Exam 13: Managing Human Resources

Human Resource Planning (Scenario) Steven is hired to manage the human resources department of a local manufacturing company. Unfortunately, the company has a reputation among workers of being the firm "where you work until you find your next job." Employee turnover is high and morale is low. Steven is determined to change the situation by turning the organization's human resources into a competitive advantage and a source of pride for the firm. -To improve the company's compensation system,Steven recommends a ________ pay system that rewards employees for competencies they can demonstrate,rather than basing pay on job titles.

Human Resource Planning (Scenario) Steven is hired to manage the human resources department of a local manufacturing company. Unfortunately, the company has a reputation among workers of being the firm "where you work until you find your next job." Employee turnover is high and morale is low. Steven is determined to change the situation by turning the organization's human resources into a competitive advantage and a source of pride for the firm. -Top management decides that the performance appraisal process is ineffective.They ask Steven to investigate of a new appraisal technique called ________,which rates employees according to items along a numerical scale with examples of actual behaviours on the job.

Canadian companies provide services such as counselling,health and fitness coaching,and financial planning services to employees because ________.

Downsizing is the planned elimination of ________ in an organization.

A(n)________ represents employees and seeks to protect their interests.

Nikhil was required to take a dictation test and to receive a score of 75 words per minute on the test.The job he is applying for no longer requires the use of dictation.This test has low ________.

Performance Appraisal Methods (Scenario) Carly has just returned from a conference on performance appraisal methods. It was an interesting conference and it generally confirmed what Carly had suspected about her company's performance management system—it required some drastic revision! The company's current method is to have the immediate supervisor write out an evaluation of each individual employee. This method is time-consuming for the supervisors, and is as much a test of their writing skills as it is an evaluation of actual employee performance. Carly considered three alternative methods to replace the current system. The first method was one of the oldest and most popular performance appraisals. It involved listing a set of performance factors such as quantity of work, quality of work, level of cooperation, etc., and then rating each factor on an incremental scale. The second alternative method involved a system that focused on specific and measurable job behaviours. It required appraisers to rate employees according to numbered items which each represented actual job behaviours, rather than general descriptions or traits. The third alternative method was very results-oriented and was often used to evaluate managers and professional employees based on their accomplishment of specific goals that had been jointly established with their superiors. -What is the third alternative method that Carly is considering?

Which of the following training methods is also called apprenticing in certain industries?

A written statement of what a job holder does,how it is done,and why it is done is known as a ________.

One way to manage downsizing is to tell surviving employees the new goals and expectations.

A job specification typically specifies what a jobholder does,how the job is done,and why it is done.

Job analysis is concerned with which of the following aspects of human resource planning?

Orientation program can consist of a member of the work group introducing the new hire to coworkers and the job environment.

A job description states the minimum qualifications that a person must possess to perform a given job successfully.

Human Resources Selection (Scenario) Denise has been asked by her boss, Stephen, the vice-president of human resources, to review the selection methods their firm has been using and to recommend improvements for future recruiting. It seems that recent hires have not been working out, and this has caused friction between the human resources department and the front-line managers who have to utilize the talent sent to them. In addition, there was currently a need to hire some top executives in the company, and due to the responsibility these positions carry, Stephen wanted to ensure they selected the best possible candidates. -Denise also recommended the use of interviews,particularly for management positions.Which of the following is a good suggestion for Denise to help make interviews more valid and reliable at her company?

Which of the following decruitment methods is accomplished by not filling openings created by normal retirements?

A(n)________ involves presenting applicants with a miniature model of a job and has them perform a task that is central to that job.

Human resource planning can be condensed into two steps: assessing current human resources and assessing and meeting future resource needs.

Human Resources Selection (Scenario) Denise has been asked by her boss, Stephen, the vice-president of human resources, to review the selection methods their firm has been using and to recommend improvements for future recruiting. It seems that recent hires have not been working out, and this has caused friction between the human resources department and the front-line managers who have to utilize the talent sent to them. In addition, there was currently a need to hire some top executives in the company, and due to the responsibility these positions carry, Stephen wanted to ensure they selected the best possible candidates. -A job analysis reveals that the front-line employees are performing routine work.Denise recommends ________ as a selection device because they are the most valid predictor for this type of work.

Decruitment Options at National Corporation (Scenario) Mike has just been promoted to human resources manager at National Corporation. His boss, the vice-president of human resources, has asked him to prepare an employment plan to address a major restructuring in one of the divisions at National. The restructuring plans call for the elimination of 500 jobs, and Mike must determine the best way to achieve this target. He is hoping that some of the affected employees who are older will accept incentives to terminate their employment before their normal retirement date. Other employees may be qualified for job openings in other divisions; however, Mike needs to compile a list of each employee's skills, training, and education in order to assess their talents. Some job vacancies will occur naturally as employees voluntarily resign from the company to pursue new career plans or employment opportunities. Still other employees may choose to accept part-time work or share jobs with their coworkers. Despite these decruitment options, Mike is concerned that some involuntary terminations will inevitably be required in order to achieve the restructuring plan. He will recommend that some of these terminations be classified as "temporary" so that qualified employees can still be recalled to fill future job vacancies in the coming weeks and months. -Mike is considering the decruitment option of ________ for those employees whose terminations should be classified as temporary.