Untitled Quiz

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

Which of the following are considered leading indicators in workforce planning?

Employee turnover rates

Retirement projections

Internal employee promotions

Technological advancements (correct)

What is the primary purpose of workforce planning?

To focus on employee training programs

To forecast labor demand and supply (correct)

To eliminate employee turnover

To fill positions as quickly as possible

What does a transitional matrix help to illustrate?

Job category movements over different periods (correct)

Future growth trends in the market

Forecasts of labor demand only

The total number of employees in a company

Which method is NOT typically used for forecasting labor demand?

Job postings Signup and view all the answers

Which factor should be considered when analyzing the external labor supply?

Competitor hiring trends Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is included in internal labor supply analysis?

Retirement projections Signup and view all the answers

What is the aim of forecasts of labor surplus or shortage?

To compare labor demand and supply Signup and view all the answers

What is NOT a component of forecasting labor demand?

Employee job satisfaction Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary goal of strategic planning in the context of labor management?

To focus attention on labor shortages and surpluses Signup and view all the answers

Which strategy is NOT associated with addressing a labor surplus?

Hiring new permanent employees Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential negative effect of downsizing an organization?

Loss of talent and negative company image Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant challenge faced in manufacturing regarding skilled labor?

No new entrants to the industry Signup and view all the answers

What defines a tight labor market?

More job openings than available workers Signup and view all the answers

Why might outsourcing be a favorable strategy for organizations?

It can lead to increased operational efficiency and cost savings Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of a soft labor market?

Lower competition for talent Signup and view all the answers

When implementing workforce strategies, who should be held accountable for achieving the goals?

An individual with authority and resources Signup and view all the answers

What does core competency provide for organizations?

A competitive advantage and customer value Signup and view all the answers

What is the main implication of the employment-at-will doctrine?

Either party can terminate the employment relationship at any time Signup and view all the answers

What are due-process policies primarily designed to accomplish?

Provide a framework for resolving workplace disputes Signup and view all the answers

During which stage of the hiring process is candidate information gathered through technology?

Application process using ATS Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best defines reliability in measurement?

The level of consistency across different tests and measures Signup and view all the answers

What does criterion-related validity seek to demonstrate?

A positive correlation between test scores and job performance Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a method of measuring validity?

Contradictory validation Signup and view all the answers

What aspect does the content validity measure focus on?

Relevance of test items to job-related situations Signup and view all the answers

What does utility refer to in the context of a method used by organizations?

The economic value provided by the method Signup and view all the answers

Which type of test measures a person's existing knowledge and skills?

Achievement test Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the structured interview form?

Allows for spontaneous candidate replies Signup and view all the answers

What is a panel interview designed to achieve?

To allow the candidate to interact with multiple members of the organization Signup and view all the answers

What does the compensatory model imply regarding assessment scores?

Strong performance in one assessment can compensate for weak performance in another Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following types of biases is associated with résumé evaluations?

Subjectivity in interpretation Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following aspects is essential to maintain when conducting drug tests?

Respect applicants' privacy and confidentiality Signup and view all the answers

What is a disadvantage of interviews as a selection method?

They are costly and subjective Signup and view all the answers

What type of information should not be asked of candidates during the selection process?

Sex and family status Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic defines the personality trait of conscientiousness?

Dependable and organized Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of onboarding in a workplace setting?

To prepare employees for their roles and integrate them into the organization Signup and view all the answers

How does diversity training primarily impact employees?

It focuses on changing attitudes toward diversity and inclusion Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a component of employee development?

Mandatory performance evaluations Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a key characteristic of a mentor?

They help develop less-experienced employees through shared values Signup and view all the answers

What does a performance appraisal primarily aim to achieve?

To inform employees about their performance issues and improvement plans Signup and view all the answers

Which method is associated with job experiences in employee development?

Job enlargement, which adds responsibilities for growth Signup and view all the answers

What is continuous support in the onboarding process intended to do?

Help new employees adjust and grow into their roles Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a potential barrier related to the Glass Ceiling?

Limited access to leadership and development opportunities Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of a career management system?

To provide a structured way to identify and improve employees' skills Signup and view all the answers

What is a protean career characterized by?

Frequent changes based on personal interests and abilities Signup and view all the answers

Which assessment tool identifies individual preferences for decision-making and lifestyle?

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Signup and view all the answers

In which situation would job transfer typically occur?

When an employee is sent to a different department at the same level Signup and view all the answers

What does shadowing someone in the workplace typically entail?

Following and observing an employee to learn their duties Signup and view all the answers

What is an important aspect of providing feedback in employee assessment?

Feedback must be specific and shared with the employee for improvement Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Recruitment and Selection

Fishing analogy: Recruitment is like fishing, finding the best candidates from a pool of potential employees
California law: Employees in California can sue for employment violations as if they were the Attorney General

Workforce Planning (HR Planning)

Forecasting:
- Labor demand: Analyzing factors like business growth, goals, market trends, product launches, budgets, workload, turnover, retirement, historical data, and skill gaps
- Workforce models: Forecasting labor demand.
  - Trend analysis: Examining past patterns like growth, seasonal, and cyclical trends
  - Leading indicators: Early warning signs like economic growth, new product launches, consumer demand changes, and technological advancements
- Labor supply: How many potential employees are available?
  - Internal labor supply: Analyzing employee data, retention rates, promotions, retirements, and succession plans
  - External labor supply: Evaluating labor market trends, graduates, competitor hiring, and geographical locations
  - Transitional matrix: Tracks job categories over time, showing employee movement between roles
Goal setting and strategic planning:
- Sets focus on labor problems
- Goals should be based on forecasts
- Each goal should include timetables and targeted job categories
- HR strategies are determined for each goal
Strategies to address labor surplus:
- Downsizing: Eliminating employees to improve competitiveness by reducing costs, replacing labor with technology, merging, acquiring, and relocating
- Reducing hours: A less costly alternative to layoffs
- Temporary/contract workers: Offers flexibility and lower costs
  - Potential problem: Company is not supposed to directly supervise contractors
- Outsourcing: Contracting with external organizations for services to operate more efficiently and save money
Strategies to address labor shortage:
- Hiring: Actively bringing in new employees
- Overtime: Offering current employees additional hours
- Retraining: Developing current employees' skills to fill open positions
- Outsourcing: Contracted services for specific functions
Program Implementation and Evaluation:
- One individual should be held accountable for goal achievement with appropriate authority and resources
- Workforce utilization review: Comparing employee group proportions to the labor market

Manufacturing Challenges

Skilled labor shortage: Lack of qualified workers
Low new entrants: Few people entering vocational schools
High turnover in low-skill roles: Repetitive work, limited career advancement
Attracting young talent: Image and industry perception are important
Technological changes: Automation requires upskilling and retraining
Physical demands: Manual labor requirements
Geographical constraints: Recruiting in rural areas
Low wages: Unavailability of competitive pay

Tight Labour Market

High competition for talent: Lengthier hiring processes
Rising wages: Increased competition drives pay upwards
Low unemployment: Few available workers
More job vacancies: More open job roles
Employee power: Stronger negotiation position for employees

Soft Labour Market

High unemployment: More available workers than open jobs
Lower wages: Less competition leads to lower pay
Easier hiring process: More applicants allows for quicker recruitment
Core competency: Organizations benefit from hiring employees with expertise that is valuable to customers

Employment-at-will

Employers and employees can end employment at any time without a specific employment contract

Due-process policies

Formally lay out the steps an employee can take to appeal an employer’s termination decision

Chapter 6: Personnel Selection

Hiring Process

Identifying the need for a role: Job analysis and description
Sourcing candidates: Internal, external, networking, active, passive
Application Process: Receiving applications and utilizing Application Tracking Systems (ATS)
Screening applications & resumes: Phone/virtual interviews, skills assessments
- Social media issues: Information may not be verified
- Screening for: Availability, flexibility, personality fit, red flags, attitude, salary expectations, candidate interest, company awareness
Testing and reviewing work samples: Assessing skills and abilities
Interviewing candidates: Various interview styles
Checking references & background: Post-interview screening
Making a selection & job offer: Negotiation
Onboarding: Initial training
Variations: Pre-hire assessments, candidate pools

Reliability

How consistent a measurement is, free from random error (generates consistent results)

Correlation coefficients

Measure the relationship between two sets of numbers

Validity

How well a measurement aligns with what it is designed to assess

Methods for measuring validity:

Criterion-related: Shows a strong correlation between test scores and job performance
- Predictive validation: Uses test scores of ALL applicants to predict future performance
- Concurrent validation: Administers tests to current employees to compare scores with existing performance data
Content: Alignment between test items and actual job situations
Construct: Measuring specific traits like intelligence and leadership skills

Generalizability

Applying a method to conditions beyond its original development

Utility

The economic value of a method compared to its cost

Application forms

Gather basic information- contact details, work experience, education level, signature
Identify candidates who meet minimum requirements

Resumes

Provide biased information
Inexpensive method for gathering information

References

From former employers (can be biased)

(Pre-)Employment tests

Aptitude tests: Assess learning and skill acquisition
Achievement tests: Measure existing knowledge and skills
Physical ability tests: Evaluate physical capabilities
Cognitive ability tests (intelligence tests): Measure cognitive abilities

Assessment center

Multiple selection methods used to identify suitable managers
Evaluates personality, administrative, and interpersonal skills

Personality Big 5

Extroversion: Sociable, talkative, assertive
Adjustment: Emotionally stable, secure
Agreeableness: Courteous, cooperative, forgiving
Conscientiousness: Dependable, organized, achievement-oriented
Inquisitiveness: Curious, imaginative, broad-minded

Drug test rules:

Administer uniformly across all applicants for the same job
Use for jobs involving safety hazards
Provide results to applicants with appeals information
Conduct tests privately and keep results confidential

Interview forms:

Nondirective: Questions based on candidate responses
Structured: Set of predefined questions
Situational: Describes job-related situations and asks candidates how they would handle them
Behavioral: Asks candidates to describe past behaviors related to the job
Panel: Involves multiple interviewers
- Allows candidates to interact with multiple team members

Candidate scoring method:

Helps evaluate and track the performance of different candidates

Interview insights:

Communication and interpersonal skills assessment
Verifying application information

Interview limitations:

Low reliability and validity
Costly
Subjectivity and bias

Interview best practices:

Standardize questions
Create a comfortable environment
Focus on job and organizational fit

Prohibited interview questions:

Age
National origin
Genetic information
Race
Religion
Family status
Sex
Disability
Finances

Multiple-hurdle-model

Multiple tests are administered to gradually select candidates

Compensatory model

High scores on one assessment can compensate for low scores on others

HR department responsibilities

Notifying applicants of selection results
Providing job offers with details like responsibilities, schedule, start date, and pay

Orientation

The initial training that introduces employees to their job, organization, and peers

Onboarding components:

Pre-boarding: Preparation before the first day
First day and first week: Initial introductions, expectations, and information
Role-specific training: Job-related skills and knowledge
Resources and tools: Access to necessary tools and support
Cultural and social integration: Understanding the organizational culture and building connections
Continuous support and check-ins: Ongoing guidance and feedback

Diversity training

Changes employee attitudes about diversity or develops skills for working with a diverse workforce
Focuses on attitude awareness and change or behavior change

Owning your own development

Set personal development goals
Invest in self-education through programs like MasterClass, LinkedIn Learning, and Coursera
Seek mentorship
Take initiative in your roles
Utilize feedback
Attend conferences, webinars, and networking events
Join professional organizations
Pursue certifications or higher education

Chapter 8: Employee Development

Employee development

Formal training, job experiences, relationships, and assessments to prepare employees for their careers

Development

Future-oriented (not necessarily related to current job)
Prepares employees for future roles and responsibilities

Training

Focuses on improving current job performance

Protean career

Frequent career changes based on personal interests, abilities, and values

Approaches to employee development

Formal education:
Workplace or off-site
Workshops, courses, university programs
Lectures, simulations, experiential programs
Interpersonal relationships:
Mentor: Senior employee who guides a junior employee
- Develops informally based on shared interests or values
- Employees who seek mentors often have specific personality traits
- Most effective when voluntary and participants understand the program
- Rewarding managers for employee development is important
Coach: Peer or manager who motivates an employee, develops skills, and provides feedback
- Works one-on-one with employees
- Helps employees learn independently
- Provides resources like mentors, courses, or job experiences
Assessment:
- Gathering information and providing feedback on behavior, communication style, and skills
- Input from employees, peers, managers, and customers
- Identifies managerial potential, measures manager strengths/weaknesses, and identifies promotion potential
- Information is shared with the employee along with improvement suggestions
- Tests:
  - Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): Identifies individual preferences for energy, information gathering, decision-making, and lifestyle
  - DiSC: Analyzes behavioral style, preferred environment, and effectiveness strategies (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness)
- Assessment center: Multiple evaluators assess employee performance across different exercises
  - Analyzes personality, administrative, and interpersonal skills required for management roles
- Performance appraisals: Major part of performance management
  - Should provide specific feedback on performance issues and improvement strategies
  - Employees should understand the gap between current and expected performance
  - Identify causes of performance discrepancies and develop plans for improvement
  - Managers should be trained to deliver frequent performance feedback
Job experiences:
- Combines relationships, problems, demands, tasks, and other job features
- Development is most likely when skills and experiences don't perfectly match job requirements
- Job enlargement: Adding challenges or responsibilities to the current job
- Transfer: Moving to a different area of the company
  - May involve relocation
- Downward move: Reduced responsibility and authority (usually due to poor performance)

Career management system steps

Data gathering:
- Self-assessment (MBTI, Strong-Campbell, Self-Directed Search)
  - Identifies opportunities and areas for improvement
Feedback:
- Information about skills and knowledge
- Align skills with organizational goals and identify opportunities
Goal setting:
- Long and short-term career goals
  - Desired positions, skill levels, work settings, skill acquisition
  - Goals should be specific and time-bound
Action planning:
- Strategies for achieving career goals
Follow up:
- Discuss progress towards career goals

Glass ceiling

An invisible barrier preventing women and underrepresented groups from reaching top positions
Caused by factors like limited access to training, developmental experiences, and key relationships

Succession planning

Identifying and tracking high-potential talent to fill key positions when they become vacant
- Helps ensure continuity in leadership and organizational effectiveness

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.