Title: Workforce Planning
Course: Question Banks

Q: HRZone best defined workforce planning as:
- “having the right number of people with the right skills in the right jobs at the right time.” (Incorrect. This definition, an abbreviated one provided by the state of California’s human resources department, doesn’t capture the complexity of today’s workforce planning.)
- “it is a complex research and design problem that involves developing a detailed understanding of a role.” (Incorrect. This is only a partial picture of workforce planning.)
- “to ensure that an organization has the talent—the right combination of skills, knowledge, aptitude and attitude—to achieve its strategic goals.” (Incorrect. This is the role of human resource management.)
- “the process of ensuring an organization has current and future access to the human capital it needs to perform effectively.” (Correct. The term “access” reflects an employer’s use of alternative forms of employment, which better captures today’s operating realities.)
A: “the process of ensuring an organization has current and future access to the human capital it needs to perform effectively.”

Q: In order to understand and support short- and long-term organizational goals, with what process(es) should workforce planning be closely aligned?
- Training and reskilling of workers. (Incorrect. This part of the “action plan” takes place after HR has aligned with short- and long-term goals.)
- The analysis of current human resources (Incorrect. This is an internal HR function that helps them understand what they’re working with but isn’t necessarily a step toward aligning with organizational goals.)
- Identifying gaps between current and future workforce needs. (Incorrect. This is an important step in the workforce planning process but does not align the HR team with organizational goals.)
- The organization’s strategic and annual business planning (Correct. Step one of the process suggests that workforce planning align with these processes in order to support the business function.)
A: The organization’s strategic and annual business planning

Q: In assessing human resources, one should develop a profile that includes:
- the impact of separations and changes in demographics. (Incorrect. This is a sliver of what an assessment would be.)
- compiling and analyzing human resources data. (Incorrect. This is the action one would take in assessing.)
- projecting human resources needs. (Incorrect. Though that is, hopefully, the end result.)
- staff levels, demographics, and competencies. (Correct. These are the pieces of a human resources assessment.)
A: staff levels, demographics, and competencies.

Q: These are the two key elements of an assessment:
- reliability and predictability. (Incorrect. Predictability would be quite a distractor to getting to the truth!)
- reliability and equity (Incorrect. Equity is not a factor in a human resources assessment.)
- reliability and veracity (Incorrect. Not quite right, but close.)
- reliability and validity (Correct. Free from random error in measurement and measuring what it was intended to measure.)
A: reliability and validity

Q: In OPM’s recommended three-step process to developing valid assessment, “designing the assessment strategy” should encompass:
- identifying job relevant competencies (Incorrect. That’s the first step in the process.)
- evaluating job knowledge tests. (Incorrect. This is part of the third step of the process.)
- developing job knowledge tests. (Incorrect. This isn’t actually part of the process.)
- developing one or more assessments to determine a person’s ability to successfully perform a job. (Correct. After identifying job relevant competencies, this is the second step.)
A: developing one or more assessments to determine a person’s ability to successfully perform a job.

Q: When conducting an assessment of your current human resources, what are you assessing?
- Your employees’ trainability and workloads. (Incorrect. While training and workload are a consideration, this is not the main purpose of the assessment.)
- People in the market who can be hired to meet the future needs of the company. (Incorrect. Assessing current human resources means looking internally, not externally.)
- Producing reliable and valid data about your human resources. (Incorrect. All assessments should be reliable and valid, but we’re looking for a more specific answer.)
- Your employees’ ability to meet projected future requirements. (Correct. You’re conducting the assessment to make sure your current staff can meet the future needs of the company.)
A: Your employees’ ability to meet projected future requirements.

Q: A method for tracking movement of employees within an organization and an aid for succession planning is called the:
- Delphi technique. (Incorrect. This is a tool used for evaluating current resources.)
- RAND technique. (Incorrect. RAND was a think tank that developed the Delphi technique to aid decisions made by groups of people.)
- Pavlov analysis. (Incorrect. Pavlov hung out with dogs, not human resources professionals.)
- Markov analysis. (Correct. An HR professional can develop a transitional probability matrix for forecasting internal labor supply.)
A: Markov analysis.

Q: The external labor supply is a function of:
- the quality of life and the number of available educational institutions. (Incorrect. These are qualitative factors that affect the external labor market)
- range of pay and available training. (Incorrect. These are not factors that affect external labor supply.)
- upskilling workers and providing leadership training. (Incorrect. These are examples of actions to grow and nurture the current workforce.)
- a range of economic and qualitative factors, like availability of housing and transportation. (Correct. Economics and qualitative factors weigh heavily on the availability of labor in a market.)
A: a range of economic and qualitative factors, like availability of housing and transportation.

Q: The ultimate outcome of the workforce planning process is:
- a vision statement and a mission statement. (Incorrect. The example provided talked about a plan that featured these elements, though.)
- a set of guiding principles (Incorrect. It should be more than guiding principles, but guiding principles are nice to have!)
- a succession plan (Incorrect. Evaluation of current human resources should feature this, however.)
- a workforce development plan (Correct. HR-related analysis conducted during the organization’s planning should result in this HR plan of action.)
A: a workforce development plan

Q: In Diablo Valley College’s workforce development plan, what did the document feature?
- A succession plan (Incorrect. DVC might do this as part of their current resources assessment, but it’s not a part of the plan discussed in the text.)
- A Markov analysis (Incorrect. This is a calculation that helps HR professionals keep track of employee movement within an organization.)
- A Delphi analysis (Incorrect. A Delphi analysis does not actually exist.)
- A vision statement (Correct. It provided insight as to how the college would operate should the plan come to full fruition.)
A: A vision statement

Q: What were the guiding principles of the workforce development plan as they related to the Diablo Valley College example?
- How DVC proposed to reach their future workforce state. (Incorrect. This was captured in the college’s vision.)
- Long-term outcomes and the strategies that lead to them. (Incorrect. This was a part of their implementation grid.)
- What the plan is intended to work toward in the next five years. (Incorrect. These would be DVC’s goals.)
- Criteria for making decisions that support goals. (Correct. The guiding principles act as a manual for decision making.)
A: Criteria for making decisions that support goals.

Q: The purpose of a job analysis is to establish job duties and responsibilities, conditions of the job and:
- required certifications to perform the job. (Incorrect. Think a little bigger!)
- required compensation package, including benefits. (Incorrect. This will vary based on the person hired for the job and isn’t part of the analysis.)
- required training and education. (Incorrect. Though you’re on the right track with this line of thought!)
- required knowledge, skills and abilities. (Correct. A job analysis includes what the employee will need to know!)
A: required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Q: Which of the following is NOT one of the purposes of a job analysis?
- establish a legal basis for assessment and selection (Incorrect. This is one of the purposes of a job analysis.)
- establish and document job-related competencies (Incorrect. This is one of the purposes of a job analysis.)
- establish the basis for determining relative worth (Incorrect. This is one of the purposes of a job analysis.)
- establish a career trajectory for the position (Correct. A career trajectory is based on the employee’s skills and interests)
A: establish a career trajectory for the position

Q: According to the US Office of Personnel Management, a valid job analysis provides data that should be used for what other purposes?
- career development methodologies and overall organizational strategy (Incorrect. Organizational strategy should inform the job analysis, not the other way around!)
- recruitment, selection, and office culture (Incorrect. A job analysis does not inform office culture.)
- performance management and benefits packages (Incorrect. Benefits packages are not a part of job analysis.)
- selection and performance management (Correct. A job analysis provides data that makes these processes more effective.)
A: selection and performance management

Q: When Shereen is conducting a job analysis, her first step will be:
- to determine which data sources will be used and how information will be collected. (Incorrect. This is actually part of the third step, other considerations should precede it.)
- to group the jobs with others that are similar, to get a better understanding of characteristics. (Incorrect. Benchmarking is the second step in job analysis.)
- to review a draft of the description with the job supervisor. (Incorrect. This is actually the last step!)
- to determine how the job relates to the organization’s strategy (Correct. The first step is to understand how this role fits in and connects to the organization’s strategy.)
A: to determine how the job relates to the organization’s strategy

Q: What can be done if it’s impractical to conduct a job analysis of every role?
- Enlist the assistance of the hiring manager in reviewing drafts. (Incorrect. You should review draft analysis with hiring managers, but this is not a time saver!)
- Determine its connection to strategy—if there’s no connection, no analysis is needed. (Incorrect. The first step in any job analysis is to determine its connection to strategy, but this isn’t done to save time.)
- Eliminate those jobs that are entry level from the list. (Incorrect. Even entry level positions should be analyzed, but there are other more practical shortcuts available)
- Group jobs into categories that have similar characteristics (Correct. This is a great way to save time.)
A: Group jobs into categories that have similar characteristics

Q: The US Office of Personnel Management recommends rating tasks, and those should include:
- ratings for skill level and training needs. (Incorrect. This is a rating for tasks, not the employee doing them.)
- ratings for importance to the organizational strategy and level of pay. (Incorrect. This isn’t a rating for the task as it applies to the organization.)
- ratings for performance management and skill level. (Incorrect. This is a rating for tasks, not the employee doing them.)
- ratings for frequency and importance. (Correct. The OPM suggests that these tasks be included in the job analysis.)
A: ratings for frequency and importance.

Q: Looking at online databases, observations and interviews are part of which step of the job analysis process?
- developing competencies (Incorrect. You may need a little information before you start doing this.)
- validating and rating tasks and competencies (Incorrect. This would be jumping way ahead)
- finalizing the job analysis (Incorrect. Sounds like you’re just looking at information, you’re not ready to finalize!)
- collecting data (Correct. Checking out the databases and interviews are all data gathering activities.)
A: collecting data

Q: If Subject Matter Experts are looking over your analysis and rating tasks, in which step of the job analysis process are you?
- developing competencies
- collecting data
- finalizing the job analysis
- validating and rating tasks and competencies
A: validating and rating tasks and competencies

Q: An organization’s organizational charts and position descriptions are examples of what kind of sources of data?
- External sources (Incorrect. Most other organizations are a bit hesitant to give up this information for your review, but if you’re a member of a professional organization, maybe!)
- O*Net (Incorrect. O*Net compiles the information of many companies)
- Job incumbent diaries (Incorrect. This is a type of data, classified the same way as organizational charts and position descriptions.)
- Internal sources (Correct. Your organization likely already has many internal resources to support job analysis.)
A: Internal sources

Q: Generalized information about a thousand different standardized jobs throughout the country can be found:
- on the Department of Labor website (Incorrect. The Department of Labor website doesn’t feature this kind of information, it offers information about legal rules and regulations.)
- within an organization’s internal data (Incorrect. An organization’s internal data will only feature information about the company itself.)
- on the website of professional HR organizations like SHRM (Incorrect. They’re likely to refer you to the correct place, which is…?)
- on the O*Net website (Correct. O*Net has all that great information waiting for you!)
A: on the O*Net website

Q: “Essential functions” are must-have capabilities and should be included in what part of the job description?
- job specifications (Incorrect. This section highlights the minimum acceptable qualifications for the job, including education and experience.)
- job title (Incorrect. Including essential functions here would make for quite a long title!)
- reporting relationships (Incorrect. This would be the area where the HR professional would highlight reporting structure.)
- job summary (Correct. These required elements for successful job performance should be highlighted here.)
A: job summary

Q: Where would a job code go in the job description?
- job specifications (Incorrect. This section highlights the minimum acceptable qualifications for the job, including education and experience.)
- job summary (Incorrect. This small detail would be lost here.)
- reporting relationships (Incorrect. This would be the area where the HR professional would highlight reporting structure.)
- job title (Correct. These details would reside here.)
A: job title

Q: “Do I need a college degree for this position?” wonders an applicant. This information would be housed in which section of the job description?
- job title (Incorrect. That would be an awfully long title!)
- job summary (Incorrect. This small detail would be lost here.)
- reporting relationships (Incorrect. This would be the area where the HR professional would highlight reporting structure.)
- job specifications (Correct. This section highlights the minimum acceptable qualifications for the job, including education and experience.)
A: job specifications

Q: “How much experience do I need to apply for this position?” wonders an applicant. This information would be housed in which section of the job description?
- job title
- job summary
- reporting relationships
- job specifications
A: job specifications

Q: Which of the following is a true statement?
- Job descriptions serve as the basis for job analysis and job specifications. (Incorrect. Job descriptions should be a later step.)
- Job specifications serve as the basis for job analysis and job descriptions. (Incorrect. Job specifications are a later step.)
- Job descriptions and job specifications serve as the basis for job analyses. (Incorrect. This is really putting the cart before the horse!)
- Job analysis serves as a basis for job description and job specifications. (Correct. The job analysis is the foundation for the rest of the job description.)
A: Job analysis serves as a basis for job description and job specifications.

Q: A key difference between a job description and job specifications is that:
- details in a job description are personal. (Incorrect. The job description just highlights what needs to be done.)
- details in a job description talk about educational and skill requirements. (Incorrect. The job description doesn’t cover these elements.)
- the job description is a subset of the job specifications. (Incorrect. This is actually the other way around!)
- details in a job description are not personal. (Correct. A job description just highlights what needs to be done.)
A: details in a job description are not personal.

Q: In which area would you find the minimum required qualifications for a position—in the job analysis, job specifications, or job description?
- job description (Incorrect. The job description highlights what the applicant can expect to do in his or her workday.)
- job analysis (Incorrect. The job analysis seeks to understand and rate tasks, determine salary and benchmark against other similar positions in the market.)
- job analysis and job specification (Incorrect. Job analysis doesn’t make the determination of minimum required qualifications.)
- job specifications (Correct. This is the specific area where these minimum qualifications are highlighted)
A: job specifications

Q: What is the intended purpose of job design?
- to establish job duties and responsibilities (Incorrect. This is part of the purpose of job analysis.)
- to communicate job duties and minimum qualifications (Incorrect. This is the job of the job description and job specifications)
- to create a position that will support organizational strategy (Incorrect. This is also a part of job analysis.)
- to reduce or overcome job dissatisfaction (Correct. Jobs are designed to keep employees engaged and turnover low.)
A: to reduce or overcome job dissatisfaction

Q: Which of the elements below is considered in job design?
- job functions and minimum qualifications. (Incorrect. These are highlighted in the job description and job specifications.)
- level of compensation (Incorrect. Certainly a part of satisfying employees, but not an actual part of planning the job arrangement.)
- the contribution of the position to organizational strategy. (Incorrect. This is considered in the analysis portion.)
- safety and health (Correct. In addition to employee satisfaction, safety and health are also a consideration.)
A: safety and health

Q: The job design should address factors such as what, how and how many tasks are done, and:
- how long each task takes. (Incorrect. This was not among the considerations of job design.)
- how many tasks can be completed by each employee. (Incorrect. This is not a consideration, and it would vary by employee.)
- how much the employee would be compensated for each task. (Incorrect. Compensation isn’t among the considerations in job design.)
- in what order tasks are done. (Correct. A good job design should consider order of tasks as well.)
A: in what order tasks are done.

Q: Job relevance, job enlargement, and job enrichment are three broad theories related to:
- job analysis. (Incorrect. These theories don’t support job analysis.)
- job descriptions. (Incorrect. Job descriptions are a document highlighting the work needing to be done.)
- job specifications. (Incorrect. Job specifications highlight the minimum qualifications expected for a job.)
- job design (Correct. Each of these theories supports employee engagement on the job.)
A: job design

Q: Frederick Herzberg suggested that a job should use the full ability of the employee and provide sufficient challenge. This is the theory of:
- job enlargement. (Incorrect. This theory suggests expanding the number of tasks the employee is responsible for.)
- job relevance. (Incorrect. Relevance refers to an employee’s feeling of significance in a job.)
- job analysis. (Incorrect. Job analysis is a different discussion altogether.)
- job enrichment. (Correct. Herzberg believed that additional tasks provide greater involvement with the job.)
A: job enrichment.