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SPHR Senior Professional in Human Resources Question and Answers

Question # 4

A professional development plan for a high-potential employee must include: (Select TWO options)

A.

Clear timeline

B.

Needs assessment

C.

Demographic analysis

D.

Current job description

E.

Adverse impact analysis

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Question # 5

An HR director has been hired by a high-technology business that has been growing at a rapid rate. There are 300 professional employees in manufacturing and 80 in clerical and laboratory support. There has been no formal human resource function in the past, with each department head controlling the hiring, salary adjustments, and other details. The president wants the new director to identify the key areas of importance. Which of the following is the new director's first obligation?

A.

Conduct an internal salary equity study to ensure fairness

B.

Conduct an attitude survey to gauge employee perceptions

C.

Determine the highest-priority human resource issues and write policies to cover them

D.

Identify the highest-priority human resource issues that support the organization's strategy

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Question # 6

When developing an onboarding program, which components most positively impact employee retention? (Select TWO options.)

A.

Offering self-directed training sessions

B.

Providing employees multiple wellness programs

C.

Enrolling employees in the 401(k) plan automatically

D.

Connecting employees with the organization’s mission

E.

Assisting employees in developing long-term relationships

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Question # 7

Which of the following scenarios are considered Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations? (Select TWO options.)

A.

Automatic wage deductions from an exempt employee’s salary for half-day absence

B.

Paying two times the employee’s regular wage for overtime hours worked

C.

Not paying overtime to an office clerk who clocked out but continued to work through lunch

D.

An employee is not paid for arriving 10 minutes early to be ready for shift change

E.

Not paying a new manager for two days’ absence due to a personal emergency

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Question # 8

Which of the following is the most important way to engage employees early in their careers?

A.

Ensure they meet as many people as possible

B.

Require them to participate in an extensive onboarding program

C.

Assign them to quality projects that make an impact

D.

Focus their work on day-to-day, low-risk tasks to support learning

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Question # 9

The primary purpose of a training needs assessment is to identify the:

A.

Anticipated duration of a program

B.

Materials to be used in a program

C.

Specific problems within an organization

D.

Targeted audience within an organization

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Question # 10

During mergers and acquisitions (MandA), an executive is likely to be protected financially with a:

A.

Leveraged buyout

B.

Divestiture strategy

C.

Golden parachute

D.

Stock option

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Question # 11

HR can best facilitate a successful change initiative by (Select TWO options):

A.

Developing plans for organizational restructure

B.

Ensuring clear and thorough communication

C.

Establishing a sense of urgency

D.

Mitigating resistance to change

E.

Identifying a clear vision

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Question # 12

The main objective of team coaching is to:

A.

Accelerate development

B.

Foster improved collaboration

C.

Encourage cross-functional learning

D.

Create peer mentoring opportunities

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Question # 13

Conducting an inventory of organizational capabilities allows HR to:

A.

Create risk-management protocols

B.

Plan future recruitment needs

C.

Verify demand for capital expenditures

D.

Link compensation to current employee productivity

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Question # 14

Which of the following are the primary factors that would contribute to a hiring manager’s decision to extend an offer above the midpoint of a salary range? (Select TWO options.)

A.

The candidate has the needed level of experience for the position

B.

The candidate has a strong skill set including specialized certifications

C.

The position is of average complexity and competition is high for talent

D.

The position has some complexity and competition is moderate for talent

E.

The candidate currently works in a similar position with a direct competitor

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Question # 15

Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) are most likely to encourage employees to:

A.

invest more of their personal earnings

B.

refer others to the organization

C.

accept less personal financial risk

D.

engage in organizational performance

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Question # 16

Which of the following actions should be taken first when a hiring manager sees very few qualified candidates among the pool that have met the pre-screening requirements?

A.

Confirm accuracy of job descriptions

B.

Open position to greater audience

C.

Target specific applicant pools

D.

Seek an increase in salary range

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Question # 17

An example of action learning as an organizational development tool would be:

A.

Small teams addressing real workplace problems

B.

Evaluating a standardized operation or process

C.

Participating in self-awareness exercises

D.

Ongoing group sensitivity training

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Question # 18

The transfer of learning is effective when: (Select TWO options)

A.

Trainees apply it to the job context in which they work

B.

Acquired skills are maintained over time

C.

Demand for the training increases significantly

D.

Performance appraisal scores improve from period to period

E.

Trainees provide feedback that they enjoyed the training

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Question # 19

An HR director decided not to interview a qualified applicant because of personal knowledge that the applicant's family has a history of cancer. The director's decision created an alternative risk of:

A.

Genetic discrimination

B.

FMLA violation

C.

Negligent hiring

D.

Adverse impact

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Question # 20

When arbitrators review issues in a labor dispute, careful consideration is given to:

A.

conditional offers previously rejected

B.

past grievances and resolutions

C.

written agreements and past practice

D.

written transcripts of negotiation sessions

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Question # 21

When first attempting to change an organization’s culture, it is most important to focus on:

A.

The external competitive environment

B.

The steps needed to initiate the change

C.

The reasons why the change is warranted

D.

Metrics to measure the success of the change

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Question # 22

The primary purpose of succession planning is to provide:

A.

opportunities for employees to develop career paths

B.

a systematic approach for identifying potential replacements

C.

managers with feedback on how well they mentor employees

D.

managers with other perspectives about the employee’s performance

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Question # 23

The primary goal of executive coaching is to produce changes in:

A.

organizational vision

B.

strategic direction

C.

managerial behavior

D.

executive strategy

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Question # 24

Organizational climate is most directly impacted by a leader's:

A.

Business acumen

B.

Work experience

C.

Educational level

D.

Emotional intelligence

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Question # 25

Customized target market competition, cafeteria reward systems and performance management are major considerations in re-engineering:

A.

Recruitment strategies

B.

Succession plans

C.

HR audit procedures

D.

Compensation systems

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Question # 26

An employee can be terminated for declining to join a union if:

A.

Section 8(a) of the NLRB has been violated

B.

The employee’s probationary period has been extended

C.

The organization is a union shop

D.

The union dues are reasonable

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Question # 27

An organization allows employees to access the Internet on their workstations for limited personal use. An employee is suspected of excessive Internet use during work hours, including reading personal email. The best course of action for the employer is to:

A.

Monitor the employee's personal email

B.

Review the employee's Internet history

C.

Restrict Internet access

D.

Terminate the employee

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Question # 28

Before implementing a corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy, it is most critical that HR:

A.

Deliver communications to all impacted employees

B.

Understand the environment in which the business operates

C.

Assume an advisory role to community leaders

D.

Conduct a gap analysis and analyze data

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Question # 29

An employee with previously good attendance and performance reviews is exhibiting increased incidences of tardiness, absenteeism, and mistakes. The manager suspects that the employee may have a drinking problem. In investigating this situation, the first consideration is to:

A.

Conduct “for cause” substance testing and refer to the EAP

B.

Evaluate the employee’s conduct and behavior against performance and disciplinary standards

C.

Verify that the employee has signed an acknowledgment of receipt of organizational policies

D.

Conduct co-worker and supervisor interviews related to the employee’s behavior

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Question # 30

The most effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) program is one that:

A.

Is tied to the organization's strategic plan

B.

Creates increased visibility for the organization

C.

Operates independent of the organization's bottom line

D.

Requires involvement of the organization's line management

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Question # 31

What percent of the employees must sign authorization cards before the union can file a petition for an election with the NLRB?

A.

10%

B.

30%

C.

50%

D.

70%

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Question # 32

An essential component of ethics training is:

A.

A description of prior ethics investigations

B.

A review of the financial impact of unethical practices

C.

A presentation by a member of the ethics committee

D.

An application of the organization’s code of ethics

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Question # 33

Business plans support organizational decisions when they are used as a:

A.

Market-defining guideline

B.

Guiding and supporting document

C.

Narrative nonfinancial strategy

D.

Snapshot of financial goals

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Question # 34

In compensation system development, internal equity conflicts directly with which other element?

A.

Recruitment efforts

B.

Employee satisfaction

C.

Market competitiveness

D.

Procedural fairness

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Question # 35

HR leadership is tasked with addressing the need for new technology skills in the organization. HR should first:

A.

invest in new systems and software

B.

identify critical competencies

C.

scan the labor market for needed skills

D.

develop training to support new skills

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Question # 36

The first action to take when adopting an organization-wide variable pay plan is to:

A.

Make sure the goals established for participants can be achieved

B.

Survey peer organizations to determine what the competition is doing

C.

Evaluate whether or not the incentive will improve performance

D.

Look for ways to keep the costs to a minimum

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Question # 37

Which of the following is most likely to be increased by improving organizational health?

A.

Organizational culture

B.

Manager tenure

C.

Employee performance

D.

Organizational productivity

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Question # 38

Which of the following is the purpose of the business impact analysis when creating a business continuity plan?

A.

To evaluate the potential effects of a disruption to an organization’s critical business operations

B.

To identify time-sensitive or critical business functions, processes, and associated resources

C.

To determine the impact of data loss or plan for data backup in the event of hardware failure

D.

To establish a public relations communication plan in the event of an emergency

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Question # 39

In assessing training, the three broad areas of measurement that are most important to management are cost, change, and:

A.

Participation

B.

Satisfaction

C.

Usefulness

D.

Impact

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Question # 40

When designing a training evaluation form, it is important to:

A.

limit the length to one page

B.

make the questions unambiguous

C.

use numeric ratings

D.

use comparative analysis

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Question # 41

The most important purpose of a crisis management plan is to prepare the organization for:

A.

every possible contingency

B.

rapid data restoration

C.

emergency media communication

D.

the worst-case scenario

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Question # 42

HR can best help an organization increase its competitive edge by:

A.

Locating a more diverse candidate pool

B.

Assessing the value of training programs

C.

Promoting the importance of intangible assets

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