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

Mollie Herndon is an office manager at Beaux Neaux Legal Services.The company's top management recently announced it was adopting a 360-degree review process as part of the performance appraisals of its office managers.Once this policy goes into effect,Mollie can expect her evaluations to include feedback from both the managers above her and the employees she supervises. A 360-degree review is so named because it calls for feedback from all directions: up,down,and all around.In other words,opinions are gathered from workers above,below,and at the same level as the worker being evaluated.

The purpose of a performance appraisal is to:

Mini-Case Dee Pozitt had been the assistant human resource director at Fleesum Financial Services for a bit more than a year when the company's human resource 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. -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):

When managing your human resources,_____________ is the process of deciding who should be hired,under legal guidelines,to serve the best interests of the individual and the organization.

It is not uncommon for companies today to test their employees and job applicants for drug use.

Sonny Skies is in his late fifties and loves his work as a pilot for a major airline.He wants to continue working for many more years.The Age Discrimination in Employment Act provides Sonny with the right to keep his job as long as his company is financially sound and he does not commit a felony. Although the Age Discrimination in Employment Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person because of age with respect to hiring,firing,promotion,layoff,compensation,and job assignments,it makes certain exceptions.In particular,it allows age limits to be set for certain professions where it has been shown that the ability to perform the job declines significantly with age.One profession where age limits are allowed is airline pilot.

Small businesses usually find recruitment easier than large firms.

A job specification identifies the minimum qualifications a person must have to fill a particular job.

As the HR manager at a small business,John handles most of his firm's recruiting efforts.Because John recruits for a small business he has a distinct advantage over larger competitor firms when it comes to finding the right people to fill his firm's needs. Recruiting qualified workers may be very difficult for small businesses because they don't have the staff to recruit internally,and often offer wages and benefits that are less attractive than those offered by larger firms.

As a project manager for a large construction company,Tyler decided to make the performance appraisal process as painless as possible for his work 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 Tyler fail to do correctly?

Ben is a project manager for a large construction company.Each day his job requires him to prepare detailed reports of the progress of current projects assigned to him.Since this responsibility is something that Ben does on a regular basis,the HR professional for his company would list it as part of the ______________ for Ben's project management position.

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

Managers at the Allerton Bank get a performance appraisal one time each year.The bank uses a relatively new evaluation process that provides feedback about performance not only from superiors but also from subordinates and other managers at the same level.This type of evaluation is known as a(n):

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. With the current emphasis on teamwork,empowerment,and participative management,it is important to find workers who not only have the desired skills,but who also fit in with the culture and leadership style of the organization.

Recruiting is relatively easy today because qualified labor is so plentiful.

When Carl Remmick lost his job as a highly skilled craftsman at a metal working shop,he searched for a good job for several months before finally accepting a position as a maintenance worker at a local community college.He is happy to have a job,but frustrated by the fact that he had to settle for a job that did not take full advantage of his skills.Carl is a(n):

Recruitment is a set of activities undertaken for attracting qualified people,at the right time.

The first step in the human resources planning process is to:

Women usually find it easier than men to obtain mentors and engage in networking.

U.S.President Obama nominated New York Judge Sonia Sotamayor to the Supreme Court,to fill the position vacated by Justice Sutter.At the hearings that preceded the vote by the Senate,there was extensive discussion about Judge Sotamayor's past speeches where she alluded to a sensitivity toward minority problems and situations due to the fact that she is a Hispanic minority and a woman.The concern by many senators is that the law should be applied equally among all groups in the U.S. ;in fact,some were worried about reverse discrimination.Others favored the fact that her background would bring a different perspective to the court.Although there are differences between an appointment to the Supreme Court and appointing employees to management positions,there are also similarities in these actions.High profile positions and appointments serve as examples.From a business perspective,why might such an action be a good thing?