SHRM SHRM-SCP Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

SHRM SHRM-SCP Online Questions & Answers

• Question 1061:

  An HR manager is tasked with performing a risk assessment of the organization's turnover. Which quantitative risk assessment should the manager use to analyze the consequences?

  A. Conduct employee stay interviews to determine what will retain employees.
  B. Organize a focus group to gather employee feedback on job satisfaction.
  C. Analyze the organization's last six months of turnover and identify similarities.
  D. Use cost-accounting systems to anticipate the full cost of employee separations.
  D. Use cost-accounting systems to anticipate the full cost of employee separations.

• Question 1062:

  An international nonprofit organization that helps local communities access cutting-edge conservation science to protect natural resources is hiring a new executive director . Each applicant for the position must go through an assessment center and an interview conducted by two board members and the CEO. The chairman of the board finalizes the selection process after a meeting where all applicants are assessed, and an agreement is reached.

  An external candidate with extensive experience in "go green" advocacy is selected for the role. The newly hired executive director informs the board that he is concerned about the vulnerable nature of the company's software structure. He advises that the software systems be upgraded. He states that the upgrade will render 60% of the jobs in IT obsolete which will result in significant cost savings for the organization. The board approves the newly hired director's proposal and the IT manager is instructed to

  draw up a request for proposal to IT software vendors while the HR manager is instructed to finalize on the employees that are to be laid off.

  The HR manager is not certain that the layoff is a good idea and decides to have a meeting with the executive director to discuss the intended changes. The executive director fails to attend the scheduled meeting and does not show up at work altogether. The HR manager endeavors to contact the executive director but receives no response. After 2 weeks of no communication and not coming to work, the Board decides to terminate the executive director's employment, and the HR manager sends a letter of

  termination of employment to his home address and personal email address. The board of directors determine the software structure should not be changed and cancels the layoff plan.

  The HR manager decides that a key issue with the IT department is outdated job descriptions and a lack f the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities. The HR manager is charged with leading a team to revise and update IT job descriptions. The meetings end up being disruptive, inconclusive, and no progress is made towards the set timeline. What type of power should the HR manager use in this situation?

  A. Coercive
  B. Legitimate
  C. Expert
  D. Referent
  B. Legitimate

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  Legitimate power comes from having a position of power in an organization, such as being the boss or a key member of a leadership team. This power comes when employees in the organization recognize the authority of the individual. Reward power means having the capacity to offer rewards or benefits in exchange for carrying out a task or achieving a result. Expert power comes from having both deep technical knowledge and extensive experience in your field of expertise. Leaders get referent power through qualities that inspire trust and respect in their colleagues.

• Question 1063:

  An employee relations manager works in a 400-person call center that is part of a larger 7,000-person organization. The center operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The HR manager received an email from one of the call center employees, who indicated that he feels harassed and needs to speak with someone immediately. The HR manager makes plans to meet with the employee before his evening shift.

  The employee says that his supervisor treats him differently and is spying on him at work. He accuses her of logging onto his computer, making program changes, and sending inappropriate messages to other employees. When the HR manager asks for proof, the employee says that the manager has deleted all evidence of her activities. In addition, he believes that at least six other employees, including the marketing manager, are trying to discredit him. The employee further accuses his supervisor of

  making sexual advances toward him.

  The HR manager says that she will investigate the charges. Her first step is to speak with the supervisor. The supervisor reports that there have been problems with the employee for some time, as the HR manager can attest to from looking at his file. There have been several warnings, but his behavior is becoming more erratic, and other team members do not feel comfortable working with him. The supervisor wants to proceed with termination of the employee. She is concerned that if nothing happens, she

  will start to see high-performing employees leave the organization.

  The HR manager then mentions the accusations of sexual harassment. The supervisor is angry at being accused of harassment, threatens to obtain legal counsel if this investigation proceeds, and yells, "This employee has lost his mind!" as she storms out of the HR manager's office.

  The employee leaves work at the end of his shift, gets into a car accident, and sustains minor injuries. He alerts the HR manager that he will be away from work for two weeks and, as proof, forwards a physician's note. The note accidentally includes a reference to possible mental illness. The employee also states in his email that he believes the supervisor caused the accident.

  How should the HR manager respond to the supervisor's request to terminate employment?

  A. Do not share the employee's allegations with the supervisor and recommend that she proceed with the next step in the disciplinary process termination
  B. Explain to the supervisor that she is busy this week but will help her with the request next week
  C. Tell the supervisor that there are some issues going on with the employee and that they will have to wait until those are resolved before taking action
  D. Tell the supervisor that allegations have been made and that the best approach is to await the outcome of the investigation
  D. Tell the supervisor that allegations have been made and that the best approach is to await the outcome of the investigation

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  It is HR's ethical and legal responsibility to investigate the allegations before terminating the employee, even where there is documentation of the performance issues. Termination at this point (without investigation) can also make the employer legally vulnerable to charges of retaliation. Note that no action should take place prior to the outcome of the investigation and HR should always take the truthful and ethical approach.

• Question 1064:

  Which of the following HR functions is not appropriate for outsourcing?

  A. Instructional design
  B. COBRA Administration
  C. Open enrollment
  D. Human capital management plan
  D. Human capital management plan

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  Not all functions can be outsourced, and not all functions that can be outsourced should be. Human capital management plan is HR's version of a strategic plan, and should not be outsourced. Note that strategy, talent management, and termination should not be outsourced.

• Question 1065:

  An employee openly criticizes a co-worker in front of a customer. Which step should an HR manager take first to help the employee repair the damaged relationship with the co-worker?

  A. Help the employee realize that making the effort to repair the relationship is worthwhile.
  B. Review the incident to help determine where the employee may have been at fault.
  C. Encourage the employee to move forward and allow the relationship to improve on its own.
  D. Discuss with others present at the incident to better understand the source of the problem.
  B. Review the incident to help determine where the employee may have been at fault.

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  Reviewing the incident with the employee helps them understand their role in the conflict and identify behaviors they need to change, which is the essential first step before repairing the relationship.

• Question 1066:

  Management by objectives (MBO) emphasizes managers setting goals with the employee; according to MBO, these goals should be:

  A. general in nature, and broad in dimension
  B. easy to produce and modify.
  C. tangible, verifiable, measurable.
  D. approved by the organization's leaders.
  C. tangible, verifiable, measurable.

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  Management by objectives (MBO) is a strategic management model that aims to improve the performance of an organization by clearly defining objectives that are agreed to by both management and employees.

• Question 1067:

  The HR manager at a consulting firm notices a rapid increase in the demand for experienced leaders. The increase is making it difficult to hire managers at the same rate of pay compared to one year ago. The firm presently has three open manager positions, and the three top candidates are demanding annual salaries higher than current managers'salaries. This morning, the firm's CEO sent a companywide email announcing that staffing the job openings is a top priority to meet business demands. The email also indicated the firm is willing to pay a referral bonus. The HR manager knows that staffing the job openings will completely exhaust HR's budget, leaving no money to pay referral bonuses or make salary

  The email also states the incumbent manager no longer trusts the leadership team and is going to seek other employment opportunities.

  Which action should the HR manager take to communicate the hiring challenges HR is experiencing?

  A. Send an email to all staff explaining how job market changes are making it difficult to hire experienced managers.
  B. Notify the firm's current managers they should not expect to receive salary adjustments this year.
  C. Ask the CEO to provide all staff with a detailed explanation of the business need for experienced leaders.
  D. Notify the CEO that HR's budget will be completely exhausted if the firm hires the three top candidates.
  D. Notify the CEO that HR's budget will be completely exhausted if the firm hires the three top candidates.

• Question 1068:

  Which fundamental characteristic should an HR director prioritize when selecting a recruitment specialist who will make hiring decisions?

  A. The number of years spent working in talent acquisition
  B. A willingness to undergo skills training to improve outcomes
  C. An ability to balance business goals with candidates' goals
  D. A commitment to reducing departmental cost-per-hire
  C. An ability to balance business goals with candidates' goals

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  Balancing business objectives with candidates' goals ensures hires are both strategically aligned and likely to engage and remain, which is critical for effective recruitment.

• Question 1069:

  Just before the strategic planning process begins, the HR manager becomes aware of widespread discussions between functional managers on how to use the process to advance pet projects. How should the HR manager ensure that the strategic planning process is successful without it being abused for personal gain by the functional managers?

  A. Focus on organizational core competencies to drive the process.
  B. The functional managers should not be involved in the planning process.
  C. Gather evidence-based data on the personal projects the functional managers intend to advance.
  D. Advocate for the use of external consultants to drive the strategic planning process.
  A. Focus on organizational core competencies to drive the process.

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  Ensuring that the strategic planning process is focused on organizational core competencies is the best answer. By doing this, the organization will focus on its core competencies and not pet projects. A pet project is an activity or goal pursued as a personal favorite, rather than because it is generally accepted as necessary or important.

• Question 1070:

  A 170-employee manufacturing company has won a $3 million government contract and must produce 60,000 aircraft parts over the next three months. Presently, the production department runs two shifts and utilizes 60 skilled workers per shift. Normal production for the company is 50,000 parts per month. The company must maintain current production and fulfill the new order. Currently, it has 10,000 parts in inventory. Which of the following staffing strategies will work best in this situation?

  A. Require present workers to work overtime.
  B. Hire temporary workers for a third shift
  C. Add quality inspection to ensure that the parts meet quality standards
  D. Ask managers to assist in the production area
  A. Require present workers to work overtime.

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  The company's workers are skilled and can be asked to work overtime to meet the order requirements. Note that the project is for three months only and temporary workers will have to be recruited and trained. The most cost-effective strategy that will ensure quality standards are maintained will be to have current workers work overtime.