Question 1

Renton Inc.is phasing out its desktop computer repair center in Wisconsin.Meanwhile,the demand for repair of mobile devices-services it provides in Georgia and New Mexico-is growing rapidly.Betty,a human resource specialist at Renton headquarters in Atlanta,must plan to avoid a labor surplus in Wisconsin in a fast and effective way.She wishes to do so with minimal employee suffering in terms of layoffs and salary.Which of the following strategies would best help Betty accomplish her goal?
A) pay reductions
B) transfers
C) demotions
D) early retirement
E) hiring freeze

Accepted Answer

Transfers would allow employees to move from the Wisconsin location, where there is a surplus, to locations in Georgia and New Mexico, where there is growing demand, thus minimizing layoffs and salary reductions.

Question 2

Many of the people reading classified ads are either over- or under-qualified for the position.

Accepted Answer

This is true because classified ads are often targeted towards a specific level of experience or education, and candidates may not fit within that criteria. Therefore, some readers may be overqualified while others may be underqualified for the position advertised.

Question 3

In the context of recruitment sources,referrals are people who apply for a vacancy without prompting from the organization.

Accepted Answer

Referrals are people who are prompted or recommended by current employees to apply for a vacancy. They are not people who apply without any prompting or recommendation.

Question 4

Organizations carry out human resource planning to
A) reduce hiring of workers from colleges and universities.
B) increase hiring costs to match industry standards.
C) avoid taking risks.
D) gain an advantage over competitors.
E) replace technology with highly skilled workers.

Accepted Answer

Human resource planning helps an organization gain an advantage over its competitors by identifying the type and number of employees needed to achieve the organization's goals and objectives. It enables an organization to anticipate and respond to changes in the labor market and ensure that it has the right people with the right skills at the right time to gain a competitive advantage.

Question 5

James is the HR manager at Flenzel Inc. ,which is preparing for the launch of a new product line.The company needs to know how many new customer service representatives to add to help customers with questions and concerns about the existing,and new,products.To guide the company,James needs information about the number of employees currently providing customer service,the number likely to be in those jobs next year,and the numbers expected to move to other positions in the organization.The information will be easier to organize and interpret if James uses a(n)_____.
A) electronic recruiting process
B) transitional matrix
C) propensity analysis
D) due-process policy
E) multiple regression analysis

Accepted Answer

A transitional matrix shows the movement of employees between different jobs or positions within an organization over time. It can provide James with the information he needs about the number of employees currently providing customer service, the number likely to be in those jobs next year, and the numbers expected to move to other positions in the organization. This information can help guide the decision about how many new customer service representatives to hire. While electronic recruiting processes, propensity analysis, and multiple regression analysis may be useful in other aspects of HR management, they are not directly relevant to answering James' specific question about staffing for customer service. A due-process policy is a set of procedures designed to ensure fair treatment of employees and may not be directly relevant to this question either.

Question 6

In the context of forecasting the demand for labor,using trend analysis,inventory levels,changes in technology,and actions of competitors are examples of _____.
A) leading indicators
B) performance indicators
C) coincident pointers
D) transitional matrices
E) functional pointers

Accepted Answer

Leading indicators are variables or factors that can predict future changes or trends, which in this case are used to forecast the demand for labor. Examples of leading indicators include trend analysis, inventory levels, changes in technology, and actions of competitors. Performance indicators and coincident pointers are measures of current or past performance, while transitional matrices refer to the movement of individuals between different job categories or positions. Functional pointers is not a commonly recognized term in forecasting or HR.

Question 7

Yienze Inc. ,a manufacturer of electronic goods,is experiencing financial losses.The company is also facing the problem of a labor surplus due to low demand for its products.In this context,which of the following would be the best way for Yienze to deal with this labor surplus?
A) The company must consider work sharing because it causes relatively less suffering to the employees.
B) The company must choose an early retirement option because it gives an option to employees to voluntarily leave the organization with suitable monetary compensation.
C) The company must freeze employee hiring and focus on natural attrition because it is a relatively fast way to reduce a labor surplus.
D) The company must consider downsizing because it is the quickest way to deal with a labor surplus that results in financial losses.
E) The company must consider retraining employees because it helps improve their interpersonal skills.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Yienze Inc. ,a manufacturer of electronic goods,is...

Question 8

Research suggests that realistic job previews have a strong and consistent effect on employee turnover.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Research suggests that realistic job previews have...

Question 9

A chart that lists job categories held in one period and shows the proportion of employees in each of those categories in a future period is called a _____.
A) labor review
B) trend analysis
C) forecast
D) leading indicator
E) transitional matrix

Accepted Answer

The given description perfectly matches the definition of a transitional matrix. It shows the movement of employees between job categories over a period of time, indicating the proportion of employees that shifts from one category to another. The other options do not fit the given description accurately. A labor review involves analyzing the current state of the workforce, while a trend analysis examines past data to identify patterns and make predictions. A forecast predicts future events based on past data and trends. A leading indicator is a statistic used to predict changes in economic activity, while a transitional matrix tracks employee movement between job categories.

Question 10

Sasha,a production manager at ZestCorp Inc. ,must predict future labor demand using information about inventory levels from the past three years.Sasha will most likely use _____ to predict the demand.
A) yield ratio
B) workforce utilization review
C) trend analysis
D) cost per hire
E) capacity utilization analysis

Accepted Answer

Trend analysis involves analyzing historical data to identify patterns and trends, which can then be used to make predictions about future demand. Therefore, trend analysis is the most appropriate method for Sasha to use in predicting future labor demand using inventory levels from the past three years.

Question 11

In the context of recruitment sources,private employment agencies serve primarily blue-collar workers,while public employment agencies mostly serve white-collar workers.

Accepted Answer

Private employment agencies serve both blue-collar and white-collar workers, while public employment agencies serve a broader range of job seekers including those who are unemployed, disabled or from disadvantaged backgrounds, irrespective of their job type or skill level.

Question 12

Jonathan,the CEO of Maxofan Inc. ,finds that the company needs to eliminate a labor surplus to avoid financial difficulties.To deal with this problem,he chooses a strategy that gives him fast results.However,the amount of suffering caused to employees is high.Jonathan is most likely using the _____ strategy to reduce the labor surplus.
A) early retirement
B) downsizing
C) natural attrition
D) retraining
E) hiring freeze

Accepted Answer

Downsizing is a strategy where the organization reduces the workforce to cut costs and remain financially stable. It usually involves layoffs or termination of employment. While it may lead to fast results, downsizing causes high levels of suffering and financial insecurity for employees. The other options, such as early retirement, natural attrition, retraining, and hiring freeze, may not produce quick and significant results in reducing labor surplus.

Question 13

In the context of recruiter traits and behavior,the recruiter affects the nature of both the job vacancy and the applicants generated.

Accepted Answer

The characteristics and behavior of a recruiter, such as their communication skills, selection criteria, and job advertisement strategies, can influence the type of applicants attracted to a job vacancy as well as the nature of the vacancy itself. Therefore, the recruiter has a significant impact on both the job and the applicant pool.

Question 14

The second step in human resource planning is _____.
A) forecasting labor shortage
B) forecasting labor surplus
C) goal setting and strategic planning
D) program implementation and evaluation
E) program goal setting

Accepted Answer

The second step in human resource planning is goal setting and strategic planning. This step involves identifying the organization's objectives and determining what resources and skills will be needed to achieve those goals. Forecasting labor shortage and surplus, program implementation and evaluation, as well as program goal setting come later in the planning process.

Question 15

Solenz Inc.is a relatively new company that employs 23 workers.When it finished a major contract,the owner realized that there wasn't enough work left for all the remaining workers.The company is negotiating contracts that could provide future work in a few months,but it currently must address its labor surplus in order to remain financially sound.Which of the following is the best strategy to deal with this labor surplus?
A) an early-retirement program
B) natural attrition
C) a hiring freeze
D) downsizing
E) work sharing

Accepted Answer

Work sharing allows the company to reduce the number of hours each employee works, rather than laying off employees. This approach helps retain skilled workers for future contracts while addressing the immediate labor surplus.

Question 16

In the context of human resource planning,the primary goal of forecasting is to
A) predict labor shortages or surpluses in specific areas of an organization.
B) determine labor supply.
C) set goals for hiring employees.
D) focus attention on a problem and provide a basis for measuring an organization's success.
E) eliminate large numbers of personnel with the goal of enhancing an organization's competitiveness.

Accepted Answer

The primary goal of forecasting in human resource planning is to predict labor shortages or surpluses in specific areas of an organization. This enables the organization to take appropriate action and make necessary adjustments to better manage its workforce. Determining labor supply, setting goals for hiring employees, and eliminating personnel are all secondary goals that follow from the primary objective of forecasting. Focusing attention on a problem and providing a basis for measuring an organization's success may also be outcomes of forecasting, but they are not its primary goal.

Question 17

Identify a benefit of applying statistical forecasting methods.
A) They are particularly useful in dynamic environments.
B) Under the right conditions,they provide predictions that are much more precise than a human forecaster's subjective judgment.
C) They are particularly useful in predicting important events that have no historical precedent.
D) They are invariably better than the "best guesses" of experts.
E) They can be used by organizations as a substitute for relying on the subjective judgments of experts.

Accepted Answer

Statistical forecasting methods, when applied under the appropriate conditions, provide predictions that are much more accurate and precise than a human forecaster's subjective judgment. This is because these methods utilize historical data and mathematical models to identify trends, patterns, and relationships. It is important to note that the accuracy of statistical forecasting methods depends on the quality and relevance of the data used, as well as the appropriateness of the modeling assumptions and techniques.

Question 18

Ron,an HR manager at Franton Inc. ,is preparing for a 5 percent increase in the production labor force next year.To do this,he needs to determine what the current number of production employees is and how the number is likely to change by the end of the year.To help with this analysis,Ron should use a _____.
A) transitional matrix
B) propensity analysis
C) trend analysis
D) multiple regression
E) leading indicator

Accepted Answer

A transitional matrix is a tool used to track changes in workforce demographics such as hiring, promotion, and turnover. By using a transitional matrix, Ron can determine the current number of production employees and forecast how the number is likely to change by the end of the year. This tool is particularly useful when analyzing workforce dynamics, such as preparing for a 5 percent increase in the production labor force. Propensity analysis, trend analysis, multiple regression, and leading indicators are not helpful in this particular scenario.

Question 19

Tim,a human resource manager,has studied a transitional matrix to identify how his company has been filling its demand for lab technicians.Where else should Tim get information related to the labor supply?
A) the Bureau of Labor Statistics
B) the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
C) the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
D) his company's marketing plan
E) statistical models that capture "once-in-a-lifetime" changes

Accepted Answer

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a reliable source of data related to labor supply. This government agency collects and reports data on employment, unemployment, wages, and other labor market indicators. By accessing this information, Tim can obtain a better understanding of the supply and demand for lab technicians in the larger labor market, which can inform his company's human resource planning.

Question 20

Which of the following is the first step in the human resource planning process?
A) forecasting
B) goal setting
C) program implementation
D) program evaluation
E) performance evaluation

Accepted Answer

The first step in the human resource planning process is forecasting, which involves projecting future workforce needs based on the organization's goals and strategic plans. This step allows the organization to anticipate and prepare for changes in the workforce, such as retirements, attrition, or expansion. Once the organization has a clear understanding of its future workforce needs, it can move on to goal setting, program implementation, and program evaluation to ensure that it has the right people in the right place at the right time.

Quiz 5: Planning for and Recruiting Human Resources

Many of the people reading classified ads are either over- or under-qualified for the position.

In the context of recruitment sources,referrals are people who apply for a vacancy without prompting from the organization.

Organizations carry out human resource planning to

In the context of forecasting the demand for labor,using trend analysis,inventory levels,changes in technology,and actions of competitors are examples of _____.

Yienze Inc. ,a manufacturer of electronic goods,is experiencing financial losses.The company is also facing the problem of a labor surplus due to low demand for its products.In this context,which of the following would be the best way for Yienze to deal with this labor surplus?

Research suggests that realistic job previews have a strong and consistent effect on employee turnover.

A chart that lists job categories held in one period and shows the proportion of employees in each of those categories in a future period is called a _____.

Sasha,a production manager at ZestCorp Inc. ,must predict future labor demand using information about inventory levels from the past three years.Sasha will most likely use _____ to predict the demand.

In the context of recruitment sources,private employment agencies serve primarily blue-collar workers,while public employment agencies mostly serve white-collar workers.

In the context of recruiter traits and behavior,the recruiter affects the nature of both the job vacancy and the applicants generated.

The second step in human resource planning is _____.

In the context of human resource planning,the primary goal of forecasting is to

Identify a benefit of applying statistical forecasting methods.

Tim,a human resource manager,has studied a transitional matrix to identify how his company has been filling its demand for lab technicians.Where else should Tim get information related to the labor supply?

Which of the following is the first step in the human resource planning process?