SPHR Assessment Quiz Step 1 of 5 20% Name* First Last Email* Section OneHiddenBusiness, Leadership, and StrategyAn organization projects that over the next 2-3 years over 200 workers will retire. To manage the skill requirements to replace retiring workers, HR should do all the following EXCEPT:* A. Determine a strategic plan B. Identify the knowledge and skills at risk of being lost when employees retire C. Assess the risk involved with losing needed knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) D. Address the gaps that come with skill loss In a company where the manufacturing division has grown in workers by 20% over the last two quarters but productivity has grown by only 10%, which structural characteristic should an HR director consider?* A. Leadership hierarchy B. Chain of command C. Span of control D. Executive decisions Which of the following steps would an organization take during the strategy formulation phase?* A. Deciding on the organization's mission B. Creating an organizational structure C. Preparing departmental budgets D. Conducting focus groups Which of the plans below describes and projects how HR contributes to the organization’s strategic plan?* A. Human capital management plan B. HR staffing plan C. Resource development plan D. Change management plan If you want to develop a new training course using the ADDIE approach, which of the following are the correct steps that define ADDIE?* A. Analysis, development, diversity, implementation, excel B. Aptitude, design, deliver, investigate, evaluation C. Analysis, design, the develop and implementation, evaluation D. Aptitude, design, diversity, implementation, evaluation The assessment that 50 new employees are required to achieve the organizational strategy for growth in a global market is part of which phase of workforce analysis?* A. Situation analysis B. Supply and demand analysis C. Gap analysis D. Demand analysis The business management tool that focuses on four areas: financial results, customer results, internal processes, and learning and growth is called:* A. Six Sigma B. Total quality management C. Management by objectives D. Balanced scorecard Which of the following statements demonstrates Hersey-Blanchard’s situational leadership theory?* A. People require a different type of direction and leadership over time B. Leaders don’t need relationships with mentors to learn from them C. A team leader is equally concerned with people and production to the maximum degree D. Leaders need to be charismatic because employees don’t like rigid controls and want to accomplish something There are several types of organizations which are created to accomplish business goals. Which type has one person who is responsible for all business decisions, retains all profits, and has unlimited personal liability for all decisions?* A. Partnerships B. Sole proprietorship C. Limited liability company D. Corporation A company manufactures a sensor used by engineers at large electronic companies. They have a market advantage because of the variety of their offerings and the technologies they use. However, other companies can take a share of their business by offering similar sensors that integrate with a larger number of operating systems. Which of Porter’s “Five Forces” does this illustrate?* A. Threat of entry B. Buyer power C. Bargaining power D. Threat of substitution A company leader must plan the direction and mission of the organization and is evaluating where the business is now, where it wants to go, how it will get there, and how it will define success. What is this process called?* A. Planning B. Mission building C. Strategic planning D. Vision Psychologist Kurt Lewin's formula of "unfreezing, moving, and refreezing" is focused on which of the following aspects of organizational change:* A. Dealing with resistance to change B. Deciding what should be changed first C. Determining who should be in charge of organizational change D. Identifying which areas cannot be changed After completing a benchmarking analysis, what is the next logical step?* A. Contact the survey participants B. Develop a “gap analysis” based on benchmarking data C. Create a review of the process D. Implement the change identified Which of the following processes best describes the project management lifecycle?* A. It is a unique life of each project- from its initiation to its ending B. It is the aggregation of the nine knowledge areas of project management: integration management, scope, schedule, costs, quality, human resources, communication, risk, and procurement C. It is the life of the management of the project - from its initiation, planning, execution, controlling, through closing D. It is the life of a project to interact with all areas including scope, schedule, costs, quality, human resources, communication, risk, and procurement A manager finds that two team members are having a dispute about a project’s management. Both agree that the current way the project is being managed is incorrect, but they have disparate views about the solution, and both are determined to implement their own. The manager sees value in both solutions and suggests that a hybrid of the two be used. Which mode of conflict resolution is being applied?* A. Concern for relationships B. Accommodation C. Withdrawal D. Collaboration While trying to find specific causes for the failure of a marketing campaign, HR identifies complaints about the product, delays in delivery time, and shipping errors. What is the most logical next step?* A. Create customer satisfaction metrics B. Add new positions to the shipping department C. Communicate the problems to company stakeholders. D. Put the data into a Pareto chart The idea that the interests of all stakeholders--stockholders, employees, and customers--should be considered is called?* A. Gap analysis B. Alignment model C. Balanced scorecard D. PESTLE What is the long-range analysis of employment patterns and the composition of the labor force called?* A. Environmental scanning B. Trends analysis C. Labor market data D. Needs assessment Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding employee handbooks?* A. An employee handbook should include a statement indicating that it is a legal binding document. B. An employee handbook should explain procedures for handling employee complaints. C. An employee handbook should describe the company's leave policy. D. An employee handbook should be brief, normally less than 30 pages. An organization that calculates the cost of turnover using such measures as separation cost, replacement costs, training and development costs, and lost performance, is using:* A. Cost accounting B. Budget prospective C. Outlay costs D. Key performance indicators If a company is examining internal business units redundancies that can be eliminated in order to save money, it is an example of:* A. Reorganization B. Restructuring C. Planned furlough D. Succession planning What is the overarching term that describes what a company hopes to accomplish in the near and long-term future?* A. Goal B. Mission C. Strategy D. Vision Which of these terms describes the process of examining an entire organization to simplify or eliminate unnecessary processes with the goal of increasing customer satisfaction?* A. Reengineering B. Corporate restructuring C. Workforce reduction D. Mergers and acquisitions Which of these terms describes the process of examining an entire organization to simplify or eliminate unnecessary processes with the goal of increasing customer satisfaction?* A. Job evaluation B. Classification method C. Job sharing D. Ranking method Which of these terms describes the process of examining an entire organization to simplify or eliminate unnecessary processes with the goal of increasing customer satisfaction?* A. Workforce planning and employment. B. Business management and strategy C. Human resource development D. Employee and labor relations. Which of the following forms of business structure gives business owners protection from the debts and liabilities of the company?* A. Corporation B. Partnership C. Sole Proprietorship D. All of the above Which type of HR structure allows organizations with different strategies in multiple units to apply HR expertise to each unit's specific strategic needs?* A. Functional B. Shared services C. Centers of excellence D. Dedicated What are the three managerial competencies of organizations?* A. Business Knowledge, Functional Knowledge, Change Leadership B. Business Knowledge, Functional Knowledge, Inspiring Leadership C. Business Knowledge, Change Knowledge, Change Leadership D. Organization Knowledge, Functional Knowledge, Change Leadership HiddenBLS Raw ScorePossible score 0 - 28HiddenBLS Percentage Score Section TwoTalent Planning and Acquisition (S 12), (P11)All of the following except ___________ is included in strategic recruitment activities.* A. Labor market analysis B. The design of Total Rewards packages C. Employee referral programs D. Defining the employer brand Robert, is a VP of Talent Acquisition and his executive leadership team are increasingly concerned about a handful of negative online reviews on employee review sites. One of the biggest complaints from job candidates on these review sites is the lack of feedback and responsiveness from recruiters about the status of the candidate’s job application. This describes what part of talent acquisition.* A. Job analysis B. Employment branding C. Social media D. Talent selection process Which of these is not an example of a comparative performance review?* A.Narrative B. Forced C. Paired D. Rank During which of the following do HR professionals focus on how to address gaps in current and future staffing needs through recruiting, training and development, contingent staffing, or outsourcing?* A. Succession planning B. Productivity assessment C. Data analysis D. Solution analysis Which of the following occurs due to mergers, outsourcing or a change in business needs?* A. Outplacement B. Voluntary exit C. Involuntary exit D. Plant closing Which of the following tactical accountability measures is not a valid measurement approach for HR performance?* A. HR expertise as a percentage of operating expenses B. Ratio of management to HR staff C. HR expenses as a percentage of total revenue D. Ratio of total employees to HR staff Which of the following tests is designed to measure an individual's knowledge and ability to apply skills in various areas such as mathematics, typing and so forth?* A. Integrity test B. Personality test C. Aptitude test D. Cognitive ability test Which of the following contributes to the economic cost of diversity and inclusion efforts?* A. Increased need for training B. Adherence to government regulations C. Increased salaries and wages D. The possibility of employee backlash Which HR metric best provides an indicator of efficiency in the recruiting process?* A. Turnover costs B. Days to fill C. Vacancy costs D. HR expense factor Which action should the HR manager and business leaders take first to identify a qualified candidate pool?* A. Develop job duty profiles to show realistic job previews before advertising the open positions B. Conduct a survey of veteran team members to find out what skills are most important for their roles C. Complete a job analysis of the roles to present the relationship between the company’s goals and job responsibilities D. Document working conditions, work hours, and job skills for each role you want to hire veterans for Which of the following terms best describes the process of implementing a talent strategy to identify and foster development of high-potential employees or job candidates who may move into leadership positions of increased responsibility?* A. Talent audit B. Scenario planning C. Succession planning D. Replacement strategy A company is having difficulty finding skilled candidates for an upcoming project due to a tight labor market. The HR director recommends using a staffing agency to source employees for the project. Which of the following is a critical consideration when deciding on the best staffing arrangement?* A. SWOT analysis with competitors B. Operating location C. Department budget D. Legal risks HiddenTPA Raw ScorePossible score 0 - 12HiddenTPA Percentage Score Section ThreeLearning and DevelopmentWhich performance appraisal method would be most effective for a large, geographically dispersed company with many similar jobs?* A. Field review B. Critical incident C. Force ranking D. Behavioral anchored rating system Calculate the training cost per employee using the following data: $2,000 for the training design and facilitator, $2,500 for the venue, 20 people time employees and 10 part-time employees?* A. $300 B. $200 C. $180 D. $150 Mentoring involves what person in relation to the individual employee?* A. Someone who takes a personal interest in an individual's career and who guides and supports the individual B. Someone whose goal is to develop an employee in a particular area C. Someone who monitors an employee's performance and doing their job D. Someone who provides training in areas of interest to an employee Which type of learning curve begins slowly with smaller learning increments, but increases in pace and with larger increments as learning continues?* A. Negatively accelerating B. S shaped C. Plateau D. Positively accelerating What program is designed to give students opportunities to obtain experience in their chosen field prior to graduation?* A. Job sharing B. Outsourcing C. Merger D. Internship programs The ability of a team to share and build upon ideas without holding anything back is called:* A. Mental model B. Team learning C. System thinking D. Personal mastery In order to determine what is required to solve a problem, which of the following is conducted first?* A. Needs assessment B. Making a succession plan C. SWOT analysis D. Talent management program A company begins scheduling off-site manager meetings to review the operational realities of implementing elements of its strategic plan. This is an example of which of the following development activities?* A. Peer to peer coaching B. Assigning a mentor C. Hiring an executive coach D. Strategic planning HiddenLD Raw ScorePossible score 0 - 8HiddenLD Percentage Score Section FourTotal RewardsA highly productive salesperson is required to share a bonus with coworkers if sales goals are met each month. The employee is frustrated with this compensation structure because they believe that all teammates do not contribute equally to the successful sales numbers. This is an example of what?* A. Pay disparity B. Procedural justice C. Distributive justice D. Wage inequality Merit-based pay increases fall under what compensation model?* A. Total compensation B. Entitlement C. Pay-for-performance D. Cost of living Non-qualified retirement plans are:* A. Illegal plans and employers may not offer them B. Plans offered to all employees on a tax-deferred basis, so they receive favorable tax treatment C. Plans offered to a select group of employees that don't receive favorable tax treatment D. Plans that meet IRS Code for retirement savings plans If an employer wants to improve organizational productivity through shared management and employee efforts, which of the following would be the best choice for profit sharing? A. Nuses B. Gainsharing C. Improshare D. Employee Stock purchase plan Which of the following is the best way to encourage employees to participate in a wellness program to improve their health and well-being?* A. Create employee "wellness scores" and share them within the company to foster competition B. Require all employees to participate in the program regardless of their personal wellness goals C. Make eligibility for company-sponsored health insurance dependent on participation in the program D. Offer discounts on memberships at gyms located near organizational locations Which of the following describes the formula in which base salary is divided by the midpoint of salary range, then multiplied by 100?* A. Midpoint progression B. COLA ratio C. Disparate pay D. Compa-ratio Which of the following does not require a summary plan description?* A. Flexible spending accounts B. AD&D insurance C. Defined contribution plans D. Defined benefit plans Which of these terms best describes the amount of compensation an employer and employee agree will be paid for the performance of particular duties?* A. Performance based pay B. Experienced based pay C. Pay differential D. Base pay Which of the following is an anonymous method for employees to provide ideas for improvement to management? A. Suggestion box B. Task force C. Focus group D. Open door policy HiddenTR Raw ScorePossible score 0 - 9HiddenTR Percentage Score Section FiveEmployee and Labor Relations (Risk) (S14), (P 27)If a company says that it is financially unable to meet a union request to increase wages during collective bargaining, the company may:* A. Void its contract with the union B. Refuse to continue bargaining until the union lowers its’ wage increase demands C. Be required to substantiate its claim by showing the union its financial records D. Request a contract extension HR creates a program to increase employee engagement based on the recommendation of an outside consultant. How can HR best secure employee support?* A. Ask employees to mentor their peers B. Target the program to different employee groups C. Ask company managers to choose a location to test the program D. Encourage employee participation in a pilot program An ADR process used to address grievances that is considered a win for both parties is* A. Litigation B. Arbitration C. Mediation D. Peer review Which law below prohibits employers from hiring undocumented workers?* A. IRCA B. Rehabilitation Act C. Vevraa D. Uniform guidelines on employee selection Act Your company prefers to use mediation rather than lawsuits to reach amicable resolutions to disputes. There are several steps to the mediation process. What step identifies alternative resolutions to the problem?* A. Options B. Fact-finding C. Negotiating D. Structure In which type of workforce is entitlement culture appropriate?* A. One that has a line of sight to retirement B. One that continues to show productivity increases C. One that has a skillset that's in high demand D. One that is highly competitive and completing daily assignments If the results of an employee engagement survey show a decline over two reporting periods (i.e. quarter over quarter, year over year) which of the following describes the best approach that HR should recommend to company leaders?* A. Share the results just with upper management B. Analyze data again using another method C. Create focus groups that allow HR to obtain qualitative data D. Choose one important issue from the survey results to and respond to it During the organization of a union, if the union is recognized by management, management is required to give the NLRB a list of employees who are eligible to vote in the unionization election. What is this list called?* A. Employee List B. Excelsior List C. Prospectus List D. Candidate List By whom can votes be challenged during a representation election?* A. By management or the union before the votes are cast B. By management only C. By the union only D. By management or the union at any time Which of the following terms describes the requirement of an employee to act with reasonable care and skill in performing work for an employer?* A. Due process B. Due diligence C. Duty of obedience D. Duty of care Which type of employee can never be defined as exempt from overtime provisions?* A. Manual workers B. Sales people C. Managers D. Admin. Assistants Employers with more than 15 or more employees must keep records of all job announcements, applications, and resumes for 1 year under which act?* A. Executive Order 11246 B. Americans with Disabilities Act C. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act D. Temporary employee records If an employee survey identifies work/life balance as a problem for an organization, which of the following objectives should HR include in the business plan?* A. Survey employees to identify work/life balance issues B. Improve morale by offering a flexible work benefit during the next open enrollment period C. Hold focus groups to identify work/life balance issues, prepare a report, and make recommendations D. Launch a work/life balance informational program for all employees and offer online training When a reduction in force occurs the ADEA allows that protected employees may waive their rights under some circumstances. For the waiver to be valid an employee must be allowed how much time to review and consider the agreement?* A. 21 days B. 45 days C. 180 days D. 7 days HiddenELR Raw ScorePossible score 0 - 14HiddenELR Percentage ScoreHiddenSPHR Raw Assessment Total ScorePossible score 0 - 69HiddenSPHR Percentage Assessment Total Score
