Deck 20: Managing Human Resources

Question 1

The cost of using a headhunter makes using their services unrealistic for small businesses.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Payroll is only a moderate expense for most small businesses.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Temporary help agencies are good sources of employees when extensive training is required.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Human resource management of small firms should be identical to large companies but adjusted for size.

Question 5

The balance of the U.S.workforce is rapidly shifting toward higher proportions of women,older workers,and racial minorities.

Question 6

Public employment offices are a useful source of clerical workers,unskilled laborers,production workers,and technicians.

Question 7

Small firms suffer a recruiting handicap because of the ability of large companies to offer more freedom on the job.

Question 8

Private employment agencies administer the various state unemployment insurance programs.

Question 9

The goal of recruitment is to obtain a pool of applicants large enough to contain a number of talented prospects.

Question 10

The quality of a firm's employees determines the firm's potential.

Question 11

The fees charged by a private employment agency are paid by the hiring firm,not the applicant.

Question 12

Employee referrals provide a rich source of good applicants for many small firms.

Question 13

The use of temporary employees provides management with an introduction to individuals whose performance may justify an offer of permanent employment.

Question 14

The Internet is a low-cost,effective tool for recruiting qualified candidates.

Question 15

Universities are good sources of candidates for positions that require a high level of experience.

Question 16

Small companies are more likely than larger firms to employ immigrants.

Question 17

Executive search firms should only be used by large companies because of their cost.

Question 18

The source that accounts for most new hires is help-wanted ads in newspapers.

Question 19

Small firms need to identify their distinctive advantages if they are to recruit outstanding prospects successfully.

Question 20

Because help-wanted advertising tends to be ineffective,most well-managed organizations reject this method of recruitment.

Question 21

According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration,85 percent of all on-the-job accidents can be traced to substance abuse.

Question 22

Job descriptions are used primarily to avoid lawsuits that might result from the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Question 23

Training should not be necessary for a new employee to perform the duties for which he or she has been hired.

Question 24

A person who interviews well should not automatically be hired.

Question 25

Although research has shown a growth in spending on training,much of the training is not actually applied on the job.

Question 26

Failure to check the background of a new hire can led to a negligent hiring lawsuit.

Question 27

The job specifications list the duties the incumbent is expected to perform.

Question 28

The purpose of job instruction training is to help supervisors eliminate employees who are weak hires.

Question 29

A job description refers to a listing of the knowledge,skills,abilities,and other characteristics necessary to perform a job.

Question 30

In small firms,a professional's versatility and flexibility may be more important than technical competence.

Question 31

A small business can facilitate the orientation process by providing an employee handbook,which outlines the company's practices and procedures.

Question 32

Small firms must be exceed large firms in wage and salary levels in order to attract well-qualified personnel.

Question 33

Most small businesses complete their own background investigations of job applicants by using information readily available online.

Question 34

When innovation is important to a firm's competitiveness,the company should steer clear of hiring minorities.

Question 35

The small firm has a particularly strong need to develop both managerial and professional employees.

Question 36

Orientation refers to instructions given during the interview with an applicant.

Question 37

The hiring practices at 37signals support small firms using additional "test drives" even if a prospective employee has passed a reliable and valid test.

Question 38

Continual training is necessary to update knowledge and skills in firms of all sizes.

Question 39

Released employees are much less likely to sue if they feel their former employer provided ample opportunities to improve their performance before being fired and the company was fair throughout the process.

Question 40

Requesting a credit report to establish an applicant's employment eligibility is illegal according to the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Question 41

Most small businesses now use flexible benefit plans so employees can select the benefits they wish to receive.

Question 42

The owner of a small automobile garage has been advised to use an application form in evaluating applicants.This form will be most useful in discovering

A)arrest records.
B)general background information.
C)physical disabilities.
D)religious orientation.

Question 43

The U.S.Department of Labor projects which trend in workforce composition?

A)Increased numbers of Hispanic workers
B)Decreased average age
C)Decreased numbers of Black and Asians workers
D)Increased participation of women in the workforce

Question 44

Employee benefits are expensive,amounting to more than 40 percent of payroll expense for many small firms.

Question 45

Unions typically concentrate their primary attention on small companies,where their influence is most needed.

Question 46

By following constructive personnel policies,small firms can improve the relationship between management and a union.

Question 47

Profit-sharing is of little use as an incentive in small companies because profits are often too small to share.

Question 48

PEOs typically charge a fee of at least 7 percent of payroll to a small business.

Question 49

A sales commission compensation plan is a type of time-based compensation system.

Question 50

One of the largest expense categories for most businesses is

A)advertising.
B)research and development.
C)payroll.
D)professional fees.

Question 51

Jan is ready to franchise her retail clothing store and needs to hire a new manager who has knowledge in the franchising process.Which recruiting source would be best?

A)temporary help agencies
B)leasing companies
C)headhunters
D)employees

Question 52

Tom is experiencing difficulty in recruiting competent technicians for his business.One way to increase the attractiveness of his small business is by using

A)flexible work schedules.
B)job descriptions.
C)performance testing.
D)private employment agencies.

Question 53

The differences among employees on such dimensions as gender,age,ethnicity,and race is known as

A)job specification.
B)workforce diversity.
C)human resources.
D)workforce differences.

Question 54

Michael,a small business owner of a Web-development firm,wishes to persuade a highly qualified applicant to consider a position with his firm,even though the applicant has also had offers from large firms.What should Michael emphasize to the applicant?

A)family atmosphere with only three employees
B)long history of the firm with no take overs
C)more freedom to structure job responsibilities
D)retirement program and other benefits

Question 55

ESOPs can motivate employees as well as allow for owners to withdraw from a business without having to sell the firm to outsiders.

Question 56

As a firm grows,it experiences pressure to formalize its personnel policies and procedures.

Question 57

A human resource manager is unnecessary when employees are represented by a union.

Question 58

Since Cynthia needs to obtain a replacement for Olivia (who is having a baby and will be out for 12 weeks),what would be the expected first choice to locate a replacement?

A)employee referrals
B)help-wanted advertising
C)public employment agencies
D)temporary help agencies

Question 59

Which source of candidates do small business owners say accounts for most of their hires?

A)Walk-ins
B)Schools
C)Internet
D)Employees

Question 60

Because outsourcing companies typically employ hundreds or thousands of people,they can afford to offer benefits superior to those offered by the typical small firm.

Question 61

Which question would be expected from a small business using behavioral interviews?

A)How did you learn to write so well?
B)Where did you attend school?
C)What do you do for fun?
D)Tell me about a time when you managed a major project.

Question 62

A systematic step-by-step method for training non-managerial employees on the job is known as

A)On-the-Job Training.
B)Employee Development Training.
C)Job Instruction Training.
D)Intensive Job Orientation.

Question 63

Amanda is paid $0.45 for every widget she produces.This type of pay plan is:

A)a cafeteria plan.
B)called piecework.
C)part of a salary level.
D)included in stock incentives.

Question 64

What type of interviewing involves asking applicants how they might react to hypothetical situations?

A)Behavioral
B)Depth
C)Stress
D)Traditional

Question 65

Planned efforts to help workers master the knowledge,skills,and behaviors they need to perform their duties is known as

A)employee training.
B)human resources.
C)management development.
D)workforce diversity.

Question 66

Small firms give employees a share of ownership in the business through

A)profit plans.
B)group incentive plans.
C)employee stock ownership plans.
D)action-sharing plans.

Question 67

In addition to it use to attract and hold key personnel,ESOPs can also:

A)allow employees to veto management decisions.
B)give employees a share of liability.
C)give owners a way to cash out of the business
D)provide an incentive for managers to reduce labor costs.

Question 68

New employees benefit most from orientation when it is given

A)during the employment review.
B)after selection,but prior to reporting for work.
C)during the first two or three days on the job.
D)during the first year of employment.

Question 69

Katie owns a catering company where employees work both in preparing the food as well as serving at the events.What would be the best compensation system?

A)time-based
B)profit-sharing plan
C)piece rate
D)commission

Question 70

Management and other key personnel "get a piece of the action" through

A)fringe benefits.
B)time-based compensation.
C)profit sharing.
D)tax benefits.

Question 71

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers of at least ____ employees to make ____ adaptations to facilitate the employment of individuals protected by the act.

A)50,minimal
B)15,reasonable
C)100,specific
D)10,verifiable

Question 72

Prospective employers can legally select employees based on the applicant's

A)age.
B)disabilities.
C)education.
D)gender

Question 73

Which percentage of recruiters and human resource professionals report that they research job applicants online using Facebook?

A)92%
B)58%
C)31%
D)20%

Question 74

Karen is checking references and finds former employers reluctant to do more than verify dates of employment even though the applicants have given their consent.A probable reason for their reluctance is that

A)records for former employees are typically not readily available.
B)the former employee is glad to have the potential employee not employed with their company.
C)respondents may fear litigation by former employees who fail to get jobs they seek.
D)Karen is asking too many personal questions.

Question 75

Profit-sharing plans

A)provide a more direct incentive in small firms than in large firms.
B)are practically impossible to use successfully in small firms.
C)are similar to individual incentive plans in their motivational effect.
D)are an expensive fringe benefit for small firms,costing 40 percent of payroll.

Question 76

Which item plays the central role in attracting and motivating employees?

A)Flexible work duties
B)Job sharing arrangements
C)Compensation
D)Vacation benefits

Question 77

To be the most useful,a test for a potential applicant should be

A)general in nature.
B)practical.
C)psychological in nature.
D)valid and reliable.

Question 78

Preparation of employees for career advancement through education,job experiences,network development,and performance assessment is called

A)employee training.
B)human resources.
C)management development.
D)workforce diversity.

Question 79

Marcia knew the importance of testing candidates before hiring them,but 40% of the employees who successfully passed the employment test later performed poorly on the job.Marcia's employment test lacked

A)applicability.
B)interpretability.
C)reliability.
D)validity.

Question 80

A compensation system based on time is most appropriate for jobs in which

A)performance is not easy to measure.
B)responsibilities are difficult to understand.
C)fringe benefits are an important part of the compensation offered.
D)commissions make up a significant portion of compensation received.