SHRM SHRM-SCP Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

SHRM SHRM-SCP Online Questions & Answers

• Question 951:

  A car sales company has approximately 700 sales employees and 200 administrative employees who perform the tasks of checking stock availability, processing deliveries, sending out invoices, and maintaining records and databases. During and after the pandemic, the company has suffered a 45% loss of profit and revenue due to poor sales. In a bid to stay afloat, the sales manager has laid off the entire administrative team and 100 sales employees who were the least performers last quarter. The

  remaining 600 sales employees are required to take on administrative tasks, as well as a 20% reduction in base pay and a 20% increase in commissions from car sales.

  The HR manager has been told by an employee in the sales department that he is leaving because of the additional workload which has distracted him from making sales and has reduced his commission- based pay. The HR manager is concerned that employee satisfaction levels have fallen drastically due to the increased tasks and unfavorable compensation model. She believes several sales employees are planning to leave the organization which will further reduce the organization's revenue.

  The HR manager decides to share these apprehensions with the sales manager. The HR manager shares that there is a real possibility of high turnover amongst the sales employees which will result in loss of trained talent, corporate know- how and revenue. The sales manager refutes this claim and states that there is a necessity to weed out employees who do not pull their weight and have been relying on the certainty of their base pay as opposed to generating sales. The sales manager notes that the

  worst performing employees are those who complain and are welcome to leave.

  Furthermore, the sales manager shares that laying off the administrative employees and increasing commission-based percentage of pay has improved the company's financial condition and encouraged the sales employees to have a line of sight between their tasks and the company' productivity. The sales manager states that the HR manager should not bother about baseless complaints but revise the job descriptions of the sales position to include the administrative tasks so as to recruit new employees

  who are comfortable with the workload of the role.

  Which approach is most effective for the HR manager to use to resolve her difference of opinion with the sales manager?

  A. agree with the new commission-based pay but advise that low cost and low skilled temporary staff be hired to carry out the administrative tasks which will enable the sales employees focus exclusively on sales and increase company revenue.
  B. inform the employees that the sales manager has the final say over the department and suggest they create an employee resource group for a collective concerted avenue to share their issues with management.
  C. propose that focus groups and exit interviews be conducted by HR to determine if and why the sales employees are dissatisfied with new work and compensation model.
  D. Utilize a business case to inform senior management of her concerns over the increased turnover rate in the sales department and its impact on company revenue.
  C. propose that focus groups and exit interviews be conducted by HR to determine if and why the sales employees are dissatisfied with new work and compensation model.

  ---

  Note that the first thing to do is ascertain the reasons for the issues. The first thing the HR manager needs to do is determine if employee satisfaction levels have dropped and if this is due to the new work model and compensation model. Remember, HR must first ascertain opinions through valid metrics (focus groups and interviews) before creating or implementing solutions. Note that it is inappropriate for HR to encourage employees to take collective action against the company and its management. Also, reporting the issue to senior management does not address the issue directly with the sales manager. Hiring temp staff incurs additional costs to a problem that the underlying issues have not been determined.

• Question 952:

  Ann is a leader who believes firmly in the "carrot and stick" rule. She has dedicated 10% of her department's budget to reward employees that meet performance levels of 85% or higher. Ann's leadership is most similar to what leadership style?

  A. Transactional leadership
  B. Charismatic leadership
  C. Transformational leadership
  D. Authoritarian leadership
  A. Transactional leadership

  ---

  Transactional leaders use reward and punishments to gain compliance from their followers these leaders focus on supervision, organization, and performance. Transactional leaders are very often enforcers who are not as concerned with the well-being of the workers in comparison with transformational leaders. Transformational leaders are similar to coaches this is a leader who encourages, motivates and develops followers by creating a vision, guiding through inspiration, and execution of goals alongside members of a group.

• Question 953:

  If the primary goal of the dispute resolution system is putting pressure on negotiators to settle and guaranteeing a solution, then ____________ is best.

  A. litigation
  B. alternative dispute resolution
  C. constructive confrontation
  D. arbitration
  D. arbitration

  ---

  If the primary goal of the dispute resolution system is putting pressure on negotiators to settle and guaranteeing a solution, then arbitration is best.Note that Mediation is a non-binding process generally conducted with a single mediator who does not judge the case but facilitates discussion and eventual resolution of the dispute.Arbitration, on the other hand, is typically a binding process that replaces the full trial process with multiple (often three) chosen people to serve as judges in your case.Arbitration is generally conducted with a panel of multiple arbitrators who take on a role like that of a judge, make decisions about evidence and give written opinions (which can be binding or non-binding).

• Question 954:

  A construction equipment manufacturer has experienced declining sales over the last few years. Historically, the public and the industry have viewed the manufacturing compan' ys products as innovative. However, many of the highest-selling products are now common commodities due to changes in production technology. Low-cost producers in other countries are entering into the company's market while the company's share price steadily declines. Rumors circulate that a competitor may acquire the company and lay off a substantial number of employees. Employee morale is low, and many workers have quit or been recruited by competitors. Customers worry about the company's survival and start taking their business elsewhere. The CEO informs senior management of their intent to sustain the company's independence rather than be acquired. Their strategy is to sell all but the most essential assets and drastically reduce the workforce to support the share price. The CEO asks the chief human resource officer (CHRO) to help.

  How should the CHRO increase morale for employees still with the company?

  A. Organize a companywide retreat with bonding events for one day.
  B. Ask the CEO to purchase lunches for all employees for a week.
  C. Request the CEO hold a companywide meeting to thank employees for their work.
  D. Request managers hold periodic social events with their teams.
  D. Request managers hold periodic social events with their teams.

  ---

  Empowering managers to host regular team social events creates ongoing connection and recognition at the local level, sustaining morale more effectively than one-time or top-down gestures.

• Question 955:

  The Grip organization manufactures steel frames and has experienced falling sales and a 30% increase in customer complaints on product quality. Management has begun to create an awareness that the status quo is hindering the organization's success and must be challenged. Long-standing processes, cultures and practices are being carefully examined to explain to employees the necessity of a change if the company will continue to maintain its market share in the industry. The Grip organization is at what stage?

  A. Freezing stage
  B. Moving stage
  C. Unfreezing stage
  D. Refreezing stage
  C. Unfreezing stage

  ---

  The Grip organization is at the unfreezing stage. Kurt Lewin developed a change model involving three steps: unfreezing, changing (also called moving), and refreezing. The unfreezing stage involves creating an awareness that the existing way of doing things cannot continue. The organization's leadership can point to declining sales figures, poor financial results, or worrying customer satisfaction surveys to show that things have to change .

• Question 956:

  A small press organization is looking to increase its sustainability efforts . The organization lacks the ability to allocate large amounts of financial resources to sustainability and does not have the clout to drive major changes with overseas business partners. Which option is the best way for the organization to increase sustainability?

  A. Partner with other local businesses to drive sustainability initiatives in the local area
  B. Purchase only sustainably produced paper at a higher cost, passing the cost difference on to the customer
  C. Invest in the creation of online products and influence customers to avoid printing hard copies of its products.
  D. Hire a new chief sustainability officer and allow the new hire to set the course for the organization.
  A. Partner with other local businesses to drive sustainability initiatives in the local area

  ---

  Partnering with other local businesses can help increase sustainability without depleting its financial resources.

• Question 957:

  A rapidly growing technology start-up company with 200 employees forms a new team to handle recruitment for the company that is independent of the HR team. The recruitment team does not have any specific guidelines for hiring. The HR director wants to establish guidelines to prevent the theft of intellectual property and insists that the recruitment team begin conducting background checks to verify applicants' criminal histones. The recruitment director feels that background checks create unnecessary delays and that the multiple interviews used to make selection decisions serve the same purpose as a background check.

  In addition to background checks, the HR director would like for the recruitment director to begin using evidence based selection tools. What would be the most effective way to do this, given that the company is growing rapidly?

  A. Locate an industry-leading selection test maker and buy an off-the-shelf product.
  B. Conduct a full job analysis and design the selection tools in-house.
  C. Consult academic literature and design a selection tool based on best practices.
  D. Continue using the current process and conduct a validation study of its utility.
  C. Consult academic literature and design a selection tool based on best practices.

• Question 958:

  Task analysis is done at ___________ stage, task inventory is done at ___________ stage, while a pilot test is done at ___________ stage?

  A. Analysis, Development, Implementation
  B. Analysis, Design, Implementation
  C. Analysis, Implementation, Design
  D. Analysis, Design, Design
  B. Analysis, Design, Implementation

  ---

  Task analysis is done at the analysis stage, task inventory is done at the design stage, while a pilot test is done at the implementation stage of the ADDIE process.

• Question 959:

  When implementing a merger and acquisition strategy, which of the following has the MOST impact on long-term success?

  A. Inadequate planning
  B. Breakdown in communications
  C. Lack of funding
  D. Significant cultural mismatches
  D. Significant cultural mismatches

  ---

  Studies conducted on the outcome of mergers and acquisitions show that 30% of them fail within three years, with the majority of those due to disparities in organizational cultures.

• Question 960:

  What is the purpose of a key risk indicator (KRI)?

  A. A KRI provides early warning signs of risk occurrence.
  B. A KRI reflects circumstances responsible for disrupting the business activities of a firm.
  C. A KRI provides examination and documentation of the effectiveness of risk responses
  D. KRIs compare the probability of an unfavorable event to the magnitude of its impact.
  A. A KRI provides early warning signs of risk occurrence.

  ---

  Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) are critical predictors of unfavorable events that can adversely impact organizations. They monitor changes in the levels of risk exposure and contribute to the early warning signs that enable organizations to report risks, prevent crises and mitigate them in time.