Question 1

The use of temporary workers would be most appropriate in which of the following situations?
A) The company has a high rate of turnover among its regular employees
B) The employer has received a long-term contract from the Federal government for oceanic research.
C) A tax preparation company handles mostly individuals and has few business clients.
D) The organization is a start-up company with a competitive strategy of continuing expert customer service.

Accepted Answer

Temporary workers are most suitable for seasonal or peak periods of work, such as tax season for a tax preparation company, which sees a significant increase in workload during a specific time of the year.

Question 2

If a recruiter needs to find applicants who have a scarce,highly-specialized skill,it would be most efficient to use
A) the web site for that particular professional or occupational association.
B) an Internet job board such as Monster or HotJobs.
C) a job posting on the employer's own Web site.
D) a college placement office.

Accepted Answer

The web site for a specific professional or occupational association would likely have a pool of individuals with the highly-specialized skill the recruiter is seeking. These associations often attract people with a passion for the industry, and those who want to continue learning and specialize in a particular skill or set of skills. As such, the recruiter would have a higher likelihood of finding qualified applicants with this approach.

Question 3

Mimosa Clockworks has found that it has disparate impact in the proportion of Hispanic employees compared to the proportion of Hispanics in its labor market.The director of recruiting for Mimosa Clockworks should
A) lower the job specifications for Hispanic applicants.
B) begin advertising job openings on the local Spanish language radio station.
C) continue its current recruiting practices because only organizations with Affirmative Action Plans are required to meet EEO guidelines.
D) freeze hiring until qualified Hispanics apply for positions.

Accepted Answer

The best choice would be to begin advertising job openings on a local Spanish language radio station in order to expand the pool of potential Hispanic applicants. Lowering the job specifications for Hispanic applicants or freezing hiring until qualified Hispanics apply would not address the issue of disparate impact and may result in discrimination against other candidates. Additionally, even organizations without Affirmative Action Plans are still required to meet EEO guidelines.

Question 4

Begley Medical Center is recruiting for an oncology nurse practitioner.It would be most effective for Begley Medical Center to advertise
A) on a general job board such as Monster.
B) on the Begley Medical Center website.
C) on the website of the oncology nurse practitioner professional organization.
D) on a social networking site such as Facebook.

Accepted Answer

Advertising on the website of the oncology nurse practitioner professional organization would be the most effective as it would directly reach the target audience of qualified oncology nurse practitioners who are likely to be interested in the job. Advertising on a general job board or social networking site may attract unqualified candidates, while advertising solely on the Begley Medical Center website may not reach a wide enough audience.

Question 5

During the rebuilding efforts after a catastrophic earthquake along the New Madrid fault,qualified construction workers are in very short supply in the region from St.Louis to Memphis.As a result,the HR director of a large commercial construction company is proposing to the CEO that he consider hiring non-violent ex-felons who have served their sentences in prison who can be quickly trained to do basic construction jobs.The CEO is rather alarmed at this suggestion.The HR director's best argument is that although ex-felons are a non-traditional labor source,
A) felons have so few other job opportunities they will be loyal employees.
B) the CEO can either hire felons or lose out on potentially lucrative construction contracts.
C) in order to encourage employment of felons the federal government gives their employers significant tax breaks.
D) construction is a good job match for felons because it is a dangerous job which appeals to their risk-taking personalities.

Accepted Answer

The HR director's best argument is that hiring ex-felons is necessary to meet the labor demand and secure construction contracts, which is crucial for the company's success.

Question 6

Angela is a self-employed graphic artist.Typically she is hired by companies for special projects that may last anywhere from a week to six months.Angela is a/an
A) independent contractor.
B) undocumented worker.
C) temporary employee.
D) self-leasing professional.

Accepted Answer

Angela is an independent contractor because she is self-employed and hired by companies for specific projects. As an independent contractor, she is not considered a traditional employee and is responsible for paying her own taxes and benefits.

Question 7

If an employer lists the designation EEO/M-F/AA/ADA in its employment advertisements it indicates
A) the employer must preferentially hire minorities and disabled persons.
B) the company has been found liable in a discrimination lawsuit.
C) the employer has a policy of complying with equal employment regulations.
D) the employer has found disparate impact in its workforce and is seeking to remedy it by encouraging diversity in job applicants.

Accepted Answer

The designation EEO/M-F/AA/ADA refers to Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Americans with Disabilities Act. Including it in job advertisements indicates that the employer has a policy of complying with equal employment regulations and is committed to providing equal opportunities to all qualified candidates regardless of their race, gender, or disability status. It does not require the employer to preferentially hire any particular group.

Question 8

Collette is the director of HR for a large tax-preparation firm.The firm needs to quickly hire large numbers of tax preparers for tax season.Collette is short-staffed,so she plans to outsource much of the recruiting process without excessively limiting her final hiring decisions.Collette would find all of the following processes appropriate to outsource to a an employment agency EXCEPT
A) Internet advertising placement.
B) preliminary screening of résumés.
C) design of advertisements.
D) face-to-face interviews with finalists.

Accepted Answer

Face-to-face interviews with finalists should not be outsourced as it is a critical step in the hiring process that requires the input and judgment of the HR director. The other options, such as placing job ads on the internet, screening resumes, and designing advertisements, can be easily outsourced to an employment agency.

Question 9

A major economic factor in favor of an organization's deciding NOT to outsource U.S.jobs overseas is the
A) high levels of American productivity.
B) rapidly rising labor costs overseas.
C) restrictive U.S. requirements for work permits.
D) large tax penalties U.S. firms must pay if they outsource jobs.

Accepted Answer

High levels of American productivity make it economically feasible for organizations to keep jobs in the U.S. The productivity of American workers offsets the higher labor costs in the U.S. compared to some overseas locations.

Question 10

If an employer plans to tap nontraditional workers,it should be prepared to do all of the following EXCEPT
A) be flexible in work scheduling.
B) invest in training for workers.
C) pre-adapt its work stations for all major disabilities.
D) cooperate with non-profit groups who work with people with protected classes.

Accepted Answer

While employers should strive to provide accommodations for employees with disabilities, pre-adapting all work stations for all major disabilities is not necessary for tapping nontraditional workers. Employers should still be flexible in work scheduling, invest in training for workers, and cooperate with non-profit groups who work with people with protected classes to successfully incorporate nontraditional workers.

Question 11

Which of the following statements is FALSE regarding recruiting process outsourcing (RPO)?
A) RPO typically does not include follow-up interviews with applicants after initial screening and onsite visits.
B) The trade-off for cost-savings by using RPO is a reduction in overall quality of the applicant pool generated.
C) RPOs generate cost-savings for HR departments partly by reducing the number of HR personnel the department must keep on staff.
D) RPOs take over many of the administrative, but not strategic, functions of recruiting.

Accepted Answer

The statement that the trade-off for cost-savings by using RPO is a reduction in overall quality of the applicant pool generated is false. RPOs can actually increase the quality of the applicant pool by using specialized recruitment methods and technology, and by focusing solely on recruiting functions. The other statements are true regarding RPO.

Question 12

The electrical utility company serving a large Southwestern city is moving from using only traditional sources of electricity to promoting the use of solar and wind power.It is one of the first utilities in the country to move heavily to solar and wind-generated electricity.These are new technologies for the company and the legal regulations applied by the city are in flux as well.As the HR director for the utility company,you
A) should hire a headhunter to recruit engineers and technical specialists from other utility companies.
B) should target newly-graduated engineers and technical specialists so that new employees are brought in at entry level and are acculturated to the utility's way of doing things.
C) should focus on training and development to generate internal candidates for almost all the new positions and new jobs at the utility.
D) should plan to do more extensive external recruiting for technical and engineering positions.

Accepted Answer

The company is adopting new technologies, so it will need to recruit external candidates with expertise in solar and wind power to ensure it has the necessary skills and knowledge.

Question 13

The HR Best Practices case regarding hiring of veterinarians at USDA focuses on how the agency was able to increase its recruiting success.All of the following were successful tactics used by the USDA in improving its recruiting EXCEPT
A) giving recruiters a bonus per hire.
B) a monetary hiring incentive for veterinarians joining the USDA.
C) more flexible work scheduling.
D) more telework opportunities.

Accepted Answer

The USDA did not use a tactic of giving recruiters a bonus per hire to improve its recruiting success. Instead, they focused on strategies like monetary hiring incentives for new veterinarians, flexible work scheduling, and telework opportunities.

Question 14

One of the advantages for employees of employee leasing companies is that they
A) have employment contracts and are not at-will employees.
B) may receive better benefits than they would otherwise get in many small businesses.
C) tend to receive higher wages than if they were employed by a small business.
D) can be regarded as self-employed for IRS purposes.

Accepted Answer

Employee leasing companies often offer better benefits packages to employees than small businesses can afford to provide on their own, making it an advantage for the employees. The other options are not necessarily true for all employees of employee leasing companies.

Question 15

Sound HR practices would not automatically exclude the following non-traditional categories of potential applicants EXCEPT
A) a 35-year-old white male who is currently living in a half-way house for former drug addicts.
B) a 70-year-old woman with Parkinson's disease.
C) a 19-year-old man with an IQ of 78.
D) a college-educated Danish woman without an H1 visa.

Accepted Answer

Sound HR practices aim to be inclusive and non-discriminatory, focusing on the abilities and qualifications of applicants rather than their personal circumstances or backgrounds. Choices A, B, and C involve individuals who may face discrimination but are protected under various employment laws that encourage equal opportunity. Choice D, however, involves a legal restriction (lack of an H1 visa) that prevents employment in certain countries, making it a legitimate exclusion based on immigration and work authorization laws, not on discriminatory practices.

Question 16

All of the following are examples of flexible staffing EXCEPT
A) using regular part-time employees.
B) hiring independent contractors.
C) using seasonal workers..
D) hiring temporary workers.

Accepted Answer

Flexible staffing involves using employment arrangements that differ from traditional, full-time, permanent roles to provide flexibility for the organization. Hiring independent contractors (B), using seasonal workers (C), and hiring temporary workers (D) are all examples of flexible staffing as they allow organizations to adjust their workforce based on demand. Using regular part-time employees (A) is not considered a form of flexible staffing in this context because it refers to a more stable, albeit part-time, employment relationship rather than an arrangement designed for flexibility in response to fluctuating workloads or project-based needs.

Question 17

Hector Printers & Publishers,Inc.,has a reputation as a troubled firm in a declining industry.As the new director of HR,you explain to the CEO that the company's poor image is probably resulting in all of the following EXCEPT
A) fewer high-quality applicants apply for jobs at Hector P&P than at its competitors.
B) turnover of current employees is higher than at its competitors.l
C) Hector's total costs of recruiting and selection are lower than at its competitors.
D) recruiting top performers is more difficult than for its competitors.

Accepted Answer

Hector's poor reputation is likely to result in fewer high-quality applicants (A), higher turnover of current employees (B), and difficulty in recruiting top performers (D), as these individuals will likely choose to work for competing firms with better reputations. However, it is unlikely to result in lower total costs of recruiting and selection, as the company may need to incur additional expenses to attract and retain talent due to its poor reputation.

Question 18

A/an ____ takes over the staff of a small business and writes the paychecks,pays the taxes,prepares and implements HR policies,and keeps all the required records for a fee.
A) employment agency
B) payroll vendor
C) professional employer organization
D) third party employer

Accepted Answer

A professional employer organization (PEO) takes over the human resources responsibilities of a small business, including writing paychecks, paying taxes, preparing HR policies, and keeping records. They do this for a fee, allowing the small business to outsource these tasks and focus on their core operations. This is different from an employment agency, which typically helps businesses find and hire employees, and a payroll vendor, which only handles payroll processing. A third-party employer is not a common term and does not accurately describe this type of service.

Question 19

Ivan is an outstanding performer who was provided to the firm by a temporary service firm two months ago.Ivan's manager would like to hire Ivan as a regular employee and she has come to you,the HR director,to make this request.You realize that
A) the temporary agency contract requires the company to pay a placement fee if Ivan is hired as a regular employee
B) Ivan's performance will probably decrease if he is hired as a regular employee because his high performance was likely an "audition effect."
C) Ivan will be less expensive as a regular employee than as a temporary employee because temporary employees typically receive a 20% wage premium to offset the lack of benefits.
D) your employer is ethically bound not to hire temporary employees provided by an agency for regular employment.

Accepted Answer

The temporary agency contract typically requires the firm to pay a placement fee if Ivan is hired as a regular employee. It is important to review the contract and understand the obligations before making a decision.

Question 20

Which of the following statements is FALSE?
A) If disparate impact exists between the employer's workforce and the relevant labor markets, then the employer is required by law to expand its external recruiting efforts.
B) Affirmative Action Plans include hiring goals for protected classes that the employer must try to meet with its recruiting efforts.
C) It would be discriminatory for a race track to advertise job openings for "exercise boys."
D) If a company has few Somali employees in a community with a large Somali presence, a good recruiting strategy is to have company employees who are Somali to help with recruiting..

Accepted Answer

Affirmative Action Plans do include hiring goals for protected classes, but there is no legal requirement that mandates employers to expand external recruiting efforts specifically due to disparate impact. Employers are encouraged to ensure their hiring practices are fair and non-discriminatory, but the law does not prescribe specific recruiting efforts based on workforce composition compared to the labor market.

Quiz 6: Recruiting and Labor Markets

The use of temporary workers would be most appropriate in which of the following situations?

If a recruiter needs to find applicants who have a scarce,highly-specialized skill,it would be most efficient to use

Mimosa Clockworks has found that it has disparate impact in the proportion of Hispanic employees compared to the proportion of Hispanics in its labor market.The director of recruiting for Mimosa Clockworks should

Begley Medical Center is recruiting for an oncology nurse practitioner.It would be most effective for Begley Medical Center to advertise

Angela is a self-employed graphic artist.Typically she is hired by companies for special projects that may last anywhere from a week to six months.Angela is a/an

If an employer lists the designation EEO/M-F/AA/ADA in its employment advertisements it indicates

A major economic factor in favor of an organization's deciding NOT to outsource U.S.jobs overseas is the

If an employer plans to tap nontraditional workers,it should be prepared to do all of the following EXCEPT

Which of the following statements is FALSE regarding recruiting process outsourcing (RPO) ?

The HR Best Practices case regarding hiring of veterinarians at USDA focuses on how the agency was able to increase its recruiting success.All of the following were successful tactics used by the USDA in improving its recruiting EXCEPT

One of the advantages for employees of employee leasing companies is that they

Sound HR practices would not automatically exclude the following non-traditional categories of potential applicants EXCEPT

All of the following are examples of flexible staffing EXCEPT

Hector Printers & Publishers,Inc.,has a reputation as a troubled firm in a declining industry.As the new director of HR,you explain to the CEO that the company's poor image is probably resulting in all of the following EXCEPT

A/an ____ takes over the staff of a small business and writes the paychecks,pays the taxes,prepares and implements HR policies,and keeps all the required records for a fee.

Ivan is an outstanding performer who was provided to the firm by a temporary service firm two months ago.Ivan's manager would like to hire Ivan as a regular employee and she has come to you,the HR director,to make this request.You realize that

Which of the following statements is FALSE?