Quiz 3 PDF

1. The first step in the workforce planning process is: forecasting. ✓ goal setting. program implementation. program evaluation. strategic planning. Forecasting: involves predicting future workforce needs based on factors such as business growth, industry trends, technology advancements, and organiz...

1. The first step in the workforce planning process is: forecasting. ✓ goal setting. program implementation. program evaluation. strategic planning. Forecasting: involves predicting future workforce needs based on factors such as business growth, industry trends, technology advancements, and organizational changes. This step is crucial as it helps organizations anticipate their talent requirements and develop strategies to address potential gaps in skills, knowledge, and staffing levels. By forecasting workforce demand and supply, companies can make informed decisions about recruitment, training, development, succession planning, and resource allocation 2. Yield ratios express the: output yielded by a new hire in relation to the cost of recruiting the new hire. percentage of applicants who successfully move from one stage of the recruitment and selection process to the next. ✓ cost per hire. quality of new hires based on manager feedback. the cost of recruitment expressed as a proportion of training and onboarding costs. 3. All of the following explain why many baby boomers are staying in the workforce after reaching the traditional age of retirement, EXCEPT? Improved health. Jobs are becoming more physically demanding. ✓ Having high levels of debt. Enjoying work. Lack of pensions. 4. Which of the following statements about digital recruiting is FALSE? Employers have shifted using their spending on job ads away from print media to online job advertising or a combination of both. Companies are turning to the use of social media including LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to seek out job candidates. Smaller and less well-known organizations are likely to be more successful that large well-known organizations in using their websites for recruiting. ✓ Niche boards are smaller sites that focus on particular industries, occupations, geographic areas. Most large companies and many smaller ones make career information available on their websites. → The statement is false because it suggests that smaller organizations are generally more successful than larger ones in using their websites for recruiting, which is not typically the case. 5. Downsizing has an immediate effect on costs, and much of the evidence suggests that it: improves communication. strengthens social networks. hurts long-term organizational effectiveness. ✓ increases the motivation of remaining employees. does not work to shrink the size of the internal labour force. Downsizing: The process of reducing the size of a company's workforce, often as a cost-cutting measure or in response to changing business conditions. It can involve layoffs, early retirements, or the elimination of certain positions within the organization. The statement "hurts long-term organizational effectiveness" is correct because downsizing can have negative long-term effects on an organization despite its immediate cost-saving benefits. 1. **Improves communication:** Downsizing can actually hinder communication within an organization. It may lead to increased stress and uncertainty among employees, which can negatively impact communication channels and the flow of information. 2. **Strengthens social networks:** Downsizing can disrupt social networks within the workplace as employees may experience increased job insecurity and decreased morale. This can weaken social connections and trust among employees rather than strengthen them. 3. **Increases the motivation of remaining employees:** While some employees may feel motivated to work harder after downsizing due to increased workload or a desire to prove their value, overall morale and motivation often suffer. Employees may experience decreased job satisfaction, fear of job loss, and decreased trust in management, leading to lower motivation levels. 4. **Does not work to shrink the size of the internal labor force:** Downsizing is specifically aimed at reducing the size of the workforce, so this statement is incorrect. It is a strategy used to cut costs by eliminating positions or reducing the number of employees within an organization. 6. An important source of recruits for entry-level professional and managerial vacancies is: yield ratios. advertisements in newspapers and magazines. nepotism. on-campus interviewing.✓ executive search firms. 7. Cost per hire is: useful in assessing the efficiency of a recruiting source.✓ lower for executive search firms than for newspaper ads. lower for executive recruits than for clerical recruits. a measure of applicant quality. a measure of recruiter quality. Explanation: 1. Lower for executive search firms than for newspaper ads: Describes the cost comparison between two different recruiting methods 2. Lower for executive recruits than for clerical recruits: Refers to the cost comparison between hiring different categories of employees (executive vs. clerical) It relates to the variation in costs based on the position or level of the recruited candidate. 3. A measure of applicant quality: Describes a different metric related to recruitment, focusing on the evaluation of the quality of applicants. Applicant quality metrics may include factors like skills, experience, and fit with the organization's culture. 4. A measure of recruiter quality: This refers to evaluating the performance and effectiveness of recruiters in sourcing, screening, and hiring candidates. It assesses the abilities of recruiters rather than directly measuring the financial cost associated with hiring. 8. All of the following options to reducing a labour surplus are considered quick in terms of results, and cause a high to moderate amount of human suffering, EXCEPT? Downsizing Demotions Pay reductions Reducing hours A hiring freeze ✓ 9. Which of the following is NOT a stage of workforce planning? Strategic planning Goal setting Forecasting Turnover reduction ✓ Program implementation and evaluation Explanation: 1. **Strategic planning:** This is a critical stage in workforce planning where organizations define their long-term goals, objectives, and strategies related to human resources. It involves aligning HR strategies with overall business objectives. 2. **Goal setting:** After strategic planning, organizations set specific, measurable objectives that they aim to achieve in terms of workforce management. These goals are derived from the strategic plan and guide HR activities. 3. **Forecasting:** This stage involves predicting future workforce needs based on factors like business growth, market trends, and internal changes. It helps in determining the demand for talent and planning recruitment, training, and development efforts accordingly. 4. **Turnover reduction:** While reducing turnover is a goal or an outcome of effective workforce planning, it is not a distinct stage within the planning process. Instead, it is an objective that organizations strive to achieve through various workforce planning strategies such as talent retention programs, career development initiatives, and a positive work environment. 5. **Program implementation and evaluation:** After forecasting and setting goals, workforce planning moves into the implementation phase where HR programs and initiatives are put into action. This includes recruitment, training, performance management, and employee development. Evaluation is then conducted to assess the effectiveness of these programs and make data-driven decisions for continuous improvement. 10. Which of the following options for avoiding an expected labour shortage has the benefit of being a fast solution while maintaining a high ability to change later? Overtime ✓ Technological innovation Turnover reductions New external hires Technological innovation Explanation: 1. **Overtime:** This allows existing employees to work additional hours to meet short-term demand. It's a fast solution because it doesn't require hiring new staff immediately, and it can be adjusted quickly based on changing needs. However, it's important to note that relying heavily on overtime can have drawbacks such as increased costs and potential burnout among employees. 2. **Technological innovation:** While technological innovation can be beneficial in the long term for improving efficiency and productivity, it may not provide a fast solution to an immediate labor shortage. Implementing new technologies often requires time for planning, implementation, and training, which may not address an urgent staffing need quickly. 3. **Turnover reductions:** This involves strategies to reduce employee turnover, which is more of a long-term approach rather than a quick solution to an expected labor shortage. It focuses on retaining existing talent through measures like improving work conditions, offering career development opportunities, and enhancing employee satisfaction. 4. **New external hires:** Hiring new employees externally can address a labor shortage but is not necessarily a fast solution, as it involves recruitment, selection, onboarding, and training processes. It also carries the risk of longer-term commitments and potential challenges in finding suitable candidates quickly. 11. Which one of the following is NOT true of a transitional matrix? It shows the proportion (or number) of employees in different job categories at different times. It is useful for charting historical trends in the company's supply of labour. It is useful in predicting external labour market trends. ✓ Under stable conditions, it is useful for developing future strategies to address labour shortages or surpluses. It answers the questions: "Where did people who were in each job category go?" and "Where did people now in each job category come from?" Explanation: The statement that is NOT true of a transitional matrix is "It is useful in predicting external labor market trends." 1. **It shows the proportion (or number) of employees in different job categories at different times:** This is true. A transitional matrix displays the movement of employees between job categories over time, showing how many employees move from one category to another. 2. **It is useful for charting historical trends in the company's supply of labor:** This is true. By tracking employee movements, a transitional matrix can provide insights into historical trends in workforce composition and changes in labor supply within the company. 3. **It is useful in predicting external labor market trends:** This is not true. A transitional matrix primarily focuses on internal movements within an organization and does not directly predict external labor market trends, such as changes in industry demand or supply of labor from outside the organization. 4. **Under stable conditions, it is useful for developing future strategies to address labor shortages or surpluses:** This is true. In stable conditions, a transitional matrix can help organizations plan for future workforce needs by identifying potential shortages or surpluses in specific job categories based on historical data. 5. **It answers the questions: "Where did people who were in each job category go?" and "Where did people now in each job category come from?":** This is true. A transitional matrix provides insights into employee movements by answering questions about where employees in each job category moved to and where employees in each current job category came from. 12. A small company that manufactures special-order wood furniture has kept its employees busy on a 40-hour-a-week schedule for the past two years. The company just received the largest contract in its history from a European company opening offices in the area. There is no expectation of repeat business from the European company. In order to complete the contract in the required three months, additional skilled woodworking employees are needed. Under these circumstances, to avoid an expected labour shortage, the best option would be: overtime. ✓ the use of temporary employees. turnover reduction. new external hires. 13. When a selection method is free from random error we say it is: Reliable. ✓ Valid. Legal. Practical. Inexpensive. 14. To remove unconscious bias that may present barriers or exclude some candidates from consideration some firms are using: physical ability tests personality inventories reference checks blind screening ✓ compensatory models Explanation: 1. **Physical ability tests:** These tests assess a candidate's physical capabilities relevant to the job. While they can be part of a comprehensive assessment process, they do not directly address unconscious bias in candidate selection. Bias can still exist in how physical ability standards are applied or interpreted. 2. **Personality inventories:** These tools assess aspects of a candidate's personality traits and characteristics. While they can provide valuable insights into a candidate's fit for a role, they do not specifically target unconscious bias. Bias can still occur in how personality traits are perceived or valued. 3. **Reference checks:** These involve contacting a candidate's references to gather information about their past performance and qualifications. While reference checks are important for verifying information, they do not directly address unconscious bias in the selection process. Bias can still influence how references are interpreted or weighted. 4. **Blind screening (correct answer):** This method involves removing identifiable information such as name, gender, ethnicity, or age from candidate resumes or applications before they are reviewed. This helps prevent unconscious bias based on these factors and promotes fair evaluation based on qualifications and experience. 5. **Compensatory models:** These models are used in decision-making processes where strengths in one area can compensate for weaknesses in another. While they can be part of a fair selection process, they do not specifically target unconscious bias. Bias can still affect how compensatory factors are assessed or weighted. 15. Recruitment, together with selection, is increasingly referred to as: organizational strategy. hiring decision-making. talent management. employment testing. talent acquisition. ✓ 16. Which dimension of the “Big Five” measures emotional stability? Extroversion Adjustment ✓ Agreeableness Conscientiousness Inquisitiveness Explanation: 1. **Extroversion:** This dimension measures traits related to sociability, assertiveness, and outgoing behavior. How outgoing and social a person is. 2. **Adjustment (Emotional Stability):** This dimension measures traits related to emotional stability, calmness, resilience, and the ability to cope with stress. It is directly associated with managing emotions and maintaining stability in various situations. 3. **Agreeableness:** This dimension measures traits related to cooperation, kindness, empathy, and trust. How pleasant and agreeable a person is in interpersonal interactions. 4. **Conscientiousness:** This dimension measures traits related to organization, responsibility, diligence, and goal-directed behavior. How reliable and organized a person is in their actions and responsibilities. 5. **Inquisitiveness (Openness to Experience):** This dimension measures traits related to curiosity, creativity, openness to new ideas, and intellectual engagement. How open-minded and curious a person is about the world around them. The Big Five personality traits 1. **Extroversion:** Measures sociability, assertiveness, and outgoing behavior. 2. **Adjustment (Emotional Stability):** Measures emotional stability, calmness, and resilience. 3. **Agreeableness:** Measures cooperation, kindness, empathy, and trust. 4. **Conscientiousness:** Measures organization, responsibility, diligence, and goal-directed behavior. 5. **Inquisitiveness (Openness to Experience):** Measures curiosity, creativity, openness to new ideas, and intellectual engagement. 17. Job performance tests have the advantage of being: Job-specific. ✓ commercially available at very minimal cost. Generalizable. Inexpensive. similar to personality tests. 18. Review of resumes is most valid when their content is evaluated in terms of: the elements of a job description and job specifications. ✓ other applicants' qualifications. the incumbent's qualifications. the values and wants of the supervisor rather than the HR professional. their correlation with salary structure. 19. Unlike predictive and concurrent validity, content validity is: based on expert judgment. ✓ measured statistically. more valid. based on correlation coefficients. not legally approved. Explanation: Content validity is based on expert judgment: Content validity assesses whether a measurement instrument, such as a test or questionnaire, adequately covers the content it is supposed to measure. This determination is often made by experts in the field who evaluate the relevance and representativeness of the items in the instrument. Predictive validity: This type of validity assesses how well a measurement predicts future performance or outcomes. For example, a test might be used to predict job performance or academic success. Concurrent validity: This type of validity assesses the relationship between a measurement and a criterion that is measured at the same time. It is used to establish whether a new measurement correlates well with an established measurement or criterion. 20. Social media background checks on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram are being used by _______ of employers as a hiring tool 10 percent 25 percent 50 percent 70 percent ✓ 85 percent 21. A measure of validity based on showing that there is a substantial association between test scores and job performance scores is called: criterion-related validity. ✓ split-half validity. content validity. construct validity. concurrent validation. Split-half reliability: is a method used to assess the internal consistency of a measurement instrument by splitting it into two halves and comparing the scores obtained from each half. Content validity: assesses whether a measurement instrument adequately covers the content or domain it is supposed to measure. It is based on expert judgment and the relevance of the items in the instrument, not on the association with job performance. Construct validity: Construct validity assesses whether a measurement instrument measures the theoretical construct or concept it is intended to measure. It involves evaluating the relationships between the measurement and other variables to support the existence of the construct. Concurrent validation: is a method used to establish the validity of a measurement instrument by comparing it with an established criterion measured at the same time. It is similar to criterion-related validity but does not specifically focus on job performance as the criterion. 22. Which step of the selection process precedes the actual selection of a candidate? Testing Interviewing candidates Checking references and backgrounds ✓ Screening resumes Reviewing work samples 23. The Public Service Commission of Canada uses a test called the ______ to assess general cognitive abilities required for officer-level positions. GCT1 GCT2 ✓ GCT3 PARE CARES 1. GCT1: This option refers to a hypothetical test or a specific test not mentioned in the context of the Public Service Commission of Canada. There is no widely recognized "GCT1" test specified for assessing general cognitive abilities for officer-level positions. 2. GCT2: The "GCT2," or General Competency Test Level 2, is a standardized test used by the Public Service Commission of Canada to assess general cognitive abilities such as reasoning, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. It is commonly used for officer-level positions in the Canadian public service. 3. GCT3: Similar to GCT1, GCT3 is a hypothetical or unspecified test in the context of the Public Service Commission of Canada. It is not specifically mentioned or recognized as a test used for assessing general cognitive abilities for officer-level positions. 4. PARE: The Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation (PARE) is a test used for assessing physical fitness and abilities, not cognitive abilities. It is commonly used in law enforcement and related fields. 5. CARES: There is no widely recognized test called "CARES" specified for assessing general cognitive abilities for officer-level positions in the context of the Public Service Commission of Canada or similar organizations. Without specific information about CARES, it's difficult to provide further details about what it might entail or be used for. 24. All of the following statements about personality inventories are accurate, EXCEPT? Evidence shows that people who score high on conscientiousness tend to excel at work, because they tend to use self-control. The usual way to identify a candidate's personality traits is to administer one of the personality tests that are commercially available. The relevance of personality dimensions may be job specific (e.g. extroverts tend to excel in sales jobs.) Administering commercially available personality tests usually violates employment equity requirements. ✓ One trend in favour of personality tests is the increasing use of teamwork in organizations. Explanation: 1. **Evidence shows that people who score high on conscientiousness tend to excel at work, because they tend to use self-control:** This statement is accurate. Conscientiousness is a personality trait associated with being organized, responsible, and diligent, which are qualities often linked to success in various work roles. 2. **The usual way to identify a candidate's personality traits is to administer one of the personality tests that are commercially available:** This statement is accurate. Many organizations use commercially available personality tests, such as the Big Five personality traits assessment or the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), to assess candidates' personality traits as part of their hiring processes. 3. **The relevance of personality dimensions may be job specific (e.g., extroverts tend to excel in sales jobs):** This statement is accurate. Different personality traits may be more suited to certain job roles. For example, extroversion may be beneficial for sales positions where interpersonal skills and assertiveness are important. 4. **Administering commercially available personality tests usually violates employment equity requirements:** This statement is incorrect. While it's essential to use personality tests in a fair and non-discriminatory manner, administering them itself does not typically violate employment equity requirements. However, using personality tests in a way that discriminates against protected groups or that is not job-related could be considered a violation. 5. **One trend in favor of personality tests is the increasing use of teamwork in organizations:** This statement is accurate. As teamwork becomes more prevalent in many workplaces, personality assessments can help organizations understand how individuals' personalities may complement each other within teams, leading to improved collaboration and productivity. 25. TiaraInc., an international clothing brand, hired 15 people as brand managers. They all took a test as part of the hiring process. Three months after being hired, their test scores were analyzed along with their performance on the job to find a substantial correlation between the two factors. Which of the following methods of research is exemplified in this scenario? content validation. predictive validation. ✓ concurrent validation. construct validation. diagnostic validation.