aPHR Performance Management 2

Question 1

Which rating scale uses written narratives to describe an employee's performance at each level?

Accepted Answer

Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS)

Answer

BARS combines narrative descriptions of behavior with a numeric rating scale, anchoring each level with specific behavioral examples.

Question 2

An employee disagrees with their performance appraisal rating. What is the BEST first step the HR professional should recommend?

Accepted Answer

Discuss concerns directly with the supervisor

Answer

The recommended first step is to address disagreements directly with the supervisor before escalating to formal grievance procedures.

Question 3

What does 'management by objectives' (MBO) primarily emphasize?

Accepted Answer

Setting mutually agreed-upon goals between manager and employee

Answer

MBO is a collaborative process where managers and employees jointly set specific, measurable objectives that guide performance evaluation.

Question 4

Which type of performance appraisal error occurs when a rater allows one negative trait to influence all other ratings?

Accepted Answer

Horn effect

Answer

The horn effect occurs when one negative characteristic causes a rater to rate an employee negatively across all dimensions.

Question 5

A supervisor rates all employees as 'average' to avoid conflict. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Central tendency error

Answer

Central tendency error occurs when raters avoid extreme ratings and cluster all evaluations around the midpoint of the scale.

aPHR - Associate Professional in Human Resources Practice Test