Question 1

A manager requires all job applicants to complete an online questionnaire that claims to tell the manager if each applicant is an extrovert or an introvert. This manager is engaging in the HRM process of ________.

Accepted Answer

Personality tests measure personality traits and characteristics relevant to job performance.

Question 2

A manager attempting to select a test for a job applicant that will be a good predictor of the applicant's performance on the job should be primarily concerned with the ________ of the test.

Accepted Answer

Validity is the degree to which a tool measures what it purports to measure-for selection tools, it is the degree to which the test predicts performance on the tasks or job in question. Managers should strive to use selection tools in such a way that they can achieve the greatest degree of reliability and validity.

Question 3

A job applicant calls a former college professor and asks him to write a letter to her prospective employer commenting on her classroom performance. This is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

Applicants for many jobs are required to provide references from former employers or other knowledgeable sources (such as a college instructor or adviser) who know the applicants' skills, abilities, and other personal characteristics.

Question 4

The degree to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure is called the ________ of the test.

Accepted Answer

Validity is the degree to which a tool measures what it purports to measure.

Question 5

Tests that assess the skills of a job applicant that are necessary for the successful performance of a job are known as ________ tests.

Accepted Answer

Ability tests assess the extent to which applicants possess the skills necessary for job performance, such as verbal comprehension or numerical skills.

Question 6

A job applicant seeking a position in an organization is asked to furnish written letters from former supervisors about the quality of his work performance. This is known as ________.

Accepted Answer

Applicants for many jobs are required to provide references from former employers or other knowledgeable sources (such as a college instructor or adviser) who know the applicants' skills, abilities, and other personal characteristics.

Question 7

When interviewers present a job applicant with a scenario that is likely to occur on the job and ask the applicant how he/she would respond, this type of question is known as a(n) ________ interview question.

Accepted Answer

In situational interviews, interviewers present interviewees with a scenario that they would likely encounter on the job and ask them to indicate how they would handle it.

Question 8

Tests that measure a job applicant's performance on actual tasks of the job are known as ________ tests.

Accepted Answer

Performance tests measure job applicants' performance on actual job tasks. During this time they are assessed for the skills an effective manager needs-problem-solving, organizational, communication, and conflict resolution skills.

Question 9

All of the job applicants for a sales position are asked "What would you do when a customer complains that it takes too long to receive service?" This type of question is known as a(n) ________ interview question.

Accepted Answer

In situational interviews, interviewers present interviewees with a scenario that they would likely encounter on the job and ask them to indicate how they would handle it.

Question 10

A manager interviews a series of job applicants and asks each applicant whatever he feels like asking without trying to ask all of the applicants the same questions. This is known as a(n) ________.

Accepted Answer

An unstructured interview proceeds more like an ordinary conversation. The interviewer feels free to ask probing questions to discover what the applicant is like and does not ask a fixed set of questions determined in advance.

Question 11

In the selection process managers use the ________ tool.

Accepted Answer

Selection tools include background information, interviews, paper-and-pencil tests, physical ability tests, performance tests, and references. Performance appraisal is the evaluation of employees' job performance and contributions to the organization.

Question 12

Tests that measure the personal characteristics of job applicants that are relevant to successful performance on the job are known as ________ tests.

Accepted Answer

Personality tests measure personality traits and characteristics relevant to job performance.

Question 13

A manager requires all applicants for a secretarial position to type a 1,000-word report to determine their error rate and typing speed. This is an example of a ________ test.

Accepted Answer

Performance tests measure job applicants' performance on actual job tasks. Applicants for secretarial positions, for example, typically are required to complete a keyboarding test that measures how quickly and accurately they type.

Question 14

Prior to designing a training and development program for managers, a human resource specialist attempts to determine which managers require training and what types of skills and knowledge these managers require to develop. This process is known as ________.

Accepted Answer

Before creating training and developing programs, managers should perform a needs assessment to determine which employees need training or development and what type of skills or knowledge they need to acquire.

Question 15

When a manager studies the résumé of a job applicant to determine the work history and education of the applicant, this is known as the process of ________.

Accepted Answer

To aid in the selection process, managers obtain background information from job applications and from résumés. Such information might include the highest levels of education obtained, college majors and minors, type of college or university attended, years and type of work experience, and mastery of foreign languages.

Question 16

General Motors tests applicants for autoworker positions on their mechanical dexterity in an attempt to determine if they have the capability to perform an assembly-line job. This is an example of ________ testing.

Accepted Answer

For jobs requiring physical abilities, such as firefighting, garbage collecting, and package delivery, managers use physical ability tests that measure physical strength and stamina as selection tools. Autoworkers are typically tested for mechanical dexterity because this physical ability is an important skill for high job performance in many auto plants.

Question 17

When managers use a set of predetermined questions for all the applicants for a specific job, this is known as a(n) ________.

Accepted Answer

In a structured interview, managers ask each applicant the same standard questions (e.g., "What are your unique qualifications for this position?" and "What characteristics of a job are most important to you?").

Question 18

Lion Motors asks applicants for assembly-line positions to complete a computer exercise on their reading and mathematical abilities in order to determine if they have the mental skills necessary to do these types of jobs. Lion is utilizing the screening procedure of ________ tests.

Accepted Answer

Ability tests assess the extent to which applicants possess the skills necessary for job performance, such as verbal comprehension or numerical skills. Autoworkers hired by Ford, for example, are typically tested for their ability to read and to do mathematics.

Question 19

Karen is a manager in a large restaurant chain, and she wants to use situational interview questions while interviewing server candidates. A situational interview question Karen can ask is ________.

Accepted Answer

Situational interview questions often present interviewees with a scenario they would likely encounter on the job and ask them to indicate how they would handle it. This helps the interviewee to demonstrate skills and abilities needed for the job by answering the question.

Question 20

The degree to which a test generates a similar score each time it is administered to a job applicant is known as the ________ of the test.

Accepted Answer

Reliability is the degree to which a tool or test measures the same thing each time it is administered.

Quiz 12: Building and Managing Human Resources