Deck 3: Human Resources Management and Technology

Question 1

An HRIS is made up of a number of systems that can store data. This data can be used to create information that will serve different purposes for many different stakeholders. One of the key functions of an HRIS is to

A) provide information to HR.
B) provide information to managers.
C) provide information to HR and managers.
D) discipline employees.
E) define organizational climate.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

What has been the impact on manufacturing jobs from global competition?

A) The skill level required has decreased
B) They have been replaced by service jobs
C) They have moved to low-wage countries
D) They have been outsourced
E) The pay scale has increased

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Compliance is a key piece of information provided by HRIS and mainly used by

A) HR only.
B) HR, managers, and employees.
C) employees and managers.
D) HR and employees.
E) HR and managers.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

HRIS has several components called subsystems. Which of the following is a subsystem of HRIS?

A) Time and attendance
B) Work schedule administration
C) Government relations
D) Salary evaluation
E) Ethics and culture

Question 5

The impact of technology has fundamentally changed the role of HR. It has enabled HR to

A) increase its involvement in transactional services.
B) decrease the time spent with employees and line staff.
C) decrease its involvement in transactional activities.
D) decrease focus on the customer.
E) increase time spent on administrative tasks.

Question 6

Wayne Brockbank and David Ulrich of the University of Michigan Business School have identified five key competencies for HR. This new competency model has emerged because

A) line managers and employees no longer see HR as credible.
B) HR is moving towards outsourcing of services.
C) businesses have demanded that HR have a new competency model.
D) HR has decided to play a key role in transactional activities.
E) technology has fundamentally changed the role of HR.

Question 7

What is the knowledge, education, training, skills, and expertise of a firm's workers?

A) Intellectual property
B) Human capital
C) Workforce diversity
D) Employee data stores
E) Labour force capacity

Question 8

According to Canada's Department of Finance, which of the following has been the main source of job creation?

A) High skilled, manufacturing, and private sector employment
B) Distribution, technical, and human relations employment
C) Healthcare, age related services, and distribution employment
D) High skilled, high wage, and private sector employment
E) Human relations, public sector, and age related services employment

Question 9

An HR professional who is trying to develop an understanding of key drivers of organizational productivity and to become aware of costs associated with enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the workforce, is fulfilling which of the competencies described in the Ulrich model?

A) Mastery of technology
B) Business knowledge
C) HR delivery
D) Strategic contribution
E) None of the above

Question 10

Learning Inc. has an HRIS which has a subsystem that includes data on employee skills and competencies, development activities, and career planning in terms of which positions might be most appropriate for an employee based on skills/competencies. Which type of subsystem does Learning Inc. have?

A) Employment equity
B) Performance evaluation
C) Organizational management
D) Training and development
E) Employee administration

Question 11

What are the three major ways that the traditional HR role has changed as a result of the technologically enabled environment?

A) Decreased transformational activities, increased training focus, increased delivery of legal services
B) Decreased administrative activities, increased employee satisfaction focus, increased delivery of evaluation services
C) Decreased direct hiring activities, increased executive focus, increased delivery of outsourcing services
D) Decreased financial support activities, increased work/life focus, increased delivery of employee record services
E) Decreased transactional activities, increased client/customer focus, increased delivery of strategic services

Question 12

The primary central storage repository for all data collected by an organization's business systems is known as

A) a data warehouse.
B) an HRIS.
C) employee records.
D) a data repository.
E) a subsystem.

Question 13

An integrated system that is used to gather, store, and analyze information regarding an organization's human resources is known as

A) a web database.
B) HR technology.
C) an interactive database.
D) a relational database.
E) an HRIS.

Question 14

What are the seven key competencies in the HR model introduced by David Ulrich, Wayne Brockbank, and a study by Mercer?

A) Mastery of technology, strategic contribution, HR knowledge, business knowledge, integrity, data management, operations management
B) Strategic contribution, HR delivery, business knowledge, personal credibility, HR knowledge, operations management, financial management
C) Mastery of technology, strategic contribution, HR delivery, personal credibility, business knowledge, data management, financial management
D) Mastery of technology, transactional contribution, customer service, credibility, HR knowledge, financial management, training
E) Strategic contribution, HR mastery, HR delivery, mastery of technology, personal credibility, training, data management

Question 15

What three objectives will HR be able to achieve due to the strong strategic relationship between HR and technology?

A) Strategic alignment, business intelligence, effectiveness and efficiency
B) Strategic alignment, human capital planning, administrative coordination
C) Administrative coordination, human capital planning, effectiveness and efficiency
D) Competitive positioning, strategic alignment, administrative coordination
E) Competitive positioning, business intelligence, effectiveness and efficiency

Question 16

HR technology has

A) reduced the administrative burden on the HR department.
B) prevented employees from accessing their personnel information.
C) made it difficult to have access to information.
D) increased the administrative burden on the HR department.
E) not contributed to any changes in the HR department.

Question 17

Technology that is used to attract, hire, retain, and maintain human resources, support HR administration, and optimize HRM is called

A) an HRIS.
B) an HR server.
C) HR technology.
D) HR management.
E) PeopleSoft.

Question 18

According to a report from Towers Perrin, what proportion of global organizations are increasing their investments in HR technology?

A) One quarter
B) One third
C) One half
D) Three quarters
E) All organizations

Question 19

Demonstrating that HR is adding value to the bottom line continues to be a major challenge. According to a survey by Mercer, what percentage of chief financial officers feel HR is focused on strategic activities?

A) 5%
B) 10%
C) 15%
D) 20%
E) 25%

Question 20

The use of HRIS data to assess the performance of an organization's workforce using statistics and research design techniques is referred to as

A) tombstone data.
B) workforce data.
C) data warehousing.
D) workforce analytics.
E) workforce calculations.

Question 21

Joseph's company is undergoing fast growth. He would like to begin maintaining records of the skill level of candidates that have applied to the company for employment so he can have a pool of talent to go to when needed. Which subsystem of the company's HRIS will Joseph use to do this?

A) Labour relations
B) Payroll interface
C) Organizational management
D) Administration
E) Recruitment and applicant tracking

Question 22

Celine is a sales account manager. Before calling on a customer she can look into the financial records of the company's system to determine if the customer has any payment issues. What kind of system does this company have?

A) MRP
B) SAT
C) ERP
D) SMM
E) RFP

Question 23

Stacey works for a large organization and she scans her company's website to determine if there is any online training to help her improve her presentation skills. What part of the company's website will Stacey find available online training?

A) Skills exchange blog
B) Instructional database
C) Training menu
D) Learning portal
E) Skills module

Question 24

Sheila is an HR specialist at a newly formed organization. The organization has 50 employees and is expected to grow to about 100 over the next 4 years, adding 10-15 employees per year. The company is thinking of purchasing an HR system. As the HR specialist, Sheila's recommendation will be to

A) engage a consultant to prepare a request for proposal and review prospective vendors.
B) use a paper-based system since the employee base is small.
C) purchase a comprehensive HRIS with all subsystems.
D) acquire an HRIS so all of its functions can flow through a single system so data redundancies can be identified and eliminated.
E) purchase only the attendance management and Employment Equity subsystems now since they are essential.

Question 25

Typically organizations follow a process to select an HRIS. Which of the following states the three phases accurately and in proper order?

A) Adoption, implementation, and integration
B) Needs analysis, implementation, and integration
C) Adoption, implementation, and follow-up
D) Adoption, integration, and follow-up
E) Needs analysis, adoption, and integration

Question 26

Liana is conducting a needs analysis to determine the right HRIS system to adopt for her company. She is analyzing the types of data required in order to produce reports for HR and other departments. Which area of the adoption phase is Liana focusing on?

A) Company background
B) Management considerations
C) Technical considerations
D) HR considerations
E) Cost considerations

Question 27

Targus Inc. is a sports equipment retailer with 500 employees that has just implemented an HRIS. One would expect the decision making subsystem of the HRIS to be mainly used by

A) HR only.
B) HR, managers, and employees.
C) employees and managers.
D) HR and employees.
E) HR and managers.

Question 28

Talent management is a key piece of information provided by HRIS and mainly used by

A) HR only.
B) HR, managers, and employees.
C) employees and managers.
D) HR and employees.
E) HR and managers.

Question 29

A company in the banking industry has decided to purchase an HRIS and wants to choose a system. The organization is conducting a review of company background, management and HR considerations, and technical considerations. The company is in the ________ of the selection process.

A) integration phase
B) implementation phase
C) adoption phase
D) selection phase
E) cost analysis phase

Question 30

What is workforce analytics known as?

A) Metrics
B) Statistics
C) Data
D) Samples
E) Records

Question 31

Selecting and implementing an HRIS can be time consuming as well as costly. Before an organization decides to purchase a system, it is important to ask which of the following questions?

A) What do the employees expect of an HRIS?
B) What type of system does the organization need?
C) Does the employee base have the required IT skills?
D) What do the competitors do?
E) Is the organization ready for an HRIS?

Question 32

Tamara is an HR manager and is analyzing data about the length of service related to the amount of vacation time employees are given. Which subsystem of the HRIS will help Tamara the most?

A) Labour relations
B) Payroll interface
C) Employee equity
D) Time and attendance
E) Compensation and benefits administration

Question 33

Which of the following HRIS adoption phases involve activities such as getting the system running in a controlled environment, conversion of existing data into the new system, and establishing security profiles?

A) Needs analysis phase
B) Integration phase
C) Follow-up phase
D) Implementation phase
E) Adoption phase

Question 34

Keith has a feeling that employees hired over the past two years seem to be less passionate about doing good work compared to hires from previous years. He is reviewing the characteristics of the employees, the interviewers at the time of hiring, and the selection process to determine if there has been changes or patterns that can explain what is he is feeling. What is this an example of?

A) Strategy-based metrics
B) Data mining
C) Talent management
D) Applicant tracking
E) Trend analysis

Question 35

A system that supports enterprise-wide or cross-functional requirements, rather than a single department or group within the organization, is known as a(n)

A) HRIS.
B) intranet.
C) enterprise-wide system.
D) electronic HR.
E) relational database.

Question 36

A company has concluded its adoption phase of an HRIS and has sent a request to vendors to schedule demonstrations of the various systems available. The company will ultimately choose one that most closely aligns with their needs analysis, budget, and management requirements. What is this request known as?

A) The adoption phase request
B) Request for information
C) Request for proposal
D) A selection request
E) The implementation phase request

Question 37

A decision to purchase an HRIS can vary from one organization to another based on their existing technology, ability to afford technology, and the size and culture of the company. However, there is some common ground that all companies can agree on for adopting HR technology. Those reasons are

A) cost savings, employee record keeping, and faster processing of information.
B) faster processing of information, cost savings, and helping the organization to achieve goals.
C) cost saving, skills assessment, and employee equity planning.
D) higher efficiency in data processing, ease of scheduling work, and linking compensation to performance.
E) maintaining employee records, developing labour relations, and data miming.

Question 38

Rose believes in fair compensation regardless of gender, race, or other demographic characteristics. She is reviewing her company's employees with respect to their positions and compensation to ensure everyone is being fairly treated. Which subsystem of her company's HRIS will be most helpful to complete this task?

A) Labour relations
B) Payroll interface
C) Employment equity
D) Training and Development
E) Compensation and benefits administration

Question 39

Gavin Chen is the VP of HR at Motion.com. The company has recently concluded its adoption phase and entered the implementation phase of an HRIS. Gavin is faced with the task of putting together a project team for the implementation phase. Which of the following should Gavin include?

A) Outside consultants who have technical skills
B) Outside consultants who have change management and legal compliance skills and subject matter experts from HR and payroll
C) Subject matter experts from HR and payroll
D) A senior project manager to lead the team
E) Outside consultants who have technical and change management skills and subject matter experts from HR and payroll

Question 40

At Smith & Cole Co., managers and employees can access HR self-service options to access and manage information directly without having to go through HR or its manager. The company has a

A) web-based application.
B) interactive voice response.
C) interactive database.
D) relational database.
E) data mining capability.

Question 41

Web-based HR applications have enabled companies to shift responsibility for viewing and updating records onto employees, thus changing the manner in which employees acquire information and relate to their departments. Two of the most popular web-based HR applications are

A) HR and employee self-service.
B) HR and management self-service.
C) employee and management self-service.
D) HRIS and management self-service.
E) HRIS and employee self-service.

Question 42

Workforce analytics are primarily used to meet government standards of employment equity.

Question 43

When new employees are hired, they are required to provide personal information such as full name, address, banking information, and their social insurance number. However, the company cannot ask them about their marital status.

Question 44

An HRIS is primarily a transaction processor, editor, and record keeper, maintaining employee, organizational, and HR-related data.

Question 45

Technology has been driving the shift in Canada towards a service-based economy.

Question 46

Recent surveys of ESS and MSS systems users indicate that, though 80% of respondents agree that web-based self-service systems can lower HR operational costs, only 40% believe that their company is actually achieving this result. This discrepancy may be due to

A) systems requiring frequent updates from vendors.
B) lack of motivation to use such systems.
C) technology not being user-friendly.
D) systems not providing adequate features.
E) frequent systems malfunctions.

Question 47

Some of the common employee self-service (ESS) applications allow employees to

A) update the information of other employees.
B) access and manage their personal information.
C) change salary deductions.
D) update HR and related policies.
E) make changes to payroll information for themselves.

Question 48

What is a single Internet access point for customized and personalized HR services called?

A) An HR intranet
B) An HR web site
C) An HR portal
D) e-HR
E) An HR module

Question 49

All staff of a company that has purchased an HRIS are undergoing systems training. Which phase is the company in?

A) Training phase
B) Implementation phase
C) Adoption phase
D) Institutionalization phase
E) Cost analysis phase

Question 50

What is a self-contained system that does not rely on other systems to operate?

A) Single phase system
B) Stand-alone system
C) Focal point system
D) Lone portal system
E) Central module system

Question 51

Research indicates that companies that use technology effectively to manage their HR function are no more or less effective than those that do not.

Question 52

Which system allows managers to access a range of information not only about themselves but also about the employees who report to them?

A) ESS
B) MSS
C) the internet
D) HRIS
E) MIS

Question 53

Employee self-service (ESS) systems have fundamentally changed the way employees relate to their HR department because

A) they are able to access information relevant to themselves.
B) ESS has made HR redundant in the organization.
C) they need to visit HR regularly for personnel information.
D) line managers and employees have taken over HR.
E) HR no longer provides related services.

Question 54

Investigating management considerations for purchasing an HRIS is carried out during the RFP stage of the selection process.

Question 55

Talent analytics help managers answer six types of talent management questions. A manager analyzing how social activities are impacting job satisfaction is addressing the question related to the talent value model.

Question 56

Seven key competencies have emerged with respect to the role of HR within an organization. One of these is financial management.

Question 57

Recruitment and applicant tracking is a subsystem in an HRIS which enables an organization to program rules into the system such as unused vacation can accumulate.

Question 58

You are the Director HR at an accounting firm and, as such, are responsible for overseeing implementation of the HRIS. To address privacy and security risks what should you have the security profile of the HRIS determine?

A) Who can enter, evaluate, and delete information
B) Who can view and create reports based on the information
C) Who can enter, view, and change information
D) Who can view and advise how to interpret the information
E) Who can enter the system and provide access to qualified employees

Question 59

A form of technology that enables HR professionals to integrate an organization's HR strategies, processes, and human capital to improve overall HR service delivery is known as

A) enterprise-wide HR.
B) HR technology.
C) stand-alone HR.
D) an HRIS.
E) electronic HR.

Question 60

Managers are receptive to MSS systems because they offer a narrower view of serviced enabling managers to focus more precisely on HR related issues.

Question 61

What is an HRIS? Identify and briefly describe four of the major components of an HRIS.

Question 62

What are the main issues to be considered in Phase 1: Adoption - Determining the Need for an HRIS? Identify and briefly describe the five issues.