Which of the following should be the HR managers greatest concern after reading the employees email?

A large retail store has 150 employees, of which 50 are supervisors. Whereas 60% of the employees are women, only 20% of the supervisors are women. This is much lower than the industry average of 40% female supervisors. The company does not have a consensual relationship policy. In the past six months, the company has received four complaints of insensitive behavior. In the first complaint, a female employee reports that her supervisor has repeatedly asked her for sexual favors in exchange for better assignments. On her refusal, the supervisor began making unreasonable assignments and started critiquing her work through written memos. The employee is concerned she will lose her job. In the second complaint, an employee reports that two of her coworkers are dating and that it bothers her. In the third complaint, a female worker reports that a male supervisor is making sexually derogatory comments at work. In the fourth complaint, a male worker reports that his female supervisor asked him out on a date and that he wants a transfer to a different department if it happens again. The HR director decides to have the employees for whom he is responsible go through a two-day diversity training program. As a part of their diversity training, all managers are required to complete a module on sensitivity training. During one such program, the trainer asks the class to form groups based on gender. The trainer then asks the men to behave the way they perceive women to behave at the workplace and vice versa. Unfortunately, during this exercise, the women start using vulgar words and physically touching the men. This indicates that sexual harassment against women is a major problem in the organization.
How should an HR employee respond to the second complaint in which the employee filed a complaint against two of her coworkers who are dating?

Send a warning letter to the two employees in the relationship.
Inform the complainant that the relationship does not violate any company policy or employment laws.
Ask the complainant if there has been a negative impact on her performance.
Meet with the two employees who are dating to discuss the complaint.

A large retail store has 150 employees, of which 50 are supervisors. Whereas 60% of the employees are women, only 20% of the supervisors are women. This is much lower than the industry average of 40% female supervisors. The company does not have a consensual relationship policy. In the past six months, the company has received four complaints of insensitive behavior. In the first complaint, a female employee reports that her supervisor has repeatedly asked her for sexual favors in exchange for better assignments. On her refusal, the supervisor began making unreasonable assignments and started critiquing her work through written memos. The employee is concerned she will lose her job. In the second complaint, an employee reports that two of her coworkers are dating and that it bothers her. In the third complaint, a female worker reports that a male supervisor is making sexually derogatory comments at work. In the fourth complaint, a male worker reports that his female supervisor asked him out on a date and that he wants a transfer to a different department if it happens again. The HR director decides to have the employees for whom he is responsible go through a two-day diversity training program. As a part of their diversity training, all managers are required to complete a module on sensitivity training. During one such program, the trainer asks the class to form groups based on gender. The trainer then asks the men to behave the way they perceive women to behave at the workplace and vice versa. Unfortunately, during this exercise, the women start using vulgar words and physically touching the men. This indicates that sexual harassment against women is a major problem in the organization.
Which is an appropriate action for the fourth complaint in which a male employee states his supervisor propositioned him for a date and if it occurs again then he will submit a transfer request?

Keep in touch with the male worker to determine if the same thing happens again.
Suspend the supervisor immediately.
Ignore the issue until it is repeated.
Speak to the supervisor and ensure it does not happen again.

An HR generalist is assigned to support a scientific organization. Those in leadership positions in the organization are highly educated, most with doctorates. Some are Nobel Prize winners. Those in supporting positions tend to have jobs that are clerical in nature. Most do not have college degrees. In addition, the leadership and support teams have strong ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic differences among them that result in cultural conflicts. The leadership team is highly critical of the level and quality of support it receives from the support staff and has gradually eliminated, outsourced, or automated large segments of support tasks. The size of the support team has dwindled to half the size it was five years earlier. An administrative analyst from the human factors division asks to meet with the HR generalist to discuss bias in the division. The administrative analyst complains that the scientists do not respect administrative analysts, do not utilize them fully, and do not share critical information with them. The administrative analyst wants to file a complaint. The following week a scientist in the human factors division calls the HR generalist and says he wants to fire the administrative analyst for incompetence. Later, the scientist contacts the HR generalist again to say he wants to eliminate the administrative analyst's job. He explains that if and when the leadership team needs support for the tasks that the administrative analyst performs, it will contract for that support.
Which is the HR generalist's best response to the scientist's request to eliminate the administrative analyst's job?

Tell the scientist that it is very important to keep process integrity intact and that HR will investigate the situation but eliminating the job is not appropriate at this time.
Ask the scientist if he is eliminating the job simply to get rid of the administrative analyst because of a cultural conflict.
Explain to the scientist the process for eliminating a job and how long it will likely take.
Tell the scientist that HR needs to talk with the legal department first because of the diversity issues that have been raised.

An HR generalist is assigned to support a scientific organization. Those in leadership positions in the organization are highly educated, most with doctorates. Some are Nobel Prize winners. Those in supporting positions tend to have jobs that are clerical in nature. Most do not have college degrees. In addition, the leadership and support teams have strong ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic differences among them that result in cultural conflicts. The leadership team is highly critical of the level and quality of support it receives from the support staff and has gradually eliminated, outsourced, or automated large segments of support tasks. The size of the support team has dwindled to half the size it was five years earlier. An administrative analyst from the human factors division asks to meet with the HR generalist to discuss bias in the division. The administrative analyst complains that the scientists do not respect administrative analysts, do not utilize them fully, and do not share critical information with them. The administrative analyst wants to file a complaint. The following week a scientist in the human factors division calls the HR generalist and says he wants to fire the administrative analyst for incompetence. Later, the scientist contacts the HR generalist again to say he wants to eliminate the administrative analyst's job. He explains that if and when the leadership team needs support for the tasks that the administrative analyst performs, it will contract for that support.
What is the HR generalist's best immediate response to the administrative analyst's complaint?

Explain to the administrative analyst that HR will alert management to the problem and facilitate a solution.
Ask the administrative analyst specific questions about the incidents and the impact on the work environment.
Validate the administrative analyst's feelings by agreeing that the administrative analyst is being left out and isolated.
Counsel the administrative analyst on how to file a complaint.

An HR generalist is assigned to support a scientific organization. Those in leadership positions in the organization are highly educated, most with doctorates. Some are Nobel Prize winners. Those in supporting positions tend to have jobs that are clerical in nature. Most do not have college degrees. In addition, the leadership and support teams have strong ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic differences among them that result in cultural conflicts. The leadership team is highly critical of the level and quality of support it receives from the support staff and has gradually eliminated, outsourced, or automated large segments of support tasks. The size of the support team has dwindled to half the size it was five years earlier. An administrative analyst from the human factors division asks to meet with the HR generalist to discuss bias in the division. The administrative analyst complains that the scientists do not respect administrative analysts, do not utilize them fully, and do not share critical information with them. The administrative analyst wants to file a complaint. The following week a scientist in the human factors division calls the HR generalist and says he wants to fire the administrative analyst for incompetence. Later, the scientist contacts the HR generalist again to say he wants to eliminate the administrative analyst's job. He explains that if and when the leadership team needs support for the tasks that the administrative analyst performs, it will contract for that support.
A different manager in the human factors division asks the HR generalist for ideas on how to improve the climate in the organization. Which is the HR generalist's best response?

Give the manager a book about managing a diverse workforce.
Ask the manager to describe the issues with the organizational climate and the impact of those issues on the team.
Suggest a listening session so that administrative support personnel can openly share their feelings and concerns with leaders and scientists.
Provide the manager with a copy of a diversity study conducted two years earlier for the organization.

A mid-level HR specialist has been tasked to revise and implement the organization's new supervisor training program to accommodate the onboarding of new supervisors by the end of the month. In the past, this training has been provided by an external consultant, who has worked with the HR specialist to tailor the consultant's existing training content to include information specific to the organization. Now, to cut costs, the HR director has asked the HR specialist to bring the program in-house. The HR director has specified that the existing content is to be used as a starting point. The HR specialist has also been asked to benchmark best practices in supervisory training and review applicable laws and regulations that are important for new supervisors to understand. In addition, the HR director wants the HR specialist to study the effectiveness of the existing training in preventing discrimination complaints and other unfair treatment claims. Finally, the HR specialist has also been directed to add a diversity and inclusion module to the program.
What is the first step the HR specialist should take to incorporate diversity and inclusion content in the new supervisor training program?

Benchmark diversity and inclusion programs in other organizations.
Develop content about how to work with people of different religions, races, nationalities, genders, and sexual orientations.
Develop a definition of what diversity and inclusion means to the organization.
Ask individuals representing different demographic groups to come speak as part of the training program.

The HR director of a midsized organization provides HR services to 15,000 employees and is an outsourced HR system provider to a cluster of smaller companies that are suppliers to his organization. The legacy HR system used by the organization operates using an outdated computer programming language. Recently, the chief information officer told the HR director that the legacy HR system is out of date and should be replaced by more modern technology. Therefore, the HR director decides to buy an HR module from an enterprise resources planning (ERP) vendor. Through discussions with the vendor, the HR director learns that the HR module is undergoing a re-engineering process that is not yet complete, and as such the organization would be the first new customer. The HR director also learns that the new system would require hardware changes to run the new software, but the vendor promises to customize it for the organization. Ultimately, the HR director is concerned about the implementation costs quoted by the ERP vendor. As a result, the HR director does not accept the ERP's implementation cost proposal and engages a different, small business IT provider with lower rates to handle the implementation. The HR director also decides to use HR employees in his office that have an aptitude for technology to provide project management support. Unfortunately, when the new HR system launches, it has multiple problems including a high error rate, lost data, inefficient screen navigation, and a poorly designed user interface.
Which action should the HR manager take to determine the system's efficiency?

Measure the number of screens that are required to enter each major type of transaction.
Survey the HR employees about the amount of time required to enter a transaction in the new system compared to the legacy system.
Measure the amount of time required by the system to enter the major types of transactions.
Ask the implementation vendor the amount of time required to enter major transactions.

The HR director of a midsized organization provides HR services to 15,000 employees and is an outsourced HR system provider to a cluster of smaller companies that are suppliers to his organization. The legacy HR system used by the organization operates using an outdated computer programming language. Recently, the chief information officer told the HR director that the legacy HR system is out of date and should be replaced by more modern technology. Therefore, the HR director decides to buy an HR module from an enterprise resources planning (ERP) vendor. Through discussions with the vendor, the HR director learns that the HR module is undergoing a re-engineering process that is not yet complete, and as such the organization would be the first new customer. The HR director also learns that the new system would require hardware changes to run the new software, but the vendor promises to customize it for the organization. Ultimately, the HR director is concerned about the implementation costs quoted by the ERP vendor. As a result, the HR director does not accept the ERP's implementation cost proposal and engages a different, small business IT provider with lower rates to handle the implementation. The HR director also decides to use HR employees in his office that have an aptitude for technology to provide project management support. Unfortunately, when the new HR system launches, it has multiple problems including a high error rate, lost data, inefficient screen navigation, and a poorly designed user interface.
The HR director asks an HR manager to prepare a report on the implementation of the new HR system. What should be the HR manager's first step?

Log onto the system and review each module and screen.
Conduct a survey of employees using the system and ask them about the system's strengths and weaknesses.
Interview the small business IT contractors to find out how well they think the system is working.
Interview the project manager at the ERP provider to gather information on how well the system was implemented.

A department executive notifies the VP of HR that an involuntary termination needs to occur the following day, when the VP of HR is scheduled to leave on a planned vacation. The VP of HR immediately meets with the only other HR staff member, an HR analyst who was promoted two months ago from an office administrator position, to summarize the situation and offer guidance on how to handle the termination. The next day during the termination meeting, the department executive informs the employee about the termination, says that HR will explain the rest of the process, then quickly leaves the room. The company's management believes terminating employees is HR's responsibility, and management team members reluctantly participate. However, company policy states it is a dual responsibility of HR and management. The HR analyst can only remember some key points from the meeting with the VP of HR to explain the reason for the termination, prompting the employee to comment about its unfairness. The HR analyst ignores these comments and escorts the employee to collect personal belongings before departing the building. The employee spends a significant amount of time removing electronic files, collecting belongings, and explaining the situation to coworkers. The HR analyst quietly waits for the employee to finish, not knowing how to expedite the uncomfortable situation. Eventually, the employee leaves without incident. Upon the VP of HR's return, the HR analyst explains the situation and associated challenges. The VP of HR praises the analyst, but provides no additional feedback.
In retrospect, what was the best action for the VP of HR to have taken to more effectively manage the termination given the HR analyst's lack of experience?

Participate remotely by telephone to ensure the termination conversation was properly handled.
Meet with the HR analyst and the executive together to review the termination process and prepare for the meeting with the employee.
Postpone the termination until after vacation so an experienced HR member would have been present.
Request that the executive present the termination documents, arrange for the return of the personal belongings, and escort the employee from the building.

A department executive notifies the VP of HR that an involuntary termination needs to occur the following day, when the VP of HR is scheduled to leave on a planned vacation. The VP of HR immediately meets with the only other HR staff member, an HR analyst who was promoted two months ago from an office administrator position, to summarize the situation and offer guidance on how to handle the termination. The next day during the termination meeting, the department executive informs the employee about the termination, says that HR will explain the rest of the process, then quickly leaves the room. The company's management believes terminating employees is HR's responsibility, and management team members reluctantly participate. However, company policy states it is a dual responsibility of HR and management. The HR analyst can only remember some key points from the meeting with the VP of HR to explain the reason for the termination, prompting the employee to comment about its unfairness. The HR analyst ignores these comments and escorts the employee to collect personal belongings before departing the building. The employee spends a significant amount of time removing electronic files, collecting belongings, and explaining the situation to coworkers. The HR analyst quietly waits for the employee to finish, not knowing how to expedite the uncomfortable situation. Eventually, the employee leaves without incident. Upon the VP of HR's return, the HR analyst explains the situation and associated challenges. The VP of HR praises the analyst, but provides no additional feedback.
Which would have been the best response from the HR analyst to the employee regarding the unfairness of the termination?

Ask additional questions to understand why the employee felt the termination was unfair.
Acknowledge the employee's comments, then reiterate the rationale for the decision expressed in the earlier conversation.
Redirect the conversation to focus on possible next steps for the employee.
Suggest that the employee can provide additional comments in a letter to the VP of HR.

A department executive notifies the VP of HR that an involuntary termination needs to occur the following day, when the VP of HR is scheduled to leave on a planned vacation. The VP of HR immediately meets with the only other HR staff member, an HR analyst who was promoted two months ago from an office administrator position, to summarize the situation and offer guidance on how to handle the termination. The next day during the termination meeting, the department executive informs the employee about the termination, says that HR will explain the rest of the process, then quickly leaves the room. The company's management believes terminating employees is HR's responsibility, and management team members reluctantly participate. However, company policy states it is a dual responsibility of HR and management. The HR analyst can only remember some key points from the meeting with the VP of HR to explain the reason for the termination, prompting the employee to comment about its unfairness. The HR analyst ignores these comments and escorts the employee to collect personal belongings before departing the building. The employee spends a significant amount of time removing electronic files, collecting belongings, and explaining the situation to coworkers. The HR analyst quietly waits for the employee to finish, not knowing how to expedite the uncomfortable situation. Eventually, the employee leaves without incident. Upon the VP of HR's return, the HR analyst explains the situation and associated challenges. The VP of HR praises the analyst, but provides no additional feedback.
How can the HR analyst most effectively use this experience to improve the termination process in the future?

Follow up with the department executive to understand how interactions with the employee could have been improved.
Contact other HR professionals for advice on handling involuntary terminations.
Ask the VP of HR specific questions about handling these types of situations in the future.
Solicit feedback from the legal department after a couple of days have passed.

A department executive notifies the VP of HR that an involuntary termination needs to occur the following day, when the VP of HR is scheduled to leave on a planned vacation. The VP of HR immediately meets with the only other HR staff member, an HR analyst who was promoted two months ago from an office administrator position, to summarize the situation and offer guidance on how to handle the termination. The next day during the termination meeting, the department executive informs the employee about the termination, says that HR will explain the rest of the process, then quickly leaves the room. The company's management believes terminating employees is HR's responsibility, and management team members reluctantly participate. However, company policy states it is a dual responsibility of HR and management. The HR analyst can only remember some key points from the meeting with the VP of HR to explain the reason for the termination, prompting the employee to comment about its unfairness. The HR analyst ignores these comments and escorts the employee to collect personal belongings before departing the building. The employee spends a significant amount of time removing electronic files, collecting belongings, and explaining the situation to coworkers. The HR analyst quietly waits for the employee to finish, not knowing how to expedite the uncomfortable situation. Eventually, the employee leaves without incident. Upon the VP of HR's return, the HR analyst explains the situation and associated challenges. The VP of HR praises the analyst, but provides no additional feedback.
The HR analyst is asked to suggest improvements to the current termination process. Which is the best recommendation to make as a first step to quickly and effectively improve the process?

Provide the option for HR to conduct all terminations without having a member of the employee's management team present.
Designate a trained HR staff member to oversee all future terminations to ensure all aspects of the actions are managed appropriately.
Distribute a memo to all management staff outlining their responsibilities in the termination process.
Provide a mandatory briefing on the entire termination process, including the specific roles and responsibilities of HR and the management staff.

The marketing department of a manufacturing company launches several new initiatives to increase the company's sales and profit margin. Strong promotion of these initiatives generates excitement throughout the company. Employees discuss the creativity of these efforts, and their expectations for the company to exceed forecasts. Several weeks after the launch of these new initiatives, there are reports of a 70% increase in the number of unanswered calls in the customer service call center. The call center's general manager is distressed about this report and believes the increase in unanswered calls is due to failure to include the call center in communications regarding the new initiatives. As a result, the call center was not prepared to handle the volume of calls and unable to resolve customers' issues in a timely manner. The call center's poor service decreases customer loyalty and satisfaction, and negatively impacts the company's sales and profit margins. The company's president, disappointed with the call center's minimal support for the new initiative, asks the HR manager to observe the call center's procedures and determine why calls are not handled effectively. The president expects call center employees to understand the time sensitivity of the new initiatives, work cohesively, and learn to address new types of customer issues. Additionally, employees in the headquarters office seek reassurance that the initial drop in profits, when compared to targets, is temporary and that the company will achieve its original projections.
What action should the HR manager take to address the call center employees' lack of awareness of and involvement in the company's new initiatives?

Provide the call center employees with documentation on how to respond to customer calls that pertain to the new initiatives.
Collaborate with call center managers to conduct an in-person information session explaining the importance of the call center for the new initiatives.
Create new targets for the call center employees' performance based upon the new initiatives and reward those who meet the new targets.
Inform the call center manager of the new initiatives and how to communicate future strategic initiatives to employees.

The marketing department of a manufacturing company launches several new initiatives to increase the company's sales and profit margin. Strong promotion of these initiatives generates excitement throughout the company. Employees discuss the creativity of these efforts, and their expectations for the company to exceed forecasts. Several weeks after the launch of these new initiatives, there are reports of a 70% increase in the number of unanswered calls in the customer service call center. The call center's general manager is distressed about this report and believes the increase in unanswered calls is due to failure to include the call center in communications regarding the new initiatives. As a result, the call center was not prepared to handle the volume of calls and unable to resolve customers' issues in a timely manner. The call center's poor service decreases customer loyalty and satisfaction, and negatively impacts the company's sales and profit margins. The company's president, disappointed with the call center's minimal support for the new initiative, asks the HR manager to observe the call center's procedures and determine why calls are not handled effectively. The president expects call center employees to understand the time sensitivity of the new initiatives, work cohesively, and learn to address new types of customer issues. Additionally, employees in the headquarters office seek reassurance that the initial drop in profits, when compared to targets, is temporary and that the company will achieve its original projections.
The HR manager wants to send a message to call center employees as a step toward restoring their confidence in the new initiatives. Which is the most effective information to include in the message?

Explanation for the errors and commitment to correcting them in the future
Strategies for correcting the errors and an invitation to employees to express their concerns
Company's support for, and confidence in, the call center manager
Importance of the call center employees meeting their targeted call volume

A company in the rock and sand business has experienced significant growth because of the federal support for building and improving roads and highways. It began as a small local company and over the years has expanded by acquiring other small- to medium-sized companies in the same or related fields. After acquiring ten smaller companies, the company has become a large parent company with numerous challenges centering on HR issues. In the beginning, there was an urgent need to focus on providing newly acquired companies with necessary information that allowed each company to retain its own HR systems, payroll, policies, and procedures. However, after acquiring so many small companies and allowing each to operate according to its own policies and procedures, the parent company has decided it is time to reorganize and consolidate these disparate HR systems into one. This decision is made in order to be more efficient and to improve the parent company's bottom line. However, it also results in some of the smaller companies' policies being changed that have a direct impact on the employees. In one instance, the vacation and time-off policies are changed so that employees receive less time off and paid vacation than they had with their former company. These changes are not addressed by the leadership of the parent company, and managers are left to handle the complaints from disgruntled employees.
Which option is the best way for the parent company to handle different compensation levels between its smaller companies?

Have HR develop a plan to even out the differences.
Pay everyone at the higher rate.
Pay everyone at the lower rate.
Do not change the compensation levels but explain to everyone the reasons for the differences.

A company in the rock and sand business has experienced significant growth because of the federal support for building and improving roads and highways. It began as a small local company and over the years has expanded by acquiring other small- to medium-sized companies in the same or related fields. After acquiring ten smaller companies, the company has become a large parent company with numerous challenges centering on HR issues. In the beginning, there was an urgent need to focus on providing newly acquired companies with necessary information that allowed each company to retain its own HR systems, payroll, policies, and procedures. However, after acquiring so many small companies and allowing each to operate according to its own policies and procedures, the parent company has decided it is time to reorganize and consolidate these disparate HR systems into one. This decision is made in order to be more efficient and to improve the parent company's bottom line. However, it also results in some of the smaller companies' policies being changed that have a direct impact on the employees. In one instance, the vacation and time-off policies are changed so that employees receive less time off and paid vacation than they had with their former company. These changes are not addressed by the leadership of the parent company, and managers are left to handle the complaints from disgruntled employees.
If the parent company wants to make sure that there is alignment of the cultures between the acquired companies, which action should HR take?

Determine how to prevent cultural differences from causing key employees to leave.
Determine which company's culture is stronger and use this culture to dominate the new organization.
Determine which company is the largest and adopt its culture so that the fewest number of employees are required to change.
Determine the key characteristics of each company's culture that create its success and adopt the most positive aspects of each.

A division of a hospitality organization has been working with a consulting firm to implement an employee engagement initiative. To assess engagement, the consulting firm administers a 100-question survey with a five-point Likert scale to employees of the division. The CEO is impressed with the results and decides to extend the initiative across the organization. As a result, the HR director is tasked with rolling out an organization-wide employee engagement initiative. During the rollout, the HR organization has low scores on the engagement survey. To address this, the HR director assigns an early-career training and development manager to work with HR managers to improve engagement. There are five HR supervisors for 70 employees, with HR offices ranging in size from four to 40 employees.
Analysis of the results shows that the HR employees are dissatisfied with their leadership, primarily the HR director. When the training and development manager meets with the HR managers to discuss the engagement initiative, they claim that the HR director is the problem, not them. How should the training and development manager respond?

Schedule a meeting with the HR managers, the training and development manager, and the HR director to provide the HR director with feedback on the results of the survey and his role in improving engagement.
Confidentially go to the HR director's boss, the VP of HR, and explain to him what has been discovered.
Remind the HR managers that if the department maintains the same engagement scores, it may negatively affect the managers' ratings and bonuses.
Suggest that, despite the issues with the HR director, there are steps within the HR managers' control that will help the employees to become more engaged.

The CEO of a small organization of about 100 employees tasks the HR director with developing and implementing more organization-wide training because a recent employee satisfaction survey shows that 75% of the employees believe the organization needs to offer more training. Furthermore, several exit interviews with departing employees reveal that they are leaving the organization because competitors offer more training programs and promotion opportunities. In trying to further understand the training needs of the organization, the HR director digs deeper into the data and finds that employees are asking for more career development, with training as one example of career development. The organization employs a relatively young workforce that values mentoring and advancement. The HR director also conducts an external scan to better understand components of competitors' career development programs and finds that competitors have more structured career development programs that include internal and external training opportunities, job rotation programs, and mentoring programs. The HR director knows that the organization does offer a mentoring program, an executive coaching program, and an extensive budget for internal and external training; however, these programs are not widely used by employees.
What should the HR director do first to encourage employee involvement in the organization's existing career development program activities?

Communicate career paths and career development program activities via brochures, workshops, and individual meetings.
Facilitate the succession planning process for managers in order to identify career level gaps and recommendation strategies.
Establish career development program metrics and report the achievements identified by the metrics to all employees.
Establish recruitment and retention metrics and link these metrics to the career development program.

The CEO of a small organization of about 100 employees tasks the HR director with developing and implementing more organization-wide training because a recent employee satisfaction survey shows that 75% of the employees believe the organization needs to offer more training. Furthermore, several exit interviews with departing employees reveal that they are leaving the organization because competitors offer more training programs and promotion opportunities. In trying to further understand the training needs of the organization, the HR director digs deeper into the data and finds that employees are asking for more career development, with training as one example of career development. The organization employs a relatively young workforce that values mentoring and advancement. The HR director also conducts an external scan to better understand components of competitors' career development programs and finds that competitors have more structured career development programs that include internal and external training opportunities, job rotation programs, and mentoring programs. The HR director knows that the organization does offer a mentoring program, an executive coaching program, and an extensive budget for internal and external training; however, these programs are not widely used by employees.
In designing a more structured career development program at the organization, what is the first step the HR director should take?

Administer an employee self-assessment tool so employees can assess their current and future skills and abilities as well as a manager assessment tool to compare data.
Launch a career development orientation meeting to generate interest and support for the upcoming program enhancements.
Contact various vendors to begin exploring the deployment of a new training management system to capture training data at the organization.
Map a natural progression of jobs at the organization that require increasingly more knowledge, skills, and abilities to document career paths.

In preparation for upcoming performance evaluations, the chief human resource officer (CHRO) sends an email message to all department managers outlining key policies and processes to follow when conducting reviews. A department manager on the email distribution list meets with an HR generalist to discuss several issues, including critical hiring needs, the general decline of the market, the possibility of essential layoffs, and the direct impact of the CEO's company-wide strategy on the manager's department. They also talk about the manager's low ratings of employees' performance last year when compared to the ratings of other department managers who used an identical scale. They discuss the extent to which this strict process unfairly punished the manager's department. Because of the latter concern, the manager requests the HR generalist's guidance on how to establish operational objectivity this year. The HR generalist provides guidance by reviewing the key points in the CHRO's email message to ensure the manager understands the requirements, the review process, and how ratings impact bonuses and compensation.
How should the HR generalist respond if the department manager asks whether performance appraisal results will justify layoff decisions?

Performance appraisal results are the primary factor for determining layoffs. However, legal issues and the impact on company-wide strategy are also considerations.
Performance appraisal results are the primary factor for determining layoffs, however, market decline is also a consideration.
Salary is the primary factor for determining layoffs, however, performance appraisal results are also a consideration.
Seniority is the primary factor for determining layoffs, however, performance appraisal results are also a consideration

A large, global organization, with manufacturing plants located in several countries, is comprised of approximately 10,000 employees with 700 employees located at its U.S.-based headquarters. The organization decides to develop an enterprise risk management strategy. Its U.S.-based research and development plant will fully test a new, more efficient welding machine for three months and, once complete, four of its international plants will implement the new machine over a period of 12 months. The CEO asks the senior VP of HR to co-lead the enterprise risk management strategy task force for this implementation along with the chief operating officer (COO). The CEO requests that the task force, comprised of mid-level managers, identify potential threats to achieving objectives and develop a plan to minimize the risks associated with the implementation. There are also significant human capital issues to address. First, the new welding machine requires upgraded technical skills. Second, the capital justification for return on investment requires a reduction of 150 employees at each of the four plants outside the U.S. and 50 employees in the U.S.-based plant. The senior VP of HR and COO are relying heavily on the HR manager with regard to the human capital efforts of the task force.
What should the HR manager suggest that the task force emphasize for addressing the initiative's human capital issues?

Providing relevant and regular communication
Managing negative reactions to learning new and upgraded technical skills
Responding to production changes directly impacted by the company's new initiative
Managing difficult downsizing initiatives at each facility

A large, global organization, with manufacturing plants located in several countries, is comprised of approximately 10,000 employees with 700 employees located at its U.S.-based headquarters. The organization decides to develop an enterprise risk management strategy. Its U.S.-based research and development plant will fully test a new, more efficient welding machine for three months and, once complete, four of its international plants will implement the new machine over a period of 12 months. The CEO asks the senior VP of HR to co-lead the enterprise risk management strategy task force for this implementation along with the chief operating officer (COO). The CEO requests that the task force, comprised of mid-level managers, identify potential threats to achieving objectives and develop a plan to minimize the risks associated with the implementation. There are also significant human capital issues to address. First, the new welding machine requires upgraded technical skills. Second, the capital justification for return on investment requires a reduction of 150 employees at each of the four plants outside the U.S. and 50 employees in the U.S.-based plant. The senior VP of HR and COO are relying heavily on the HR manager with regard to the human capital efforts of the task force.
How should the HR manager guide the task force response to ensuring compliance with corporate safety procedures for the new equipment in the international plant?

Remind managers at the international plant of their accountability for safety records and meeting procedural standards.
Provide all plants with research-based plans for overcoming employee cultural resistance to change.
Work with managers at the international plant to identify approaches that encourage application of safety procedures.
Assure managers at the international plant that resistance to new safety procedures will be addressed as it occurs.

For the past five years, a privately held company has maintained the highest market share in the industry, though competitors are now challenging its market leadership. A big reason for the company's success is the high quality of the items they produce. Company policies also stress that employees should act in accordance with the highest standards of professional and personal integrity, which is information included in all new-hire orientation procedures. The company's quality assurance department is responsible for ensuring that all materials, processes, and products meet the company's rigorous quality standards through continuous monitoring of operations and periodic audits. The quality assurance department also has the authority to delay any processes until any quality problems are resolved. The director of quality assurance is an engineer who is respected in the industry. A quality control analyst asks the HR manager about transferring to another department. The analyst thinks that the skills of analysts are more respected in other departments. The analyst explains to the HR manager that on three occasions, the analyst pointed out higher than normal deviations from quality standards to the director of quality assurance. The director's response was that the average scores are still within acceptable limits. When the analyst explained that some of those products will fail, the director said that the company cannot afford costly delays at this time and that these issues are not concerns of the analyst. Surprised by this request, the HR manager describes an opportunity for a promotion to senior quality control analyst in the quality assurance department. Despite the potential opportunity, the analyst insists on being transferred to another department. Shortly after the meeting with the analyst, the HR manager receives a call from the director of quality assurance. The director informs the HR manager that the director is aware of the meeting between the quality control analyst and the HR manager. A few days after this phone call, the HR manager receives a request from senior leadership to recommend policies and practices that will encourage employees to report unprofessional activities so that appropriate corrective actions may be taken. One proposal that the HR manager is considering is an anonymous telephone line for reporting observed unethical activities.
In assessing the quality control analyst's experiences, what should be the HR manager's most significant concern?

Analyst's questioning of the director's judgment
Deviations in the product quality data
Analyst's request for a job transfer
Trade-offs between quality and efficiency

For the past five years, a privately held company has maintained the highest market share in the industry, though competitors are now challenging its market leadership. A big reason for the company's success is the high quality of the items they produce. Company policies also stress that employees should act in accordance with the highest standards of professional and personal integrity, which is information included in all new-hire orientation procedures. The company's quality assurance department is responsible for ensuring that all materials, processes, and products meet the company's rigorous quality standards through continuous monitoring of operations and periodic audits. The quality assurance department also has the authority to delay any processes until any quality problems are resolved. The director of quality assurance is an engineer who is respected in the industry. A quality control analyst asks the HR manager about transferring to another department. The analyst thinks that the skills of analysts are more respected in other departments. The analyst explains to the HR manager that on three occasions, the analyst pointed out higher than normal deviations from quality standards to the director of quality assurance. The director's response was that the average scores are still within acceptable limits. When the analyst explained that some of those products will fail, the director said that the company cannot afford costly delays at this time and that these issues are not concerns of the analyst. Surprised by this request, the HR manager describes an opportunity for a promotion to senior quality control analyst in the quality assurance department. Despite the potential opportunity, the analyst insists on being transferred to another department. Shortly after the meeting with the analyst, the HR manager receives a call from the director of quality assurance. The director informs the HR manager that the director is aware of the meeting between the quality control analyst and the HR manager. A few days after this phone call, the HR manager receives a request from senior leadership to recommend policies and practices that will encourage employees to report unprofessional activities so that appropriate corrective actions may be taken. One proposal that the HR manager is considering is an anonymous telephone line for reporting observed unethical activities.
Which action is most important for the HR manager to help reinforce the quality standards in this organization?

Ask leadership to clarify acceptable deviations from quality standards.
Distribute a report containing historical variations in quality standards that led to costly delays.
Ensure that all units uniformly apply industry standards for quality assurance.
Update guidelines for reporting behaviors that deviate from standards.

For the past five years, a privately held company has maintained the highest market share in the industry, though competitors are now challenging its market leadership. A big reason for the company's success is the high quality of the items they produce. Company policies also stress that employees should act in accordance with the highest standards of professional and personal integrity, which is information included in all new-hire orientation procedures. The company's quality assurance department is responsible for ensuring that all materials, processes, and products meet the company's rigorous quality standards through continuous monitoring of operations and periodic audits. The quality assurance department also has the authority to delay any processes until any quality problems are resolved. The director of quality assurance is an engineer who is respected in the industry. A quality control analyst asks the HR manager about transferring to another department. The analyst thinks that the skills of analysts are more respected in other departments. The analyst explains to the HR manager that on three occasions, the analyst pointed out higher than normal deviations from quality standards to the director of quality assurance. The director's response was that the average scores are still within acceptable limits. When the analyst explained that some of those products will fail, the director said that the company cannot afford costly delays at this time and that these issues are not concerns of the analyst. Surprised by this request, the HR manager describes an opportunity for a promotion to senior quality control analyst in the quality assurance department. Despite the potential opportunity, the analyst insists on being transferred to another department. Shortly after the meeting with the analyst, the HR manager receives a call from the director of quality assurance. The director informs the HR manager that the director is aware of the meeting between the quality control analyst and the HR manager. A few days after this phone call, the HR manager receives a request from senior leadership to recommend policies and practices that will encourage employees to report unprofessional activities so that appropriate corrective actions may be taken. One proposal that the HR manager is considering is an anonymous telephone line for reporting observed unethical activities.
Which is the biggest limitation of the HR manager's proposed approach for reporting misconduct?

Practicality of investigating excessive numbers of misconduct allegations related to the decline in market share
Motivation for employees to make false reports due to a personal grudge against a manager
Difficulty of obtaining important details from employees regarding reported quality standards misconduct
Distinction between ethical and non-ethical issues related to quality standards in employees' reports

What is the correct progression of evaluation levels in Kirkpatrick's training evaluation model?

Behavior, reaction, learning, and results
Learning, reaction, results, and behavior
Behavior, learning, results, and reaction
Reaction, learning, behavior, and results

Which of the following should be the HR manager's greatest concern after reading the employee's email?

What is the HR generalist's best immediate response to the administrative analyst's complaint?

What should managers know about HR?

Which of the following steps is first when developing an effective learning initiative?