Question
HRMD630 Recruitment and Selection
Week 2 Discussion
Do you feel that affirmative action is a good way to remedy past discrimination?  Why or Why not?
 
HRMD630 Recruitment and Selection
Week 5 Discussion
Why do some organizations promote from within, whereas others rely on outside hiring?  What are the benefits and pitfalls of each approach?
 
HRMD630 Recruitment and Selection
Week 8 Discussion
Do you think employers have a right to check into applicants’ backgrounds?  What about if that check includes social media, blogs, pictures, or writings that can be found on the internet?
 
HRMD630 Recruitment and Selection
Week 9 Discussion
Your hiring manager is frustrated at an offer that was made to a qualified applicant because the applicant has asked for more money in order to accept the job.  What advice could you give to the manager in regards to this applicant’s request?
 
HRMD630 Recruitment and Selection
Week 11 Discussion
Many supervisors are not well-trained on the difficult task of terminating an employee and instead resort to other methods of forcing someone out of the organization.  Methods include giving the employee unpleasant work tasks, reducing their hours, or modifying their jobs in some negative way.  What are the ethical issues raised by this strategy and what are the risks to the organization?
 
 
 
 
 
 
HRMD630 Recruitment and Selection
Week 3 Onboarding Assignment
Onboarding Assignment (Job Description) – Due Date: 11:59 p.m. (E.D.T.), Sunday, June 9
You are the hiring manager at a major home improvement retailer, Home Improvement Center, and need to fill a position for an exempt-status night shift supervisor. The applicants should have retail business experience, preferably in housewares, and at least some supervisory experience. You are looking for someone to fill third shift from 10 P.M.-6 A.M. There may be heavy lifting involved. Your company offers the industry standard for salary, benefits, and growth opportunities.
Write a comprehensive job description for this position that will help you prepare for the interview process and address any questions you might receive from applicants. Be sure to apply the guidelines for writing job descriptions you learned in your readings. You are also encouraged to conduct your own outside research on a major home improvement center and O*Net to help you complete this activity.
To successfully complete the assignments, you must meet the following minimum requirements:
Write a comprehensive job description using the information provided.
Apply the guidelines for writing job descriptions, as presented in your reading assignments this week.
Conduct your own outside research to help you create a more realistic job description.
Include a reference page to give credit to your sources.
Tips for Project Success 
Make sure that you include all basic categories for the job description. Research for the industry will be required. Your job description needs to be realistic! Please note this is NOT a job advertisement. Cite and reference sources and include your name on the paper.
 
HRMD630 Recruitment and Selection
Research Paper
Read the information and instructions for the research paper carefully. If you need help with topics, notify your instructor as soon as possible. You are not required to select a topic from the Topic Suggestions list but should have your topic approved by the instruction by the end of week 4.  The paper is shorter than a typical graduate school paper specifically because of the annotated bibliography. Please read these instructions to understand how to do an annotated bibliography as it is a part of the grade.
Research Paper – Due before 11:59 p.m. (E.D.T.), Sunday, August 11
 Current Events Paper
Your research assignment for this class will be to choose a staffing current events topic to research. There are three parts to the assignment:
 PART 1:
The paper itself (not including the bibliography) should be 4-6, double-spaced pages, prepared in Word.
The topic must be directly related to a specific issue covered in the course material or related to selection or recruitment.
A list of suggested topics are provided but you may choose another topic PROVIDED YOU GET APPROVAL NO LATER THAN WEEK 4 OF THE COURSE.
In addition to usual requirements for academic grammar and format, including use of the APA 6th edition, students will use appropriate terminology and syntax to produce work rivaling professional quality.
 PART 2:
 The paper will include an annotated bibliography with a minimum of 10 books, magazines and/or journal references on their topic.
At least half of the sources are to be no more than two years old. Emphasis must be placed on current events topics that directly the human resource staffing and recruiting function, so several references used should be dated within the last 18 months.
At least one reference must provide a theoretical framework to support key points made in the body of the paper.
Not more than two academic textbooks will be counted in the total number of references for credit. In addition to writing style, intellectual rigor will be assessed by the variety, depth and professional nature of the sources cited (i.e. professional magazines and journals will score higher than general interest sources and unsupported Internet items.
YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY LOSE ONE LETTER GRADE FOR FAILING TO SUBMIT AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY.
 PART 3:
The cover of the research paper should include a one page Executive Summary of your research that will not be included in the page number count for the paper.
The Executive Summary should assume that you are presenting your work to the CEO of your company and should be written with that level of professional quality.
The summary should not just define what your topic is but should clearly state a synopsis of what you found and your own analysis of the research.
You should assume that the CEO would not want to read the entire paper and will instead want a summary of your research along with your recommendations for your organization based on what you found.
 The rubric for Written Assignments is available in the Course Content area for this assignment.
Directions
Use the UMUC Information and Library Services online database collections to search for relevant articles related to your position using the link http://www.umuc.edu/library.
Your final paper should be 4 – 6 double-spaced pages, prepared in Word, along with an additional Executive Summary as your cover page. You must have a minimum of 10 sources no less than two scholarly journals included. Sources should not be more than 10 years old and at least half should be not more than 2 years old. All citations and references should be formatted in accordance with APA 6th edition guidelines.
 
 
 
HRMD630 Recruitment and Selection
Midterm Exam
Multiple Choice Questions
1.)  A software company has a high turnover rate.  What staffing strategy would be most appropriate?
A) hiring people with the potential to be promoted over a period of years
B) hiring people quickly even if their skills are not as high as required
C) slowing down the hiring process to try to find better recruits
D) filling vacancies quickly with people who are able to perform with minimal job training
2.)  An FTE is defined as:
A) a full-time equivalent employee
B) an independent contractor working at least 36 hours per week
C) an applicant that is searching for work on a full time basis
C) a plan for recruiting full-time workers
3.)  Janson Engineering has found it difficult to recruit experienced project managers to lead its many projects.  Which of the following would be a proactive action that may help close current and future gaps?
A) adjusting the mix of employees versus contractors
B) working with local universities and colleges to create courses that focus on project management skills
C) source candidates from similar industries with project management skills
D) all of the above
E) A & B only
4.)  Which of the following is not a step in workforce planning?
A) look at internal and external factors to estimate job demand
B) calculate the replacement need
C) look to the future for redundancies
D) conduct a strategy meeting to analyze selection methods
E) all of the above are steps in workforce planning
5.)  Employment-at-will is an employment relationship which ________.
A) allows either the employee or employer to terminate the employment at any time
B) offers blanket protection to employers for all employee discharges
C) allows an employer to terminate employment only for a just cause
D) offers employees a contract for a definite term of employment
6.)  Which of the following examples would qualify the company to hire the intern as an unpaid employee?
A) a local college engineering student is hired to help with filing and data entry for a small engineering firm.
B) an accounting student is given an opportunity to shadow one of your company’s accounting employee’s prior to starting work with the company in the fall.
C) the local university has an internship requirement for their Computer Science majors.  The internship is for six weeks and the student must report weekly to their advisor to review their progress.
D) your organization is hiring college students whose parents work at the company for the summer.
7.)  Which of the following is the first step in the typical workforce planning process?
A) identifying the firm’s business strategy
B) articulating the firm’s strategic staffing decisions
C) developing and implementing action plans
D) conducting a workforce analysis
8.)  The job analysis technique that uses worker oriented job elements is the ________.
A) task inventory method
B) job elements method
C) position analysis questionnaire
D) structured interview method
9.)  In analyzing a job of a stenographer that is to be advertised as a vacancy, an employer found that the ________ for the job was rapid typing skills.
A) bona fide occupational qualification
B) employee value proposition
C) desirable criteria
D) essential function
10.)  Which of the following would be classified as a skill rather than knowledge, ability or other characteristics?
A) Familiarity with OSHA laws.
B) Operating a forklift.
C) Mentor and coach others.
D) Communicate efficiently in writing and orally.
11.)  DAK Corporation had kept all its hiring plans on hold during the last four quarters because the economy was in a state of recession. DAK manufactures oil filters, air filters, and spark plugs for several major auto manufacturers. The company is analyzing market trends in order to reassess its hiring strategy for the coming year. Which of the following, if true, would best support the argument for restarting hiring?
A) The previous recession had only lasted a year.
B) Though there was a decline in profits compared to the previous year, the company recently reported the best numbers in its industry.
C) Auto manufacturers have aggressively started hiring more staff.
D) One of DAK’s fiercest rivals has started laying off its employees.
12.)  A systematic process of identifying and describing the important aspects of a job and the characteristic a worker needs to perform the job well is a ________.
A) legal audit
B) job analysis
C) bona fide occupational qualification
D) job specification
13.)  Which of the following establishes a prima facie case of discrimination based on disparate treatment?
A) plaintiff applied for a job/promotion; the job was filled by an applicant of another race or gender
B) plaintiff is part of a protected class; he/she applied for a job/promotion etc.; selection ratio for those similarly situated was less than 80 percent
C) plaintiff is part of a protected class; he/she applied for a job/promotion etc.; was rejected, but the job remained open or was filled by someone else
D) the selection ratio for protected class A (the minority group) is less than 80 percent of the selection ratio for protected class B (the majority group)
14.)  The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 protects people _______.
A) 30 years of age or older
B) 40 years of age or older
C) 50 years of age or older
D) 60 years of age or older
15.)  The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act ______.
A) ensures that members of the uniformed services can return to their civilian employment after their military service ends
B) ensures that veterans are equally represented in the workforce
C) provides job training to members of the uniformed services to assist them in transitioning to civilian jobs
D) requires that a job board be maintained for the sole use of veterans transitioning to civilian jobs after their service ends
16.)  A hotel chain that is recruiting front desk receptionists receives 200 applications from males and 100 applications from females.  100 out of 200 men are hired and 25 out of 100 women are hired.  Which of the following statements is true of the hotel chain’s hiring policy?
A) There is evidence of a disparate impact of the hiring process on males as a group.
B) There is evidence of a disparate impact of the hiring process on females as a group.
C) There is no evidence of any disparate impact.
D) There is evidence of disparate impact against both males and females.
17.)  Which of the following is a characteristic of independent contractors?
A) They have a continuous relationship with the employer.
B) They do not receive benefits from the employer.
C) They control the processes and results of their work.
D) They do not pay their employment taxes, the employer does.
18.)  Which of the following visually shows each of the possible successors for a job and summarizes their strengths, present performance, promotion readiness, and development needs?
A) scatter diagrams
B) perceptual maps
C) talent inventories
D) replacement charts
19.)  Which of the following is NOT a reason cited in your readings that a company would want to consider current employees as a valuable resource for finding qualified new hires?
A) Current employees generally refer only individuals they believe would make exceptional employees.
B) Applicants hired through employee referrals are more likely to be given a realistic preview of the job which helps them make a good decision as to whether they would fit with the organization.
C) Heterogeneity of a firm is affected positively by this method.
D) This method of recruitment will help to locate qualified candidates that may have not been looking for a job.
20.)  Which of the following is NOT a benefit of hiring interns?
A) Provides an opportunity for you to assess a student directly
B) Allows for extra hands to help with administrative tasks
C) Allows a student to get a good view of what working for your organization would be like.
D) Gives the organization an opportunity to find good quality hires for future opportunities.
Short Answer Questions
1.            What is the public policy exception to employment at will?  Give one example of a termination that may be construed as an exception to employment at will based on public policy.
2.            Define disparate impact and disparate treatment.  How do they differ?
3.            Define job description and job specification and describe how they are used.
4.            Compare and contrast replacement charts and succession planning?
5.            Discuss the different ways in which a firm can deal with temporary employee surpluses.
Essay Questions
Respond to the following questions.  You should use the Written Assignment Rubric in the Content area to help you when submitting your responses.  Please remember that grammar and spelling are important!  You will receive 15 points maximum for each question.
Question 1:  What is affirmative action? What is an affirmative action plan?
Question 2:  You have just taken on the role of Director of Recruiting at a grocery chain.  The first thing you notice is that the Careers page and the website for your company does not represent your company’s desire to be an employer of choice.  You have embarked on a quest to change that and your CEO has asked what you think about the company’s website.  He has noticed that Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” in 2016 listed three grocery stores in the top 100.  They are:
(a)          Nugget Markets
(b)          Wegmans Food Market
(c)           Whole Foods Market
Your CEO has asked you to research their websites and provide an evaluation of what you see. You should access the websites of these markets and conduct the following analysis:
Consider and specifically evaluate the design factor considerations (specifically address organization website design information found in your readings) Using this information provide an analysis to your CEO of these websites along with suggestions that would improve the recruitment section of each one. 
Please remember – your response should be written for a CEO to read.  Grammar, style, and punctuation are important for good communication in HR but CRITICAL when you are communicating with the executive suite.  Remember – executives do not want to read a novel – you must learn to be brief but get your points across effectively.  Your final analysis is worth a total of 15 points.  No more than 2 pages should be submitted for this question and use citations where required!
Question 3:  The We Deny Everything Insurance Company (WDE) handled a massive volume of claims each year in the corporate claims function, as well as in its four regional claims centers.  Corporate claims were located in sunny California and the regional offices were located in Atlanta, Cleveland, Providence, and Las Vegas.   Corporate claims were headed by the senior vice president of corporate claims (SVP).  Reporting to the SVP were 2 managers of corporate claims (MCC-Life and MCC Homeowners/Residential) and a highly skilled corporate claims specialist (CCS).
Each regional office (4) was headed by a regional center manager (RCM).  The RCM was responsible for both supervisors and claim specialists within the regional office. The RCM’s reported to the vice president of regional claims (VPRC).  This is the structure before reorganization (I suggest you draw a chart for your own reference).
WDE decided to reorganize its claims function by eliminating the 4 regional offices (and the RCM position) and establishing numerous small field offices throughout the country.  The other part of the reorganization involved creating 5 new CCS positions.  The CCS position was to be redesigned and upgraded in terms of knowledge and skill requirements.  It was planned to staff these new CCS positions through internal promotions from within the claims function.
The plaintiff in the case was Ron Whyme, a 53 year old RCM.  Since his job was being eliminated, Ron was asked by the SVP to apply for one of the new CCS positions.  The other RCM’s, all of whom were over the age of 40, were also asked to do so.  Neither Ron nor the other RCM’s were promoted to the new CCS positions.  Other candidates were also bypassed, and some of them were also over the age of 40. The promotions went to 5 claim specialists and supervisors from within the former regional offices, all of whom were under age 40.  Two of the newly promoted employees had worked for, and actually reported to Ron, as the RCM.
Ron was not happy.  Upon learning of his failure to be promoted, Ron wanted to determine why he was not promoted.  What he learned led him to feel he has been discriminated against because of his age.  Ron retained experienced and expensive legal counsel, Bruce Lincoln.  Lincoln, a high-powered litigator, met informally with the SVP to try to determine what had happened in the promotion process and why his client Ron had not been promoted.  Lincoln was told that there were a large number of candidates who were better qualified than Ron and that Ron lacked adequate technical and communication skills for the new job of CCS.  The SVP refused to reconsider Ron for the job and said that the decisions were “final”.  Ron, through his attorney Lincoln, then filed a suit in federal district court, claiming a violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (1967).  Lincoln then subpoenaed numerous WDE documents and files including the personnel files of all applicants for the CCS positions.
Based on discussions with Ron and the subpoenaed documents, the following information emerged about the promotion process actually used by WDE.  The SVP and the 2 MCC’s conducted the total process.  They received no input from the VPRC or the HR department.  There was no formal written job description for the new CCS position, nor was there a formal internal job posting as required by company policy.  The SVP and the MCC’s developed their own list of employees that they thought might be interested in the job, including Ron, and then met to consider the list of candidates.  At that meeting, the personnel files and previous performance appraisals of the candidates were not reviewed or consulted. After deciding on the 5 candidates who would be offered the promotion (all 5 accepted), the SVP and the MCC’s did browse the personnel files and appraisals of only these 5 employees to check for any disconfirming information about the employees.  None was found.
Inspection of the files by Lincoln revealed no written comments suggesting age bias in past performance appraisals for any of the candidates, including Ron.  Also, there was no indication that Ron lacked technical and communication skills.  All of Ron’s previous appraisal ratings were above average, and there was no evidence that Ron’s performance had declined recently.  An interview with the VPRC (Ron’s boss) revealed that he had not been consulted at all during the promotion process.  Ron’s boss could not believe that Ron had not been promoted and in fact said that he was “shocked beyond belief”.  In his opinion, there was “absolutely no question” that Ron was qualified in all respects for the CCS job.
Based on the facts above your must respond to Part A and Part B below:
Part A:  Prepare an analysis that presents a convincing disparate treatment claim that Ron has been intentionally discriminated against on the basis of his age. Do not address the claim as a disparate impact one. (Hint:  Look at the elements for a prima facie case of discrimination in Week 2)
Part B:  Prepare a rebuttal, from the viewpoint of WDE, to the disparate treatment claim.   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
HRMD630 Recruitment and Selection
Final Exam
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
Read each question carefully and select the BEST answer and enter your answer in the Final Exam Answer Sheet. 
1. The correlation coefficient between a selection test and job performance is 0. This means the selection test ________.
A) perfectly predicts job performance
B) and job performance are unrelated
C) has adverse impact on job performance
D) is positively related to job performance
 2. Atlas Industries uses a test that was designed for selecting Engineers in their facility.  They have gone further to show that the test will also be valid for selecting their support staff in the engineering department.  This is an example of:
A) correlation
B) statistical significance
C) reliability
D) validity generalization
3.  How dependably or consistently a measure assesses a particular characteristic is the measure’s ________.
A) reliability
B) validity
C) standardized score
D) percentile
4.  When multiple versions of the same test are developed to deter cheating, which of the following reliabilities is used to ensure the two forms are comparable?
A) test-retest reliability
B) inter-rater reliability
C) parallel forms reliability
D) internal consistency reliability
5. The extent to which items on a given measure assess the same construct is assessed by ________.
A) test-retest reliability
B) inter-rater reliability
C) parallel forms reliability
D) internal consistency reliability
 6.  If the items on an assessment method appear to show that a high score on the test correlates with performance, then, which of the following is true?
A) The assessment method’s criterion-related validity is high.
B) The assessment method’s construct validity is high.
C) The assessment method’s face validity is high.
D) The assessment method’s content validity is high.
7. Juan is a highly qualified biomedical researcher. Having recently completed his education, he applies to work at a pharmaceutical company which is renowned for its fast-paced innovation and aggressive growth policy. Which of the following, if true, would provide for a poor person-organization fit in this case?
A) Juan is interested in applied research that is likely to produce tangible results.
B) Juan has the tendency to be process-oriented and is risk averse.
C) Juan is a team-player and works exceedingly well in lab groups.
D) Juan is interested in making numerous breakthrough discoveries in the lab.
8. Behavioral interviews are more reliable and substantially better than ________ at predicting job performance.
A) structured interviews
B) situational interviews
C) unstructured interviews
D) situational judgment tests
9. A company who wants to deliberately make an effort for continuity in leadership or other job categories should start which of the following:
A) a mentoring program
B) succession planning
C) formal job selection
D) performance evaluations
10. An applicant is given a high volume of information, which includes several memos, informal correspondence, reports, and announcements.  The applicant is required to work through the material by responding to each item presented.  This assessment center exercise is called:
A) Written case analysis
B) One-On-One Role Play
C) Leaderless Group Discussion
D) In-Basket
11. Which of the following is true of at-will employment?
A) The employer, not the employee, can terminate the employee at any time.
B) At-will employees have a definite time period of service mentioned.
C) The employer and the employee can terminate employment for any reason that is not illegal.
D) At-will employment must be designated in writing.
12. BioMd, a manufacturer of high-end medical diagnostic equipment, made a recent job offer to John Phillips.  Mr. Phillips left his employment in Seattle to accept the job at BioMd that is located in Philadelphia.  BioMd then rescinded their offer because the company determined a need to eliminate the position.  John Phillips’ best claim against BioMd would be:
A) Promissory Estoppel
B) Misrepresentation
C) Discrimination under Title VII
D) Breach of Contract
13. Processing a new employee’s employment-related paperwork, acquiring necessary keys and identification cards, and establishing an e-mail account for them is part of ________.
A) socialization
B) orientation
C) attrition
D) training
14. In the selection procedure of a firm, an applicant must obtain a minimum passing score on two different assessment methods before being allowed to continue in the hiring process. What type of assessment plan is being used?
A) multiple hurdles
B) contingent
C) supplemental
D) bona fide
15. Earlene Gibson, the HR manager of BioMd, is planning to implement a socialization program in the organization. She designs a program in which each stage of socialization is an “elimination tournament,” and a new hire is out of the organization if he or she fails. Earlene submits the program draft to the CEO for approval. Which of the following, if true, would be the strongest counterargument for the implementation of this plan?
A) BioMd has a strong R&D orientation and innovation and risk taking are the major values that the company promotes.
B) The management is intending to develop a homogeneous workforce that is highly cohesive and goal oriented.
C) One of the goals of the socialization program is to exercise more discipline and control in the organization.
D) The company is characterized by a vertical organizational structure and centralized decision making.
16. Software that allows you to maintain a database of both candidates and job information to facilitate finding matches between openings and candidates is a(n) ________.
A) applicant tracking system
B) resume screening application
C) balanced staffing scorecard
D) digital staffing dashboard
 
17. Which of the following is a competency required of a recruiter?
A) Uses advanced social media and marketing tools to find best active candidates.
B) Email marketing expert.
C) Networking skills.
D) Great organizer.
E) All of the above.
18. A layoff is an example of which type of turnover?
A) dysfunctional
B) voluntary
C) involuntary
D) avoidable
19. Which of the following is a direct cost of turnover?
A) Orientation and Training
B) Decreased productivity of employees
C) Advertising Costs
D) All of the above would be considered a direct cost of turnover.
20. Procedural justice refers to:
A) the perceived fair treatment of employees
B) the perceived fairness of a process
C) the perceived procedures that are used during a downsizing event
D) the effects of outcomes on affected employees
ESSAY QUESTIONS
Question #1 –
This essay should incorporate many of the concepts learned throughout the semester.  It is important that you answer each part of the question thoroughly and provide the information requested.  Read the question carefully!!  This is a 20 point essay – a one-page response will not be sufficient to fully answer all the components of the question and more than 4 pages is too much.  Plan your response.
You have just signed on as the Manager of Human Resources for a large manufacturing company in the Chicago area.  Your company manufactures parts to the automotive industry such as air duct assemblies for various models of new vehicles as well as to the secondary market for these same parts.  Upon conducting an audit of HR initiatives and trying to understand the challenges you want to tackle, you find that the overall turnover rate for this company is 37%.  You have not worked in this specific industry but you feel at first glance that this number is high.  Based on this limited information that you have, lay out a strategy for addressing turnover.  You should include the following in your answer:
1.  Is the 37% turnover a cause for concern?  How would you go about finding out this information? (5 points)
2.  What additional data will you gather to learn more about the turnover in this organization?  Remember that your readings discuss different types of turnover and this should be addressed in your answer along with any benefits of turnover. (5 points)
3.  Assume that you find that the turnover is problematic.  Particularly, you discover that the turnover for non-exempt staff is 42% – well over the total turnover for the organization.  Prepare a strategy to suggest to the CEO for addressing this turnover, specifically addressing possible causes of the turnover and solutions related to those causes. You will need to think about many of the concepts we have discussed throughout this course in order to answer this question fully. (10 points)
Question #2 – 20 points- 1.25 pager
Discuss the criteria for good cutoff scores as viewed by the courts.  You should be able to state clearly what the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (UGESP) say about cutoff scores.
Question #3 – 20 points- 1.5 pager
For this question, assume you are employed as an HR consultant for a mid-sized bank.  The bank employs 200 tellers across its branches.  Review the details of the teller position as provided on O*Net (http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/43-3071.00). 
Based on this information, the bank decides that the ideal candidate for this position will possess the following factors:
1.  Have at least a high school EDUCATION (bachelor’s or associate’s degree desirable).
2.  Have EXPERIENCE as a teller or in a related field (cashier, billing clerk)
3.  Be able to perform basic MATH SKILLS related to banking (for example, count currency quickly and accurately and balance a cash drawer correctly).
4.  Be KNOWLEDGEABLE OF VERIFICATION requirements for bank transactions (for example, errors in check and proper identification to authorize transactions).
5.  Have good INTERPERSONAL SKILLS (for example, speak clearly, make good eye contact and develop rapport easily).
6.  Be MOTIVATED to work
PART 1 (10 points):  Identify which selection methods (e.g. resume, i