SHRM Society for Human Resource Management MCQ 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An employee reports that a supervisor has been making unwanted sexual comments. The employer conducts no investigation. The employer may be liable under Title VII because:
- Strict liability applies whenever any harassment occurs
- The employer failed to take prompt, corrective action after notice (Correct answer)
- Supervisors cannot be held personally liable for harassment
- The employee must first exhaust internal grievance procedures
Correct answer: The employer failed to take prompt, corrective action after notice
Employers are liable for supervisor harassment when they knew or should have known and failed to take prompt corrective action to remedy the situation.
Question 2: Which organizational development intervention is specifically designed to improve communication and collaboration between two conflicting work groups?
- Team building
- Intergroup development (Correct answer)
- Process consultation
- Survey feedback
Correct answer: Intergroup development
Intergroup development is an OD technique that addresses dysfunctional relationships between groups by facilitating dialogue and shared goal identification.
Question 3: Under the ADA, an employer must provide a reasonable accommodation unless it would cause:
- Any measurable disruption to workflow
- Undue hardship based on cost and operational impact (Correct answer)
- A change to the employee's core job duties
- Adjustment to any existing company policy
Correct answer: Undue hardship based on cost and operational impact
The ADA requires reasonable accommodation unless it imposes an undue hardship, evaluated based on factors like cost, resources, and operational impact.
Question 4: A company's HR team calculates a turnover rate of 25% for the year. Which formula correctly represents this metric?
- (Number of separations / Average number of employees) × 100 (Correct answer)
- (Number of new hires / Total workforce) × 100
- (Number of retirements / Total workforce) × 100
- (Number of involuntary terminations / Number of separations) × 100
Correct answer: (Number of separations / Average number of employees) × 100
Turnover rate is calculated by dividing the number of separations by the average number of employees and multiplying by 100.
Question 5: Which pay structure is characterized by broad salary ranges that cover multiple traditional pay grades, giving managers more flexibility in rewarding performance?
- Step-rate structure
- Broadbanding (Correct answer)
- Pay-for-performance structure
- Compa-ratio system
Correct answer: Broadbanding
Broadbanding consolidates many narrow pay grades into fewer, wider bands, providing flexibility to recognize performance and career development within a band.
Question 6: During a union organizing campaign, which employer action is permissible under the National Labor Relations Act?
- Promising wage increases if employees vote against the union
- Interrogating employees about their union sympathies
- Sharing factual information about the costs and risks of unionization (Correct answer)
- Threatening to close the facility if the union wins
Correct answer: Sharing factual information about the costs and risks of unionization
Employers may share accurate, factual information about unionization, but may not threaten, interrogate, promise benefits, or spy on organizing activities (TIPS).
Question 7: An HR professional using a competency-based approach to training needs analysis would focus primarily on:
- Gaps between desired and current employee knowledge, skills, and behaviors (Correct answer)
- The number of training hours mandated by regulations
- Comparing training spend to industry benchmarks
- Selecting the most cost-effective training delivery method
Correct answer: Gaps between desired and current employee knowledge, skills, and behaviors
Competency-based training needs analysis identifies gaps between the competencies employees currently have and those required for effective job performance.
SHRM Society for Human Resource Management MCQ 4
An employee reports that a supervisor has been making unwanted sexual comments.
The employer conducts no investigation.
The employer may be liable under Title VII because: