Deck 5: Human Resource Planning and Recruitment

Question 1

Research indicates that job applicants find companies with due process policies more attractive than companies with employment-at-will practices.

Answer 1

True
Explanation: Research indicates that job applicants find companies with due process policies more attractive than companies with employment-at-will policies.

Question 2

A comparison of the proportion of workers in protected subgroups with the proportion that each subgroup represents in the relevant labor market is called a workforce utilization review.

Answer 2

True
Explanation: It is important to plan for various subgroups within the labor force. The proportion of workers in these subgroups can be compared with the proportion that each subgroup represents in the relevant labor market. This type of comparison is called a workforce utilization review.

Question 3

Change matrices are extremely useful for charting historical trends in a company's supply of labor.

Answer 3

False
Explanation: Transitional matrices show the proportion (or number)of employees in different job categories at different times. Matrices such as these are extremely useful for charting historical trends in the company's supply of labor.

Question 4

Increasingly, "call center" staffing is the only type of work that is being offshored.

Question 5

The goals an organization sets in its human resource planning process should come directly from the analysis of its labor supply and demand.

Question 6

An objective measure that accurately predicts future demand is called a nominal predictor.

Question 7

The typical organizational response to a labor shortage has been either hiring temporary employees or outsourcing, responses that are fast and high in revocability.

Question 8

One of the reasons organizations engaged in downsizing was that, for economic reasons, many firms changed the location of where they did business.

Question 9

An advantage of employing temporary workers is that it frees the firm from many administrative tasks and financial burdens associated with being the "employer of record."

Question 10

Outsourcing is a logical choice when a firm does not have certain expertise and is unwilling to invest the time and effort to develop it.

Question 11

As an option for avoiding an expected labor shortage, the use of new external hires is fast and the terms of revocability are high.

Question 12

In the past decade, the typical organizational response to a surplus of labor has been downsizing, which is fast, but high in human suffering.

Question 13

Characteristics of a job vacancy are less important than recruiters or recruiting sources when it comes to predicting job choice.

Question 14

Economic planning models are useful when there is a long, stable history that can be used to reliably detect relationships among variables.

Question 15

The first step in the human resource planning process is forecasting.

Question 16

The goal of recruiting is simply to generate large numbers of applicants.

Question 17

Image advertising is often effective because job applicants develop ideas about the general reputation of the firm and then this spills over to influence their expectations about the nature of specific jobs at the organization.

Question 18

Recruiting advertisements in newspapers and periodicals typically generate more desirable recruits than direct applications or referrals.

Question 19

Despite the fact that baby boomers are approaching retirement, early indicators show this group has no intention of retiring.

Question 20

Employers prefer hiring and training new employees rather than having to pay workers extra for overtime production.

Question 21

The process of attempting to ascertain the supply and demand for various types of human resources is called _____.

A)goal setting
B)downsizing
C)program evaluations
D)forecasting
E)implementation

Question 22

Which of the following is true about transitional matrices?

A)A transitional matrix can only be read from top to bottom.
B)Transitional matrices provide a comparison of the proportion of workers in protected subgroups with the proportion that each subgroup represents in the relevant labor market.
C)Transitional matrices provide an objective measure of the effectiveness of an organization's human resource recruitment policy.
D)Transitional matrices are extremely useful for charting historical trends in a company's supply of labor.
E)Transitional matrices show the increase in productivity of employees over a period of time.

Question 23

Statistical planning models almost always have to be complemented by _____.

A)competitor information
B)subjective judgments
C)transitional matrices
D)future prediction of the state of the economy
E)historical precedence

Question 24

Private employment agencies serve primarily blue-collar workers, while public employment agencies mostly deal with white-collar workers.

Question 25

A leading indicator is:

A)an informal way of measuring the purchasing power parity between two currencies.
B)a measurement of consumer confidence, which is defined as the degree of optimism on the state of the economy.
C)an economic indicator found by adding the unemployment rate to the inflation rate of an economy.
D)an indicator to measure changes in the price level of consumer goods and services purchased by households.
E)an objective measure that accurately predicts future labor demand.

Question 26

When applicants' reactions to recruiters are examined, age and gender are the two traits that stand out the most.

Question 27

The goals that are set in the human resource planning process should come directly from:

A)mid-level managers who tend to be most in touch with the organization's needs.
B)the results arrived at by forecasting methods.
C)the analysis of the labor supply and demand.
D)the strategic choices made by the company's top-level managers.
E)the feedback provided by the organization's customers.

Question 28

Recruiters tend to be viewed by job seekers as less credible when they are personnel specialists rather than subject matter experts in the job being filled.

Question 29

Refer to the following hypothetical transitional matrix for an auto parts manufacturer. How many credits specialists employed in 2001 were promoted to the category of loan officers in 2004?

A)70%
B)20%
C)5%
D)50%
E)90%

Question 30

A(n)_____ shows the proportion of employees in different job categories at different times.

A)employee task diagram
B)transitional matrix
C)job evaluation diagram
D)task role matrix
E)leading indicator

Question 31

The purpose of setting specific quantitative goals is:

A)to make sure that employees are held accountable for achieving the stated goals.
B)to ascertain whether or not the company has successfully avoided any potential labor surpluses or shortages.
C)to collect data about current employees and measure their performances.
D)to focus attention on the problem and provide a benchmark for determining the relative success of any programs aimed at redressing a pending labor shortage or surplus.
E)to predict areas within the organization where there will be future labor shortages or surpluses.

Question 32

Refer to the following hypothetical transitional matrix for an auto parts manufacturer. Employees of which of the following job categories were not promoted at all in 2004?

A)Sales representative
B)Assistant manager
C)Clerical
D)Credit analyst
E)Credit specialist

Question 33

Which of the following differentiates statistical forecasting methods from judgmental forecasting methods?

A)Judgmental methods are of less use than statistical methods in cases that have historical precedence.
B)Statistical methods allow for complete reliance on an inference about the future which judgmental methods do not.
C)Judgmental methods give predictions that are much more precise than those that could be achieved through statistical methods.
D)Under the right conditions, statistical methods are more precise for capturing historic trends in a company's demand for labor than judgmental methods.
E)Forecasting on the supply side should use statistical methods while on the demand side should use judgmental methods.

Question 34

Refer to the following hypothetical transitional matrix for an auto parts manufacturer. How many of the total assistant managers employed in 2001 were promoted to the managerial position in 2004?

A)95%
B)8%
C)5%
D)87%
E)83%

Question 35

Newspaper ads generate the largest number of recruits, but relatively few of these are qualified for the position.

Question 36

Refer to the following hypothetical transitional matrix for an auto parts manufacturer. Which of the following job categories saw the highest percent of its employees get promoted in 2004?

A)Sales representatives
B)Managers
C)Credit specialists
D)Loan officers
E)Clerks

Question 37

Which of the following is an advantage of statistical forecasting methods?

A)They are particularly useful if important events that occur in the labor market have no historical precedent.
B)They are particularly useful in dynamic environments.
C)They provide predictions that are much more precise than judgmental methods.
D)Small companies that cannot afford their own testing programs rely on statistical forecasting methods to recruit temporary employees.
E)In the event of a legal dispute, they are more acceptable as evidence by juries.

Question 38

The first step in the human resource planning process is _____.

A)forecasting
B)goal setting
C)program implementation
D)program evaluation
E)groupthink

Question 39

Refer to the following hypothetical transitional matrix for an auto parts manufacturer. In which of the following job categories were there demotions?

A)Assistant managers
B)Credit specialist
C)Clerical
D)Loan officer
E)Manager

Question 40

Research indicates that realistic job previews do lower expectations and can help reduce future turnover in the workforce.

Question 41

Your company's primary concern is to reduce an expected labor surplus fast; its secondary concern is to minimize human suffering. The option that would best address the company's concerns (in the priority indicated)is:

A)layoffs and transfers.
B)hiring freeze and work sharing.
C)early retirement and retraining.
D)natural attrition and transfers.
E)homesourcing and work sharing.

Question 42

The _____ requires that employers give workers 60 days warning regarding layoffs, as well as severance pay.

A)Employer's Liability Act
B)Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act
C)Protection of Employment Regulations
D)Age Discrimination in Employment Act
E)Equal Pay Act

Question 43

_____ is an option for avoiding an expected labor shortage that is slow and has high revocability.

A)Natural attrition
B)Retrained transfers
C)Outsourcing
D)Overtime
E)Technological innovation

Question 44

Which of the following options for reducing an expected labor surplus is a faster option but results in high human suffering?

A)Early retirement
B)Retraining
C)Hiring freeze
D)Natural attrition
E)Demotions

Question 45

In the face of demographic pressures dealing with an aging workforce, many employers try to induce _____ among their older workers through early retirement incentive programs.

A)paid leave
B)work penalties
C)work sharing
D)voluntary attrition
E)transfers

Question 46

Which of the following disadvantages does an older workforce pose for employers?

A)Higher seniority, high medical costs, and higher pension contributions mean older workers are costlier than younger workers.
B)Older workers firmly refuse to bring themselves up-to-date with the latest technology.
C)Older workers often leave an organization in a perilous situation if they decide to retire suddenly.
D)Judgmental forecasting results have forced companies to retain the older workforce, which in turn is turning out to be costlier.
E)The younger employees, due to lack of experience, find it difficult to deal with an older workforce.

Question 47

Is the argument that "call center" staffing is the only type of work being offshored valid?

A)No, because countries to where jobs are being offshored are facing a shortage of skilled labor and are refusing "call center" jobs.
B)Yes, because the level of education and infrastructure does not support high-end support jobs like reading X-rays and other medical tests.
C)Yes, because the state of online security and privacy is less advanced in developed countries.
D)No, because figures have shown that countries like China and India, and those in Eastern Europe try to the climb the skill ladder of available work.
E)Yes, because in order to maintain employment rates in their own countries, companies avoid offshoring jobs.

Question 48

Which of the following is true about temporary workers?

A)Although they are temporary, these workers have to be included in employee records.
B)The objective perspective that temporary workers bring along with them is of no value because of their lack of experience.
C)Despite prior training from temporary agencies, companies have to retrain temporary workers to match company standards.
D)Some full-time employees perceive the temporary help as a threat to their own job security.
E)Instead of replacing long-term employees with temporary employees, many organizations supplement their core staff with a small set of temporary workers who act more like assistants to the core staff than potential replacements.

Question 49

_____ is the planned elimination of large numbers of personnel designed to enhance organizational effectiveness.

A)Homesourcing
B)Downsizing
C)Retirement
D)Retraining
E)Work sharing

Question 50

Which of the following is a negative effect of downsizing?

A)In case the laid-off employees are a part of any labor unions, the company may have to fight the unions legally.
B)Many downsizing campaigns let go of people who turn out to be irreplaceable assets.
C)Downsizing interferes with the optimization of resources brought through voluntary transactions in the market.
D)Downsizing is time-consuming because managers have to go through employee records to look for low performers.
E)Downsized companies have to deal with the extra pressure of gaining back the business and confidence of the client.

Question 51

Which of the following is a disadvantage of employing temporary workers as a means of eliminating a labor shortage?

A)The use of temporary workers adds up to many administrative tasks and financial burdens associated with being the "employer of record."
B)Temporary workers do not pose a threat to current employees which makes the overall environment less competitive.
C)The level of commitment to the organization and its clients that temporary workers bring with them does not always match that of the organization itself.
D)Many temporary agencies train employees prior to sending them over to employers, which often means that the company has to retrain them in accord with its own standards.
E)Because temporary workers have little experience in the host firm, the objective perspective they bring along is of no value.

Question 52

A special case of outsourcing where the jobs that move actually leave one country and go to another is called _____.

A)homesourcing
B)outdistancing
C)co-sourcing
D)telecommuting
E)offshoring

Question 53

Which of the following is most likely to lead to a successful downsizing?

A)Avoiding indiscriminant reductions
B)Informing employees that they are laid off via emails
C)Downsizing at random
D)Avoiding changes in the nature of work roles
E)Removing the oldest and best-paid employees first

Question 54

Which of the following best explains why older people approaching retirement age have no intention of retiring?

A)Many employers want to stay away from the costs of hiring a younger crowd and refuse to retire the older workers.
B)Older workers typically occupy the best-paid jobs and hence prevent the hiring of younger workers.
C)Improved health of older people in general in combination with the decreased physical labor in many jobs has made working longer a viable option.
D)They are more expensive than the younger workers because of their experience and stability.
E)Statistical forecasting results have shown that older people are an asset to an organization's economic strength.

Question 55

A software company is seeking to address a projected labor shortage by selecting from a number of possible options aimed at redressing the pending labor shortage. In which of the following steps of the human resource planning process does this occur?

A)Goal setting and strategic planning
B)Program evaluation
C)Forecasting
D)Program implementation
E)Data collection

Question 56

Which of the following statements is true about downsizing?

A)The typical organizational response to a surplus of labor has been downsizing, which is slow but low in human suffering.
B)An organization turns to downsizing only in times of recession.
C)In firms that are high in research and development intensity, downsizing has been linked to higher long-term organizational profits.
D)The negative effects of downsizing seem to be reduced in service industry's characterized by high levels of customer contact.
E)Downsizing efforts often fail because employees who survive the purges often become narrow-minded, self-absorbed, and risk-averse.

Question 57

Which of the following options for avoiding an expected labor shortage is a slow solution and has low revocability?

A)Overtime
B)Temporary employees
C)Retrained transfers
D)Technological innovation
E)Outsourcing

Question 58

Which of the following is true about outsourcing?

A)Outsourcing became a valid choice after certain methods of production and manufacturing became obsolete.
B)Outsourcing is a logical choice when a firm simply does not have certain expertise and is not willing to invest time and effort into developing it.
C)Technological advancements have slowed the momentum of outsourcing being done today.
D)Statistical forecasting resulted in companies transferring their operations and functions overseas.
E)Customers began complaining about poor client services which led to companies shifting their operations overseas.

Question 59

Which of the following options for avoiding an expected labor shortage has the benefit of being a fast solution with high revocability?

A)Temporary employees
B)Technological innovation
C)Turnovers
D)New external hires
E)Retraining

Question 60

Which of the following options for reducing an expected labor surplus is a slower option and is low on human suffering?

A)Downsizing
B)Demotions
C)Early retirement
D)Transfers
E)Temporary employees

Question 61

A(n)_____ is a short-term elimination of paid workdays applied to salaried workers, as opposed to hourly workers.

A)work sharing culture
B)demotion
C)furlough
D)lay-off
E)transfer

Question 62

_____ are people who apply for a vacancy without prompting from the organization.

A)Poached employees
B)Virtual employees
C)Internal employees
D)Referrals
E)Direct applicants

Question 63

When a company faces a shortage of labor, and it predicts that current demand for products or services may not extend to the future, it will:

A)try to garner more hours out of the existing labor force.
B)it will recruit and train new employees.
C)be willing to hire part-time employees.
D)decrease the production rate by half to meet quality standards.
E)lease out its machinery to other factories, thereby maintaining income.

Question 64

Policies that state that either party in the employment relationship can terminate that relationship at any time, regardless of cause are called _____.

A)due process policies
B)employment-at-will policies
C)counter cyclical hiring policies
D)employee liability policies
E)affirmative action policies

Question 65

Which of the following is an advantage of relying on internal recruitment sources?

A)It is a good way to strengthen one's own company and weaken one's competitors at the same time because it increase diversity.
B)It generates a sample of applicants who are well known to the firm.
C)The applicants are relatively less knowledgeable about the company's vacancies and hence easily trainable.
D)Because of the applicants' lack of knowledge about that particular position, their expectations are easy to meet.
E)It results in a workforce whose members all think alike and who therefore are more suited to innovation.

Question 66

_____ forecast and monitor the proportion of various protected group members, such as women and minorities, that are in various job categories and career tracks.

A)Ethnocracies
B)Group rights
C)Affirmative action plans
D)Ethnic nepotism
E)Employment background checks

Question 67

Which of the following influence both the nature of the vacancies and the nature of the people applying for jobs in a way that shapes job choice decisions?

A)The social sector
B)Personnel policies
C)The judiciary
D)Government regulations
E)Labor unions

Question 68

_____ is the practice or activity carried on by the organization with the primary purpose of identifying and attracting potential employees.

A)Human resource recruitment
B)Applicant tracking system
C)Customer relationship management
D)Employee experience management
E)Customer experience transformation

Question 69

Jack Murske is looking for a job that fits his requirements. He has applied for a job vacancy in two companies in his town and five companies outside town. Jack is an example of a(n)_____.

A)referral
B)direct applicant
C)virtual employee
D)internal employee
E)poached employee

Question 70

A policy that lays out the steps an employee can take to appeal a termination decision is called a(n)_____.

A)counter cyclical hiring policy
B)outsourcing policy
C)employment-at-will policy
D)due process policy
E)affirmative action policy

Question 71

The programs developed in the strategic-choice stage of the process are put into practice in the _____ stage.

A)forecasting
B)program-implementation
C)goal-setting
D)evaluation
E)downsizing

Question 72

The final step in the planning process is to _____.

A)evaluate results
B)set goals and objectives
C)formulate strategies
D)establish forecasting methods
E)implement recruiting methods

Question 73

Image advertising is often effective because:

A)it provides information about the hiring procedure.
B)it helps applicants in preparing for an interview.
C)it gives a clear picture of the skills required in an applicant.
D)it allows organizations to advertise specific vacancies.
E)it enables applicants to develop ideas about the general reputation of a firm.

Question 74

A critical aspect of the program implementation step of human resource planning is:

A)setting a benchmark for determining the relative success of a program.
B)making sure that some individual is held accountable for achieving the stated goals.
C)selecting the best option for redressing a pending labor shortage or surplus.
D)ascertaining whether or not the company has successfully avoided any potential labor surpluses or shortages.
E)focusing attention on redressing a pending labor supply problem.

Question 75

Which of the following is true about offshoring?

A)The smaller and newer a vendor, the better it is for the company to conduct business.
B)Small overseas upstarts do not take risks that larger, more established contractors take.
C)Any work that is proprietary and requires tight security should be offshored.
D)A company should avoid outsourcing work that is self-contained and does not need exchange of information.
E)Small overseas upstarts often promise more than they can deliver.

Question 76

Sometimes, organizations advertise just to promote themselves as a good place to work in general. This is called _____.

A)product advertising
B)image advertising
C)informative advertising
D)proactive advertising
E)subliminal advertising

Question 77

An approach that pays higher-than-current-market wages is called a(n)_____.

A)premium-wage approach
B)free-rider effect
C)lead-indicator approach
D)lead-the-market approach
E)first-mover advantage

Question 78

Which of the following is in accord with the goal of recruitment?

A)Finely discriminate among reasonably qualified applicants.
B)Simply to generate large numbers of applicants.
C)Conduct dual-purpose interviews in the first half of the process.
D)Fill vacancies such that the objective of recruitment is met with.
E)Make sure to recruit and select new personnel simultaneously.

Question 79

The process of determining whether there are any subgroups whose proportion in a given job category within a company is substantially different from their proportion in the relevant labor market is called _____.

A)adverse treatment analysis
B)workforce utilization review
C)subgroup reconciliation
D)discrimination analysis
E)leading indicator

Question 80

Organizational recruitment materials that emphasize due process, rights of appeal, and grievance mechanisms send a message that:

A)the organization follows an employment-at-will policy.
B)the organization values productivity and profitability over employee rights.
C)job security is high in the organization.
D)the organization is in need of employees to fill important vacancies.
E)employee morale is low in the organization.