SHRM SHRM-SCP Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

SHRM SHRM-SCP Online Questions & Answers

• Question 501:

  A supervisor overhears an employee encouraging coworkers to check a union website. The supervisor immediately fires the employee without cause, based on the employment-at-will clause. The union files a complaint with the NLRB. What is the NLRB likely to do?

  A. Require that the employee be rehired and the employer refrain from such activities.
  B. Nothing. This is an employment-at-will case
  C. Order the employer to recognize the union and enter into immediate contract negotiations.
  D. Order the employer to post employee Section 7 rights in the company cafeteria.
  A. Require that the employee be rehired and the employer refrain from such activities.

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  The NLRB would consider this a serious ULP (Unfair Labor Practice) and would probably require that the employer rehire the employee, pay back wages, and possibly admit wrongdoing before assembled employees. This is not an EAW (Employment At Will) case since the termination violates the employee's statutory rights. Ordering posting of Section 7 rights is probably too lenient a reaction to expect, but a directed election is probably too severe.

• Question 502:

  The senior manager of Marketing and Sales of a furniture outfit has to decide what method is best to rank the 15 sales representatives she manages. Five of the sales representatives had more than $300,000 in sales, two had less than $50,000 in sales, and the remaining eight fell in the middle. What method is most appropriate for the senior manager to utilize if she is required to use a norm-referenced performance evaluation?

  A. graphics rating scale
  B. absolute standard
  C. forced distribution
  D. behaviorally anchored rating scale
  C. forced distribution

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  Norm-referenced evaluations or comparison method compares the employee to the expected performance against that of peers within a group with similar training and experience (ranking, paired comparison, forced ranking). A forced distribution or forced ranking or bell curve or vitality curve calls for workers to be ranked against their coworkers. It is also called stack ranking, forced ranking, and rank and yank. Forced ranking systems direct managers to evaluate their employees' performance against other employees, with a small group at the top and bottom and the majority in the middle. The result is the top 20 percent of performers are amply rewarded, and the bottom 10 percent are shown the door. This method assumes that employees in a company can be divided into groups such as: High Performers Top 20%; Average Performers The middle 70%; Non-Performers or Below Average Performers The bottom 10%. Absolute standards is a method of performance appraisal used to evaluate the performance of an employee in comparison to standards established by the firm. Evaluation is done on an individual basis rather than comparing co-workers.

• Question 503:

  The HR Manager and a group of consultants have reviewed and revised the performance appraisal process to be more data-driven and reliant on information systems. This is to ensure the process is more closely aligned with the HR department's goals. Which managerial function did the HR manager engage in?

  A. Directing
  B. Planning
  C. Organizing
  D. Controlling
  D. Controlling

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  Controlling involves regulating activities in accordance with the plans formulated based on the objectives of the organization. The manager observes and compares the results with the set standards, and corrects any deviations that might occur. Controlling is one of the important functions of HRM as it helps to evaluate and control the performance of the department with respect to different tasks. It also involves appraisals, audit, and statistics.

• Question 504:

  An employee submits a complaint to HR claiming their supervisor made insulting comments about the employee's age. The HR manager determines that the situation did not constitute harassment, and suggests the employee and supervisor meet in a supportive neutral location to solve the problem themselves. What is this process called?

  A. Collective bargaining
  B. Transformative mediation
  C. Ombuds consultation
  D. Binding arbitration
  B. Transformative mediation

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  Inviting the parties to meet in a neutral setting to discuss and resolve their conflict themselves exemplifies transformative mediation, which focuses on restoring relationships through facilitated dialogue.

• Question 505:

  __________ structure allows organizations with different strategies in multiple units to apply HR expertise to each unit's specific strategic needs.

  A. centralized
  B. dedicated
  C. decentralized
  D. functional
  B. dedicated

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  The Dedicated HR structure allows businesses with multiple business units that have different strategies to apply HR expertise to each business unit's specific needs. This means the HR strategy of each business unit is different from the other.

• Question 506:

  A law firm decides to open a secondary office to be closer to a client with whom the law firm performs dedicated services. All new associates for the secondary office were hired with the understanding that their full-time job would be exclusively for this client. However, the associates soon expressed frustration that the work does not offer sufficient career development opportunities compared to employees in the main office. The secondary office associates approach their supervisors to request more opportunities. These associates provide examples of how the associates in the law firm's home office earn a greater variety of experiential opportunities. The supervisors agreed to consult HR and the managing partners to discuss how to provide more developmental opportunities to the associates in the secondary office. The HR manager is tasked with leading the efforts with input from the managing partners.

  Which initial action should the HR manager take after being informed of the concerns of the secondary office associates?

  A. Inform the managing partners of the terms of hire presented to the secondary office associates.
  B. Ask the supervisors how additional associate developmental opportunities would impact client work.
  C. Administer a survey to associates across offices for feedback on professional developmental opportunities.
  D. Meet with the secondary office associates to gain a better perspective of the situation.
  D. Meet with the secondary office associates to gain a better perspective of the situation.

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  Meeting directly with the secondary office associates first provides clear insight into their specific concerns and development needs, ensuring any subsequent actions are accurately targeted.

• Question 507:

  Which of the following is used to define a firm's risk level?

  A. Risk matrix which identifies the likelihood that a risk will occur, and the potential impact of the risk.
  B. Risk appetite which is the level of risk that an organization is willing to accept while pursuing its objectives.
  C. Functional risk management which is a firm-wide strategy to identify and prepare for hazards.
  D. Analyze customer complaints using risk analytical models and software
  A. Risk matrix which identifies the likelihood that a risk will occur, and the potential impact of the risk.

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  A firm's risk level is determined by the likelihood or probability of occurrence of a risk and the risk's potential impact or severity on the organization. Option C refers to Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) which is a company-wide strategy to identify and prepare for hazards (not functional risk management a function is a department in the firm such as the HR function).(Risk Matrix Image below)

• Question 508:

  An agricultural enterprise has received several employee complaints about the excessively hot and humid conditions in which they work. Reports of workplace violence have also been made, particularly in the summer. Under what standard will OSHA handle these complaints?

  A. General duty
  B. Heat hazard
  C. Agriculture
  D. General industry
  A. General duty

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  OSHA does not have a specific standard that covers working in hot environments or workplace violence. Nonetheless, under the OSH Act General Duty clause, employers have a duty to protect workers from recognized serious hazards in the workplace, including heat-related hazards, and workplace violence.

• Question 509:

  The marketing department at a large financial services company chooses five high-performing staff members every year to receive a performance award, which includes a monetary reward and recognition at an end-of-year meeting. Employees are chosen by managers in the marketing department. Each manager nominates two direct reports, and then all managers meet as a group to discuss nominees until a consensus is reached. The names of the winners are given to HR for final approval. The marketing department is preparing to begin this year's nomination process. There have been repeat winners in each of the last three years. A marketing employee files a complaint with the HR director about favoritism in the award process. Additionally, the employee points out that newer employees rarely win the award, which lowers their morale. New employees tend not to win because they spend a couple of years training and shadowing experienced employees before receiving tasks to perform independently.

  The employee who submitted the complaint asks the HR director to provide more opportunities for new employees to be recognized. Which action should the HR manager take?

  A. Send an email to new employees each year thanking them for their contributions.
  B. Announce the names of new employees at the end-of-year meeting.
  C. Require each year's group of nominees to include at least one new employee.
  D. Suggest managers give new employees more informal recognition which will increase the performance.
  C. Require each year's group of nominees to include at least one new employee.

• Question 510:

  Darrel speaks to his supervisor during his performance appraisal review session that he is unmotivated, has no line of sight and is unsure of his undertakings and endeavors at work. Susan, Darrel's supervisor discusses the issues with the HR manager, who states the best way to improve Darrel's motivation is by arranging specific objectives so he can use the objectives as a benchmark for his accomplishments. What motivational theory is the HR manager recommending?

  A. Maslow's Needs theory
  B. Locke's Goal-setting theory
  C. Fiedler's Contingency Theory
  D. Vroom's Expectancy theory
  B. Locke's Goal-setting theory

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  Edwin Locke put forward the Goal-setting theory of motivation which states that goal setting is essentially linked to task performance. It states that specific and challenging goals along with appropriate feedback contribute to higher and better task performance. Goals are more deliberate than desires and momentary intentions. Therefore, setting goals means that a person has committed thought, emotion, and behavior towards attaining the goal. Fiedler's Contingency Theory states that, for a leader to be effective, their leadership style must fit the situation.The Expectancy theory states that employee's motivation is an outcome of how much an individual wants a reward (Valence), the assessment that the likelihood that the effort will lead to expected performance (Expectancy) and the belief that the performance will lead to reward (Instrumentality).