Exam 12: Managing Human Resources

A job specification typically specifies what a jobholder does, how the job is done, and why it is done.

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following questions. Performance Appraisal Methods (Scenario) Carly has just returned from a conference on performance appraisal methods. It was an interesting conference and it generally confirmed what Carly had suspected about her company's performance management system-it required some drastic revision! The company's current method is to have the immediate supervisor write out an evaluation of each individual employee. This method is time-consuming for the supervisors, and is as much a test of their writing skills as it is an evaluation of actual employee performance. Carly considered three alternative methods to replace the current system. The first method was one of the oldest and most popular performance appraisals. It involved listing a set of performance factors such as quantity of work, quality of work, level of cooperation, etc., and then rating each factor on an incremental scale. The second alternative method involved a system that focused on specific and measurable job behaviours. It required appraisers to rate employees according to numbered items which each represented actual job behaviours, rather than general descriptions or traits. The third alternative method was very results-oriented and was often used to evaluate managers and professional employees based on their accomplishment of specific goals that had been jointly established with their superiors. -What is the name of Carly's first alternative method?

Which of the following focuses on the qualifications a person must possess to perform a given job successfully?

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following questions. The Internal Hire (Scenario) Wade McKenzie is a new sales manager for The Medi-Mac Group, a medical supply company based in Ontario. Wade was hired from within the firm and he is now supervising many of the people he formerly worked with, including two friends with whom he competed for his new job. As a result, Wade is concerned about potential problems stemming from the performance evaluation process, and is conducting research on the advantages and disadvantages of various methods. -Upon starting his new job, Wade met with each of his new subordinates individually. Prior to this meeting, Wade took the time to write out a subjective description of what he perceived to be the strengths and weaknesses of each employee. Wade is utilizing which of the following performance appraisal methods?

Human resource management is part of every manager's job in the organizing function.

Which performance appraisal method uses feedback from supervisors, employees, and co-workers?

A new employee goes through two types of orientation: work unit orientation and procedural orientation.

Nikhil was required to take a dictation test and to receive a score of 75 words per minute on the test. The job he is applying for no longer requires the use of dictation. This test has low __________.

An example of a high-performance work practice is self-managed teams.

One disadvantage of employee referrals as a source of job candidates is that the candidates are often poorly qualified.

Downsizing can be traumatic for those employees remaining. In order to lessen the disruptions in the workplace, managers should ____________ for the remaining employees.

In the selection process, a reject error occurs when __________.

__________ involves presenting applicants with a miniature model of a job and has them perform a task that is central to that job.

__________ familiarizes the employee with the goals of the work unit and includes an introduction to his or her new co-workers.

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following questions. Human Resource Planning (Scenario) Steven is hired to manage the human resources department of a local manufacturing company. Unfortunately, the company has a reputation among workers of being the firm "where you work until you find your next job." Employee turnover is high and morale is low. Steven is determined to change the situation by turning the organization's human resources into a competitive advantage and a source of pride for the firm. -As part of restructuring the organization's human resources, Steven decides that a new job __________ must be written for each position that states the minimum job qualifications that a person must possess to successfully perform the job.

An assessment that defines the jobs and behaviours necessary to perform the job is known as a __________.

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following questions. Human Resources Selection (Scenario) Denise has been asked by her boss, Stephen, the vice-president of human resources, to review the selection methods their firm has been using and to recommend improvements for future recruiting. It seems that recent hires have not been working out, and this has caused friction between the human resources department and the front-line managers who have to utilize the talent sent to them. In addition, there was currently a need to hire some top executives in the company, and due to the responsibility these positions carry, Stephen wanted to ensure they selected the best possible candidates. -Which of the following selection devices would be the most valid predictor for the executive positions?

Which of the following selection devices is the most valid predictor for complex nonmanagerial positions?

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following questions. The Internal Hire (Scenario) Wade McKenzie is a new sales manager for The Medi-Mac Group, a medical supply company based in Ontario. Wade was hired from within the firm and he is now supervising many of the people he formerly worked with, including two friends with whom he competed for his new job. As a result, Wade is concerned about potential problems stemming from the performance evaluation process, and is conducting research on the advantages and disadvantages of various methods. -Six months into Wade's tenure as regional sales manager, he hosts his first regional sales meeting. During the course of the meeting, Wade meets individually with each of his employees and shows them a chart of their sales numbers for each month compared to their budgeted quota for the year to date. Additionally, Wade and each employee set mutually agreed upon, off-budget goals for the remaining six months of the fiscal year. This is most representative of which performance appraisal method?

One of the first activities of the human resource management process involves ________.