SHRM Employee Relations & Engagement 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the key difference between mediation and arbitration in workplace dispute resolution?
- Mediation is binding; arbitration is voluntary
- A mediator facilitates agreement while an arbitrator renders a binding decision (Correct answer)
- Arbitration is always faster than mediation
- Mediation requires legal representation; arbitration does not
Correct answer: A mediator facilitates agreement while an arbitrator renders a binding decision
In mediation the neutral party helps the disputants reach their own agreement, whereas in arbitration the arbitrator decides the outcome, which is typically binding.
Question 2: Which metric best measures the effectiveness of an employee engagement initiative over time?
- Number of employees who attended engagement events
- Pre- and post-initiative engagement survey scores correlated with retention and productivity data (Correct answer)
- Total HR budget spent on the initiative
- Number of new hires during the initiative period
Correct answer: Pre- and post-initiative engagement survey scores correlated with retention and productivity data
Comparing engagement scores before and after an initiative and linking them to business outcomes (retention, productivity) provides the most meaningful measure of effectiveness.
Question 3: An employee discloses a disability and requests a schedule change as an accommodation. What is HR's next step under the ADA?
- Deny the request if no formal medical documentation was provided upfront
- Engage in the interactive process to explore reasonable accommodations (Correct answer)
- Automatically approve any schedule change requested
- Transfer the employee to a different department
Correct answer: Engage in the interactive process to explore reasonable accommodations
The ADA requires employers to engage in an interactive, good-faith dialogue with the employee to identify effective and reasonable accommodations.
Question 4: Which leadership behavior is most likely to undermine employee psychological safety?
- Asking employees for input before decisions
- Publicly criticizing employees for mistakes in team meetings (Correct answer)
- Sharing organizational challenges transparently
- Recognizing team contributions regularly
Correct answer: Publicly criticizing employees for mistakes in team meetings
Publicly criticizing employees discourages risk-taking and speaking up, which erodes the psychological safety needed for engagement and innovation.
Question 5: What does a high absenteeism rate most commonly signal in an employee relations context?
- Employees are working excessive overtime
- Underlying issues such as low morale, poor management, or workplace stress (Correct answer)
- The organization's vacation policy is too generous
- Strong work-life balance programs are effective
Correct answer: Underlying issues such as low morale, poor management, or workplace stress
Elevated absenteeism often reflects organizational problems such as burnout, poor leadership, or a toxic work environment rather than individual laziness.
Question 6: In a union environment, what is a grievance procedure primarily designed to do?
- Allow management to discipline employees formally
- Provide a structured process for resolving alleged violations of the collective bargaining agreement (Correct answer)
- Set annual compensation increases for all unionized workers
- Enable HR to bypass union representatives during disputes
Correct answer: Provide a structured process for resolving alleged violations of the collective bargaining agreement
A grievance procedure gives unionized employees a formal channel to challenge alleged contract violations through successive steps, often ending in arbitration.
Question 7: Which practice best supports a culture of continuous feedback rather than annual performance reviews?
- Eliminating all formal performance documentation
- Regular one-on-one check-ins between managers and employees with documented notes (Correct answer)
- Peer reviews conducted once per quarter
- Increasing base pay annually regardless of performance
Correct answer: Regular one-on-one check-ins between managers and employees with documented notes
Frequent, documented one-on-one check-ins create an ongoing dialogue that addresses performance issues in real time rather than waiting for an annual event.
SHRM Employee Relations & Engagement 3
What is the key difference between mediation and arbitration in workplace dispute resolution?