SPHR Senior Professional in Human Resources 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which staffing strategy involves identifying and cultivating relationships with passive candidates before specific job openings exist?
- Reactive recruiting
- Talent pipeline development (Correct answer)
- Just-in-time hiring
- Employment branding
Correct answer: Talent pipeline development
Talent pipeline development proactively builds relationships with qualified candidates so the organization has ready prospects when vacancies arise.
Question 2: An SPHR is reviewing executive compensation. Which pay element is MOST commonly used to align executive interests with long-term shareholder value?
- Annual performance bonus
- Restricted stock units (RSUs) (Correct answer)
- Supplemental executive retirement plans (SERPs)
- Deferred compensation arrangements
Correct answer: Restricted stock units (RSUs)
RSUs vest over time and tie executive wealth directly to stock price performance, aligning executive incentives with long-term shareholder interests.
Question 3: Under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), an employer must treat pregnancy-related conditions in the same manner as which of the following?
- FMLA-qualifying serious health conditions
- Any other temporary disability or medical condition (Correct answer)
- Occupational injuries covered under workers' compensation
- Pre-existing conditions excluded under prior health insurance rules
Correct answer: Any other temporary disability or medical condition
The PDA requires that pregnancy be treated the same as any other temporary medical condition for all employment purposes, including benefits and leave.
Question 4: A company wants to measure the financial return of a leadership development program. Which formula calculates the ROI of training?
- (Benefits – Costs) / Benefits × 100
- (Benefits – Costs) / Costs × 100 (Correct answer)
- Benefits / Costs × 100
- (Costs – Benefits) / Costs × 100
Correct answer: (Benefits – Costs) / Costs × 100
Training ROI = [(Net Benefits) ÷ Total Costs] × 100, which expresses return as a percentage of the investment made.
Question 5: Which of the following is a PRIMARY responsibility of the HR function in enterprise risk management (ERM)?
- Setting the organization's risk appetite statement
- Identifying and mitigating human capital risks such as key-person dependency (Correct answer)
- Managing the company's directors and officers (D&O) liability insurance
- Conducting financial audits of high-risk business units
Correct answer: Identifying and mitigating human capital risks such as key-person dependency
HR contributes to ERM by identifying human capital risks—including succession gaps, workforce shortages, and key-person dependencies—and developing mitigation strategies.
Question 6: An organization's culture audit reveals a significant gap between espoused values and enacted values. Which OD approach BEST addresses this gap?
- Implementing a new competency framework
- Redesigning the performance management system to reinforce stated values (Correct answer)
- Conducting a workforce planning analysis
- Deploying a new HRIS platform
Correct answer: Redesigning the performance management system to reinforce stated values
Redesigning performance management to measure and reward behaviors aligned with stated values directly closes the gap between what is said and what is done.
Question 7: Which federal agency enforces the Equal Pay Act (EPA) and handles systemic pay discrimination investigations?
- Department of Labor (DOL)
- Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP)
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) (Correct answer)
- National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
Correct answer: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
The EEOC enforces the Equal Pay Act and investigates charges of sex-based wage discrimination, including systemic pay equity violations.
SPHR Senior Professional in Human Resources 5
Which staffing strategy involves identifying and cultivating relationships with passive candidates before specific job openings exist?