Question 1

Which forecasting technique has drawbacks that include subjectivity and the potential for participants' pressure to lead to less accurate assessments than could be obtained through other means?

Accepted Answer

E

Question 2

In contrast to quantitative approaches, qualitative techniques rely solely on

Accepted Answer

Qualitative techniques rely solely on expert judgments, rather than numerical data or statistical analysis.

Question 3

Which of the following is a quantitative technique for determining human resources requirements?

Accepted Answer

Trend analysis is a quantitative technique that involves studying an organization's past employment needs over a period and predicting future needs based on the pattern observed. The other techniques mentioned, such as the Delphi technique and the nominal group technique, are more qualitative in nature and rely on expert opinions and group discussions rather than hard data. Managerial judgment may also be used, but it is subjective and may not be as accurate as data-driven approaches. Therefore, D is the best choice for a quantitative technique for determining human resources requirements.

Question 4

Inadequate human resources planning within an organization can result in direct costs when labour demand decreases significantly for an extended period of time. Which of the following provides an accurate reason for this?

Accepted Answer

Inadequate human resources planning can lead to overstaffing, which means the organization has more employees than necessary. When labour demand decreases significantly for an extended period of time, the organization will be forced to lay off a large number of staff, which requires severance pay. This results in direct costs for the organization. Choices A, B, C, and D do not provide an accurate reason for this.

Question 5

The process of reviewing human resources requirements to ensure that the organization has the required number of employees with the necessary skills to meet its goals is known as

Accepted Answer

The process described is characteristic of human resources planning, making option E the best choice. Selection is the process of choosing the best candidate for a specific job, training and development is focused on improving existing employee skills, recruitment is the process of actively seeking out potential candidates for employment, and strategic planning is a broader process of setting organizational goals and determining the steps required to achieve them.

Question 6

Which of the following is a qualitative approach to forecasting human resources needs?

Accepted Answer

The nominal group technique is a qualitative approach to forecasting human resources needs. It involves a group of experts discussing and brainstorming potential HR needs and outcomes, and then ranking and prioritizing them. This approach can be useful in generating creative and diverse ideas, as well as in gaining insights into the opinions and perspectives of multiple stakeholders. Other approaches listed, such as regression analysis and trend analysis, are quantitative approaches that rely on historical data and statistical models. Ratio analysis involves comparing financial ratios and may not be directly relevant to HR needs forecasting.

Question 7

You are the HR manager of a company and the CEO has asked you to assist her in forecasting future human resources needs. She would like to use a forecasting technique which will generate an exchange of ideas amongst division directors and that will lead to greater acceptance of results. Which technique do you use?

Accepted Answer

The nominal group technique is a highly participatory approach to forecasting that involves group brainstorming and discussion. This technique encourages the exchange of ideas and opinions, and allows for a more collaborative and inclusive approach to forecasting. It is often used to generate ideas, make decisions, or solve problems in a group setting. It is an effective technique for building consensus and gaining acceptance of results, thus making it the best choice for the CEO's requirements. Trend analysis, regression analysis, informal expert forecast, and formal expert forecast are all useful forecasting techniques, but they do not necessarily involve the same level of participation and collaboration as the nominal group technique.

Question 8

Which of the following would an airline use to illustrate the relationship between passenger volume and ticketing agents require?

Accepted Answer

A scatterplot is a graph that shows the relationship between two variables. In this case, the two variables are passenger volume and ticketing agents required. The scatterplot would show how the number of ticketing agents required changes as the number of passengers increases.

Question 9

Sheila is helping a sales manager determine if the sales department should hire more people. They are comparing the quarter's sales to the number of active sales people. Which HR forecasting approach is Sheila and the sales manager using?

Accepted Answer

Sheila and the sales manager are using ratio analysis, which is a technique that involves calculating and comparing various ratios to help determine if the organization needs to make changes in its workforce. In this case, they are comparing sales figures to the number of salespeople to determine if more salespeople need to be hired, which is a common application of this technique. The other options listed (scatterplot, time-series analysis, trend analysis, regression analysis) are all statistical methods that may be used in HR forecasting, but they are not specifically relevant to the situation described in the question.

Question 10

Roslyn is the HR manager at a small but successful app development company that is growing quickly. She is explaining the steps in human resources planning to the CEO and informs the CEO that projected openings are to be filled by using two supply sources. These sources are

Accepted Answer

The two supply sources in human resources planning are typically internal and external. Internal sources include employees who can be promoted or transferred to fill open positions, while external sources include applicants from outside the organization. Option A is incorrect as contracting-out and outsourcing refer more to external service providers than potential employees. Option B is partially correct, but only includes promotion as an internal source and not transfer. Option D is incorrect as it only includes internal sources and not external sources. Option E is also incorrect as it does not refer to potential employees but rather methods of managing workload.

Question 11

Which forecasting technique is similar to ratio analysis in that it assumes productivity remains much the same?

Accepted Answer

Trend analysis is similar to ratio analysis as it assumes that past productivity trends will continue into the future, implying that productivity remains much the same.

Question 12

Two approaches used to gather qualitative data in order to forecast HR demand (or supply) are

Accepted Answer

Nominal group technique and Delphi technique are both commonly used methods to gather qualitative data for forecasting HR demand or supply. Nominal group technique involves a structured group discussion where participants are asked to generate and rank ideas, while Delphi technique involves a process where experts anonymously provide their opinions and the results are aggregated over multiple rounds. Both methods can be effective in gathering qualitative data from multiple sources to inform HR forecasting.

Question 13

Before estimating how many external candidates will be recruited what should management first determine?

Accepted Answer

Before estimating how many external candidates will be recruited, management should first determine the availability of internal candidates. This includes assessing their skills, qualifications, and interests in the available positions. Only after that should they look outside the organization for potential candidates. The turnover rate, employees likely to become managers, and how to balance supply and demand are all important factors to consider, but they should come after determining the availability of internal candidates.

Question 14

Anthony is a company's HR Manager and he is helping the production department determine seasonal employee needs. Anthony tracks the productivity levels of the year on a graph and fits a line through the points to predict future needs over different time periods. Which forecasting method is Anthony using?

Accepted Answer

Anthony is tracking productivity levels and using a line of best fit (regression line) to predict future needs. Regression analysis helps in identifying the relationship between two or more variables and forecasting based on that relationship. Therefore, Anthony is using regression analysis as a forecasting method in this scenario.

Question 15

The first step in the HRP process, after the HR implications of the firm's strategic plans have been analyzed, is

Accepted Answer

After analyzing the HR implications of the firm's strategic plans, the next step is to assess the current HR levels to understand the existing workforce and identify any gaps or surpluses.

Question 16

Short-term and long-range HR demand forecasts provide

Accepted Answer

Short-term and long-range HR demand forecasts provide half of the staffing equation, as they focus on predicting the organization's future staffing needs, while the other half involves assessing the supply of available talent.

Question 17

Failure to integrate HRP and strategic planning

Accepted Answer

Failure to integrate HRP (Human Resource Planning) and strategic planning can put the achievement of the organization's strategy at risk. This is because HRP helps ensure that the organization has the right number and types of employees with the necessary skills to achieve its strategic objectives. Without integration, it is possible that the organization may not have the right talent or workforce to support its strategic plans.

Question 18

A decision-making technique that involves experts meeting face to face and can also be used for HR forecasting is known as

Accepted Answer

The nominal group technique is a decision-making technique that involves experts meeting face to face and brainstorming ideas. It is a structured process that encourages equal participation and prevents domination by a single person. It can also be used for HR forecasting by bringing together HR experts to predict future trends and needs in the workforce. Option A and D are not specific techniques, while option B (managerial judgment) involves a single individual making a decision rather than a group. Option E (Delphi technique) is a similar technique to the nominal group technique but involves experts providing input asynchronously and anonymously rather than meeting in person. Therefore, the best choice is C.

Question 19

Computing the number of employees in the firm over the last three to five years is associated with which of the following forecasting techniques?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Computing the number of employees in the...

Question 20

As the HR manager of a company you are assisting the CEO in forecasting future human resources needs. She would like to use a qualitative technique to forecast long-term needs. Which technique should the HR manager use?

Accepted Answer

The Delphi technique is a qualitative forecasting technique that seeks to reach a consensus among a group of experts on a particular issue or topic. The experts are asked to provide their opinions on what they believe will happen in the future, and their responses are compiled and shared with the group anonymously. The group then discusses and refines their responses until a consensus is reached. This technique is particularly useful for long-term forecasts where there is a high degree of uncertainty or complexity involved. Therefore, the Delphi technique would be the best choice for forecasting long-term human resources needs.

Quiz 5: Human Resources Planning