Deck 4: Planning for and Recruiting Human Resources

Question 1

The primary reason organizations engage in downsizing is to enhance competitiveness.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

In order to attract a more diverse workforce,organizations often recruit through a variety of external sources.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Employer branding uses marketing techniques to attract,engage,and retain employees in the effort to become an employer of choice.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

A transitional matrix is a judgmental procedure used to forecast labour supply.

Question 5

Trend analysis is the most basic forecasting method used by organizations.

Question 6

Decisions about internal versus external recruiting affect the nature of jobs.

Question 7

Workforce planning compares the present state of the organization with its goals for the future,then identifies what changes it must make in its human resources to meet those goals.

Question 8

Temporary workers may offer benefits not available from permanent employees.

Question 9

The most widespread methods for eliminating labour shortages are hiring temporary and contract workers and outsourcing work.

Question 10

HR planners need to focus primarily on the internal labour supply within organizations.

Question 11

Succession planning focuses on employees who have been identified as lower-performers and identifies specific plans to enhance their performance.

Question 12

Much of the evidence suggests that downsizing improves long-term organizational performance.

Question 13

As an option for avoiding an expected labour shortage,the use of new external hires is relatively fast,but low in terms of ability to change later.

Question 14

Organizations are most likely to benefit from hiring and retaining employees who have competencies that are part of the organization's competency framework.

Question 15

Succession planning is a particular type of workforce planning.

Question 16

The first step in the workforce planning process is goal setting and strategic planning.

Question 17

The steps in a workforce utilization review are identical to the steps in the workforce planning process.

Question 18

Statistical planning models are useful for workforce planning when there is a long,stable history that can be used to reliably detect relationships among variables.

Question 19

Very few strategies are available for handling expected shortages and surpluses of labour.

Question 20

An organization's recruitment efforts are rarely focused on passive job seekers because by definition they are individuals who are not actively seeking a job.

Question 21

The goals that are set in the workforce planning process should come directly from:

A)mid-level managers,who tend to be most in touch with the organization's needs.
B)the analysis of labour supply and demand.
C)consultants' advice.
D)the feedback provided by the organization's customers.
E)the insights of HR professionals.

Question 22

Companies are turning to the use of social media including Facebook,Twitter,and LinkedIn to seek out job candidates.

Question 23

Organizations engage in downsizing to meet which of the following objectives?

A)Reducing costs
B)Replacing labour with technology
C)Moving to more economical locations
D)All of the choices are correct
E)"a" and "b" only

Question 24

An organization seeking to reduce a projected labour surplus must select from a number of possible options aimed at obtaining that objective (e.g. ,retirements,layoffs,job sharing,etc..This occurs at what step in the workforce planning process?

A)Goal setting and strategic planning
B)Program evaluation
C)Forecasting labour demand
D)Forecasting labour supply
E)Program implementation

Question 25

Which of the following options for reducing an expected labour surplus is a relatively slow solution,but has the benefit of being low in suffering caused?

A)Natural attrition
B)Downsizing
C)Pay reductions
D)Transfers
E)Demotions

Question 26

A small company that manufactures special-order wood furniture has kept its employees busy on a 40-hour-a-week schedule for the past two years.The company just received the largest contract in its history from a European company opening offices in the area.There is no expectation of repeat business from the European company.In order to complete the contract in the required six months,additional skilled woodworking employees are needed.Under these circumstances,to avoid an expected labour shortage,the best option would be:

A)overtime.
B)the use of temporary employees.
C)turnover reduction.
D)new external hires.
E)technological innovation.

Question 27

Which of the following is an external labour market trend that planners should examine?

A)Labour market forecasts
B)Unemployment rate
C)The kinds of people who will be in the labour market
D)All of the above.
E)None of the abovE.

Question 28

The first step in the workforce planning process is:

A)forecasting labour demand and supply.
B)goal setting.
C)program implementation.
D)program evaluation.
E)strategic planning.

Question 29

Workforce planning may result in:

A)downsizing.
B)training existing employees in new skills.
C)hiring new employees.
D)All of the above.
E)"a" and "c" only.

Question 30

Which of the following options for avoiding a labour shortage is slow in achieving results and provides a low ability to change later?

A)Overtime
B)Temporary employees
C)Outsourcing
D)New external hires
E)All of the abovE.

Question 31

Which of the following options for avoiding an expected labour shortage has the benefit of being a relatively fast solution while maintaining the ability to change later?

A)Overtime
B)Technological innovation
C)Turnover reductions
D)New external hires
E)All of the choices are correct

Question 32

Research demonstrates that realistic job previews significantly reduce employee turnover.

Question 33

To ensure success with an outsourcing strategy,companies should follow which of the following guidelines?

A)Make sure the provider has the necessary skills,including an environment that can meet standards for clear communication,on-time shipping,fair labour practices,and environmental protection.
B)Do not offshore any work that is proprietary or requires tight security.
C)Start small and monitor the work closely,especially in the beginning.
D)Look for opportunities to outsource work in areas that promote growth e.g.by partnering with experts who can help the organization tap new markets.
E)All of the choices are correct.

Question 34

Your company's primary concern is to reduce an expected labour surplus fast;its secondary concern is to minimize human suffering.The options that would best address the company's concerns (in the priority indicated)are:

A)downsizing and pay reductions.
B)transfers and reducing hours.
C)early retirement and retraining.
D)natural attrition and transfers.
E)overtime and outsourcing.

Question 35

Forecasting indicates your company needs to reduce its white-collar workforce in order to avoid a labour surplus in the next three to five years.Consistent with the corporate culture it wants to maintain,your company places a higher priority on minimizing human suffering than on achieving the labour reduction quickly.The options that are most consistent with these priorities are:

A)demotions and transfers.
B)transfers and reducing hours.
C)early retirement and retraining.
D)natural attrition and transfers.
E)pay reductions and transfers.

Question 36

Downsizing has an immediate effect on costs,and much of the evidence suggests that it:

A)increases profitability in the short term.
B)promotes future competitiveness.
C)hurts long-term organizational effectiveness.
D)increases the motivation of remaining employees.
E)none of the choices are correct.

Question 37

Leading indicators may include any of the following,EXCEPT:

A)sales or inventory levels.
B)transitional matrix analysis.
C)changes in technology.
D)trends in the composition of the workforce.
E)actions of competitors.

Question 38

Which one of the following is NOT true of transitional matrices?

A)They show the proportion (or number)of employees in different job categories at different times.
B)They are useful for charting historical trends in the company's supply of labour.
C)Under stable conditions,they are useful for developing future strategies to redress labour shortages or surpluses.
D)They are useful in predicting external labour market trends.
E)They answer the questions: "Where did people who were in each job category go?" and "Where did people now in each job category come from?"

Question 39

Which of the following options for reducing an expected labour surplus has the benefit of being a relatively fast solution and is NOT high in human suffering?

A)Downsizing
B)Transfers
C)Retraining
D)Demotions
E)Pay reductions

Question 40

Recruiter characteristics and behaviours have very little effect on recruitment outcomes.

Question 41

Which of the following is a metaphor to describe an effective recruiter?

A)Warm and fuzzy blanket
B)Seasonal bridge
C)Hot stove
D)Talent magnet
E)Step ladder

Question 42

What is succession planning? What are the benefits of succession planning?

Question 43

Succession planning focuses on:

A)prospective employees.
B)young employees.
C)high-potential employees.
D)former employees.
E)engineering and accounting professionals.

Question 44

Which of the following is an advantage of relying on internal recruitment sources?

A)They are likely to promote diversity.
B)Using internal recruitment helps ensure employees all think alike.
C)They are generally cheaper and faster than other means.
D)For entry-level positions,there will always be many recruits from which to select.
E)All of the above are advantages of relying on internal recruitment sources.

Question 45

All but one of the following enhances recruiter effectiveness.Name the exception.

A)Recruiters should provide timely feedback.
B)Recruiters should avoid offensive behaviour that might convey the wrong impression about the organization.
C)Use realistic job previews as part of the recruitment process to significantly reduce turnover.
D)Recruit with teams rather than individual recruiters.
E)All of the above choices enhances recruiter effectiveness.

Question 46

Which of the following recruiter characteristics do applicants tend to respond to most positively?

A)Warm and informative
B)Gender and race (same as the applicant)
C)Age (approximately the same as the applicant)
D)Personal appearance and dress
E)Take the role of an HR specialist

Question 47

What is downsizing and what is the primary reason organizations engage in downsizing? What are the four objectives organizations pursue in their downsizing efforts?

Question 48

What are the three stages of the workforce planning process? Briefly describe each of these three stages.

Question 49

A strategic approach of attaching a visual,emotional,or cultural brand to an organization is called:

A)image advertising.
B)brand advertising.
C)lead-the-market pay strategy.
D)employer branding.
E)all of the abovE.

Question 50

A comparison of the proportion of employees in protected groups with the proportion that each group represents in the relevant labour market is:

A)adverse treatment analysis.
B)workforce utilization review.
C)subgroup reconciliation.
D)discrimination analyses.
E)workforce planning.

Question 51

Yield ratios express the:

A)output yielded by a new hire in relation to the cost of recruiting the new hire.
B)percentage of applicants who successfully move from one stage of the recruitment and selection process to the next.
C)cost per hire.
D)quality of new hires based on manager feedback.
E)none of the abovE.

Question 52

What is a "downside" of referrals as a source of recruits?

A)They limit the likelihood of exposing the organization to fresh viewpoints.
B)Referrals may contribute to hiring practices that appear unfair e.g.nepotism.
C)Using referrals is much more expensive than most other recruiting sources.
D)The recruitment process becomes more complex.
E)"a" and "b."

Question 53

Decisions about internal versus external recruiting affect:

A)the nature of jobs.
B)recruitment sources.
C)the nature of applicants.
D)all of the above.
E)only "a" and "b."

Question 54

Which of the following statements about pay strategies is FALSE?

A)Pay is an important job characteristic for almost all applicants.
B)Organizations have a recruiting advantage if their policy is to pay more than the current market wages for a joB.
C)Higher pay cannot make up for a job's less desirable features.
D)Organizations that compete for applicants based on pay may use bonuses,stock options,and other forms of pay besides wages and salaries.
E)All the above statements about pay strategies are truE.

Question 55

In human resource management,any practice or activity carried out by the organization with the primary purpose of identifying and attracting potential employees is known as:

A)recruiting.
B)selection.
C)placement.
D)passive job seeking.
E)forecasting.

Question 56

In general,which of the following sources provide an excellent yield ratios and a relatively low cost per hire?

A)Renowned universities and colleges
B)Local universities and colleges
C)Company websites
D)Newspaper advertisements
E)Executive search firms

Question 57

What is the first step in the process for developing a succession plan?

A)Identify positions to plan for.
B)Measure employee potential.
C)Provide feedback to employees.
D)Define job requirements.
E)Both "c" and "d."

Question 58

The most important source of recruits for entry-level professional and managerial vacancies is:

A)Human Resources and Skills Development CanadA.
B)advertisements in newspapers and magazines.
C)staffing services companies.
D)on-campus interviewing.
E)executive search firms.

Question 59

Cost per hire is:

A)useful in assessing the efficiency of a recruiting source.
B)lower for executive search firms than for newspaper ads.
C)lower for executive recruits than for clerical recruits.
D)a measure of applicant quality.
E)a measure of recruiter quality.

Question 60

Which of the following statements about electronic recruiting is FALSE?

A)Employers have shifted using their spending on job ads away from print media to online job advertising or a combination of both.
B)Companies are turning to the use of social media including Facebook,Twitter,and LinkedIn to seek out job candidates.
C)Smaller and less well-known organizations are likely to be more successful that large well-known organizations in using their websites for recruiting.
D)QR (Quick Response)codes are becoming powerful recruitment tools because they can take applicants directly to customized information such as a website,video,or to the company's social media.
E)Some employers have started offering video workplace "tours" to give potential employees a new way to get a glimpse of the organization's employment brand.

Question 61

Discuss the relative merits of internal versus external recruiting.

Question 62

What is employer branding? What does it mean to have an effective employment brand?

Question 63

Describe the measures used to evaluate various recruiting sources used by organizations.

Question 64

What recruiter characteristics and behaviours would you look for in a recruiter?