Deck 15: Selecting Employees

Question 1

In the context of external recruitment, ________ seek to match people looking for a job with organizations looking for employees.

A) employment agencies
B) job postings
C) employee referrals
D) journal advertisements

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is most likely to be an integral part of a job specification?

A) Job title
B) Working conditions
C) Duties involved in the job
D) Educational qualification required for a job

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A job ________ is a listing of the characteristics of the job-that is, the observable activities required to carry out the job.

A) specification
B) posting
C) description
D) title

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Identifying people interested in holding a particular job or working for an organization is known as ________.

A) recruitment
B) placement
C) orientation
D) selection

Question 5

A written job description typically includes the

A) title of the job.
B) required educational experience.
C) skills needed to perform the job.
D) personal characteristics of the job candidate.

Question 6

At Core Inc., the supervisor and the human resources department have decided to recruit people from within the organization for filling up the company's various vacant positions. Which of the following will be most effective in their quest to find the right candidate?

A) Help-wanted ads in newspapers
B) Employment agencies
C) Job postings
D) A survey of local colleges

Question 7

Job specification is best defined as a listing of

A) the characteristics of a job, including the job title, duties involved, and working conditions.
B) the characteristics desirable in the person performing a given job, including educational and work background.
C) the motivating features of a specific job that encourages employees to perform well.
D) the procedures to be used by employees when faced with specific ethical situations.

Question 8

The skills of a person performing a job refer to

A) the proficiency in carrying out the tasks in the job description.
B) the general enduring capabilities required for carrying out tasks.
C) the educational qualification of the person.
D) ethical and moral obligations.

Question 9

The listing for a systems analyst job states that the job requires the analyst to prepare feasibility studies, program specifications for the system(s), and work with the programming staff. This information is most likely to be part of the

A) job specification.
B) job description.
C) code of ethics.
D) mission statement.

Question 10

In the context of job specification, the general enduring competences required for carrying out the tasks in the job description refer to the ________ of the person performing the job.

A) knowledge
B) duties
C) abilities
D) personality

Question 11

A job description is best described as a listing of the

A) characteristics of a job, including the job title, duties involved, and working conditions.
B) permissible questions related to a particular job that an employer can ask in a job interview.
C) required educational background, physical characteristics, and personal strengths for a job.
D) possible sources of employees, both inside and outside the organization.

Question 12

Which of the following is true of a supervisor's role in the selection process?

A) A supervisor's role in the selection process does not vary from one organization to another.
B) A supervisor has great latitude in selecting employees in large organizations.
C) A supervisor has to do most of the work in large organizations that have formal procedures.
D) A supervisor works to some extent with a human resources department.

Question 13

Which of the following is a way of conducting internal recruitment in a firm?

A) Employee referrals
B) Media advertisements
C) Employment agencies
D) Online job-listing services

Question 14

Which of the following is most likely to be part of a job specification?

A) Location of the job
B) Job title
C) Productivity and quality standards of the job
D) Unusual sensory demands to qualify for the job

Question 15

In the context of job specification, the knowledge of the person performing a job refers to

A) the proficiency in carrying out the tasks in the job description.
B) the information required to perform the tasks in the job description.
C) the general enduring capabilities required for carrying out the tasks in the job description.
D) the psychological characteristics related to the successful performance of essential tasks.

Question 16

A job ________ is a listing of the characteristics desirable in the person performing the job.

A) specification
B) posting
C) designation
D) title

Question 17

Which of the following is least likely to be included in job postings?

A) The job title
B) The salary range
C) The department
D) The organization profile

Question 18

Which of the following is an advantage of recruiting outside an organization?

A) Candidates are familiar with the work environment.
B) Candidates bring in fresh ideas and skills that the organization might lack.
C) The expenses involved are comparatively less.
D) The process of recruitment is less time consuming.

Question 19

Recruitment is best defined as the process of

A) forming a small group whose members share goals and accountability for results.
B) developing the ability of members to work together to achieve common objectives.
C) identifying people interested in holding a particular job or working for the organization.
D) learning about an individual's personal problem and helping him or her in its resolution.

Question 20

A ________ is a list of the positions that are vacant in an organization.

A) job description
B) job scope
C) job posting
D) job specification

Question 21

In the context of interviewing a candidate, which of the following is true?

A) An interviewer should start off an interview by intimidating the candidates so that they give their best.
B) An interviewer should ideally include questions about the candidate's age, sex, race, and marital status for an inclusive analysis.
C) An interviewer should review the job description and develop a realistic way to describe the job to the candidates.
D) An interviewer should arrange for a structured interview if he or she desires more flexibility and does not want to stick to a standard set of questions.

Question 22

Once an organization has identified candidates for a job, it begins the ________ process.

A) organizing
B) planning
C) selection
D) control

Question 23

In the context of external recruitment, ________ has become the most popular way to match candidates to jobs.

A) structured recruiting
B) online recruiting
C) employee referral
D) job posting

Question 24

The difference between an open-ended question and a closed-ended one is that the latter

A) allows the employer to ask for information about a conviction.
B) requires a comparatively broad and more inclusive response.
C) often leads to the halo effect.
D) requires a simple answer, such as yes or no.

Question 25

In the process of selecting a candidate for a job, the ________ is most likely to do the initial screening.

A) supervisor
B) human resources department
C) line manager
D) disciplinary committee

Question 26

An interviewer should begin the interviewing process by

A) making the candidate feel comfortable.
B) asking about the candidate's background, qualifications, goals, and expectations.
C) recording impressions of the candidate.
D) preparing the content and conditions of the interview.

Question 27

An interviewing process usually ends by

A) selecting the candidate for temporary employment.
B) asking about the candidate's background, qualifications, goals, and expectations.
C) recording impressions about the candidate.
D) placing the candidate into training programs.

Question 28

What is the objective of interviewing in the selection process?

A) To narrow the pool of applicants to the number that a supervisor wants to interview for a job
B) To learn details about the information a candidate has provided on the application or résumé
C) To see whether employees have the necessary skills to perform the job efficiently
D) To compare the applications or résumés of candidates with the job description prepared by the supervisor

Question 29

Which of the following statements is an example of an open-ended question?

A) Would you prefer working on the weekends?
B) How did you handle stress at your previous workplace?
C) Would you have a problem working under a female supervisor?
D) How many years of experience do you have in marketing?

Question 30

What is the objective of screening in the selection process?

A) To narrow the search for an employee by assessing each candidate's interpersonal and communication skills
B) To see whether employees have the necessary skills to perform the job efficiently
C) To learn details about the information a candidate has provided on the application or résumé
D) To narrow the pool of applicants to the number that a supervisor wants to interview for a job

Question 31

In the process of selecting a candidate for a job, the ________ is most likely to make the final decision.

A) supervisor
B) human resources department
C) line manager
D) disciplinary committee

Question 32

Which of the following statements is an example of a closed-ended question?

A) Do you have experience in telesales?
B) Why do you think internal recruitment is more advantageous than external recruitment?
C) What is your strategy to remain focused on your work?
D) How will your experience with your previous employer help you in your current employment?

Question 33

Which of the following questions should an interviewer usually refrain from asking a candidate during a selection interview?

A) What is your current legal name?
B) What is your current residence?
C) Have you ever been convicted of felony?
D) What is your marital status?

Question 34

Jennifer, a new human resources manager for a pharmaceutical firm, is given the task of recruiting 25 people for the firm. Jennifer screens the candidates based on their education qualifications and the firm's job requirements. According to the selection process, which of the following should Jennifer do next?

A) She should interview the candidates.
B) She should conduct a physical examination of the candidates.
C) She should immediately conduct an employment test.
D) She should gather background information about the candidates.

Question 35

The halo effect is best defined as the

A) practice of forming an overall opinion on the basis of one outstanding characteristic.
B) practice of grouping together employees who share common interests.
C) phenomenon where group members lose their individuality and give in to group pressure.
D) act of hiring one's own relative for a job in spite of there being more eligible candidates.

Question 36

Which of the following is true of the selection process?

A) Usually, a supervisor does the initial screening of the selection process.
B) The human resources department makes the final decision in the selection process.
C) The selection process allows a firm to attract a large pool of candidates to apply for a job.

Question 37

In the process of selecting candidates for a job, the first step involves

A) interviewing the candidates.
B) screening from employment applications and résumés.
C) having the candidates undergo a physical exam.
D) conducting background and reference checks.

Question 38

Which of the following sources of external recruitment is most likely to be beneficial for an organization that lacks the time or expertise to carry out an effective recruiting effort?

A) Employment agencies
B) Job postings
C) Employee referrals
D) Print publications

Question 39

Which of the following is an advantage associated with an unstructured interview?

A) It makes sure that each interview covers the same material.
B) It gives more flexibility to the interviewer.
C) It allows the interviewer to ask impermissible questions.
D) It allows the interviewer to have a list of questions prepared in advance.

Question 40

Which of the following is a permissible question that an interviewer can ask a candidate during a selection interview?

A) Who handles the candidate's household responsibilities?
B) Does the candidate have his or her birth certificate?
C) What is the candidate's preferred courtesy title?
D) Does the candidate meet the minimum age requirement set by law?

Question 41

Which of the following is true of closed-ended questions?

A) They lead a candidate to provide more information.
B) They tend to be more useful in interviewing than open-ended questions.
C) They lead to answers that are usually not clear or specific enough.
D) They require a simple answer, such as yes or no.

Question 42

An interview in which the interviewer has no list of questions prepared in advance but asks questions on the basis of the applicant's responses is referred to as a(n) ________ interview.

A) structured
B) unstructured
C) semistructured
D) nonstandardized

Question 43

A test that measures whether a person has the skills needed to perform a job is called a(n)

A) psychomotor test.
B) aptitude test.
C) proficiency test.
D) personality test.

Question 44

In the context of administering employment tests, a psychomotor test

A) identifies various personality traits.
B) measures an applicant's ability to learn skills related to the job.
C) measures a person's strength, dexterity, and coordination.
D) determines whether an applicant has the skills needed to perform a job.

Question 45

The factor that differentiates the interpersonal interview style from the professional interview style is that the latter

A) is informal in nature.
B) focuses primarily on the information pertinent to the job itself.
C) does not enable a candidate to build rapport with an interviewer.
D) enables an interviewer to gain more information about a candidate.

Question 46

A(n) ________ interview style is informal in nature and signals that the supervisor is interested in getting to know the candidate both as a prospective employee and an individual.

A) interpersonal
B) professional
C) authoritative
D) laissez-faire

Question 47

A test that measures an applicant's ability to learn skills related to a job is known as a(n) ________ test.

A) intelligence
B) aptitude
C) psychomotor
D) proficiency

Question 48

A(n) ________ question is one that gives the person responding broad control over the response.

A) structured
B) closed-ended
C) unstructured
D) open-ended

Question 49

Which of the following is true of open-ended questions?

A) They are seldom used by supervisors when interviewing job candidates.
B) They lead a candidate to provide more information.
C) They require a simple answer, such as yes or no.
D) They tend to be less useful in interviewing than closed-ended questions.

Question 50

Which of the following questions can be asked by an interviewer during the interviewing process?

A) What nationality is that name?
B) What are your strengths and weaknesses?
C) How long do you plan to work before retiring?
D) Are you planning to have any children?

Question 51

Jennifer believes that Mark, a new employee, is the most efficient employee in the company. Her basis of this opinion is that Mark was polite and had once helped her find her car keys which she had misplaced in the office. Now, whenever she sees Mark working in the office, she assumes that he is the hardest working employee in the company. Jennifer's belief is an example of the

A) halo effect.
B) hindsight bias.
C) placebo effect.
D) courtesy bias.

Question 52

Which of the following statements accurately differentiates structured interviews from unstructured interviews?

A) Structured interviews are formal in nature, whereas unstructured interviews are informal in nature.
B) Unstructured interviews give an interviewer more flexibility than structured interviews.
C) Unlike structured interviews, unstructured interviews cover the same material with each candidate.
D) Structured interviews use open-ended questions, whereas unstructured interviews use closed-ended questions.

Question 53

Which of the following questions during an interview violate antidiscrimination laws?

A) Why do you want to work for our company?
B) Are you planning to have any children?
C) How do you plan to continue developing yourself?
D) Are you a leader? Explain.

Question 54

A(n) ________ question is one that requires a simple answer, such as yes or no.

A) structured
B) closed-ended
C) unstructured
D) open-ended

Question 55

In the interviewing process, once an interviewer prepares the content and conditions of an interview, he or she should

A) record impressions of the candidate.
B) make the candidate feel comfortable.
C) ask about background, qualifications, goals, and expectations.
D) administer employment tests.

Question 56

In a structured interview, an interviewer

A) covers the same material with each candidate.
B) has no list of questions prepared in advance.
C) has more flexibility in the choice of questions.
D) can ask only open-ended questions.

Question 57

A(n) ________ interview style tends to be formal in nature and focuses primarily on the information pertinent to the job itself.

A) interpersonal
B) professional
C) democratic
D) laissez-faire

Question 58

________ questions tend to be more useful in interviewing, because they lead a candidate to provide more information.

A) Structured
B) Closed-ended
C) Unstructured
D) Open-ended

Question 59

In the interviewing process, after making the candidate comfortable, an interviewer should begin by

A) asking general questions about the candidate's background and qualifications.
B) telling the candidate what to expect regarding the organization's decision about the job.
C) jotting down notes of his or her impressions about the candidate.
D) asking questions about the candidate's age, race, marital status, and religion.

Question 60

What is the objective of administering employment tests in the selection process?

A) To narrow the pool of applicants to the number that a supervisor wants to interview for a job
B) To learn details about the information a candidate has provided on the application or résumé
C) To see whether employees have the necessary skills to perform the job efficiently
D) To compare the applications or résumés of candidates with the job description prepared by a supervisor

Question 61

The federal government agency that is in charge of enforcing Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the

A) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
B) U.S. Department of Labor.
C) Affirmative Action Association.
D) Immigration Agency.

Question 62

Which of the following is an example of an employment reference?

A) A reference provided by former supervisors verifying an applicant's work history
B) A reference provided by professors regarding an applicant's performance in school
C) A reference provided by former colleagues verifying an applicant's character
D) A reference provided by friends substantiating an applicant's job performance

Question 63

Since Congress passed the ________ Act, experts have advised that employers request a physical exam only after a job offer is made.

A) Age Discrimination in Employment
B) Americans with Disabilities
C) Pregnancy Discrimination
D) Civil Rights

Question 64

Which of the following is least likely to be a benefit of requesting a physical examination after making a job offer?

A) It helps the organization determine whether the person is physically able to fulfill job requirements.
B) It reduces the risk that someone will sue the company for refusing to hire him or her because of a disability.
C) It helps to determine whether the person is eligible for any life, health, and disability insurance that the company offers as benefits.
D) It allows an organization to legally deny employment to a disabled person who is capable of performing the essential functions of the job.

Question 65

Employment tests used by supervisors should be reviewed by the human resources department to ensure that they

A) are not discriminatory.
B) identify candidates with emotional disabilities.
C) have used closed-ended questions.
D) can screen out applicants based on age.

Question 66

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973

A) prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of age against people over 40 years old, provided the job does not involve much physical activity.
B) makes it illegal to refuse a job to a disabled person because of the disability, if the disability does not interfere with the person's ability to do the job.
C) makes it unlawful to discriminate on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
D) protects disabled veterans and veterans of the Vietnam War and requires federal contractors to make special efforts to recruit these people.

Question 67

In the context of conducting background and reference checks, former managers who can verify an applicant's work history are considered ________ references.

A) specialized
B) employment
C) personal
D) academic

Question 68

Plans designed to increase opportunities for groups that have traditionally been discriminated against are referred to as

A) ethnocracy plans.
B) civil rights.
C) affirmative action.
D) diversity promotion.

Question 69

When asked by Jay's employer, Rob vouches for Jay's moral qualities and temperament. In this case, Rob acts as a(n)

A) professional reference.
B) employment reference.
C) personal reference.
D) academic reference.

Question 70

Which of the following is an example of an academic reference?

A) A reference provided by former employers verifying an applicant's work history
B) A reference provided by professors regarding an applicant's performance in school
C) A reference provided by former colleagues verifying an applicant's character
D) A reference provided by friends substantiating an applicant's job performance

Question 71

In the selection process, which of the following usually takes place after making a job offer?

A) Reference checks
B) Psychomotor tests
C) Physical examinations
D) Structured interviews

Question 72

Which of the following is an example of a psychomotor test?

A) A test measuring a candidate's intelligence and emotional quotients
B) A test measuring a candidate's knowledge about the use of a tool
C) A test measuring a candidate's strength and technique in using a particular equipment
D) A test measuring a candidate's aptitude for a job

Question 73

Which of the following is true of requesting a physical examination during the selection process?

A) In the past, organizations have not required that job candidates pass a physical examination.
B) Since Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act, experts have advised that employers request a physical exam before a job offer is made.
C) Physical examination does not help determine whether the person is eligible for any life, health, and disability insurance that the company offers as benefits.
D) Most organizations will want the human resources department to handle the exams and the issue of how to accommodate employees with disabilities.

Question 74

The last stage of the selection process involves

A) conducting employment tests.
B) conducting physical examinations.
C) interviewing candidates.
D) making the selection decision.

Question 75

Which of the following is true of making the selection decision?

A) The final decision of whom to hire is usually up to the human resources department.
B) Typically, only one person will survive all the preceding steps of the screening process.
C) The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that employers request a physical exam before making the selection decision.
D) In practice, hiring decisions often reflect a variety of issues, including a supervisor's comfort level.

Question 76

In the context of employment tests, identify an example of a proficiency test.

A) A language test for the position of an editor at a publishing company
B) A dexterity test for a position in an assembly line
C) A test measuring a job applicant's physical strength
D) A personality test measuring the behavior of an individual under stressful conditions

Question 77

Since Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act, experts have advised that employers request a physical exam only

A) before a job offer is made.
B) before the formal interview.
C) after a job offer is made.
D) during the screening process.

Question 78

Which of the following is true of administering employment tests?

A) It is the first step in the selection process and narrows the pool of applicants.
B) Its objective is to see whether the supervisor and employee are comfortable with each other.
C) Usually, the top management of an organization handles the testing of applicants.
D) Personality tests can pose a problem if they identify candidates with mental disabilities.

Question 79

In the context of conducting background and reference checks, teachers or professors who can describe an applicant's performance in school are considered ________ references.

A) professional
B) employment
C) personal
D) academic

Question 80

Which of the following is true of background checks conducted during the selection process?

A) Background checks give a potential employer unlimited access to a candidate's personal information.
B) Often, a background check will yield only that an applicant did in fact hold the stated position during the dates indicated.
C) Since previous employers are cautious about what they disclose, a telephone call to a former supervisor is less fruitful than a written request for information.
D) There are no laws limiting the types of information available to potential employers through background checks.