Exam 14: Human Resource Management: Building a Top-Quality Workforce

Which of the following would appeal to employees who want to have some flexibility in the choice of the benefits they receive?

Ramona and Clio both work for the Megabux Corporation and perform similar jobs. They earn the same wage rate, and Megabux provides them with the same dollar value of benefits. But Ramona (who has young children) has opted to spend most of her benefit dollars on childcare, while Clio is using hers to pay for tuition at a local community college to take a variety of classes. The fact that Megabux offers these options suggests that it provides a cafeteria-style benefits program.

What is the main advantage of on-the-job training?

As a 47-year-old human resource manager who has gradually and patiently worked his way up the management ladder of his company, George Singleton is likely to find that the attitudes of many of his company's recently hired younger workers toward work, pay, and company loyalty are quite different from those held by most members of his generation.

In which type of program does a beginning worker serve as an assistant to a fully trained worker for a specified period of time before attaining full credentials to work in the field?

One problem faced by human resource (HR) managers is that employees in other areas of their companies often view the HR department as being either irrelevant or "the enemy."

Which process seeks employees who are currently within the company to fill open positions?

Telecommuting lowers costs for office space, equipment, and upkeep. It also improves employee productivity due to better morale, fewer sick days, and more focused performance.

Eliza thinks she might be interested in applying for a managerial job in her company, but would like to know more about the nature of the position. In particular, she wonders whether it would involve much travel and whether she would have any direct interaction with the company's key customers. This type of information is likely to be included in the job description.

Describe the termination process, and identify the most common reasons companies terminate employees.

Which of the following is a major challenge that human resource managers face with their baby boom generation employees?

While young workers are actively pursuing more flexibility and work?0?life balance in their jobs, middle-aged and older workers are generally quite comfortable and satisfied with the traditional "9 to 5" arrangement that characterized most corporate work schedules throughout the 20th century.

According to a report in Fast Company, which of the following is a major reason why many HR managers struggle to add value to their firm?

Describe the different types of challenges that older workers and younger workers pose for human resource managers.

The most influential piece of employment legislation may well be the Employment Equity Act.

Job specifications define the jobholder's responsibilities for a specific position.

Describe the five steps of the selection process that results in a new hire, and explain why the selection process is important to the human resource management recruitment process.

Younger workers often bring optimism, open minds, technological know-how, a team orientation, and a multicultural perspective to the workforce.

Rose Holcomb is the CEO of Holcomb Engineering, a small but growing firm. She believes that the talents and abilities of her company's employees are underutilized and wants to bring someone into the organization who can help her devise more effective human resource strategies. Thus, she has decided to hire her firm's first human resource manager. What will be the likely result of Rose's decision?

Because the human resources department generally attracts the best and brightest managerial talent in most companies, human resource managers are generally held in very high regard by others within their organizations.