HRCI Performance Management

Question 1

Which performance appraisal method requires managers to rank employees from best to worst performer?

Accepted Answer

Forced ranking

Answer

Behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS)

Answer

Management by objectives (MBO)

Answer

360-degree feedback

Question 2

What is the primary purpose of a performance improvement plan (PIP)?

Accepted Answer

To give employees a structured opportunity to meet performance standards

Answer

To document grounds for termination

Answer

To reduce compensation costs

Answer

To transfer the employee to another department

Question 3

Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS) are best described as:

Accepted Answer

Rating scales that use specific behavioral descriptions to define performance levels

Answer

A forced-choice ranking among peers

Answer

A self-assessment tool completed by employees

Answer

A ranking system tied directly to compensation

Question 4

In Management by Objectives (MBO), performance is assessed primarily by:

Accepted Answer

Achievement of mutually agreed-upon goals

Answer

Supervisory observation of daily behavior

Answer

Peer evaluations and 360-degree feedback

Answer

Standardized aptitude testing

Question 5

Which term describes the tendency for a rater to allow one outstanding positive trait to overshadow all other aspects of an employee's performance?

Accepted Answer

Halo effect

Answer

Central tendency error

Answer

Recency bias

Answer

Leniency bias

Question 6

A manager consistently rates all employees near the midpoint of a rating scale, avoiding high or low scores. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Central tendency error

Answer

Halo effect

Answer

Recency bias

Answer

Contrast effect

Question 7

Which of the following best describes a 360-degree feedback system?

Accepted Answer

Performance data collected from the employee's manager, peers, subordinates, and sometimes customers

Answer

Feedback provided only by the direct supervisor

Answer

An anonymous survey about HR department effectiveness

Answer

A self-appraisal tool used exclusively for executive development