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

A recent study has shown that the most effective way for most firms to improve worker productivity is to increase expenditures on machinery and equipment.

Marlon took a job with a company that strives to market several new consumer products each year. Prior to this position, he worked in a university research lab where he studied chemistry. He accepted the new position because the salary was significantly above what he previously made. Within a month at the new job, his manager began to have reservations about bringing him on board. Marlon seemed to prefer to work independently of others, and when he did interact with his new colleagues, he passed along subtle reminders of his extensive and superior academic credentials. From a recruitment standpoint, this situation serves as an indication of

At Safety First Seat Belts, new workers are immediately assigned to jobs. They learn by doing the actual work and by watching longer-term employees. This company uses a policy of

Highly compensated executives sometimes prefer fringe benefits such as club memberships, company cars, and more vacation time, as opposed to higher salaries because most often these benefits are not taxable income.

During the employee selection process, the screening interview is often conducted by

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

At Securitas Financial Consulting, employees are allowed to choose what time they start each work day, as long as they arrive between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. They must be on the job from 10:00 a.m. until noon and from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. They are required to work a total of 8 hours each day, so the earlier they arrive, the earlier they can leave. This is a ________ system.

Apples and Oranges Produce Company found it needs more workers during harvest times than at other times of the year. Hiring contingent workers could be an efficient way for Apples and Oranges to meet its temporary employment needs.

Top-level managers can benefit from having their performance evaluated by subordinates.

According to U.S. business law, accommodation means

Edie is coming up on her thirtieth year as a bus driver. Recently her company told her that she would be required to retire within the next two years because she had reached the age limit for mandatory retirement. Edie wants to fight this ruling based on a claim of age discrimination. Which of the following statements about this case is most accurate?

A major advantage of a piecework pay system is that it

Off-the-job training

The strategy of giving managers assignments in a variety of departments in order to expose them to different functions is called apprenticeship training.

A mentor is a manager who supervises, coaches, and guides selected lower-level employees, and generally acts as their organizational sponsor.

One objective of a carefully managed compensation plan is to keep labor costs low. In order to achieve this objective, a firm should strive to keep wages, salaries, and benefits at or below the compensation levels of its competitors.

Flextime plans are particularly well suited for workers on an assembly line.

GlassDoor and Indeed are examples of

________ is the process of establishing and maintaining contacts with key managers in one's own organization and in other organizations, and using those contacts to establish strong relationships that serve as informal development systems.

Many firms are now contracting with outside companies to administer their employee benefits plans.