SHRM Final Exam Flash cards
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1. Why is it important that employees understand how It drives employ-
day-to-day activities support the strategic goals of the ee behavior, as the
organization? connection to how
they are able to
contribute is evi-
dent.
2. What is the essential concept behind the stakeholder An organization af-
theory? fects and is affect-
ed by complex in-
terests.
3. Which is a common shared service center process? Pension adminis-
tration
4. Which situation best indicates that training is the pre- Salespeople lack
ferred solution? the product knowl-
edge to answer
customer ques-
tions.
5. Which should be the first step in solving an organiza- Performing a
tion's problems with a sharp increase in back orders process analysis.
of shipments?
6. In an assessment center, a candidate is asked to Simulation.
handle a hypothetical situation dealing with typical
job-related challenges. Which selection tool is being
used?
7. Under which circumstances should a market-based When an orga-
job evaluation be used? nization is posi-
tioning against its
compensation phi-
losophy.
8. What is the best practice as it relates to an organiza- Reviewing the
tion's employee handbook? handbook to en-
sure that expecta-
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tions are realistic
and enforceable.
9. Which of the following is a compensable factor? Skills.
10. What is an example of implicit culture? Values.
11. How can an organization that is experiencing high Immediately pro-
turnover minimize the learning curve for new employ- vide appropriate
ees? access to the or-
ganization's infor-
mation library.
12. Based on the upstream/downstream metaphor for Goal setting
resolving the standardization/localization dilemma,
which of the following activities is more likely to be
driven at the global, rather than local, level?
13. What policy encourages employees to speak to man- Open door
agement first regarding suggestions, concerns, or
complaints?
14. An organizational effectiveness and development Team
(OED) initiative focuses on several departments that
are expanding or facing future challenges. What type
of OED intervention is this?
15. An organization is in the process of updating its com- Job descriptions
pensation system and has started the task of eval-
uating jobs and grouping those with similar duties
together. Which documents would be most useful for
this purpose?
16. What is the best way to address address a high vol- Seasonal Workers
ume of annual staffing fluctuations and the need to
onboard new employees quickly?
17. A manager leaves an organization to follow a trans- Job posting
ferred spouse. Which recruiting practice would be
readily accessible to current employees and help the
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employer pinpoint and identify qualified internal can-
didates for the open job?
18. What is the primary distinguishing characteristic of an Perception of risk
enterprise risk management framework? as an integrated
organizational is-
sue
19. A review of the organization's cash flow statement Delay any
shows that cash outflow has increased over the pre- resource-inten-
vious year. Which action should HR take in response sive projects
to this metric?
20. A company is experiencing high turnover of female Support an affinity
engineers. Which initiative should the company sup- group.
port in its effort to improve retention rates?
21. Over five years, an employee has been promoted from Transfer
Scientist I to Scientist III and then laterally moved to
the operations department as Engineer III, a position
more routine than previous jobs. The employee per-
formed well in previous positions but is clearly per-
forming poorly in the current one. What action should
the employee's manager consider?
22. What is the dominant characteristic of a learning or- Failures viewed as
ganization? opportunities to
make changes
23. A benefits manager is looking for a creative program Invite employees
to assist employees with retirement planning. If cost to the benefits of-
is a strong factor in the decision, which is the best fice to discuss re-
choice the benefits manager should consider? tirement options
24. An organization has struggled to launch a new HR Meet with the staff
management system. The new user requirements are and the vendors to
very different, and the beta test was problematic. The discuss issues.
vendor fixed the problems, but the staff's nervous-
ness about having to learn a new system and the poor
beta test experience has created resistance. Which
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actions should the HR manager take now to help to
implement this initiative?
25. Which leader behavior illustrates the concept of so- Checking the
cial intelligence? group continually
for visible signs of
reactions
26. Before designing and implementing a reward system, Mission and strat-
what organizational factors should the HR manager egy
review?
27. As it relates to diversity and inclusion, what is the Promoting cultural
phenomenon of covering? assimilation
28. HR has analyzed the organization's strategy and has Balanced Score-
identified that it can contribute by: -Developing alter- card
native staffing strategies to provide more flexibility to
meet shifts in production demands. - Providing easier
access to HR services, including consultation with
functional leaders. - Applying technology to increase
efficiency and capture data. - Making sure that future
leaders will be available across functions, throughout
the organization. Which tool will help the HR leader
with evaluating the effectiveness of these HR activi-
ties?
29. The recent departure of two leaders has delayed im- Broadening the
plementation of the organization's strategic plan. HR identification of po-
wants to assure that this never happens again and tential successors
has requested all functional leaders to identify po-
tential successors for their position. The responses
identify individuals who are positioned directly below
or closest to the job grade within the same function.
HR schedules a meeting to discuss the submissions.
What should be the key agenda topic of this meeting?
30. Which of the following determines the relative worth Job evaluation
of each job in an organization?
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31. How is sustainability viewed in the first stage of the It is an issue
corporate social responsibility (CSR) maturity curve? of compliance and
the cost of doing
business
32. A retail chain's business model requires the handling Implement imme-
of cash and credit/debit cards by a large number of diate technical
cashiers who do not typically stay for long with the controls.
employer. What action reflects the appropriate priority
for this risk?
33. An HR manager is planning to outsource the creation Staff motivation
of the employee newsletter, which has long been cre- and attitude
ated by several HR staff with input from departments.
What possible negative outcome should the manager
consider?
34. What is the difference between career planning and Career planning
career management? responsibility lies
with the individ-
ual; career man-
agement responsi-
bility lies with the
organization
35. Which action should an organization take to help pre- Check in on em-
vent retaliation against its employees? ployees who have
made complaints
36. What is one of the disadvantages of implementing This solution could
multiple smaller systems (sometimes known as "best pose difficulties in
of breed") to support multiple HR functions? integrating data
across applica-
tions.
37. What benefit is served by analyzing an organization's Appreciation of
value chain? relationships be-
tween contributors
to value
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38. Effective global organizations recognize the value of Coping with cultur-
travel in developing cultural awareness and apprecia- al differences and
tion. Why might short-term travel assignments be less overcoming cul-
effective in achieving these goals? ture shock takes
time and multiple
exposures
39. An organization or it's chief executive officer adopts Risk appetite and
a risk position based upon which factors? risk tolerance
40. Which budgeting method is based on an HR leader Activity-based
comparing how much it costs to complete an initiative
versus its strategic significance?
41. How can data analytics be used to improve employee Predicting employ-
recruitment and retention? ee preferences
and aligning HR
practices accord-
ingly
42. What should a human resource professional do to Discuss coun-
prepare global assignees for their international as- try-specific risks.
signments?
43. Salespeople are polled to determine their top training Case studies
needs. The majority say they want to be able to identify
key decision makers and their needs. What learning
activity would work best for this?
44. Which of the following activities is MOST likely to Encrypting em-
protect sensitive corporate data? ployee computers
and network com-
munications.
45. In an organization with a multicultural workforce, Establishing a cli-
which measure designed to minimize the need for mate of communi-
discipline may be hindered by a high power distance cation
culture?
46.
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Dissatisfaction among clerical staff is high, as mea- Expanding the
sured by turnover and mistake rates. Exit interviews tasks to be per-
indicate boredom as a primary reason for leaving. formed.
What strategy would be MOST successful in address-
ing this problem?
47. Which test is used to ensure due process when disci- Issuing discipline
plining an employee? in a consistent and
predictable man-
ner
48. A business operates in an industry characterized by a Consultation on
high level of competition. The sales function is evalu- sales force incen-
ated on its ability to build market share. What service tive compensation
could HR provide to the sales function? design
49. Which step might an organization take to retain a Offer employees a
multigenerational workforce? broad range of
customized bene-
fits.
50. What would be the BEST way for a new global HR Require local HR
vice president to understand the perspective of the managers to de-
communities in which the organization operates? velop contacts and
programs with lo-
cal groups and re-
port results and
observations.
51. Which is a key advantage that market-based (external) Comparing com-
job evaluation provides organizations over job-con- pensation to those
tent-based (internal) job evaluation? externally in the
same labor market
competing for the
same employees
52. What action can HR take to assist in creating an ethi- Training leaders in
cal organization? ethical practices.
53. Legitimate
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A manager tends to use his position in the organiza-
tion's hierarchy to justify his decisions. What type of
power is this manager demonstrating?
54. What question does the employee value proposition Why would a tal-
(EVP) answer? ented person want
to work for this or-
ganization?
55. Which of the following activities would be most useful Identifying recog-
in an organizational intervention to reshape culture? nized heroes
56. In the assessment and selection step of the global Involving the right
assignment process, which aspect is critical to the people
success of the assignment?
57. When an organization has a strong corporate social Proactive and on-
responsibility (CSR) orientation, which is it likely to going interaction
see as a primary outcome? with all stakehold-
ers.
58. Management has a history of poor communication Don't do it un-
with employees. They act with little input and offer less management
little rationale for decisions. A senior manager wants commits to re-
to conduct an employee attitude survey, believing it sponding to re-
will help improve morale. What would be the most sults.
important thing you would advise?
59. Which situation illustrates task conflict in team inter- Team members
actions? argue continually
about the best
measurement of
project success.
60. The HR function wants to spend more time attract- Payroll is a spe-
ing and retaining talented employees. To do this, HR cialized task that
wants to outsource the payroll function. What justifi- is not central to
cation should HR present to the CEO in support of an the organization's
outsourcing recommendation? strategic plans.
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61. How can the professional networking of an HR practi- Adds the profes-
tioner be beneficial to her employer? sional knowledge
and perspectives
of others.
62. How should HR best influence leaders to understand Explain to lead-
the impact that job analysis has on organizational ers how job analy-
success? sis identifies the
linkage between
tasks and compa-
ny goals by docu-
menting the accu-
rate and relevant
description of jobs
and KSA's
63. Which is a key legal issue that should be established Retrieving and
with a procedure ahead of signing a cloud computing deleting informa-
contract? tion from the
provider's systems
in the event of a
canceled contract
64. What is the best approach HR can take when coaching Counsel the man-
a manager who chooses not to identify high-potential ager on the impor-
employees? tance of retention
65. What is the goal of a business continuity plan? Rapid return to an
acceptable level of
productivity after a
risk event.
66. A company has been successful in recruiting a di- Mentorship pro-
verse workforce but has not seen a diversification of gram
top management ranks. Which program might be most
successful in addressing this problem?
67. Which of the following best supports the business Turnover and tal-
case for employee retention? ent shortages af-
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fect organizational
performance.
68. Which activity is a logical part of an environmental Review of local
scan? and state unem-
ployment rates
69. An HR function with multiple locations is consider- The center will
ing centralizing its project management expertise in be underused and
one center. The various HR departments can seek its benefits unreal-
guidance on their projects from HR managers at this ized
center. Which potential risk should management be
warned about?
70. Senior management has determined that a reduction Grant additional
in force (RIF) is the only way it can address financial benefits to employ-
difficulties. Which action would best minimize the im- ees who volunteer
pact of the downsizing on the organization and em- to be separated.
ployee morale?
71. Which best demonstrates the organizational impact of Increased flexibili-
a union avoidance strategy? ty in management
decisions
72. When would it be better to use a hard approach with When the strategic
a potential vendor during negotiations? importance of the
relationship and
the time available
to negotiate are
both low.
73. A nongovernmental organization has recently re- How family and
viewed a five-year community health program. The HR community lead-
Team has been tasked with analyzing trends and mak- ership dynamics
ing recommendations about future expansion. What influence access
activity will require the use of cultural intelligence? to health services
and education
74. A mid-sized software organization is preparing to ac- Organizational
quire two smaller software firms. The organizations structure/design
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that are being acquired will work both individually intervention
and collaboratively on new product lines with multiple strategy
dual roles. All three organizations are currently com-
petitors, and they have strong opinions about their
competition's competencies. Which type of organiza-
tional effectiveness intervention should be used to
manage the change to dual reporting roles post-ac-
quisition?
75. * Which action should the diversity consultant take to Partner with the
help the VP of HR with the creation and implementa- VP to ensure that
tion of a successful diversity and inclusion strategy? stakeholders ac-
tively support the
diversity and inclu-
sion strategy
76. * Which action should the VP of HR take to develop Create perfor-
performance metrics to measure the effectiveness of mance metrics
the diversity and inclusion strategy? based on internal
company data and
external bench-
marks.
77. * Which action should the VP of HR take to begin Develop a com-
advancing the diversity and inclusion strategy for the prehensive busi-
organization? ness case to elic-
it support from
senior leadership
and other key
stakeholders
78. * Which is the best rationale the VP of HR should share An ERG can play
with organizational leaders to encourage them to a strategic role as
support the creation of an employee resource group a social network or
(ERG)? support group, ca-
reer development
resource, channel
for mentoring and
educational pro-
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grams, and in
many other ways
79. ** Which is the best first step the VP of HR should take Conducting a
to address the differences in opinion and concerns on quantitative analy-
the salary increase budget? sis that would
model risks, costs,
and benefits in or-
der to develop sce-
narios and a rec-
ommendation on
the optimal solu-
tion
80. **Which is the best step the VP of HR should take at Meeting with all
this point in time? key stakeholders
individually, in ad-
vance of a group
meeting in order to
socialize the rec-
ommendation and
gather support
81. **Which action should country HR director recom- Instilling a culture
mend country leaders take that would proactively sup- of trust and learn-
port a union avoidance strategy? ing between em-
ployees and man-
agement
82. ***Which of the following is the best move to socialize Conduct a market
the eastern office into the new compensation pro- analysis of com-
gram? pensation rates in
the eastern region
for comparison to
the eastern office
rate
83. ***What is the best way for the HR director to respond Conduct a com-
to other organizations poaching their employees? pensation analy-
sis to benchmark
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against the mar-
ket , implement-
ing appropriate re-
sponses to fur-
ther the compa-
ny's mission to
be an employ-
er of choice (for
example, retention
bonuses, adjust-
ment to compen-
sation policy)
84. ***What is the best way to handle the confusion re- Create a presen-
garding changes to the compensation model? tation that can
be used by HR
managers across
the organization
to communicate
changes in com-
pensation and
bonuses
85. ****Which approach is most effective for the HR man- Suggest that HR
ager to use to resolve his disagreement with vice conduct several fo-
president of sales? cus groups and
exit interviews to
find out why em-
ployees are leav-
ing the company
and if they are dis-
satisfied with their
jobs
86. ****Which approach best enables the HR manager to Review existing re-
evaluate the effectiveness of the new compensation search and lit-
system to increase sales? erature on best
practices to see
if similar changes
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in other organiza-
tions have been ef-
fective
87. *****Which is the best and most objective way for HR Research
to support its position of blending both cultures and evidence-based
convince leadership to move forward with the recom- practices that
mendation? support the
recommendation
from HR
88. *****Leadership has tasked HR with outlining an ef- Consult with
fective change management plan. What is the first the organization's
thing HR should do to help manage the change in the leaders to identify
organization? chnages in culture
and processes.
89. *****What is the first step HR should take to ensure Hold focus groups
that all employees are treated fairly in regard to pay, to understand
benefits, and working conditions? the issues and
recommend any
changes to the
leadership team.
90. What action reflects the requirements of due process Ensuring that dis-
in a disciplinary process? ciplined employ-
ees have a chance
to defend them-
selves.
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