Deck 14: HR Metrics and Workforce Analytics

Question 1

Attempts to understand how an organization's human capital needs would change as a function of some expected change in the organization's environment is called ______.

A) strategic alignment
B) workforce modeling
C) operational experiments
D) data mining

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The most important factor that has led to increased emphasis on HR metrics and analytics is

A) the costs involved in employee transactions
B) the quality revolution in the U.S.
C) the increased use and implementation of integrated HRIS
D) the growing interest in evidence-based management

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The technique used to identify a causal mechanism within data and identify patterns of relationships is called ______.

A) data mining
B) computing infrastructures
C) operational experiments
D) strategic realignment

Answer 3

A

Question 4

An example of a push communications channel is

A) memos from top management
B) posting metrics and analytics on company websites
C) offering access to searchable information repositories
D) e-mails to managers on metrics and analytics

Question 5

Strategic realignment involves the set of activities most commonly known as ______.

A) predictive analysis
B) benchmarking
C) Total Quality Management
D) human resource planning

Question 6

The Saratoga Institute/SHRM human resources metrics are

A) a highly valued overview of many HR metrics and the formulas used to calculate them
B) metrics that began to be used to measure HR effectiveness
C) used to measure or audit HR programs and activities
D) all of these

Question 7

Workforce analytics are

A) used to calculate costs and benefits analyses
B) used to predict the future strategy of an organization
C) strategies for combining metrics and examining changes in metrics
D) efforts to align real-time analysis of organizational and HR processes

Question 8

The metrics that focus on how well the HR department accomplishes its critical processes to support organizational effectiveness are ______.

A) strategic realignment
B) predictive analysis
C) computing infrastructures
D) administrative process efficiency

Question 9

An important test of the appropriateness of outcome metrics is the "why" test.

Question 10

One of the useful things to remember about HR metrics and analytics is "Don't Do Metrics." This advice means

A) that organizations without an integrated computing infrastructure should not do metrics
B) not to focus on small, narrowly targeted metrics
C) developing HR metrics should be focused on increased organizational effectiveness
D) both push and pull communications should be used

Question 11

The primary purpose for the use of HR metrics and workforce analytics is to

A) measure the effectiveness of HR programs
B) help managers make different and better decisions
C) compare the differences among operational departments (e.g., finance and marketing)
D) provide qualitative information about the functioning of the organization

Question 12

A method of creating useful comparisons is called ______.

A) organizational enhancement
B) baseline functionality
C) benchmarking
D) risk avoidance

Question 13

Assessing and reporting HR metrics will result in better organizational performance.

Question 14

______ allows users to maintain a current snapshot of key HR metrics.

A) A dashboard
B) Data mining
C) Workforce modeling
D) An operational experiment

Question 15

The balanced scorecard approach focuses on what will happen in the organization.

Question 16

"Big Data" refers to

A) many dashboards on one topic
B) large datasets that can be many terabytes or more
C) a program to build more effective benchmarks within an organization
D) all of these

Question 17

HR process efficiency focuses on how well HR departments accomplish critical HRM processes that support organizational effectiveness.

Question 18

Many managers perceive the increased interest in metrics and analytics as simply a mandate to compute and report more metrics.

Question 19

Actively sharing HR metrics and workforce analytics information with managers via e-mail is called ______.

A) putting HR metrics and analytics data in context
B) push systems of reporting
C) bottom line reports
D) benchmarking

Question 20

A common concern among individuals who construct metrics and analytics reports is

A) they can lead to erroneous managerial actions
B) whether anyone pays any attention to their reports
C) poor reporting of data elements to form metrics by the HR department
D) that the computer software is capable of handling the magnitude of data

Question 21

What is the value of an HR dashboard?

Question 22

Understanding what opportunities and problems managers face does not suggest relevant analyses that can support better decisions.

Question 23

What is workforce modeling,and what is its use in an organization?

Question 24

If managers do not use HR metrics and analytics to make different and better decision,the first question is the cost.

Question 25

Personal theories used to identify choices for outcome measures are an accurate reflection of reality.

Question 26

What is the difference between data mining and predictive analyses?

Question 27

"Big Data" is often seen as valuable because it offers volume,variety,and velocity.

Question 28

What is the difference between "push" and "pull" methods of communicating HR metrics and analytics?

Question 29

What are some of the limitations of early attempts of HR metrics?

Question 30

What is the primary determinant of the success of a metrics and analytics project?

Question 31

Why is it important to put HR metrics and analytics in context?

Question 32

Trying to identifying what metrics should be reported without considering an organization's problems and opportunities misses the reasons for the metrics.

Question 33

What metric of HR effectiveness is calculated by "the sum of external costs (recruiting)and internal costs (training new employees)divided by the total number of new employees in a specific time period"?

Question 34

Dashboards are an enriched component of reporting.

Question 35

No information system generates any return on the investment unless managers change their decision behavior for the better.

Question 36

What is the most important use of HR metrics and analytics?