SPHR Strategic Workforce Planning 3 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which workforce planning concept refers to identifying and developing internal candidates to fill critical leadership roles before vacancies occur?
- Career pathing
- Succession planning (Correct answer)
- Replacement planning
- Talent pooling
Correct answer: Succession planning
Succession planning proactively identifies and prepares high-potential employees for future leadership positions before openings arise.
Question 2: A company conducts a 'make-or-buy' analysis for a critical technical skill set. Which factor most strongly favors a 'make' (develop internally) decision?
- The skill is widely available in the external labor market
- Immediate need exists and development takes 12+ months
- The skill is core to competitive advantage and must be proprietary (Correct answer)
- Turnover in this role is extremely high
Correct answer: The skill is core to competitive advantage and must be proprietary
Skills tied to core competitive advantage are best developed internally to maintain proprietary knowledge and cultural alignment.
Question 3: Workforce analytics that predict which employees are most likely to voluntarily leave within the next 12 months are an example of:
- Descriptive analytics
- Prescriptive analytics
- Predictive analytics (Correct answer)
- Diagnostic analytics
Correct answer: Predictive analytics
Predictive analytics uses historical and current data to forecast future events, such as employee flight risk.
Question 4: The 'demand forecast' component of workforce planning is primarily driven by:
- Current employee engagement survey results
- The organization's strategic business plan and anticipated workload (Correct answer)
- Competitor headcount benchmarks
- Historical turnover rates
Correct answer: The organization's strategic business plan and anticipated workload
Demand forecasting translates the organization's strategic goals and operational plans into projected human capital requirements.
Question 5: When an organization's workforce plan reveals a gap between projected supply and anticipated demand, which document formally captures the strategies to close that gap?
- An organizational chart
- A staffing action plan (Correct answer)
- An HR audit report
- A job analysis survey
Correct answer: A staffing action plan
A staffing action plan documents specific initiativesârecruiting, training, restructuringâdesigned to close workforce supply-demand gaps.
Question 6: Which approach to workforce planning involves identifying multiple possible future states and preparing different talent strategies for each?
- Trend analysis
- Scenario planning (Correct answer)
- Benchmarking
- Cohort analysis
Correct answer: Scenario planning
Scenario planning builds several plausible future narratives and develops workforce strategies resilient to each possibility.
Question 7: An SPHR candidate is reviewing a workforce plan that includes a 'critical role inventory.' What is the primary purpose of this inventory?
- To document salary ranges for all positions
- To identify positions whose vacancy would significantly disrupt organizational performance (Correct answer)
- To track headcount by department for budget purposes
- To list all roles eligible for HRIS self-service enrollment
Correct answer: To identify positions whose vacancy would significantly disrupt organizational performance
A critical role inventory flags positions whose absence would materially harm business continuity or strategic execution.
SPHR Strategic Workforce Planning 3
Which workforce planning concept refers to identifying and developing internal candidates to fill critical leadership roles before vacancies occur?