvantage of job sharing is that it requires a firm to hire, train, motivate, and supervise more employees.

Sally worked in the student bookstore at her college. Although she liked the retail atmosphere, there was little opportunity for advancement because the three persons in management positions were doing well in their jobs and not planning to retire very soon. When the college opened a new branch, Sally seized the opportunity to be reassigned to the new location and manage the smaller operation. Her change was not a promotion, it was considered a(n) ________; however, it served to improve her morale because she was performing more tasks and had greater responsibility than at the previous bookstore.

When recruiting employees, human resource managers focus primarily on the skills and training of the people they are recruiting, and work on determining "fit" after the hiring process has occurred.

One objective of a carefully managed compensation and benefit program is to retain valued employees.

Once the job description and job specifications were written for a new marketing assistant position in his department, Eric called his HR specialist to proceed with the next step in the process of making a successful hire. After providing a timeframe for qualified persons to apply for the job, the next step in the selection process is best described as

Before the director's accident, Dee had worked with him to devise a plan that would allow each employee to select the fringe benefits he or she wants up to a certain dollar amount. The type of plan Dee and the director developed is known as a(n)

The selection process may include a(n) ________, where employment is only guaranteed for a specified period of time, until either a permanent offer is extended or the employee is discharged.

Underemployed workers present a challenge for human resources managers. These are people who are working beyond their capabilities.

When determining the human resources needs for a well-known engineering firm, the HR director realized that the company lacked engineers under the age of 30. The company could not afford to get caught short in this competitive business climate. An important recruitment strategy for the HR director's department was to start attending college fairs as well as considering hiring interns. We define his recruitment efforts as developing relationships with

The main reason firms conduct performance appraisals is to establish a formal record of job performance that will protect them from lawsuits filed by unhappy workers.