Deck 5: Human Resources Planning

Question 1

Which forecasting technique has drawbacks that include subjectivity and the potential for participants' 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

Answer 1

E

Question 2

In contrast to quantitative approaches, qualitative techniques rely solely on

A) a scatterplot.
B) regression analysis.
C) trend analysis.
D) multiple regression analysis.
E) expert judgments.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

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

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

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Inadequate human resources planning within an organization can result in direct costs when labour demand decreases significantly for an extended period of time. Which of the following provides an accurate reason for this?

A) There is a link to privacy laws.
B) It would cause hiring more HR staff.
C) It would cause costs associated with hiring part-time workers.
D) There are project management costs.
E) Severance pay is required for a large number of staff.

Question 5

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 planning.
D) recruitment.
E) human resources planning.

Question 6

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

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

Question 7

You are the HR manager of a company and the CEO has asked you to assist her in forecasting future human resources needs. She would like to use a forecasting technique which will generate an exchange of ideas amongst division directors and that will lead to greater acceptance of results. Which technique do you use?

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

Question 8

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

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

Question 9

Sheila is helping a sales manager determine if the sales department should hire more people. They are comparing the quarter's sales to the number of active sales people. Which HR forecasting approach is Sheila and the sales manager using?

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

Question 10

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 are to be filled by using two supply sources. 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 11

Which forecasting technique is similar to ratio analysis in that it assumes productivity remains much the same?

A) Regression analysis
B) Trend analysis
C) The nominal group technique
D) Time-series analysis
E) A scatterplot

Question 12

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

A) trend analysis and scatterplot.
B) nominal group and Delphi technique.
C) regression analysis and nominal group technique.
D) ratio analysis and nominal group technique.
E) scatterplot and Delphi technique.

Question 13

Before estimating how many external candidates will be recruited what should management first determine?

A) Turnover rate of the current year
B) The availability of internal candidates
C) Skills of the current employees
D) Employees likely to become managers
E) How to balance supply and demand

Question 14

Anthony is a company's HR Manager and he is helping the production department determine seasonal employee needs. Anthony tracks the productivity levels of the year on a graph and fits a line through the points to predict future needs over different time periods. Which forecasting method is Anthony using?

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

Question 15

The first step in the HRP process, after the HR implications of the firm's strategic plans have been analyzed, is

A) assessing current HR levels.
B) monitoring and evaluating the results.
C) job analysis and design.
D) forecasting availability of internal and external candidates.
E) planning and implementing HR programs to balance supply and demand.

Question 16

Short-term and long-range HR demand forecasts provide

A) half of the staffing equation.
B) external supply forecasts.
C) present employees who can be transferred or promoted to meet anticipated needs.
D) internal supply forecasts.
E) the full staffing equation.

Question 17

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) 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) puts the achievement of the organization's strategy at risk.
E) is only a problem for for-profit businesses.

Question 18

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 19

Computing the number of employees in the firm over the last three to five years is associated with which of the following forecasting techniques?

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

Question 20

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. Which technique should the HR manager use?

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

Question 21

A country's demographic trends have a significant impact on

A) unemployment rates.
B) local labour market conditions.
C) general economic conditions.
D) occupational market conditions.
E) national labour market conditions.

Question 22

Rita's company has an excess of workers due to an economic recession. Which HR strategy would Rita not undertake under the current situation?

A) Downsizing through attrition
B) Employee layoffs
C) Termination of employment
D) Instituting a hiring freeze
E) Subcontracting

Question 23

What is the main drawback of 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 takes a short period of time.

Question 24

The drawbacks of which forecasting technique include the fact that judgments may not efficiently use objective data?

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

Question 25

Management inventories

A) are visual representations employees who are likely to become managers.
B) record information about managerial responsibilities and management training used to identify internal candidates eligible for promotion.
C) are used to keep track of employees' leadership qualifications.
D) record the consensus of managers on strategic initiatives.
E) provides a record of management salaries and how different management levels qualify for different levels of salary and bonuses.

Question 26

The shortage of available workers in which occupational market 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 27

You are the HR manager of a company experiencing the loss of market share and profits are declining. The CEO would like you to recommend a strategy for reducing staff over a longer time frame and which generally presents the least amount of problems. Which of the following would you recommend?

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

Question 28

Permitting a group 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 29

Francis is the HR manager of a growing transport company. The economy is booming. Inflation rates are stable and unemployment rates continue to decline. What will Francis face when she starts hiring workers?

A) A smaller labour supply
B) It will be easier to recruit
C) A larger labour supply
D) A more skilled labour supply
E) More third party sub-contractors

Question 30

A potential solution when labour demand exceeds labour supply is

A) finding employees alternative jobs within the organization.
B) job sharing.
C) hiring temporary workers.
D) job rotation.
E) job enlargement.

Question 31

Divya is the HR manager of a manufacturing firm. What step should she advise management to take first to forecast its human resources needs?

A) Project turnover of non-managerial workers based on turnover that has occurred over the previous three years
B) Project the sales for each of the firm's products and estimate quality and nature of employees needed
C) Create a replacement chart by first deciding which current employees will likely not stay with the firm
D) Project the sales for each of the firm's products and calculate the volume of production needed to meet sales requirements
E) Develop a staffing table that matches market potential and forecasted sales against new levels of competition

Question 32

Regardless of the forecasting method utilized to predict human resource needs, modifications are made based on which of the following?

A) Management control systems
B) HRIS data
C) Managerial judgment
D) Changing market conditions
E) Changing economic conditions

Question 33

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

A) Making early retirement mandatory
B) Downsizing through attrition
C) Implementing a hiring freeze
D) Initiating job-share positions
E) Laying off employees

Question 34

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

Question 35

When labour demand equals labour supply what will likely occur?

A) Work is outsourced to third party service providers
B) Vacancies are filled internally through training, transfers, or promotions
C) Managers would be asked to provide a downsizing plan
D) HR personnel would be instructed hire more recruiters
E) Compensation and benefits would be increased

Question 36

You have been hired as the director of HR at Targus Inc., a clothing retailer. To project the supply of outside candidates in the HRP process for the firm, you will need to assess

A) labour market conditions.
B) general economic conditions.
C) global competitive conditions.
D) political conditions.
E) technological conditions.

Question 37

To successfully fill positions internally, organizations must manage performance and careers. Performance is managed through

A) effective recruitment policies and systems.
B) career tracking.
C) implementing a suitable reward structure.
D) effective selection and placement strategies.
E) training and development.

Question 38

When would a hiring freeze be a poor HR decision made by a company's CEO?

A) When openings can be filled by reassigning current employees
B) When the company is experiencing an employee surplus
C) When the company is downsizing due to a slow economy
D) When a competitor is taking away market share
E) When the demand for workers exceeds supply

Question 39

Highly educated immigrants are the predominant drivers of

A) unemployment.
B) sub-contracting.
C) outsourcing.
D) growth.
E) turnover.

Question 40

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 scatterplot.
B) an organization chart.
C) a replacement chart.
D) a skills inventory.
E) a staffing table.

Question 41

Exchanging ideas through virtual interaction between global managers is a characteristic of the nominal group forecasting technique.

Question 42

What do SUBS do?

A) Top up employment insurance
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 productivity

Question 43

An HR strategist was reprimanded by his manager because he included which of the following in designing a severance package?

A) Years of service
B) The individual's likelihood of obtaining alternative employment
C) Salary
D) Age
E) Ethnic origin

Question 44

The layoff-avoidance strategy introduced by the federal government 25 years ago is related to which HR strategy?

A) Work sharing
B) Supplemental unemployment benefits
C) The reduced work week
D) Job sharing
E) The early leave package

Question 45

Outplacement assistance is

A) a service within a company facilitated by HR professionals.
B) a service offered by an outside agency that is provided to executives only.
C) a service within a company that provides resume-writing and interview-skill workshops.
D) a service offered by an outside agency that can assist terminated employees in finding employment elsewhere.
E) a service offered by an outside agency that provides job opportunities.

Question 46

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

A) Early retirement packages
B) Termination of employment
C) Work sharing
D) Reduced work weeks
E) Job sharing

Question 47

In the next decade, labour force growth in Canada will be entirely dependent on new immigrants.

Question 48

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 49

Ratio analysis should be used to track production employee needs based on past needs.

Question 50

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

Question 51

The initial response to a labour shortage is often

A) promotion.
B) transfer.
C) retraining.
D) layoffs.
E) scheduling overtime.

Question 52

Advantages associated with a transfer include

A) the fact that skills and perspectives may be broadened.
B) the fact that new challenges are the inevitable result.
C) more employee autonomy.
D) an increase in task significance.
E) a pay increase for the employee involved.

Question 53

You have been asked by the CEO to advise on how to reduce the workforce by 10% over the next 2 years. Which of the following strategies would the CEO reject?

A) Work sharing
B) Layoffs based on reverse seniority
C) Buyouts and early retirement packages
D) Reduced work weeks
E) Job sharing

Question 54

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 55

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

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

Question 56

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

Question 57

Survivor syndrome is

A) on-going illness caused by working in a toxic building.
B) common physical ailments among production workers.
C) chronic wrist and neck pain common to white-collar workers.
D) a range of emotions that can include feelings of betrayal or violation, guilt, and detachment.
E) feelings of elation in workers when a crisis has been avoided and planned layoffs are cancelled.

Question 58

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

Question 59

Regression analysis determines the line of best fit.

Question 60

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

Question 61

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 62

Describe human resources planning (HRP) (4 points) and explain its connection to strategic planning using an example (6 points).

Question 63

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.