Deck 5: Expanding the Talent Pool: Recruitment and Careers

Question 1

Which of the following can be used to best identify candidates for internal recruitment and promotion?

A) a Markov analysis
B) a 9-box grid
C) social media
D) employee referrals

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Organization W has had an opening in a key managerial role for three weeks, which is viewed as a long time. In situations like this in the past, Organization W has had to resort to hiring external to the organization, which is less preferable to the company, in order to fill the position in question. What is Organization W likely suffering from?

A) poor HR planning
B) a weak training and development program in the organization
C) a weak talent bench
D) a lack of value for promotions in the organization

Answer 2

C

Question 3

What determines the effectiveness of a computerized record system (such as SAP and PeopleSoft) for locating qualified internal job candidates?

A) the extent to which data in the system is kept current
B) the extent to which the system is "user-friendly"
C) the costs for updating the system
D) the availability of the system to line personnel

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What is another term for executive search firms?

A) headhunters
B) re-recruiters
C) passive job seekers
D) active job seekers

Question 5

Which external recruiting source normally provides applicants who stay with the organization the longest?

A) newspaper ads
B) search firms
C) job fairs
D) employee referrals

Question 6

ABC Corporation needs a new CEO. What is an important advantage of getting this person externally?

A) It helps to promote outbreeding.
B) It helps the organization maintain a rich organizational culture.
C) It helps to lower initial pay, thus saving on compensation costs.
D) It helps the organization gain access to knowledge from previous employers.

Question 7

What is often the greatest criticism of search firms?

A) They allow for too much "inbreeding."
B) Their clients have to pay them even if the search is unsuccessful.
C) Their search is not sufficiently wide.
D) They attract too many lawsuits.

Question 8

Trade schools can be a good source for recruits for what types of positions?

A) entrepreneurial and managerial
B) managerial and executive
C) entrepreneurial and executive
D) entry level and highly skilled employees

Question 9

Which of the following is the most important disadvantage of using employee referrals for recruitment?

A) It makes human resource planning near impossible due to the unpredictable nature of the talent pool.
B) Training recruiters to recognize potential in candidates in this way is difficult and costly.
C) Discrimination may result because people tend to refer others from similar backgrounds.
D) It is likely that individuals will refer weak candidates in order to lessen internal competition for promotions.

Question 10

Which of the following is a potential limitation when an organization practises promotion from within?

A) "inbreeding"
B) increased cost-per-hire by using the firm's job posting system
C) reduced employee morale
D) increased employee turnover

Question 11

Which recruitment method is more likely than the others to result in discrimination against members of protected groups?

A) executive search firms
B) social media
C) employee referrals
D) educational institutions

Question 12

Learning in Development (LID) is a high-tech firm that specializes in applications for hand-held devices. It is looking for a cheap, fast, and effective way of recruiting new candidates. Which strategy would best suit LID?

A) Internet recruiting
B) executive search firms
C) labour unions
D) walk-in job applicants

Question 13

Which of the following positions would most likely be filled by external candidates?

A) intermediate IT technicians
B) senior accounting clerks
C) supervisors
D) head coaches of professional sports teams

Question 14

Sarah is not actively looking for a job but she could be persuaded to take a new job if given the right opportunity. What is the term we used to describe Sarah?

A) reluctant candidate
B) job hopper
C) passive job seeker
D) active job seeker

Question 15

What is the key reason why the quality of employee-referred applicants tends to be high?

A) Employees are hesitant to recommend applicants who might not perform well.
B) Employees train the applicants.
C) Employees tend to refer their friends and relatives.
D) Inbreeding improves the quality.

Question 16

Some organizations that want to focus on their core functions, including small businesses that lack time or HR personnel, sometimes use outside firms for their recruiting functions. What is this process called?

A) delegation of recruiting
B) core function planning
C) recruitment channelling
D) recruiting process outsourcing

Question 17

Which of the following groups is most likely to respond to advertisements placed through social media?

A) Generation X
B) Generation Y
C) retirees
D) baby boomers

Question 18

What is the practice of hiring relatives called?

A) insourcing
B) nepotism
C) favouritism
D) inbreeding

Question 19

What is a good way to cast a wide net for diverse applicants in a certain region?

A) employee referrals
B) job fairs
C) re-recruiting
D) nepotism

Question 20

Which of the following is a characteristic of a tight labour market?

A) high unemployment
B) low unemployment
C) declining compensation rates
D) low productivity

Question 21

Hiring halls are associated with which type of work environment?

A) unionized
B) high technology
C) stock trading
D) educational

Question 22

When Mark applied for a job as an engineer in a small town in Northern Canada, he was told that the pay was good, but that it can be very lonely and cold in the winter. Which of the following approaches to recruiting is the employer using?

A) realistic job preview
B) balanced scorecard
C) balanced recruiting
D) negative/positive job assessment

Question 23

Company A sometimes recruits employees from its network of past employees/alumni. What is this process called?

A) retiree recruiting
B) re-recruiting
C) network recruiting
D) employee leasing

Question 24

Which organizational situation is most likely to benefit from using realistic job previews?

A) in the financial industry where there are few jobs but the training is arduous and jobs are not very lucrative despite the promise of wealth in the long run
B) in creative organizations, such as symphony orchestras, where the work is not well paid and the training is intense
C) in a high-tech organization where despite being in a very competitive industry engineers are allowed to explore their creative side and are motivated financially to suggest innovative products
D) in a meat-processing plant where the work is very messy, the smell is strong and unpleasant, and a lot of expensive training is needed to do the job well

Question 25

Which of the following is an important limitation of using educational institutions for recruitment?

A) The education students receive is not relevant to the workplace.
B) Basing recruitment of candidates on grade transcripts is not a valid selection tool.
C) Recruitment is limited to sales and retail.
D) Candidates generally have limited full-time job experience.

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT a service generally offered by public employment agencies?

A) compensation surveys
B) evaluation programs
C) employment testing
D) apprenticeship programs

Question 27

What is the first stage in the career stage model?

A) early childhood
B) organizational entry
C) preparation for work
D) early career

Question 28

What type of individual is most associated with a boundaryless career?

A) retiree
B) someone highly committed to an organization
C) someone who does not take risks
D) self-directed "free agents"

Question 29

Which of the following sources of applicants is associated with temporary employees more than the other sources?

A) search firms
B) walk-ins
C) private employment agencies
D) job fairs

Question 30

Linda has advanced through several roles with increasing responsibilities at ABC Corporation, including HR assistant, HR generalist, and HR manager. What is the term for this line of advancement?

A) line path
B) career line
C) job line progression
D) career path

Question 31

When Mary was recruited for her position, she was evaluated in a series of situations that resembled what she would likely experience on the job. Which recruitment method was the employer using?

A) skills inventory
B) management talent inventory
C) assessment centre
D) performance appraisal

Question 32

Sukhi is an excellent engineer and has been promoted three times within her current organization-she is now at the top level of engineering. She loves being an engineer, but the organization has now offered her a very lucrative position as a manager. If she wants to continue to be promoted, the only way is to move into management, since there are no higher engineering jobs for her. Which of the following programs would benefit Sukhi?

A) a boundaryless career
B) competency analysis
C) dual career tracking
D) a structural career plateau

Question 33

Which of the following is the best example of a person with a boundaryless career?

A) When Deborah become pregnant with her third child, she decided that working less would be best for her family. She now shares her job with another person who also works part-time.
B) Yusef quit his job of 10 years to open his own business and work from home. He has the freedom of being his own boss and being flexible with his schedule.
C) Bill works in a creative role within an organization with a flat structure. In such an organization there are opportunities to contribute at all levels.
D) Sally has worked for three different organizations in five years. Each time she moves to a new organization, and usually a higher position, she takes with her the skills and abilities she learned in her previous role.

Question 34

Which of the following best captures the "Peter Principle"?

A) Through natural selection, incompetent employees tend to turn over.
B) When promoting based on past performance and seniority, employees will be promoted regularly until they are promoted to a position where they cannot perform well.
C) Incompetence breeds incompetence.
D) Managers who are incompetent tend to produce situations where there are more grievances, more voluntary turnover, more absenteeism, and more harassment.

Question 35

Sandeep has been fired from his managerial position. His organization provides services to help him become employable and find a suitable position elsewhere. What are these services called?

A) coaching
B) mentoring
C) outplacement
D) relocation

Question 36

Which of the following best describes outplacement services?

A) They are useful methods of attracting individuals into a career.
B) They are designed to help terminated employees find a job elsewhere.
C) They are rarely given to executive employees.
D) They are vital parts of any career management system.

Question 37

Hamid is a professional engineer. He is not permanently in a management role, but is paid at management rate, and can choose to take up management roles without sacrificing his engineering role. How would you describe his career path?

A) complex career path
B) boundaryless career path
C) dual career path
D) divergent career path

Question 38

In order to identify qualified candidates for the job of "tennis teaching professional," Canmay Tennis Clubs have job candidates face a series of situations while they are observed, such as dealing with a series of emails from an unhappy club client in a difficult situation, role-playing a lesson, and a behavioural interview. Which method of identifying qualified candidates is Canmay using?

A) in-basket exercises
B) interviewing
C) a work sample
D) an assessment centre

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT a method generally used to improve the effectiveness of recruitment?

A) surveys
B) yield ratios
C) realistic job previews
D) employment testing

Question 40

Which of the following best describes private employment agencies?

A) They commonly provide services only to college graduates.
B) They do not charge a fee for their services.
C) They are administered through the provincial governments.
D) They commonly specialize in providing services for a specific occupational area.

Question 41

Luba is developing a mentoring program for her organization. She has put a great deal of effort into making sure that all protégés are matched demographically with their mentor (gender, race, etc.), educating participants about facts such as the reciprocal nature of the relationship, and that the relationship can be used for personal and professional development. In her plans, which myth about mentors has Luba fallen victim to?

A) A mentor has to be the same gender and race as the protégé.
B) Mentoring should focus on the professional and not the personal.
C) Although mentoring can be reciprocal, that is just a by-product. The focus should be on the protégé.
D) Highly profiled people make the best mentors.

Question 42

Recruiters usually have minimal influence on an applicant's decision to work for one organization or another.

Question 43

The effectiveness of recruitment strategies can change over time.

Question 44

ABC Corporation identifies the top 10 of its junior engineers and allows them to select a top executive to work with on their career development, including goals, expectations, and standards. How would you describe the resulting relationship between the executive and the junior engineer?

A) formal mentoring
B) controlled development
C) dual career planning
D) career networking

Question 45

When unemployment levels are low, employers may need to use more sources of recruitment.

Question 46

Scenario 5.2
Star Bright Consulting, a Canadian private employment agency specializing in IT staffing, has been successfully providing qualified IT employees to various firms in the Greater Toronto Area. Recently, the agency has been experiencing problems with its selection process. Primarily, the agency's clients are not happy with the length of time it takes to fill positions that become available. Even though Star Bright has been successful over the years, it is not fully leveraging technology to aid in its recruitment and selection efforts.
Refer to Scenario 5.2. Which of the following can be used to speed up the recruitment process while providing valuable information such as time and costs related to hiring?

A) quality of fill statistics
B) online software application
C) leveraging technology
D) applicant tracking system

Question 47

Scenario 5.1
Beloitte Industries Inc. (BI Inc.) has been one of Canada's leading financial advisory firms for over 50 years. Staffed by roughly 4000 employees in most major cities across the country, BI Inc. prides itself on hiring recent graduates from renowned business schools and offering them competitive salaries, excellent benefits and perks, and limitless training and development opportunities. Employees also have the opportunity to work from home a couple days a week. Over the years, the company realized that while it has no problems recruiting top candidates to the firm, it is having a harder time retaining them. Exit surveys reveal that while employees appreciate all the perks, benefits, and top salaries that attracted them to the organization, they are not able to enjoy them due to six-day workweeks and 14-hour days, leaving very little time for friends and family. They did not know of these work situations when they were hired.
Refer to Scenario 5.1. Adopting a realistic job preview at BI Inc. can lead to which of the following?

A) turnover of employees who are more driven by the money
B) better job satisfaction and lower turnover
C) inaccurately reflecting the culture for which the candidate is signing up
D) negative effect on the socialization process

Question 48

Scenario 5.2
Star Bright Consulting, a Canadian private employment agency specializing in IT staffing, has been successfully providing qualified IT employees to various firms in the Greater Toronto Area. Recently, the agency has been experiencing problems with its selection process. Primarily, the agency's clients are not happy with the length of time it takes to fill positions that become available. Even though Star Bright has been successful over the years, it is not fully leveraging technology to aid in its recruitment and selection efforts.
Refer to Scenario 5.2. Which of the following tools can Star Bright use to promote the IT careers it offers?

A) blogs and articles in industry publications
B) chat lines in cyberspace
C) an intranet where positions can be quickly viewed and applied for
D) links to current employees' Facebook profiles

Question 49

Scenario 5.1
Beloitte Industries Inc. (BI Inc.) has been one of Canada's leading financial advisory firms for over 50 years. Staffed by roughly 4000 employees in most major cities across the country, BI Inc. prides itself on hiring recent graduates from renowned business schools and offering them competitive salaries, excellent benefits and perks, and limitless training and development opportunities. Employees also have the opportunity to work from home a couple days a week. Over the years, the company realized that while it has no problems recruiting top candidates to the firm, it is having a harder time retaining them. Exit surveys reveal that while employees appreciate all the perks, benefits, and top salaries that attracted them to the organization, they are not able to enjoy them due to six-day workweeks and 14-hour days, leaving very little time for friends and family. They did not know of these work situations when they were hired.
Refer to Scenario 5.1. BI Inc.'s problems stem from which of the following?

A) not providing all the realities of the job when hiring
B) lack of flexibility for employees
C) too many unexpected surprises
D) providing unrealistic rewards

Question 50

Which of the following refers to those artificial barriers based on attitudinal or organizational bias that prevent qualified individuals from advancing upward in their organizations into management positions?

A) artificial barriers
B) the glass floor
C) the job plateau
D) the glass ceiling

Question 51

Which of these types of program can be used to retain high potential employees?

A) a fast-track program
B) a referral program
C) a counselling program
D) an outplacement program

Question 52

Excessive reliance upon internal sources can create the risk of employee cloning.

Question 53

Scenario 5.1
Beloitte Industries Inc. (BI Inc.) has been one of Canada's leading financial advisory firms for over 50 years. Staffed by roughly 4000 employees in most major cities across the country, BI Inc. prides itself on hiring recent graduates from renowned business schools and offering them competitive salaries, excellent benefits and perks, and limitless training and development opportunities. Employees also have the opportunity to work from home a couple days a week. Over the years, the company realized that while it has no problems recruiting top candidates to the firm, it is having a harder time retaining them. Exit surveys reveal that while employees appreciate all the perks, benefits, and top salaries that attracted them to the organization, they are not able to enjoy them due to six-day workweeks and 14-hour days, leaving very little time for friends and family. They did not know of these work situations when they were hired.
Refer to Scenario 5.1. Which of the following is helpful in achieving retention at BI Inc.?

A) highlighting only the positive aspects of the job when hiring
B) not providing a tour of the working facility during the recruitment process
C) providing a recruitment package that covers desirable and undesirable attributes
D) discussion of how to compensate for any negative consideration

Question 54

In many cases, hiring someone from outside is seen as essential for revitalizing the organization.

Question 55

A recruiting strategy that works for one form might not work for another.

Question 56

The effectiveness and attractiveness of recruiters is often a main reason why applicants select one organization over another.

Question 57

The size of an organization can affect who performs the recruitment function.

Question 58

In addition to the positive morale benefits, recruiting from within the organization also attempts to capitalize on HR and human capital investments.

Question 59

Scenario 5.2
Star Bright Consulting, a Canadian private employment agency specializing in IT staffing, has been successfully providing qualified IT employees to various firms in the Greater Toronto Area. Recently, the agency has been experiencing problems with its selection process. Primarily, the agency's clients are not happy with the length of time it takes to fill positions that become available. Even though Star Bright has been successful over the years, it is not fully leveraging technology to aid in its recruitment and selection efforts.
Refer to Scenario 5.2. Which of the following is NOT useful in assisting Star Bright with efforts to improve its recruitment and selection process?

A) yield ratio
B) time to fill a position
C) realistic job preview
D) cost per hire

Question 60

A tight labour market is one with low unemployment.

Question 61

Nepotism is a problem with executive search firms.

Question 62

A recruiter's job is to "sell" applicants on the organization, but they have no influence on their decision.

Question 63

Employee referrals are associated with high employee turnover rates.

Question 64

Recruiters sent to university and college campuses must be properly trained and prepared to talk to candidates about their company and job requirements of specific openings.

Question 65

Online games are not effective in branding.

Question 66

Skill inventories are an important tool for succession planning.

Question 67

Realistic job previews reduce turnover, but also reduce job acceptance rates.

Question 68

Human resources information systems can be used to predict the career paths of employees.

Question 69

Often, applicants will respond to an advertisement even if they don't meet the job requirements.

Question 70

Public employment agencies work closely with private employment agencies.

Question 71

Applicants who find employment through an employee referral tend to be a problem because they tend to quit more often.

Question 72

Labour unions can be a recruiting source for some professional job openings.

Question 73

Private employment agencies often specialize in particular occupations or professions.

Question 74

Using the Internet is an inexpensive way to brand and recruit.

Question 75

Yield ratios are used to assess the effectiveness of recruitment sources.

Question 76

The most commonly used search tactic for job seekers is Internet recruiting.

Question 77

For technical and managerial positions, community colleges are generally the primary source of recruitment.

Question 78

Placement is the process of attempting to locate and encourage potential applicants to apply for existing or anticipated job openings.

Question 79

There is a correlation between the accuracy and completeness of an advertisement and recruitment success.

Question 80

The realistic job preview informs applicants about all aspects of the job, including both its desirable and its undesirable facets.