Deck 5: Human Resources Planning

Question 1

Human resources planning is a reactive process.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Francis is the HR Manager of a growing transportation company.The economy is booming and unemployment rates are low.What will Francis face when he starts hiring workers?

A) A smaller labour supply
B) Less difficulty with recruitment
C) A larger labour supply
D) A more skilled labour supply
E) More third party subcontractors

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Economic conditions refers to

A) the impact of fluctuations in economic activity.
B) the demographics of those in the population.
C) the availability of potential candidates in specific occupations.
D) retirement trends in the population.
E) immigration trends in the population.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Management inventories

A) are visual representations of the employees that are likely to become managers.
B) record information about managerial responsibilities and management training.
C) are used to keep track of the leadership qualifications of non-managerial staff.
D) record the consensus of managers on strategic initiatives.
E) provide a record of management salaries and how different management levels qualify for different levels of salary and bonuses.

Question 5

Roslyn is the HR Manager at a small but successful app development company that is growing quickly.She is explaining the steps in human resources planning to the CEO and informs the CEO that projected openings can be filled with two major sources of supply.These sources are

A) contracting-out and outsourcing.
B) recruitment and promotion.
C) internal and external.
D) transferring and promotion.
E) overtime and temporary workers.

Question 6

Failure to integrate HRP and strategic planning

A) primarily affects the workload of HR staff who must work without a plan for their activities.
B) most often results in an oversupply of labour, which in turn causes layoffs.
C) is the source of complaints to the HRP bureau and may result in substantial fines or penalties for the organization.
D) can have very serious consequences for the organization's success.
E) is only a problem for for-profit businesses.

Question 7

The process of reviewing human resources requirements to ensure that the organization has the required number of employees with the necessary skills to meet its goals is known as

A) selection.
B) training and development.
C) strategic management.
D) recruitment.
E) human resources planning.

Question 8

A method of forecasting internal labour supply that involves tracking the pattern of employee movements through various jobs and developing a transitional probability matrix is known as

A) a trend analysis.
B) a ratio analysis.
C) a multiple regression analysis.
D) a Markov analysis.
E) computerized forecasting.

Question 9

Short-term and long-range HR demand forecasts provide

A) half of the staffing equation.
B) external supply forecasts.
C) none of the information for the staffing equation.
D) internal supply forecasts.
E) the full staffing equation.

Question 10

In the coming years,a large portion of the population is expected to

A) engage in absenteeism.
B) be constructively dismissed.
C) be terminated.
D) retire.
E) remain with their current employer.

Question 11

Briefly identify and describe how management can forecast how many candidates may be available from within the organization for any openings resulting from a demand analysis.

Question 12

Short-term and long-range HR demand forecasts only provide half of the staffing equation by answering the question "How many employees will we need?"

Question 13

HRP is a process of reviewing human resources requirements to ensure that an organization has the required number of employees,with the necessary skills,to meet its goals.

Question 14

Before estimating how many external candidates will need to be recruited and hired,management must determine which of the following?

A) How high the unemployment rate is for the current year
B) How many candidates for projected openings will likely come from within the firm
C) How to advertise the available jobs
D) How many employees are likely to leave to start their own businesses
E) How to balance supply and demand

Question 15

New immigrants are expected to account for

A) more new entrants to the labour market per year than graduating students.
B) about the same number of new entrants to the labour market per year as graduating students.
C) 31,500 new entrants to the labour market per year.
D) 1,131,500 new entrants to the labour market per year.
E) 131,500 new entrants to the labour market per year.

Question 16

Before embarking on an HR planning exercise,

A) the current internal labour force must be assessed.
B) results must be monitored and analyzed.
C) jobs must be reanalyzed and redesigned.
D) a forecast of potential external candidates must be conducted.
E) supply and demand must be balanced.

Question 17

A Markov analysis tracks an employee's previous career movements prior to joining a company.

Question 18

Which of the following is a quantitative technique for determining human resources requirements?

A) The Delphi technique
B) Markov analysis
C) The nominal group technique
D) Trend analysis
E) Managerial judgment

Question 19

Describe human resources planning (HRP)and explain its connection to strategic planning using an example.

Question 20

The shortage of available workers in which occupation is projected to cost the Canadian economy $10 billion per year until it is resolved?

A) Teachers/professors
B) Information technology workers
C) Industrial chemists
D) Accountants
E) Geologists

Question 21

The nominal group forecasting technique typically involves outside experts as well as company employees.

Question 22

According to the textbook,which qualitative approach to forecasting human resources needs has the advantages of facilitating the exchange of ideas as well as greater acceptance of results?

A) The nominal group technique
B) Trend analysis
C) Regression analysis
D) An informal expert forecast
E) A formal expert forecast

Question 23

In large organizations,needs forecasting is primarily

A) qualitative in nature.
B) quantitative in nature.
C) clinical in nature.
D) intuition-based.
E) subjective.

Question 24

Anthony is a company's HR Manager and he is helping the production department determine seasonal employment needs.Anthony tracks multiple variables and determines the line of best fit in order to predict future employment levels.Which forecasting method is Anthony using?

A) Regression analysis
B) A scatter plot
C) A computerized forecast
D) Trend analysis
E) Ratio analysis

Question 25

A decision-making technique that involves experts meeting face to face and can also be used for HR forecasting is known as

A) an informal expert forecast.
B) managerial judgment.
C) the nominal group technique.
D) a formal expert forecast.
E) the Delphi technique.

Question 26

From a practical point of view,according to the textbook,what should be considered first when forecasting the number and type of people needed to meet organizational objectives for a manufacturing firm?

A) Turnover
B) Profitability
C) Absenteeism
D) Sales
E) Commitment

Question 27

Permitting a group of outside experts as well as company employees to critically evaluate a wide range of views is an advantage of which forecasting technique?

A) An informal expert forecast
B) The nominal group technique
C) The Delphi technique
D) A formal expert forecast
E) Managerial judgment

Question 28

Which of the following would an airline use to visually illustrate the relationship between passenger volume and ticketing agents required?

A) Trend analysis
B) Time-series analysis
C) Regression analysis
D) Scatter plot
E) Ratio analysis

Question 29

In contrast to quantitative approaches,qualitative techniques rely solely on

A) scatter plots.
B) regression analyses.
C) trend analyses.
D) multiple regression analyses.
E) expert judgments.

Question 30

What is needed in order to modify human resources forecasts based on anticipated changes?

A) Management control systems
B) HRIS data
C) Managerial judgment
D) Consultant involvement
E) Empirical research evidence

Question 31

The drawbacks of which forecasting technique include the time and costs involved as well as the potential difficulty in integrating diverse opinions?

A) A formal expert forecast
B) The Delphi technique
C) The nominal group technique
D) An informal expert forecast
E) Managerial judgment

Question 32

Calculating the number of employees in the firm over the last three to five years in order to predict future needs is most associated with which of the following forecasting techniques?

A) Time-series analysis
B) A scatter plot
C) Regression analysis
D) Ratio analysis
E) Trend analysis

Question 33

As the HR Manager of a company,you are assisting the CEO in forecasting future human resources needs.She would like to use a qualitative technique to forecast long-term needs as well as other strategic planning issues.Which technique should the HR Manager recommend?

A) A formal expert forecast
B) The nominal group technique
C) An informal expert forecast
D) The Delphi technique
E) Managerial judgment

Question 34

Like trend analysis,ratio analysis assumes that productivity will increase over time.

Question 35

Which of the following is a qualitative approach to forecasting human resources needs?

A) Regression analysis
B) The nominal group technique
C) A scatter plot
D) Trend analysis
E) Ratio analysis

Question 36

Which forecasting technique has drawbacks that include subjectivity and the potential for group pressure to lead to less accurate assessments than could be obtained through other means?

A) A formal expert forecast
B) An informal expert forecast
C) Managerial judgment
D) The Delphi technique
E) The nominal group technique

Question 37

Two approaches used to gather qualitative data in order to forecast HR demand (or supply)are the

A) trend analysis and scatter plot techniques.
B) nominal group and Delphi techniques.
C) regression analysis and nominal group techniques.
D) ratio analysis and nominal group techniques.
E) scatter plot and Delphi techniques.

Question 38

Trend analysis is used to study a firm's past employment levels to predict future needs.

Question 39

Sheila is helping a Sales Manager determine if the sales department should hire more people.They are comparing the sales volume with the number of salespeople.Which HR forecasting approach is Sheila and the Sales Manager using?

A) A scatter plot
B) Time-series analysis
C) Trend analysis
D) Regression analysis
E) Ratio analysis

Question 40

Regression analysis determines the line of best fit and often involves multiple variables.

Question 41

A pictorial representation of all jobs within the organization,along with the number of current incumbents and future employment requirements,is known as

A) a scatter plot.
B) an organization chart.
C) a replacement chart.
D) a skills inventory.
E) a staffing table.

Question 42

With which of the following strategies for handling a labour surplus is the potential for a human rights violation most likely?

A) Forcing early retirement
B) Engaging in layoffs
C) Offering work sharing
D) Offering reduced workweeks
E) Offering job sharing

Question 43

Creating a job-share position or offering part-time employment can be win-win strategies,since

A) the employees involved will be able to work more hours.
B) the employees involved will be able to work the same number of hours.
C) layoffs can be avoided.
D) the employees involved will take home more pay.
E) the employees involved will have less free time at their disposal.

Question 44

In which of the following situations would a hiring freeze be the best HR decision to be made by a company's CEO?

A) When the company is experiencing labour equilibrium
B) When the company is experiencing a labour shortage
C) When labour demand is greater than labour supply
D) When the supply of workers exceeds demand
E) When the demand for workers exceeds supply

Question 45

The guarantee by the employer to pay specified compensation and benefits to executives in the case of termination due to downsizing or restructuring is known as

A) an early retirement buyout package.
B) supplemental unemployment benefits.
C) a guaranteed annual wage clause.
D) a golden parachute clause.
E) wage protection insurance.

Question 46

A potential solution when labour demand exceeds labour supply is

A) initiating layoffs.
B) job sharing.
C) hiring temporary workers.
D) initiating terminations.
E) reducing workweeks.

Question 47

When labour demand equals labour supply what will likely occur?

A) Work would be outsourced to third party service providers.
B) Vacancies would be filled internally through training, transfers, or promotions.
C) Managers would be asked to provide a layoff plan.
D) Leaves of absence would be encouraged.
E) A hiring freeze would be instituted.

Question 48

Which of the following HR strategies will cost a company a great deal of money up front?

A) Offering early retirement packages
B) Downsizing through attrition
C) Implementing a hiring freeze
D) Initiating job sharing
E) Laying off employees

Question 49

What do supplemental unemployment benefits do?

A) Provide a top-up of employment insurance benefits
B) Provide benefits that are paid indefinitely
C) Provide compensation to non-union employees
D) Increase income levels when on the job
E) Recognize top employees for their contributions

Question 50

Survivor syndrome is

A) an ongoing illness caused by working in a toxic building.
B) a common physical ailment among production workers.
C) a chronic wrist and neck pain common to white-collar workers.
D) a range of emotions experienced by employees remaining after a major restructuring initiative, which can include feelings of betrayal or violation.
E) the feeling of elation in workers when a crisis has been avoided and planned layoffs are cancelled.

Question 51

A shortage of employees occurs when

A) projected labour supply exceeds projected labour demand.
B) projected labour demand matches projected labour supply.
C) projected labour demand exceeds projected labour supply.
D) hiring freezes begin.
E) employees are rotated to different jobs.

Question 52

Which of the following is true regarding the use of contingent workers to address short and medium term labour shortages in Canada?

A) The use of contingent workers is only an option in times of labour surpluses.
B) The use of contingent workers has stayed about the same over the last few years.
C) The use of contingent workers is now illegal.
D) The use of contingent workers has been decreasing.
E) The use of contingent workers has been increasing.

Question 53

You are the HR Manager of a company experiencing the loss of market share and declining profits.The CEO would like you to recommend a strategy for gradually reducing staff while avoiding involuntary turnover.Which of the following would be the best recommendation?

A) Introducing a reduced workweek
B) Laying off employees
C) Offering attractive buyout packages
D) Downsizing through attrition
E) Offering attractive early retirement packages

Question 54

Rita's company has an excess of workers due to an economic recession.Which HR strategy would be the best option for Rita to undertake in this situation?

A) Subcontracting work
B) Internal recruitment
C) External recruitment
D) Scheduling overtime hours
E) Instituting a hiring freeze

Question 55

What is the main challenge with attrition?

A) It is hard to implement.
B) It costs large sums of money.
C) Employees do not accept this strategy.
D) The organization has no control over who goes and who stays.
E) It results in a lack of commitment.

Question 56

Outplacement assistance is

A) a lump-sum payment provided to employees who are being terminated.
B) when terminated employees are offered another job at the company that they were terminated from.
C) when terminated employees are offered a job at a former employer.
D) a service generally offered by an outside agency that can assist terminated employees in finding employment elsewhere.
E) when terminated employees are offered a job at a competing company.

Question 57

Entry-level jobs are

A) filled more easily externally.
B) filled more easily internally.
C) filled most often through transfers.
D) filled most often through promotions.
E) filled most often through demotions.

Question 58

An initial response to a labour shortage is usually

A) engaging in promotions.
B) engaging in transfers.
C) engaging in retraining.
D) scheduling layoffs.
E) scheduling overtime hours.

Question 59

The layoff-avoidance strategy that involves employees working three or four days a week and receiving employment insurance benefits on their non-workday(s)is related to which HR strategy?

A) Work sharing
B) Unemployment insurance
C) Position sharing
D) Job sharing
E) The early leave package

Question 60

Job sharing occurs when an employee covers the work for another employee who is temporarily absent due to illness or other circumstances.

Question 61

The board of directors of a fintech company have identified the current Chief Operating Officer as a potential candidate for the CEO role in three to five years.This process is known as

A) job sharing.
B) succession planning.
C) external recruitment.
D) outsourcing.
E) Markov analysis.

Question 62

A specialized team has been formed to complete a six-month technology project at a large financial services firm.At the end of the six months,upon successful completion of the project,each employee will receive a $2500 bonus as a

A) retention strategy.
B) promotion.
C) succession plan.
D) severance package.
E) lateral move.

Question 63

Logan is appointed to Manager,Customer Service after performing well as a Customer Service Associate for two years.This transition is an example of a

A) lateral move.
B) merit-based promotion.
C) transfer.
D) layoff.
E) retirement.

Question 64

Paula is offered a severance package which will bridge her to retirement.This is also referred to as a

A) promotion.
B) downsizing.
C) outsourcing.
D) transfer.
E) early retirement.

Question 65

To round out her skill set,Neerja,a Manager in Department A takes a lateral role as a Manager in Department B.This is also referred to as a

A) promotion.
B) downsizing.
C) outsourcing.
D) transfer.
E) early retirement.

Question 66

________ is legally required in specific situations,such as mass layoffs.

A) Outsourcing
B) Severance pay
C) Retention pay
D) Bonus pay
E) Succession planning

Question 67

Ben and Felix are both part-time students.Ben works Mondays to Wednesdays as an Administrative Assistant at a medical clinic.Felix works the same job Thursdays and Fridays.This is also referred to as a

A) promotion.
B) downsizing.
C) outsourcing.
D) transfer.
E) work sharing.

Question 68

You are the HR professional in charge of human resources planning at Blue Fruit Inc.,a company that designs and makes cell phones and tablets.Recently,demand for its products has been falling,resulting in a surplus of employees.Identify and describe five possible solutions you would consider implementing in order to reduce the oversupply of employees at Blue Fruit.

Question 69

A content marketing firm has lost a large client.The leadership team has decided to enact a hiring freeze and not fill vacancies as they arise.What is one challenge with this approach?

Question 70

Four qualitative techniques for forecasting future HR demand are trend analysis,ratio analysis,scatter plots,and regression analysis.

Question 71

A strategy used to deal with an employee surplus is the promotion of employees.

Question 72

If the labour surplus is temporary in nature one potential strategy is to offer

A) voluntary leaves of absence.
B) retention bonuses.
C) outplacement services.
D) golden parachutes.
E) hiring bonuses.

Question 73

Forecasting external HR supply requires an assessment of all of the following except

A) general economic conditions.
B) management inventories.
C) labour market conditions.
D) occupational labour conditions.
E) demographic trends.

Question 74

A golden parachute clause refers to

A) a pre-negotiated guarantee by the employer to pay specified compensation and benefits in the case of termination because of downsizing or restructuring.
B) when terminated employees are offered another job at the company that they were terminated from.
C) when terminated employees are offered a job at a former employer.
D) a service generally offered by an outside agency that can assist terminated employees in finding employment elsewhere.
E) when terminated employees are offered a job at a competing company.