Behavioral (situational judgment) competencies measure a test taker’s decision-making skills given a situation presented as a realistic, work-related scenario, and asked to choose the best of several possible strategies to address or resolve the issues presented in the scenario. The scenario typically presents multiple situations based on one scenario. The questions based on the scenario are multiple-choice. More than one strategy may be effective; however, one strategy is the best and the remaining options are incorrect. The test taker receives credit for the best choice only.

This chapter includes SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP practice questions organized into three behavioral competency clusters. This organization mirrors the SHRM Body of Competency & Knowledge. The behavioral competency clusters are Leadership, Business, and Interpersonal. The Leadership cluster includes, Leadership and Navigation and Ethical Practice. The Business cluster includes Business Acumen, Consultation, and Critical Evaluation. Finally, the Interpersonal cluster comprises Relationship Management, Global & Cultural Effectiveness, and Communication. The behavioral competency clusters account for 50 percent of the test questions on the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP. Specifically, the Leadership cluster represents 13 percent of exam questions, the Business cluster represents 18.5 percent of the test questions, and the Interpersonal cluster represents 18.5 percent of the total exam questions.

Leadership Cluster

Behavioral Competency 1—Leadership & Navigation

Leadership & Navigation is defined as the ability to direct and contribute to initiatives and processes within the organization.

Key Behaviors for All HR Professionals (SHRM-CP & SHRM-SCP)

•  Exhibit behaviors consistent with and conforming to organizational culture.

•  Foster collaboration among stakeholders and team members.

•  Understand the most effective and efficient ways to accomplish tasks within the parameters of organizational hierarchy, processes, systems, and policies.

•  Develop solutions to overcome potential obstacles to successful implementation of initiatives.

•  Demonstrate agility and expertise in leading organizational initiatives or supporting the initiatives of others.

•  Set the vision for HR initiatives and build buy-in from internal and external stakeholders.

•  Lead the organization through adversity with resilience and tenacity.

•  Promote consensus among organizational stakeholders (e.g., business unit leaders, employees, informal leaders) when proposing new initiatives.

•  Serve as a transformational leader for the organization by implementing change.

Q   SHRM-CP Questions

Scenario 1 (Questions 1–5): The organization is in the middle of a change management process, and it’s important that this process happens for the success of the company in the future. The process is somewhat difficult and requires training and the support of all the individuals who are affected. Several individuals are resisting the idea and are strongly making efforts to officially stop it. Behind the scenes, they are attempting to undermine the new strategy and process and hope to maintain the way things are done in the past. This is disturbing the process and slowing things down. It is threatening to derail the process so it doesn’t actually occur successfully.

1.  What should HR recommend if requested to intervene?

A.  HR should recommend motivation and change management.

B.  HR should recommend communication and strategic alignment.

C.  HR should recommend organizational learning techniques.

D.  HR should recommend reward and recognition programs.

2.  What is the first thing that must be done to improve the situation?

A.  The first thing to do that will improve the situation is to communicate the reason for the change to all stakeholders affected.

B.  The first thing to do that will improve the situation is to establish roles and responsibilities for each stakeholder.

C.  The first thing to do that will improve the situation is to get specific feedback from all stakeholders affected.

D.  The first thing to do that will improve the situation is to understand individual differences for all stakeholders affected.

3.  What are the critical change management steps to turn this situation into a positive?

A.  The critical steps in the change management process are creating and communicating the vision and building support for the change.

B.  The critical steps in the change management process are involving everyone and recognizing emotional reactions to the change.

C.  The critical steps in the change management process are following all the steps in a sequential manner without deviating from the process.

D.  The critical steps in the change management process are involving only necessary stakeholders and pushing forward to get the change moving.

4.  What should HR do to ensure the change aligns with the company strategy?

A.  HR should execute organizational development interventions that support the accomplishment of results toward that strategy.

B.  HR should understand the strategy and how the change supports the successful accomplishment of results toward that strategy.

C.  HR should work on performance management actions and goal development toward results that support the strategy.

D.  HR should understand the competition, products, marketing, business development, and other internal results toward that strategy.

5.  What assessment metrics would be most helpful in this situation?

A.  The assessment metrics that would be most helpful are effectiveness of the communication and number of stakeholders represented in the feedback.

B.  The assessment metrics that would be most helpful are specific critical behaviors supporting the change and how well support has been built.

C.  The assessment metrics that would be most helpful are each stakeholder’s vision realized and the ability of each stakeholder to influence others in the change.

D.  The assessment metrics that would be most helpful are documenting the emotional reactions of each stakeholder and following Adam’s equity theory.

Scenario 2 (Questions 6–9): During a routine review of the current employees, temporary employees, and independent contractors, the new HR admin discovers that several jobs appear to be out of compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This includes exempt and nonexempt status and the status of employees versus independent contractors. The HR admin reports the concern to the HR leadership, and they are concerned about the impact to the company if there are misclassified employees and independent contractors. They are also disturbed by how this will make the HR team look if they make this information known to the company outside of HR.

6.  What are the HR admin’s responsibilities to ensure that actions are taken to correct the situation?

A.  The HR admin has the responsibility to ensure that the HR leadership team is informed about the concern.

B.  The HR admin has the responsibility to ensure that the law is upheld or inform the government authorities.

C.  The HR admin has the responsibility to ensure that the HR leadership takes action to correct the concerns.

D.  The HR admin has the responsibility to ensure that all leaders in the organization are aware of the concerns.

7.  What should the HR leadership be concerned about?

A.  The HR leadership should be concerned about what other departments will think about their competency and if this will make HR look bad to other departments.

B.  The HR leadership should be concerned about enforcing the provisions of the law and protecting the employees and departments of the company.

C.  The HR leadership should be concerned about enforcing the law and also taking steps to work with management to get the company mission accomplished.

D.  The HR leadership should be concerned about why the HR admin is conducting a routine review that identified the listed concerns that surfaced.

8.  What should the HR leadership do about this situation?

A.  The HR leadership should take action to investigate and conduct a thorough audit and take whatever corrective action is needed.

B.  The HR leadership should take action to inform the executive team, conduct an audit, and take corrective action as needed.

C.  The HR leadership should take action to understand what other companies benchmark and conduct as best practices in these areas.

D.  The HR leadership should take action to investigate and contact the appropriate government agencies to correct the concerns.

9.  How should the HR admin respond to concerns about reclassifying positions correctly?

A.  Explain federal and state regulations regarding employee classifications.

B.  Explain the rationale and benefits of correcting position classifications, cite relevant state and federal laws, and include a written policy on complying with regulations.

C.  Develop a record of the internal audit process in case of legal consequences.

D.  Provide stakeholders with information on FLSA regulations and classification discrepancies and discuss them with leaders.

Scenario 3 (Questions 10–13): The CEO of a midsize financial services firm approaches the HR director about a client’s complaints of poor service and unresponsiveness from the representatives of the client services department. The manager of the unit, who began her career as a client services representative, has been with the firm for 15 years and has held her management-level position for seven years. The HR director is asked to investigate the client’s complaints further.

The HR director met with the manager and listened to the challenges occurring in the department. Calls were being ignored, messages were not returned, and the average wait time for clients in the lobby was more than 45 minutes. All client services positions are filled, but the department suffers from a high rate of absenteeism. Upon further questioning, the HR director learns that the manager wants to have a more productive and efficient department but does not know where to begin in fear of jeopardizing friendships that have formed through the years.

10.  What, if anything, is the HR director to report to the CEO?

A.  The friendships within the department are hindering the manager’s ability to effectively manage, and a transfer is appropriate.

B.  Report nothing immediately, as there should be additional fact-finding and observations of the department.

C.  Request an immediate corrective action plan from the manager for all employees.

D.  Provide a summary of the HR director’s findings and an outline of how HR can assist.

11.  What is the best course of action the HR director should immediately take to assist the manager?

A.  Advertise for additional client services representatives and discipline employees with frequent absences.

B.  With CEO approval, coach the manager on effective employee management techniques with a goal of aligning work performance with established goals.

C.  Write a memo to the employees with reminders of the existing policies.

D.  Schedule customer service training for all employees.

12.  In what ways might the HR director address the long wait times in the lobby?

A.  Observe the department’s daily operations from client arrival to departure, analyze the number of clients and their reasons for visiting to determine the appropriate time and resources needed, and then discuss the results with the manager with the purpose of agreeing on an appropriate action plan designed to correct the existing problems.

B.  Hire temporary employees to decrease wait time until the challenges are resolved.

C.  Collaborate with other departments within the firm to assist the client services department.

D.  Convene a “meeting of the minds” with the employees and then clients to determine an acceptable wait time.

13.  How should the HR director handle the reported high rate of absenteeism?

A.  Meet directly with each employee and offer the services of the employee assistance program.

B.  Document the manager’s observation and wait six months in hopes the employees self-correct.

C.  Along with the client services manager, review timesheets, payroll records, and employee files to determine the rate of absenteeism for each in accordance with the firm’s policies.

D.  Begin disciplinary action by writing a warning letter to each employee.

Key Behaviors for Advanced HR Professionals (SHRM-SCP)

•  Lead HR staff in maintaining or changing organizational culture.

•  Work with other executives to design, maintain, and champion the mission, vision, and strategy of the organization.

•  Identify the need for and facilitate strategic organizational change.

•  Develop the organizational strategy for achieving the human capital vision and mission.

•  Ensure alignment between the human capital vision, mission, and organizational business strategy.

•  Serve as the influential voice for HR strategies, philosophies, and initiatives within the organization.

•  Manage risk, opportunities, and gaps in business strategy.

•  Oversee critical large-scale organizational changes with the support of business leaders.

•  Ensure appropriate accountability for the implementation of plans and change initiatives.

•  Set the tone for maintaining or changing organizational culture.

•  Champion the HR function and organizational mission and vision.

•  Build buy-in for organizational change with agility across senior leadership.

Q   SHRM-SCP Questions

Scenario 4 (Questions 14–17): The Ultimate Software Gaming Company needs to hire software engineers to meet the growing demand for their gaming products. The company has not analyzed jobs or created job descriptions, specifications, or competencies for the positions needed. They have simply allowed the managers to hire anyone they wanted within their budget constraints. With their growth, they must change the culture and processes for their hiring of new employees. If the company does not get the correct skill sets into the company, they stand to lose significant market share to their competition. It is not clear how many engineers need to be hired, and the leadership in the department needs help figuring this out within their budget.

14.  What response should HR provide to deal with the request?

A.  HR should recommend continuing the existing process and train the manager to improve their skill set in hiring and pay decisions.

B.  HR should recommend creating a disciplined process that includes job analysis and job evaluation for the engineering positions.

C.  HR should recommend completing the job description only and then use the data from the candidates to validate the salary recommendations.

D.  HR should recommend completing the job description and then the job evaluation process or benchmark the position from a salary survey.

15.  If the positions must be filled in less than one month, what steps should HR recommend?

A.  HR should recommend completing the job analysis and then the job evaluation process or benchmark the position from a salary survey.

B.  HR should recommend completing the job evaluation or benchmark the position from a salary survey and then the job analysis process.

C.  HR should recommend completing the job description and then use the data from the candidates to validate the salary recommendations.

D.  HR should recommend completing the job description and then the job evaluation process or benchmark the position from a salary survey.

16.  What should HR provide to influence a reluctant leadership team to take time to complete the job analysis?

A.  HR should provide a business case for completing the job analysis and analytics to make the decision easier.

B.  HR should provide a job evaluation, job description, job competencies, and job specifics to make the decision easier.

C.  HR should provide information for completing the job analysis and provide big data to make the decision easier.

D.  HR should provide a business case for completing a job evaluation rather than an analysis to make the decision easier.

17.  What recommendations should HR make if the pay decisions are being made only by subjective discussions with the candidates?

A.  HR should recommend completing the job analysis for the position and then benchmark the salary information.

B.  HR should recommend completing the job evaluation process or benchmark the position from a salary survey.

C.  HR should recommend completing the job description only and then use the data from the candidates to validate the results.

D.  HR should recommend completing the job evaluation process by benchmarking the position from a salary survey.

Scenario 5 (Questions 18–20): The HR director in a medium-size company is trying to convince management of the importance and need for a solid workforce plan to determine the employment requirements for the future of the company. A few of the leaders are resisting because they don’t want to do the work and they feel that they have successfully planned in the past by “shooting from the hip.” They feel that success in the past proves there is no need for a detailed plan. However, the volume of requested hiring from the managers does not correlate or align with the strategic direction of the company or the planned budget.

18.  What should the HR director emphasize when working with the managers who do not want the workforce plan?

A.  The strategy, alignment with budget, specific KSAs needed, and planning for the future

B.  The tactical needs of each department, the immediate concerns, and filling positions

C.  The future direction, long-term perspective, coordinated planning/timing, and results

D.  What the managers need within the next three months and how to ensure appropriate diversity

19.  How would the HR director get the manager focused on the future rather than the past results?

A.  The HR manager must build the plan on the existing processes and allow independence for each manager to gain the correct credibility and influence.

B.  The HR manager must ensure that only the internal stakeholders are part of the process to implement their previous success.

C.  The HR manager must work with all the stakeholders and meet to discuss the importance of the workforce planning process.

D.  The HR manager must make a business case for moving forward toward what is needed for the future and alignment with the strategy.

20.  What are the critical competencies for the HR director in this situation?

A.  Business acumen and critical evaluation

B.  Business acumen and consultation

C.  Consultation and corporate social responsibility

D.  Diversity and inclusion and critical evaluation

Scenario 6 (Questions 21–24): Several departments are understaffed, and several other departments are well overstaffed. The understaffed departments have requested additional resources at the same time the overstaffed departments have employees being forced to take time off because they’re not needed. The overstaffed departments have no work for those individuals, and to make matters worse, all departments have the same basic workload, skills, abilities, competencies, and type of work, so employees can be transferred between and among the different departments without concern.

21.  How does HR facilitate the process of load-balancing the various departments?

A.  Meet with one side and explain to the other side what it is that would help the situation.

B.  Meet with both sides and show them what’s going on and what is best for the company overall.

C.  Meet with both sides and show them what is best for each side.

D.  Direct both sides to do what’s best for the company and do not give them a lot of options.

22.  In what way does the HR department need to influence the various department heads to make this come together successfully?

A.  The HR team needs to get executive management support to create significant influence on both parties.

B.  The HR team needs to help both parties thoroughly understand what is happening and what is best for the organization overall.

C.  HR needs to maintain relationships with the various department heads and use the relationships to help influence the situation.

D.  HR needs to use their influencing skills to manipulate both departments to make this happen.

23.  What is the most important concern with this circumstance that should be addressed?

A.  The most important thing is that all individual needs continue to be met as they are at this time.

B.  The most important concern in this situation is to ensure that all the things in the company are getting done in a timely manner.

C.  The most important thing in this situation is to ensure that both sides understand what is needed for the company and then ensure it is executed.

D.  The most important concern is that both parties understand what they need and feel good about the situation.

24.  Who should the HR team involve in the process to correct this circumstance so that it works for the company?

A.  They should involve both parties in the discussions.

B.  They should involve all stakeholders that this impacts in the discussion.

C.  They should involve only the senior executive management team in the discussion.

D.  They should involve only third-party objective observers in the discussion.

Scenario 7 (Questions 25–27): A large insurance company’s strategic planning team is strategizing about the impending expansion of the business into other insurance markets. During the meeting, the CHRO posed pertinent questions about the expansion. Senior leadership agrees that the CHRO should be tasked to work with the strategic planning team.

25.  Why is it important that the CHRO work with the strategic planning team?

A.  The CHRO will monitor the strategic planning team for compliance with existing organizational policies.

B.  The CHRO validates the existence of the strategic planning team.

C.  The CHRO can facilitate needed organizational change and identify organizational gaps that may impact overall expansion implementation.

D.  Strategic planning teams should involve the organization’s human resource officers.

26.  What is the most logical first step for the CHRO to take?

A.  Schedule one-on-one meetings with the company employees.

B.  Develop a communication strategy and present it to the strategic planning team.

C.  The CHRO briefs and delegates most tasks to support the strategic planning team to the HR manager.

D.  The CHRO forms a collaborative team from various business units to brainstorm and seek additional viewpoints.

27.  As a strategic partner, what should the overall objective of the CHRO be?

A.  Ensure that the insurance company expands into other insurance markets as quickly as possible.

B.  Ensure the strategic plan directly connects to the organizational structure, culture, and workflow and gains internal support.

C.  Ensure the employees are provided with job security.

D.  Ensure the strategic plan is understood and shared with all stakeholders.

Scenario 8 (Questions 28–30): A fast-growing technology company has grown from 10 employees to 200 employees. The CEO and the CFO both played major roles in handling the management of the company’s human resource functions during this time. The company has no formal compensation program or plan. Employees have been vocal about the need for a more comprehensive medical and dental benefit package. Absent an employee handbook or written policies and procedures, managers were empowered to make on-the-spot best decisions for their business units. Recent survey results indicate employee dissatisfaction with the lack of an HR presence in the company.

A decision has been made by the company’s board of directors to create and hire an HR director position so that the CEO and CFO can focus on the company’s continued growth and sustainability.

28.  What should the HR director’s first priority be during her first few days on the job?

A.  Conduct job shadowing with key employees for 90 days before doing anything else.

B.  Review all HR-related correspondence, including employee files, to begin to create an HR strategic work plan.

C.  Draft a management response to the survey results asking for an HR presence in the company as a way to introduce herself to the staff.

D.  Make her presence known as the HR director, become familiar with the employees in the company, and learn who they are and how they contribute to the organization.

29.  How can the HR director best demonstrate HR’s value and credibility to management staff?

A.  Schedule face-to-face meetings with each individual on the senior leadership team and management staff to learn more about their business units and identify ways in which HR can assist in their goals.

B.  Request that the CEO and CFO write a letter to the management staff encouraging support for the HR director.

C.  Take no action, as employees will learn over time that the HR director is credible and will bring value to the company.

D.  Begin by issuing policies and procedures for identified organizational gaps.

30.  What steps should the HR director take to develop a strategic plan of action?

A.  Hire staff in the HR department to assist with the development of the strategic plan.

B.  The HR director should first gain a deeper understanding of the company’s organizational structure, reporting relationships, vision, mission, values, and culture.

C.  Conduct interviews with the senior leadership, management staff, and senior-level employees with tenure.

D.  Convene a strategic planning meeting with all employees.

Behavioral Competency 2—Ethical Practice

Ethical Practice is defined as the ability to integrate core values, integrity, and accountability throughout all organizational and business practices.

Key Behaviors for All HR Professionals (SHRM-CP & SHRM-SCP)

•  Maintain confidentiality.

•  Act with personal, professional, and behavioral integrity.

•  Respond immediately to all reports of unethical behavior or conflicts of interest.

•  Empower all employees to report unethical behavior or conflicts of interest without fear of reprisal.

•  Show consistency between espoused and enacted values.

•  Acknowledge mistakes.

•  Drive the corporate ethical environment.

•  Apply power or authority appropriately.

•  Recognize one’s personal bias and the tendencies of others toward bias, and take measures to mitigate the influence of bias in business decisions.

•  Maintain appropriate levels of transparency in organizational practices.

•  Ensure that all stakeholder voices are heard.

•  Manage political and social pressures when making decisions.

Q   SHRM-CP Questions

Scenario 9 (Questions 31–34): The company has recently hired several diverse minority employees to fill critical positions in the company. The new hires are qualified and were highly recruited by multiple companies. As they assimilated into the company, the supervisors immediately started trying to manipulate them to comply and act like the existing employees rather than embracing what the new hires have to offer from their background and experience. The new employees are somewhat insulted and frustrated, and several of them have voiced that they’re considering leaving the company because they don’t feel valued. The hires are in key positions, and it would not be good if they were working for the competition.

31.  What steps can be taken to improve the relationship with the new employees to help them feel valued?

A.  The managers and leaders can be trained on diversity and inclusion to improve the relationships.

B.  The managers, leaders, and staff can be trained on the difference between diversity and inclusion.

C.  The manager could discuss the concerns with the new employees and with the HR team.

D.  The managers and leaders could be replaced with more open-minded managers and leaders.

32.  What actions should be recommended to the leadership of the new employees?

A.  The recommendation to the leadership should be to begin a dialogue to rectify the situation and open communications with the intent to shift thinking and behavior.

B.  The recommendation to the leadership should be to create policies and procedures that will prevent the situation from occurring in the company in the future.

C.  The recommendation to the leadership should be to develop appropriate training, interaction with the employees, and improved communications.

D.  The recommendation to the leadership should be to develop appropriate training, include the employees, and reevaluate the core values.

33.  What policies could be developed that will reduce the likelihood of this happening in the future?

A.  Develop a policy that allows managers and leaders to maintain a homogeneous group so that they do not offend diverse employees.

B.  Develop a policy and training development program that trains all managers in the practice of inclusion and to value diversity.

C.  Develop a policy encouraging leaders to take opportunities to experience other cultures to learn the value they possess.

D.  Develop a policy that only diverse managers from other cultures and countries can hire and manage diverse employees.

34.  What potential liability does the company face by these circumstances?

A.  Potentially the company may face charges of discrimination.

B.  Potentially the company may face a hostile work environment.

C.  Potentially the company might face constructive discharge claims.

D.  Potentially the company might face workplace violence.

Scenario 10 (Questions 35–37): A company is in the middle of restructuring, and the HR manager is responsible for ensuring all compliance issues are handled correctly under the WARN Act and other laws. There are several employees over 40 years old on the list of employees who will be laid off as a result of the action. There is a requirement to provide these employees with the list of other employees older than 40 also losing their jobs during this action, in the form of job titles, ages, numbers, and so on. The leadership team does not want to provide the list to the employees because they think it will aid the employees with potential law suits in the future.

35.  How should the HR manager respond to the leadership team’s concerns?

A.  Their request is illegal and against the compliance requirements, so simply ignore their request and provide the list to all the over-40 employees at the appropriate time.

B.  Take the time to listen to the leadership team’s concerns ensuring clarity about their request and ensure that they understand the requirements of the law.

C.  Take the time to listen to the leadership team’s concerns, gain clarity about their request, ensure they understand the law, and secure their commitment to comply with the law.

D.  Ensure clarity about their request, report their unlawful desires to the proper authorities, seek protection against retaliation, and comply with their request.

36.  Some of the employees older than 40 who believe they will be laid off have requested the list be provided to them immediately, before the announcement. How should the HR manager respond?

A.  Inform the employees about all the employees who will be laid off, provide them with the list, and then inform the leadership team about the action so they will not be blindsided.

B.  Do not inform the employees about the entire layoff, but if they are directly impacted, provide the list and then inform the leadership team about the action.

C.  Inform the employees that the final decisions have not been made about the layoff, receive their request and hear their concerns, and then inform the leadership team about the action.

D.  Inform the employees that the final decisions have not been made about the layoff, receive their request and hear their concerns, and then simply document what occurred.

37.  How should the HR manager respond if one of the leaders suggests that this concern is not an ethical issue but a business decision that should be determined by greater potential financial impact?

A.  Understand the financial impact of options, review past corporate decisions, and discuss the compliance with the leader.

B.  Immediately call a meeting with the entire leadership team and expose the leader’s lack of ethics or willingness to comply with the law.

C.  Get other leaders on the leadership team to intervene by revealing past corporate decisions and applying peer pressure.

D.  Understand the financial impact of options, review the values and code of conduct, and discuss the business case of compliance with the leader.

Scenario 11 (Questions 38–41): The hiring manager was smart enough to not allow a new employee to have an employment contract. However, the manager failed to establish the correct employment at-will language that is standard in company offer letters. He also listed the employee’s annual salary, without smaller increments of payment, in the document. Six months after the employee was hired, the manager wants to terminate the employee because he is not a good match for the company culture and the particular department. The employee is also not performing to the level needed and expected.

38.  What potential liability exists that the company and manager should understand if they terminate the employee?

A.  The company may be exposed to paying out the entire annual salary of the employee even though he is terminated at six months.

B.  It may be difficult to terminate the employee without a wrongful termination lawsuit.

C.  There are no real exposures because at-will exists even though it was not included in the offer letter.

D.  They could face a potential claim for fraudulent misrepresentation.

39.  Which decision by the manager created the most exposure for compensation claims against the company?

A.  Avoiding the employment contract

B.  Failing to add employment at-will language

C.  Including the annual salary in the offer

D.  Not following company guidelines

40.  What alternatives can be recommended to avoid liability at this time?

A.  Assign the employee to a more suitable opportunity in another department within the company

B.  Terminate the employee immediately to reduce the potential cost for future litigation

C.  Retain the employee but reestablish the relationship, documents, and at-will policy

D.  Develop a training and development program for all managers

41.  What next step should HR recommend after the first few steps?

A.  Assign the employee to a more suitable opportunity in another department within the company

B.  Terminate the employee immediately to reduce the potential cost of future litigation

C.  Retain the employee but reestablish the relationship and the at-will policy

D.  Develop a training and development program for all managers

Scenario 12 (Questions 42–45): The human resource department hired a new HR analyst whose duties included payroll reporting. The HR analyst noticed inconsistencies in the pay records for the unionized employees in the accounting department. Their biometric timestamp did not match the overtime hours claimed and approved by the accounting manager. An accountant was hired at the same time as the analyst and called the HR manager in confidence about the same employees bragging about the amount of their overtime pay.

42.  How should the HR manager respond to the HR analyst and accountant who approached the HR manager in confidence?

A.  The HR manager should make assurances that the information shared will remain strictly confidential.

B.  The HR manager should recognize the employees’ ethical compass and remind them of the broad discretion company managers have in approving overtime, so no further action is needed.

C.  The HR manager should make a decision based on the information they provided and ask that they keep their discovery in strict confidence.

D.  The HR manager should remain professional, recognize the employees’ ethical compass, reiterate the company ethics policy, assure them that the facts will be established, and assure them that retaliation will not be tolerated.

43.  What actions should the HR analyst do next?

A.  Keep the information in a confidential file and let it remain unreported to prevent retaliation.

B.  Investigate and respond immediately to establish the facts to understand all the details with only people who need to know.

C.  Convene a meeting directing the employees to stop working overtime until an investigation is completed.

D.  Invite the manager to a meeting and advise that the unethical behavior should cease immediately.

44.  How should the HR analyst first evaluate the actions and ethical implications of the accounting manager?

A.  The HR analyst should use the utilitarian approach.

B.  The HR analyst should use the virtue approach.

C.  The HR analyst should refer to trusted colleagues.

D.  The HR analyst should refer to all relevant company policies, code of ethics, and code of conduct.

45.  What is important for an ethical workplace?

A.  Establishing a zero-tolerance termination policy as a deterrence

B.  Issuing extravagant rewards for every person in compliance

C.  An ethics policy training

D.  Being ethical and acting ethically to create an environment that aligns with the organization’s core values

Key Behaviors for Advanced HR Professionals (SHRM-SCP)

•  Empower senior leaders to maintain internal controls and create an ethical environment to prevent conflicts of interest.

•  Maintain contemporary knowledge of ethics, laws, standards, legislation, and emerging trends that may affect organizational HR practice.

•  Establish oneself as a credible and trustworthy resource to whom employees may voice concerns.

•  Challenge other executives and senior leaders when potential conflicts of interest arise.

•  Withstand politically motivated pressure when developing strategy.

•  Set the standard as a role model of ethical behavior by consistently conforming to the highest ethical standards and practices.

•  Balance organizational success and employee advocacy when creating strategy.

•  Develop HR policies and internal controls to minimize organizational risk from unethical practice.

•  Create HR strategy that holds employees accountable for their actions.

•  Make difficult decisions that align with organizational strategies and values.

•  Communicate the vision for an organizational culture in which espoused and enacted values align.

•  Maintain a culture that requires all employees to report unethical practices and behavior.

•  Align all HR practices with ethics, laws, and standards.

Q   SHRM-SCP Questions

Scenario 13 (Questions 46–48): An international company is having some issues in another country that center around ethical decisions. The company is trying to decide whether they can accept a dilemma that is in the other country. The concern may violate company culture and the ethical beliefs of the company; however, the development of that country is far behind the United States, and the morals and ethics of that country are different as well. They will not violate the Foreign Corruption Act.

46.  What are factors that the company might consider in their decision?

A.  The company might consider the multicultural decision tree in their decision-making process.

B.  The company might consider their corporate leadership philosophy and root-cause analysis.

C.  The company might consider sustainability, child labor, workplace safety, and cultural differences.

D.  The company might consider philanthropy, volunteerism, development, and globalization.

47.  If the decision affects the corporate social responsibilities, what should the HR team recommend?

A.  HR should recommend accountability, engagement, branding, and developing leaders.

B.  HR should recommend formulation, development, implementation, and evaluation.

C.  HR should recommend employee contact, recruiting, training, and reviewing work.

D.  HR should recommend analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation.

48.  Which of the following are pitfalls managers should avoid when considering ethical dilemmas in host countries?

A.  Considering something unethical just because it is different from the home country

B.  Considering something unethical from a host country that is in a different developmental status

C.  Considering something unethical because they personally agree that the action is universally wrong

D.  Considering something unethical because of performance management and productivity results

Scenario 14 (Questions 49–52): The top salesperson of the company is being accused of harassment by one of his co-workers. She has direct evidence and witnesses to the fact that the salesperson sexually harassed her. The problem is that many other individuals in the organization are trying to support the salesperson and are retaliating against the victim. They are putting a lot of peer pressure on this employee not to pursue the charges. To make matters worse, two other employees may have withdrawn their complaints against this salesperson because of the same peer pressure. The company is in a critical state moving toward an IPO and needs all sales to close. There are many employees who are upset about the situation.

49.  Once HR is made aware of the complaint, what should HR do to manage this situation properly?

A.  Get the salesperson’s statement documented and protect the sales process

B.  Get the victim’s statement documented, prevent retaliation, and learn who witnessed the incident

C.  Get alternate salespersons to take over projects from the accused salesperson

D.  Get the victim to understand the importance of coming forward and learning about the others

50.  What is the first thing the HR team should do to deal with the alleged incident?

A.  The first thing the HR team should do is start a thorough investigation.

B.  The first thing the HR team should do is ensure that the victims are okay and no retaliation is occurring.

C.  The first thing the HR team should do is to warn the other employees about their behavior.

D.  The first thing the HR team should do is put the salesperson on suspension.

51.  What type of investigation should the HR team conduct, and who should be involved in the investigation?

A.  The HR team should conduct a quick investigation ensuring that the salesperson is given the maximum benefit of doubt, allowed to continue with his duties, and disregard old cases because they are past their statute of limitation.

B.  The HR team should conduct a thorough and complete investigation, assigning an objective investigator and interviewing all parties involved with the incident and in a timely manner.

C.  The HR team should conduct a thorough investigation, including employees who are pressuring the victims, past offenses, retaliation prevention, and complete interviews, by an experienced investigator.

D.  The HR team should conduct a delayed investigation to ensure that all the sales close and then take steps to ensure that objectively the issue is dealt with.

52.  What can HR do to influence the senior leadership team’s desire to support the harasser at this critical point for the success of the company?

A.  The HR team can show the business case for moving forward with a proper investigation, ensuring fairness and encouraging other sales team members to step up.

B.  The HR team can help the leadership team understand the potential liability of not managing this situation correctly and taking the appropriate action.

C.  The HR team can get an objective outside consultant to conduct the investigation to ensure complete impartiality for the investigation.

D.  The HR team can have the senior leadership conduct the actual investigation to ensure that their interest is being covered and sales continue.

Scenario 15 (Questions 53–56): The HR manager is concerned about a corporate social responsibility question being discussed by the executive management team. They are discussing and trying to understand the trade-off between making the largest amount of money for the organization and the amount of negative impact to the environment by the same action. The decision comes with an additional problem, however: more than 1,000 individuals in the community could lose their lives if the company continues this program that will pay out more than $500 million in revenue. If the company attempts a much less profitable strategy, with substantially less revenue generation, there will be no loss of life and significantly less pollution.

53.  What ethical problem is the management team trying to figure out?

A.  The company is not facing an ethical issue; this is a business decision.

B.  The company is facing an ethical dilemma: profits versus lives.

C.  The company is facing an ethical problem centered on greed.

D.  The company is facing an ethical problem about sacrificing or taking lives.

54.  If this is considered a risk management issue, what are the things that should be considered?

A.  The likelihood the loss of life will occur if the action is taken

B.  The actual facts versus emotional concerns and editorial responses

C.  The severity of impact versus the likelihood of occurrence

D.  The political backlash of the decision and time to overcome it

55.  What key concerns should the HR manager attempt to influence the executive management team to deal with or focus on?

A.  To protect human life at all cost no matter what

B.  To understand the corporate values no matter what

C.  To protect company revenue and profitability no matter what

D.  To comply with just laws and social responsibility no matter what

56.  What recommendation should the HR management make to resolve this issue?

A.  To accept less revenue to prevent loss of life

B.  To maximize profitability for shareholder value

C.  To increase revenue regardless of impact

D.  To learn, understand, and apply the triple bottom line

Interpersonal Cluster

Behavioral Competency 3—Relationship Management

Relationship Management is defined as the ability to manage interactions to provide service and to support the organization.

Key Behaviors for All HR Professionals (SHRM-CP & SHRM-SCP)

•  Establish credibility in all interactions.

•  Treat all stakeholders with respect and dignity.

•  Build engaging relationships with all organizational stakeholders through trust, teamwork, and direct communication.

•  Demonstrate approachability and openness.

•  Ensure alignment with HR strategy for delivering services and information to the organization.

•  Provide customer service to organizational stakeholders.

•  Promote successful relationships with stakeholders.

•  Manage internal and external relationships in ways that promote the best interests of all parties.

•  Champion the view that organizational effectiveness benefits all stakeholders.

•  Serve as an advocate when appropriate.

•  Foster effective team building among stakeholders.

•  Demonstrate the ability to effectively build a network of contacts at all levels within HR and the community, internally and externally.

Q   SHRM-CP Questions

Scenario 16 (Questions 57–61): While reviewing the organization’s 360-degree feedback reports, an HR staff member notices discrepancies in the feedback provided for the team lead in the accounting department. The individual’s supervisor has rated the team lead’s performance highly, but the team itself is dissatisfied with the way the team lead treats them. They see the team lead as rude, abrupt, and unwilling to listen to them. They are afraid to disagree, however, because the team lead berates them for voicing their opinions. The HR staff member has heard rumors about this behavior and asked to view the team lead’s performance, self-evaluation, and feedback reports.

57.  What is the problem the HR staff member must address?

A.  Investigating team concerns and feedback differences

B.  The dissatisfied team member’s concerns

C.  Validating the discrepancies between the 360-degree feedback

D.  Supporting the rating of the supervisor

58.  What advice should the HR staff member give to the team members?

A.  The HR staff member should advise them to work to resolve any conflicts.

B.  The HR staff member should advise them to develop their skills.

C.  The HR staff member should advise them to communicate their concerns to the team lead.

D.  The HR staff member should advise them to correct problems identified by feedback.

59.  What advice should the HR team member give to the supervisor of the team lead?

A.  The HR staff member should advise the supervisor to work to resolve any conflicts.

B.  The HR staff member should advise the supervisor to develop their skills.

C.  The HR staff member should advise the supervisor to communicate the concerns to the team lead.

D.  The HR staff member should advise the supervisor to correct problems identified by feedback.

60.  Are the rumors a good basis for the decision?

A.  Rumors should be validated through an investigation before serious consideration.

B.  Rumors should be considered because random comments are often valid.

C.  Rumors should be immediately acted on to prevent unfair labor practices.

D.  Rumors should be considered because they can lead to important concerns

61.  What is the best OD intervention for this situation?

A.  The best OD intervention in this situation is to focus on change management.

B.  The best OD intervention in this situation is to focus on group dynamics.

C.  The best OD intervention in this situation is to focus on performance management.

D.  The best OD intervention in this situation is to focus on motivational theories.

Scenario 17 (Questions 62–65): The company has a strict dress code because the leadership team believes the dress code will help the company be successful with their clients and also help the business grow. The top salesperson of the company came to work with sandals and shorts on. The director of sales wants to discipline the salesperson even though this is the top salesperson of the company.

62.  How should HR and management navigate through this concern and policy violation?

A.  HR and management should enforce the strict dress code and not make an exception for the salesperson; rules must be enforced.

B.  HR and management should not enforce the strict dress code and make an exception for the salesperson to ensure continued sales.

C.  HR and management should investigate why the salesperson is wearing sandals and shorts to understand the circumstances.

D.  HR and management should investigate why the salesperson dressed that way, enforce the policy, and discipline the salesperson if appropriate.

63.  Management is concerned about a potential negative reaction from the salesperson if the policy is enforced. What should HR advise to management?

A.  HR should advise management to take steps to enforce the policy anyway because of the example that is set for the entire organization.

B.  HR should advise management to take steps to allow maximum leeway for the salesperson so sales will continue and the salesperson will be happy.

C.  HR should advise management to take steps to enforce the policy, be prepared to deal with shifting sales accounts, and manage the process fairly.

D.  HR should advise management to take steps to remove the salesperson from the sales team and shift accounts to get ahead of the problem.

64.  What advice should be provided if the salesperson questions the validity of the policy?

A.  HR should advise that the company conduct a review of the policy to check the concerns of the salesperson.

B.  HR should advise the company to ignore the concerns and ensure that the salesperson complies.

C.  HR should advise the company conduct analysis of the impact the policy has on company growth and on client retention.

D.  HR should advise the company not to ignore the concerns but to not make them a priority to investigate soon.

65.  Are there any different or alternative policies that could be recommended?

A.  HR could recommend a policy to have all employees dress appropriately, and management will counsel if needed.

B.  HR could recommend no changes to the policy because there are no other acceptable policy differences available.

C.  HR could recommend a policy to allow managers to determine what employees should wear and enforce their concerns.

D.  HR could recommend changes to the policy that allow specific differences strictly enforced in the departments.

Key Behaviors for Advanced HR Professionals (SHRM-SCP)

•  Design strategies for improving performance metrics for relationship management.

•  Network with any influencing legislative bodies, union heads, and external HR leaders.

•  Champion organizational customer service strategies and models.

•  Negotiate with internal and external stakeholders to advance the interests of the organization.

•  Design strategies to ensure a strong customer service culture in the HR function.

•  Create conflict resolution strategies and processes throughout the organization.

•  Oversee HR decision-making processes to ensure consistency with HR and business strategy.

•  Develop strategic relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

•  Foster a culture that supports intra-organizational relationships (e.g., silo-busting).

•  Design strategic opportunities and venues for building employee networks and relationships.

•  Proactively develop relationships with peers, clients, suppliers, board members, and senior leaders.

Q   SHRM-SCP Questions

Scenario 18 (Questions 66–69): Three employees have come to the HR business partner at separate times within one week to file complaints about workplace harassment against a specific employee. All the employees coming forward have requested that nothing should happen to the harasser and to just make it stop. The employees do want to have the matter looked into, but they want the harassment to stop and are concerned about retaliation or being betrayed by their peers for coming forward.

66.  What action should the HR business partner (BP) take on behalf of the company and victims/employees?

A.  The HR BP should conduct a thorough and complete investigation, document the process and findings, and recommend appropriate actions to deal with the situation.

B.  The HR BP should conduct a thorough and complete investigation, focusing on the information from the peers and why they are pressuring the victims in the specific situation.

C.  The HR BP should ensure that they get statements from all the potential victims and all the peers and leaders who are part of the department to deal with the situation.

D.  The HR BP should ensure that all harassment stops, ensure there is no retaliation, conduct an investigation, document the findings, and recommend actions for the situation.

67.  Can the HR business partner ensure/guarantee total confidentiality?

A.  During the investigation, the HR BP should not guarantee total confidentiality due to the limited confidentiality because of the interviewing of others, such as witnesses and victims.

B.  During the investigation, the HR BP should make all assurances that the victims will have complete and thorough confidentially from others, as well as from past victims.

C.  During the investigation, the HR BP should ensure that the limited confidentiality is communicated to all appropriate parties involved with the investigation.

D.  During the investigation, the HR BP should not guarantee any confidentiality and then ensure that all stakeholders are kept informed of all the steps in the process.

68.  If the harasser is the supervisor of the employees, what should HR change about the process?

A.  HR should change the process to allow the alleged victims to bypass confronting the harasser and departmental leadership and complain directly to HR.

B.  HR should change the process to allow more time to work with the peers and supervisors of the employee to understand why the employees complained.

C.  HR should change the process to allow the alleged victims to role-play, have conflict management classes, and close out the problem under the table.

D.  HR should change the process to allow the alleged victims to complain directly to HR, stop all harassment, protect against retaliation, and deal with facts.

69.  When should the HR BP notify senior management about the situation?

A.  HR should notify senior management immediately regardless of any other concerns.

B.  HR should notify senior management immediately following gathered initial information.

C.  HR should notify senior management immediately following the investigation.

D.  HR should notify senior management immediately following a discussion with the legal department.

Scenario 19 (Questions 70–72): A new law has recently been passed that affects the entire company, but one department is refusing to comply because the leader of the department is resistant to change and feels the law will negatively impact his profit-and-loss statement. The leader of that department wants things to stay the way they are, and he has tremendous influence over the executives of the company. He also has a history of forcing others out of the company who disagree with his desires. There are ways to follow the law and still improve the performance of the department. However, the leader is stubborn and wants his way.

70.  What response should the HR team give to the leader of the department?

A.  The HR team should comply with the leader’s refusal to follow the new law and allow the leader to suffer the consequences if legal problems develop.

B.  The HR team should comply with the law and force the leader to comply as well even if it means they lose their job and have to move on to other opportunities.

C.  The HR team should influence the leader by showing the business case for how the department can comply and still have a positive impact on the bottom line.

D.  The HR team should comply with the law and allow the senior management team to ensure the leader also complies with the new law.

71.  What processes could HR put in place to assist the department in dealing with the new law and still improve their performance?

A.  The HR team could put metrics and milestones in place to analyze the impact of the new law to determine what steps can be taken to reduce its impact on the department.

B.  The HR team could benchmark and discuss best practices with other companies to determine how they are handling the impact of the new law.

C.  The HR team could recommend reducing the required deliverables and standard, allowing the leader’s department to slowly deal with the impact of the law.

D.  The HR team could monitor the situation and allow feedback from the department and plan off-site meetings afterward to determine possible solutions.

72.  How should the HR team deal with the stubbornness, resistance to change, and threat of losing their jobs by opposing the leader?

A.  The HR team could confront the leader and communicate the concerns, allowing for empathy on the part of the leader to secure changes in the situation.

B.  The HR team could focus on the vision, mission, and core values of the company to appeal to the leader to potentially affect change in the leader.

C.  The HR team could meet with the senior management team and recommend coaching and 360-degree feedback to deal with the concerns.

D.  The HR team could get support from the senior team, meet with the leader to discuss core values, provide feedback from others, and then provide coaching.

Scenario 20 (Questions 73–75): Smith & Wesson, a gun manufacturing company, has an employee who complained to the CEO that he should be able to carry a concealed weapon on his person while at work. State law permits employees and citizens to carry concealed weapons. The overall culture supports the NRA and the use and ability to maintain weapons. The CEO is a strong supporter of the right to have concealed weapons. The CEO is not completely sure if he wants concealed weapons in the workplace, but he is leaning toward allowing it to take place. You are the HR manager, and the leadership team wants to discuss options with you on how to proceed and what policies to implement.

73.  How should HR recommend the company leadership proceed?

A.  HR should recommend that the leadership follow the decision of the CEO without giving any input because the CEO is a strong supporter of concealed weapons.

B.  HR should recommend that the leadership team brainstorm methods used to educate employees and managers on how to maintain, store, and discharge weapons.

C.  HR should recommend that the leadership determine the actual threat and vulnerability analysis of having concealed weapons in the workplace.

D.  HR should recommend that the leadership review best practices and statistics about actual workplace violence in organizations that have allowed concealed weapons.

74.  What policies should be recommended by the HR manager?

A.  The HR manager should recommend workplace violence prevention and gun management policies.

B.  The HR manager should recommend workplace OSHA safety and weapon firing range policies.

C.  The HR manager should recommend workplace manufacturing safety and conflict resolution policies.

D.  The HR manager should recommend weapon permit verification and workplace violence prevention policies.

75.  What are the concerns that the HR manager should present to the leadership team on behalf of the employee?

A.  The concerns that should be raised are personal safety, direct threat, and workplace violence concerns.

B.  The concerns that should be raised are personal safety, religious accommodation, and Second Amendment rights.

C.  The concerns that should be raised are OSHA general safety, hostile work environment, and workplace violence.

D.  The concerns that should be raised are HIPAA privacy, employee confidentiality, and Second Amendment rights.

Scenario 21 (Questions 76–78): A manufacturing team is having problems with the next phase of the manufacturing process after their actions in the process are completed. The next team is creating a bottleneck in the manufacturing process. The leader of each team is complaining about the other, and the manufacturing process has come to a halt! Both teams have requested your assistance to help them resolve the issue and get things moving again.

76.  What process should the HR team recommend to improve the efficiency of the manufacturing process?

A.  The HR team should recommend implementing performance management and theory of leadership to improve the manufacturing process.

B.  The HR team should recommend implementing organizational development and theory of constraint to improve the manufacturing process.

C.  The HR team should recommend implementing conflict management and theory of constraint to improve the manufacturing process.

D.  The HR team should recommend implementing change management and theory of leadership to improve the manufacturing process.

77.  Which competencies are most critical for this process to be successful?

A.  The competencies that are most critical are consultation, relationship management, and communication.

B.  The competencies that are most critical are relationship management, consultation, and ethical practice.

C.  The competencies that are most critical are diversity and inclusion, corporate social responsibility, and ethical practice.

D.  The competencies that are most critical are relationship management, communication, and critical evaluation.

78.  How can the leaders ensure that the teams will work together in the future?

A.  The leaders can ensure that the teams are consistently working together and create incentives that require each team to work together through the process.

B.  The leaders can ensure that the goals are specific to each team and create individual incentives that require each employee to meet their job requirements.

C.  The leaders can ensure that the teams are consistent and aligned and create group incentives that require each team to work together through the process.

D.  The leaders can ensure that the goals are consistent and aligned and create individual incentives that require each employee to meet their job requirements.

Behavioral Competency 4—Communication

Communication is defined as the ability to effectively exchange information with stakeholders.

Key Behaviors for All HR Professionals (SHRM-CP & SHRM-SCP)

•  Provide clear, concise information to others in verbal, written, electronic, and other communication formats for public and organizational consumption.

•  Listen actively and empathetically to the views of others.

•  Deliver critical information to all stakeholders.

•  Seek further information to clarify ambiguity.

•  Provide constructive feedback effectively, treating it as a developmental opportunity.

•  Communicate proactively.

•  Ensure effective communication throughout the organization.

•  Provide proactive communications.

•  Demonstrate an understanding of the audience’s perspective.

•  Welcome the opportunity to discuss competing points of view.

•  Help others consider new perspectives.

•  Lead meetings effectively and efficiently.

•  Help managers communicate on issues other than HR.

Q   SHRM-CP Questions

Scenario 22 (Questions 79–81): The VP of engineering wants the employee handbook updated to include information that pertains only to the engineering department. She wants the rest of the company to know and understand what engineering does and doesn’t have responsibility to accomplish. She thinks the special engineering bonus will play a role in helping other departments learn what the focus is for engineering. The engineering bonus program applies only to engineering, and other departments are not authorized to receive the bonus. The HR team is concerned about the impact that adding the engineering-specific information will have on the other departments in the company that are not even aware that the other bonus exists.

79.  What response should be the HR team provide to the VP of engineering?

A.  The HR team should refuse to comply with the VP of engineering’s request simply on principle alone.

B.  The HR team should have a discussion with the VP of engineering to better understand her concerns.

C.  The HR team should discuss concerns, influence the VP to modify her request, and provide sufficient alternatives.

D.  The HR team should discuss the situation with the CEO and the VP of HR to prevent the VP of engineering from lobbying.

80.  What could HR recommend to the VP of engineering to address her concerns about other departments understanding engineering?

A.  The HR team could recommend adding the information and allow the VP of engineering to manage any issues that develop.

B.  The HR team could recommend any strategy that would improve communications between engineering and other departments.

C.  The HR team could recommend off-site meetings, newsletters, learn about engineering lunches, and collaboration opportunities.

D.  The HR team could recommend structural changes, transfers in to the engineering department, and bonuses for the other departments.

81.  If the VP of engineering prevailed, what steps could be taken to reduce the negative impact on other departments?

A.  A communication and marketing campaign could be launched to prepare other departments and explain the purpose of the engineering bonus.

B.  Very little can be done, and the HR team should prepare for low morale, a rise in complaints, and frustration with management about the bonus.

C.  Work with the VP to focus what is added to help others understand engineering, to prep the communication, and to prepare for employee questions and concerns.

D.  Work with the VP of engineering to get bonuses for other departments, enforce an open-door policy, and deal with informal leader comments.

Scenario 23 (Questions 82–85): The World Manufacturing Company has 25 plants around the United States and other countries. More than 90 percent of their plants are unionized facilities. The company has enjoyed a long positive relationship with the various unions that represent their employees worldwide. A new facility is opening within the year near other unionized company locations. The GM of the new facility is concerned about the adversarial nature of the new union organizers. They are not from any union the company successfully deals with today.

82.  Which of the following strategies would you recommend to the GM of the new facility?

A.  Hire a new GM who is an expert at preventing union organizing

B.  Contact the unions associated with the company to make them aware of the new plant

C.  Recognize the current unions at the other plants nearby the new plant

D.  Make every effort to avoid unionization without committing any ULPs

83.  If the new plant will be located outside the United States, what should HR recommend in this situation?

A.  Take all steps to avoid unionization regardless of the location or laws

B.  Understand the laws and regulations for that location and work to maintain positive labor relations

C.  Contact the international union that your organization is currently working with to establish a relationship at the new site

D.  Work with the local unions to establish employer-union cooperation agreements

84.  How would you train your managers to deal with an organizing campaign?

A.  Ensure all managers avoid all contact with all union activities and all employees associated with the bargaining unit

B.  Train them to avoid ULPs with the TIPS acronym

C.  Train all managers on general information about ULPs

D.  Create a three-day off-site meeting to train the managers on union cooperation and IBB

85.  There are some concerns about managers committing ULPs outside the United States. Which ULP should the global company be focused on first?

A.  Management domination of a union

B.  Interrogating employees or union officials

C.  Violence during the organizing effort

D.  Spying on internal union activities

Scenario 24 (Questions 86–88): The HR manager is in an organization that is considering conducting some layoffs because the organization is suffering from two consecutive poor quarters. The company has communicated to the public that the financials would be positive for this quarter and that revenue per employee would be up and back to normal levels. The revenue per employee is still down, and a reduction in staff can bring the number back up to normal levels. The leadership team and especially the CFO feel this action is critically necessary. The leadership team is concerned about information leaking about the layoff too soon, resulting in premature turnover of valued staff.

86.  What are the more critical actions the HR team should take to prepare for a potential reduction in force?

A.  The HR team should discuss the potential recommendations from all stakeholders, review the specific laws that impact layoffs, and immediately contact outplacement companies to assist in the action.

B.  The HR team should select the small team that will be involved in the planning, understand the business condition that is requiring the action, and conduct a thorough analysis of the situation.

C.  The HR team should select who will be on the team, maintain strict confidentiality, research the previous layoffs, consult appropriate legal concerns, and conduct all appropriate analysis.

D.  The HR team should understand the financials that led to the decision, meet regularly with the management team, and immediately get all the packets together for the decisions that will be made.

87.  What steps can be taken to reduce the potential for information leaking about the layoff?

A.  The steps that can be taken include delaying the decisions, ensuring everything is prepared, and training all managers and leaders to communicate with laid-off employees correctly.

B.  The steps that can be taken include expediting the decisions, reducing those involved with the decision, and emphasizing the importance of confidentiality to all individuals involved in the planning.

C.  The steps that can be taken include delaying the decisions, involving all stakeholders with the decision, and emphasizing the importance of reducing liability involved in the planning.

D.  The steps that can be taken include reducing liability, reducing those involved with the decision, and emphasizing the importance of confidentiality to all individuals involved in the planning.

88.  Which laws and regulations are more important and should be recommended for review and consultation for the reduction in force?

A.  The laws and regulations that should be reviewed in this case should be the WARN Act, EEOC, Title VII, Uniform Guidelines for Employee Selection Procedures, AAP, and OWBP Act.

B.  The laws and regulations that should be reviewed in this case should be COBRA, ADAAA, the WARN Act, Workers’ Compensation, and Uniform Guidelines for Employee Selection Procedures.

C.  The laws and regulations that should be reviewed in this case should be the WARN Act, FLMA, Title VII, Uniform Guidelines for Employee Selection Procedures, EDEA, and OSHA.

D.  The laws and regulations that should be reviewed in this case should be the NLRA, LMRA, LMRDA, the WARN Act and OWBP Act, and the Uniform Guidelines for Employee Selection Procedures.

Key Behaviors for Advanced HR Professionals (SHRM-SCP)

•  Articulate the alignment between organizational HR initiatives and organizational strategy.

•  Communicate the corporate mission and vision to other stakeholders.

•  Create a strategy to develop a culture that fosters efficient and effective interactions and decision making.

•  Craft messages to be delivered to stakeholders on high-visibility organizational issues.

•  Negotiate with stakeholders to reach the best possible outcomes.

•  Solicit feedback and buy-in from executive-level stakeholders.

•  Develop a strategy for organizational communication systems.

•  Deliver strategic messages supporting HR and business.

•  Build support through clear communications.

•  Communicate HR vision, practices, and policies to other stakeholders.

•  Comfortably communicate with audiences of all sizes.

Q   SHRM-SCP Questions

Scenario 25 (Questions 89–92): The CEO is concerned about the morale and engagement of the employees but is not sure of the best process to determine how employees are doing. He has heard from a friend that surveys are a great way to determine the morale of the troops. He has requested that HR develop a survey that can give him some level of understanding about the morale of the entire staff of 2,500 employees within the next two weeks.

89.  How should HR respond to the CEO?

A.  HR should recommend a qualitative survey and focus groups to get all the detailed information for the CEO.

B.  HR should recommend a quantitative online survey with minimal questions to increase response rates.

C.  HR should recommend a quantitative online survey with the Gallup organization’s questions included.

D.  HR should recommend a qualitative survey and interviews to significantly increase the response rates.

90.  What strategy will have the biggest impact to ensure participation of the 2,500 employees within the short time frame?

A.  Focused area of concern, minimal questions, and easy access and availability to survey

B.  Determine potential areas of concern, use online short surveys, and communicate with staff

C.  Focus on the CEO’s concerns, involve senior management, and talk with supervisors

D.  Capture supervisors’ concerns, learn from best practices, and get input from external stakeholders

91.  What other ways could HR recommend to determine the morale of the employees?

A.  HR could recommend an assessment of knowledge, skills, and abilities.

B.  HR could recommend an evaluation of recognition and rewards programs.

C.  HR could recommend an assessment of compensation and opportunities for growth.

D.  HR could recommend a review of performance management documentation.

92.  What actions should HR advise to improve the survey process?

A.  Involve senior management, present results to the employees and management, and take actions to correct concerns.

B.  Maintain anonymity, keep it short, do not over-survey the employees, and follow up with employees on the results of the survey.

C.  Present results to the employees only to maintain confidentiality and anonymity for the protection of the employees.

D.  Survey the employees on a monthly basis to identify trends and ensure the employees are heard throughout the year.

Scenario 26 (Questions 93–96): An HR director’s compensation team is trying to integrate a centralized compensation model across multiple offices. Employees are having trouble understanding what the changes in compensation mean to them, and the eastern office location does not want to be part of the centralized model because they believe that changes to compensation and bonuses will drive employees away. The eastern office is also dealing with other companies trying to poach their best employees by offering them higher salaries and more perks, so they cannot afford any additional turnover.

93.  What should the HR compensation team recommend to deal with the attempts of the other companies poaching their employees?

A.  The HR compensation team should recommend a strict compliance with corporate programs and policies from the eastern location.

B.  The HR compensation team should recommend a review of the total rewards policies and procedures for the eastern location.

C.  The HR compensation team should recommend a review of benchmark and salary survey information for the eastern location.

D.  The HR compensation team should recommend immediately changing all compensation to exceed the current eastern levels.

94.  What strategies can be employed to improve communications?

A.  Working with teams and listening to concerns of impacted teams will help improve communications.

B.  Working with leaders and enforcing policies on impacted teams will help improve communications.

C.  Working with teams and building support for the situation will help improve communications.

D.  Working with leaders and listening to concerns of impacted teams will help improve communications.

95.  What should be done to integrate a centralized compensation system?

A.  Consider all the concerns across the organization and then incorporate the information into the global plan

B.  Take a regiocentric approach and let each region determine what to do for their total rewards program

C.  Take a polycentric approach and let each location determine what to do about their compensation

D.  Take a geocentric approach with direction from the corporation based on critical global alignment concerns

96.  How should the eastern situation be addressed?

A.  The HR compensation team should recommend a strict compliance with corporate programs and policies from the eastern location.

B.  The HR compensation team should recommend a review of the total rewards policies and procedures for the eastern location.

C.  The HR compensation team should recommend a review of benchmark and salary survey information for the eastern location.

D.  The HR compensation team should recommend immediately changing all compensation to exceed the current eastern levels.

Scenario 27 (Questions 97–100): The ABC Company has a problem. The founder/CEO of the company does not have a vision for where he wants to take the company. He did solve a big problem in their industry, which is why the company exists, and he has great technical capability but does not know how to lead. The COO is concerned, and the company is adrift! The COO has requested coaching from the VP of HR to deal with this concern. The board of directors will soon make a decision about which action to take concerning the CEO/founder.

97.  What should the VP of HR recommend the COO bring or communicate to the board?

A.  It’s a political nightmare, so the VP of HR should recommend that the COO say nothing to the board, which allows the board to work it out themselves.

B.  The VP of HR should encourage the COO to have all his own specific reasons for the recommended change and then present this to the board.

C.  The VP of HR should recommend that the COO first approach the CEO to discuss concerns, and then they jointly present an agreed-upon strategy to move forward.

D.  The VP of HR should recommend that the COO discuss the situation with the CEO and then independently present the business case for his own solution to the board.

98.  What are potential reactions from the CEO?

A.  He could refuse to cooperate and terminate the COO.

B.  He could already know he is the wrong leader and be excited about working with the COO.

C.  He could resist and attempt to influence the board before the COO gets a chance.

D.  He could resign and work with the board and COO to find a suitable replacement.

99.  What should the VP of HR recommend the board of directors (BOD) do with the CEO?

A.  The VP of HR should recommend that the BOD remove the CEO and provide him with the package that includes a golden parachute.

B.  The VP of HR should recommend that the BOD remove the CEO from the position and find another role for the founder that keeps him involved.

C.  The VP of HR should recommend that the BOD retain him in the position and ensure that others are providing the needed leadership.

D.  The VP of HR should recommend that the BOD retain the CEO and provide coaching to the CEO and to the rest of his leadership team.

100.  What concerns should the VP of HR have about the leadership team under the CEO?

A.  The VP of HR should be concerned about the leadership team resigning if the CEO is removed from the position.

B.  The VP of HR should be concerned about the leadership team resigning if the CEO is not removed from the position.

C.  The VP of HR should be concerned about the leadership team having their own visions and directions for the company.

D.  The VP of HR should be concerned about the leadership team fighting among themselves without direction.

Behavioral Competency 5—Global & Cultural Effectiveness

Global & Cultural Effectiveness is defined as the ability to value and to consider the perspectives and backgrounds of all parties in global business.

Key Behaviors for All HR Professionals (SHRM-CP & SHRM-SCP)

•  Have a strong set of core values while adapting to particular conditions, situations, and people.

•  Maintain openness to others’ ideas and make decisions based on experience, data, facts, and reasoned judgment.

•  Demonstrate nonjudgmental respect for others’ perspectives.

•  Work effectively with diverse cultures and populations.

•  Conduct business with understanding and respect for the differences in rules, customs, laws, regulations, and business operations between one’s own culture and all cultures.

•  Appreciate the commonalities, values, and individual uniqueness of all human beings.

•  Possess self-awareness and humility, to learn from others.

•  Embrace inclusion.

•  Adapt one’s perspectives and behaviors to meet the cultural context.

•  Navigate the differences between commonly accepted practices and laws when conducting business in other nations.

•  Operate with a global, open mind-set while being sensitive to local cultural issues and needs.

•  Operate with a fundamental trust in other human beings.

•  Take the responsibility to ensure inclusion by teaching others about the differences and benefits that multiple cultures bring to the organization.

•  Incorporate global business and economic trends into business decisions.

Q   SHRM-CP Questions

Scenario 28 (Questions 101–104): The HR business partner has noticed a concern that would fall into the category of diversity and inclusion. A new minority employee has been welcomed into the company and has started out quite well. His manager is trying to manipulate and change the employee to be like all the other Caucasian males in the company, instead of allowing the individual to be who he is and represent his cultural background within the company. The new employee is feeling a tremendous amount of pressure from his manager and others to comply with the standard way of doing things.

101.  What concept is this situation violating?

A.  Valuing diversity

B.  Creating inclusion

C.  Company policy

D.  EEO laws and regulations

102.  What should be recommended to improve this situation?

A.  Immediate training of the manager and staff

B.  Developing a culture of inclusion for the company

C.  Beginning a communication strategy to get the issue in regular discussions

D.  Allowing the employee to navigate through this issue on his own

103.  What are some strategies that would include the new employee in the solution?

A.  Confront the new employee and direct his comments and feelings about what is happening to ensure he is heard.

B.  Follow the open-door policy and allow the new employee to self-select his involvement level.

C.  Open a safe dialogue with the employee, allowing a free flow of information and learning.

D.  It is better not to involve the new employee to prevent awareness and increased liability.

104.  Who else should HR work with to improve this situation?

A.  Only work with the manager where the problem is clearly present

B.  Work with the manager and other leaders only

C.  Work with the entire staff throughout the company to ensure overall improvement and results

D.  Work with the executive team to change policy and culture

Scenario 29 (Questions 105–108): The HR director has learned of a few employees in the company whose religious beliefs and cultural background require them to keep a large knife or saber on their person at all times. The other employees and co-workers have complained because they see the knives or sabers as a direct threat to their personal safety and security in the workplace. The managers of the employees have requested the assistance of the HR director to help them manage the situation appropriately for the company.

105.  What should the HR director recommend to the manager to address the religious accommodation concern?

A.  The HR director should recommend that the employees not be allowed to have this accommodation because of the direct threat to the safety and security of the other employees.

B.  The HR director should recommend that the employees be allowed to continue to carry the knives and sabers because they should be granted religious accommodation.

C.  The HR director should recommend that the employees be allowed to keep their knives and sabers because they will be able to defend themselves if needed.

D.  The HR director should recommend that the employees not be allowed to continue to keep their sabers because other employees have been denied similar religious accommodations for legitimate business reasons.

106.  What concerns face the company if the employees are allowed to maintain their knives and sabers?

A.  Other employees could see this as a direct threat and feel there is a hostile work environment.

B.  These employees will do harm to the other employees by using their knives and sabers as actual weapons.

C.  The company is exposing itself to a tremendous amount of liability that overrides any religious accommodation.

D.  As long as the employees are monitored and this is a true religious practice, the company does not have any concerns.

107.  What is the best strategy to try to diffuse the situation with the least amount of anguish on the part of all parties?

A.  Start a dialogue with all parties involved to help them understand the different perspectives of each other

B.  Get both parties to discuss company policy and understand the rules on direct threat

C.  Have a discussion only with the individuals who are carrying the sabers and knives to get them to voluntarily stop the practice

D.  Direct employees to simply stop the practice and help them understand that violent action will result if they continue

108.  Are there other ways to solve this problem?

A.  Discuss the concerns with both groups of employees to get recommendations on how to reach a solution

B.  Talk to the employees who want the accommodation to come up with new ideas to reach a solution

C.  Talk to the employees who are concerned about their personal safety concerning possible solutions

D.  Have discussions with disinterested parties or third parties that can be objectively providing recommendations for solutions

Key Behaviors for Advanced HR Professionals (SHRM-SCP)

•  Set the strategy to leverage global competencies for competitive HR advantages.

•  Use a global economic outlook to determine impacts on the organization’s human capital strategy.

•  Maintain expert global and cultural knowledge/experience.

•  Maintain expert knowledge of global economic trends.

•  Understand global labor markets and associated legal environments.

•  Foster the organization’s cultural norms.

•  Prove the ROI of a diverse workforce.

•  Manage contradictory or paradoxical practices, policies, and cultural norms to ensure cross-cultural harmony and organizational success.

•  Integrate perspectives on cultural differences and their impact on the success of the organization.

•  Set the vision that defines the strategic connection between employee diversity and inclusiveness practices and organizational success.

•  Build cross-cultural relationships and partnerships.

Q   SHRM-SCP Questions

Scenario 30 (Questions 109–112): An international finance organization is beginning to expand and has two new subsidiaries in other countries. The company is currently trying to understand what the local requirements are in these countries versus an overall global consistency concept for the company. The company leaders need to replicate the success they’ve had in the United States in all their other subsidiaries around the globe. They want to have the same kind of culture, same kind of processes, and same successes; however, there are some distinct differences in the laws and also in the way people do business in the local countries.

109.  What are areas that the HR team could assist the organization to navigate through the global issues?

A.  The HR team could assist the organization to determine the balance between global integration and local responsiveness.

B.  The HR team could assist the organization to determine the correct Perlmutter’s orientation and global strategy.

C.  The HR team could assist the organization to determine global staffing levels for the different locations.

D.  The HR team could assist the organization to determine various HR requirements around the various locations globally.

110.  If these countries are in a different economic development state from the United States, the management team should consider what while making key decisions?

A.  The HR team could assist the management team in determining how critical the action is for the company.

B.  The HR team could assist the management team in determining whether the action aligns with the core values of the company.

C.  The HR team could assist the management team in determining whether the United States would have allowed the action when they were in that developmental state.

D.  The HR team could assist the management team in determining whether the ethic tree is intact and considered in the decision to take action.

111.  With the information provided, what is the likely strategy for globalization that HR would recommend to the leadership team?

A.  The globalization strategy would likely align with an ethnocentric approach.

B.  The globalization strategy would likely align with a polycentric approach.

C.  The globalization strategy would likely align with a regiocentric approach.

D.  The globalization strategy would likely align with a geocentric approach.

112.  What metrics or processes can HR recommend to implement that will ensure that the goals and objectives are being met going forward with the globalization of the company?

A.  The HR team could recommend implementing global and local goals and objectives to measure on a regular basis through presentation to the senior corporate leadership team.

B.  The HR team could recommend implementing an international strategic plan with a global balanced scorecard to measure on a quarterly basis through a QBR program.

C.  The HR team could recommend implementing a localization program that ensures all the local requirements are being met and the local team is prepared.

D.  The HR team could recommend implementing a global program that will ensure that all the global concerns are being met and the local concerns are not distracting.

Scenario 31 (Questions 113–116): A global electronics hardware company needs to adjust their compensation policies and revamp compensation to align for an international presence around the globe. The guideline from the CEO and CFO is to have as much control at the corporate headquarters as possible while meeting the basic needs for the local offices. The global company and the CHRO are trying to figure out the proper and correct global strategy for compensation by getting the right mix between global integration and local responsiveness activities. The compensation director must secure a decision on this critical matter as soon as possible because many hiring decisions and promotions are waiting on this decision to be made.

113.  What should the CHRO role be with the compensation director’s decision, and which strategy is most critical?

A.  The CHRO has the role and responsibility to ensure that the decision the compensation director makes aligns with the overall strategy of the entire company.

B.  The CHRO has the role and responsibility to ensure that the decision the compensation director makes aligns with the HR strategy of the entire company.

C.  The CHRO has the role and responsibility to ensure that the decision the compensation director makes aligns with the technology strategy of the entire company.

D.  The CHRO has the role and responsibility to ensure that the decision the compensation director makes aligns with the sales strategy of the entire company.

114.  Which global strategy should the compensation director recommend to ensure that globally all compensation is appropriate for the company and the local teams across the globe?

A.  The compensation director should recommend that the company adopt a polycentric strategy.

B.  The compensation director should recommend that the company adopt an ethnocentric strategy.

C.  The compensation director should recommend that the company adopt a regiocentric strategy.

D.  The compensation director should recommend that the company adopt a geocentric strategy

115.  If the global locations are in China, India, the Middle East, and Malaysia, which “dimensions of culture” should the compensation director be concerned about?

A.  Long-term orientation

B.  High-power distance

C.  High degree of individualism

D.  Western masculine traits

116.  If the company chooses a geocentric policy for the global strategy, what approach should the company take for global assignments?

A.  The company should take a long-term investment approach for global assignments.

B.  The company should take a short-term investment approach for global assignments.

C.  The company should take the position to develop future executives with essential experience.

D.  The company should take a quick-fix approach to immediately deal with global staffing issues.

Scenario 32 (Questions 117–121): InterGlobe Technology is an international company with R&D operations in the United States and its manufacturing, customer service, and distribution centers at three different countries outside the United States. The company is having trouble maintaining the culture they’ve successfully established in the United States at the other three locations. They have struggled to deal with local communications, culture, and regulations as they navigate through their processes and value chain. The company’s language barriers are having a negative impact on customer relations.

117.  What is the first thing the HR team should recommend the company do to manage their international situation?

A.  The HR team should recommend that the company immediately begin negotiations with the three international locations to improve the situation.

B.  The HR team should recommend that the company align the global operations with the vision, mission, and values of the company.

C.  The HR team should recommend that the company conduct a thorough analysis of the concerns identifying the root cause of the problem.

D.  The HR team should recommend that the company interact with all stakeholders, get their input for the problem, and correct the concerns.

118.  What strategy can the HR team recommend to improve the language problems with customer service?

A.  The HR team can recommend language training for all the various locations for all employees to learn all four languages spoken.

B.  The HR team can recommend language training for all customer service employees to learn the languages spoken by customers.

C.  The HR team can recommend hiring employees who are fluent in all four languages spoken in the various locations.

D.  The HR team can recommend hiring employees who are fluent in various languages spoken by the customers in various locations.

119.  What process should HR recommend to improve communication between the R&D group in the United States and the international manufacturing group?

A.  HR should recommend local off-site meetings and local training and development to improve communications within the various groups.

B.  HR should recommend job rotation between locations and job enrichment to improve communications between the various groups.

C.  HR should recommend conflict management and root-cause analysis to improve communications between the various groups.

D.  HR should recommend knowledge sharing and stakeholder interaction to improve communications between the various groups.

120.  What are some of the things the HR team can do to prepare individuals from the other countries to visit the U.S. location?

A.  The HR team can prepare individuals by providing a structural and personnel overview of the U.S. office.

B.  The HR team can provide training on the headquarters’ country language and working conditions.

C.  The HR team can provide a structured visit plan, home nation support, and country culture orientation.

D.  The HR team can prepare travel arrangements, host nation support, and company culture orientation.

121.  What can the HR team recommend to help the company maintain quality control and company culture in the other global locations?

A.  The HR team can recommend complying with ISO standards, continuous improvement, company policies, and values to improve global quality and culture.

B.  The HR team can recommend specific communication actions, SWOT analysis, and meetings with leaders to improve global quality and culture.

C.  The HR team can recommend training on culture, values, ethics, ISO standards, and leadership development to improve global quality and culture.

D.  The HR team can recommend that leaders “lead by example” to support culture and values and SWOT analysis to improve global quality and culture.

Business Cluster

Behavioral Competency 6—Business Acumen

Business Acumen is defined as the ability to understand and apply information with which to contribute to the organization’s strategic plan.

Key Behaviors for All HR Professionals (SHRM-CP & SHRM-SCP)

•  Understand the strategic relationship between effective HRM and core business functions.

•  Be capable of understanding the business operations and functions within the organization.

•  Use organizational resources to learn the business and operational functions.

•  Understand the industry and the business/competitive environment within which the organization operates.

•  Make the business case for HR management in terms of efficient and effective organizational functioning.

•  Market HR both internally (e.g., return- on investment [ROI] for HR initiatives) and externally (e.g., employment branding).

•  Understand organizational metrics and their correlation to business success.

•  Use organizational metrics to make decisions.

•  Leverage technology to solve business problems.

Q   SHRM-CP Questions

Scenario 33 (Questions 122–125): You are the HR director in an organization where the organization structure is misaligned with the strategy. Currently there are several aspects of the structure that prevent the strategy from being realized successfully. There are several leaders who have come to the HR business partner because of the situation, and they can’t quite figure out what the problem is. They know they need assistance from OD/HR or a consultant. One of the things that they noticed is that sections of the organization operate in their own silos and everybody is operating on their own. They are concerned about sections operating in silos and the impact this has on their success.

122.  What is the first thing an OD professional can do to help with the situation?

A.  The first thing the OD professional can do is complete an evaluation of the situation to better understand the problem.

B.  The first thing the OD professional can do is complete an implementation immediately to better understand the problem.

C.  The first thing the OD professional can do is complete an assessment of the situation to better understand the problem.

D.  The first thing the OD professional can do is complete a design of the intervention to better support the stated problem.

123.  Why is it important to help the organization get the structure aligned with the strategy?

A.  The structure must support the strategy to facilitate successful results and have efficient use of resources.

B.  The structure must support the strategy to facilitate successful results and to reduce the negative impact of silos.

C.  The structure must support the strategy to facilitate successful results and prevent project creep.

D.  The structure must support the strategy to facilitate successful results and support individual department leaders.

124.  What can HR do to assist the leaders with the problem?

A.  HR can assist the leaders by providing support, providing OD interventions, and ensuring fairness in the process.

B.  HR can assist the leaders by helping identify the change vision, building support, and monitoring emotional reactions.

C.  HR can assist the leaders by helping identify the individual, team/unit, and organizational-wide interventions.

D.  HR can assist the leaders by identifying high-potential leaders for the company’s future and succession.

125.  How would an OD professional attempt to eliminate the silo problem?

A.  The best intervention to eliminate the silo problem is to focus on team work, shared vision, and involving all teams.

B.  The best intervention to eliminate the silo problem is to focus on leadership, direction, and coordination of teams.

C.  The best intervention to eliminate the silo problem is to focus on autonomy, control, and red tape for all the teams.

D.  The best intervention to eliminate the silo problem is to focus on individual and team effectiveness for all teams.

Scenario 34 (Questions 126–129): Individuals in the company have some training and development shortfalls that are interfering with the success of the company, especially in the R&D department and a few other specific teams that are critical to the current strategy. The managers want the director of L&D to help them to figure out how to change the situation and/or intervene. They are requesting a comprehensive plan to develop the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the individuals. This process must be timely and efficient because the company must be first to market with their new product.

126.  What are some things the director of L&D could do that might result in a change and improvement through the development and training of the staff?

A.  Develop a training and development program for R&D using the ADDIE process to address specific competencies, knowledge, skills, and abilities

B.  Develop a training and development program for R&D and all appropriate departments, use the ADDIE process, and fully understand and align with the company strategy

C.  Develop a training and development program using the ADDIE process to improve all the departments in the company with equal priority

D.  Develop a training and development program using the ADDIE process to improve all the departments in the company with priority to the other departments and then R&D

127.  What are the best strategies to ensure that the process is timely and efficient and helps the new product get to market quicker?

A.  The best strategy will be to work with R&D first and then other departments focusing on new product development, engineering skills, project management, and team work.

B.  The best strategy will be to develop a training and development program using the ADDIE process to improve the few other specific teams.

C.  The best strategy will be to work with R&D on specific training with an ADDIE model focusing on product development, time management, and team work.

D.  The best strategy will be to develop a training and development program using the ADDIE process to improve all the departments in the company with equal priority.

128.  What can HR do to develop the manager’s skills in the situation?

A.  Develop a training program to improve managerial change management skills

B.  Develop a training program to train the trainer so managers can train their staffs

C.  Develop a training program to improve project management skills

D.  Develop a training program to improve the financial management skills

129.  What are the best ways to ensure that all knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies are addressed in the training?

A.  The best ways to ensure these are addressed are to interview all the managers and employees and complete a thorough job analysis to compare the individual’s skill sets.

B.  The best ways to ensure these are addressed are to complete a thorough job evaluation and compare the individual’s skill sets to the data captured in the analysis.

C.  The best ways to ensure these are addressed are to interview all the employees to determine what their previous training plans included and use this information.

D.  The best ways to ensure these are addressed are to complete a thorough job analysis and compare the individual’s skill sets to the data captured in the analysis.

Key Behaviors for Advanced HR Professionals (SHRM-SCP)

•  Ensure that the ROIs for all HR initiatives add to organizational value.

•  Assess risks/SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) of business initiatives as they pertain to human capital, ROI, and shareholder accountability.

•  Align HR strategy, goals, and objectives to overall business strategy and objectives.

•  Demonstrate fluency in the language of business administration as used by senior leaders.

•  Develop solutions with analysis of impact on ROI, utility, revenue, profit and loss estimates, and other business indicators.

•  Examine all organizational problems in terms of integrating HR solutions to maximize ROI, profit, revenue, and strategic effectiveness.

•  Evaluate all proposed business cases for HR projects and initiatives.

•  Benchmark the competition and other relevant comparison groups.

•  Communicate direction on local and global labor markets and their relation to organizational success.

•  Maintain expert knowledge of business lines and products/services, as well as the competitive market.

•  Develop HR business strategies to drive key business results.

•  Maintain expert knowledge of economic factors and the impact of the economic environment on industry and organization operations.

•  Evaluate critical activities in terms of value added, impact, and utility derived from a cost-benefit analysis.

•  Maintain expert knowledge of key industry and organization metrics—that is, “knowing the business.”

•  Set HR and business technology strategy to solve business problems and needs.

•  Serve as a strategic contributor to organizational decision making regarding fiscal, product/service lines, operations, human capital, and technological areas.

•  Influence government policy and proposed regulations.

•  Develop business strategy with top leaders of the organization.

•  Define strategy for managing talent within the confines of the labor market.

Q   SHRM-SCP Questions

Scenario 35 (Questions 130–133): An organization is planning to implement the balanced scorecard to help operationalize their strategy. The company has missed their numbers two years in a row, and there is always confusion as to what is expected and how success is measured. Several individuals in the leadership team are concerned about the time that’s necessary for them to implement the scorecard and/or a quarterly business review (QBR). They prefer to just continue as they are doing, without a formal process. The HR VP has been asked to help them to understand the importance of having a disciplined process such as the QBR and balanced scorecard.

130.  What should the HR VP emphasize when explaining the importance of the disciplined process of operationalizing the company strategy?

A.  The HR VP should emphasize the process, timing, and being first to market; the importance of organizational skills; and the problem of understanding how projects are measured.

B.  The HR VP should emphasize the business strategy, the concern for their bonuses, the customer’s concerns, the lack of customer service, and the problem understanding the global markets.

C.  The HR VP should emphasize the business case, the concern of missing their numbers, the confusion and lack of communication, and the problem of understanding how success is measured.

D.  The HR VP should emphasize the concern of missing their numbers, the lack of communication, the importance of teamwork, and the value of the balanced scorecard approach.

131.  Which process is more important for this organization?

A.  The balanced scorecard is most important because it ensures communication, has regular follow-up, involves the entire leadership team, removes confusion, and adds accountability.

B.  The QBR is most important because it maintains confidentiality/anonymity, keeps things simple for employees, has a monthly follow-up procedure, and can be implemented everywhere.

C.  The QBR is most important because it can be shared with other organizations for benchmarking, it involves the entire team company protecting the employees, and it has excellent follow-up.

D.  The balanced scorecard is most important because it works with a QBR, uses a balance approach to the concerns, has a measurement component, and is easy to understand during implementation.

132.  What relationships should the HR VP develop to influence the successful implementation of these processes?

A.  The HR VP should further cultivate the relationships of external stakeholders to ensure that client and investor concerns are being addressed to increase credibility.

B.  The HR VP should further cultivate the relationships of all stakeholders to cover all bases and understand the various points of view to increase credibility.

C.  The HR VP should further cultivate the relationships of all leaders, learning their concerns and understanding their points of view, to increase credibility.

D.  The HR VP should further cultivate the relationships of the employees only to cover all bases and understand the various points of view to increase credibility.

133.  What are the main “value adds” to the organization by implementing the balanced scorecard process?

A.  The main “value adds” are implementation at the corporate level only and focus on the problems within the departments so that the leadership can discipline and hold them accountable.

B.  The main “value adds” are a specific focus on just financials that will correct the fact that the company has missed their numbers and alignment with the strategy, mission, vision, and values.

C.  The main “value adds” are a balanced approach to multiple areas of concern and specific metrics for each focus area that align with the strategy, mission, vision, and values.

D.  The main “value adds” are buy-ins because all departments give input to the areas focused on and implementation through the organization aligned with mission, vision, and values.

Scenario 36 (Questions 134–137): The company is about to go into strategic planning sessions in which they are looking at the possible direction the company might go in the future. They have not invited the HR manager to participate, but there are some critical HR issues that must be addressed in order for the company to be successful no matter what direction they choose to move forward. The HR manager is trying to decide how to approach his boss and other leaders to ensure that she can participate in this critical juncture in the company’s preparation for the future.

134.  What should the HR manager do to prepare for the strategy planning session?

A.  Gather important and critical information about the industry and company that will contribute to the effective discussion.

B.  Think strategically about the possible direction the company might go and the impact on human resource systems.

C.  Gather information for implementation actions that will support the HR department agenda for the success of the company.

D.  Think strategically what the critical HR issues are and not worry about other concerns facing the company to help focus.

135.  What can the HR manager do to increase her credibility and influence with the leadership team?

A.  She can gather important and critical information about the industry and company that will contribute to the planning.

B.  She can ensure that she understands the vision, mission, business model, and various functions of the company.

C.  She can focus on HR-specific information that will help the HR department function better within the company structure.

D.  She can focus her efforts on thinking and executing on the major tactical concerns that will yield immediate results.

136.  If the HR manager remains uninvited, how can she impact the planning session without attending?

A.  She can attempt to influence the leadership team by having political savvy, networking effectively, and ensuring that she keeps the leadership happy with HR matters.

B.  She can efficiently and consistently provide important metrics and analytics that facilitate decision making and new thinking for all leaders and stakeholders.

C.  She can provide critical information that can influence the behavior and decisions of the participants in the planning session and the leadership.

D.  She can focus her efforts on thinking and executing on the major tactical concerns that will yield immediate results.

137.  Which step in the strategic planning process is most critical for the HR manager’s input?

A.  The SWOT analysis during strategy development

B.  The vision during strategy formulation

C.  The initiative during strategy implementation

D.  The process during strategy evaluation

Scenario 37 (Questions 138–142): In a large U.S. city there are two buildings right next to each other. Employees from both buildings can observe activities in each other’s building. One employee from company A is watching pornography in his office, so the employees from company B are subjected to watching if they want to look out their windows. Company B employees complain to their HR department because they want to be able to look out their window without viewing the pornography.

138.  What should the HR team in company B do about the situation?

A.  The HR team should investigate, understand their company policy about harassment, and take appropriate corrective action if necessary.

B.  The HR team should investigate, understand the harassment prevention laws and company policy, and contact the other company to attempt to resolve the matter.

C.  The HR team should investigate, understand their company policy regarding harassment, and take no further action; this is a company A problem.

D.  The HR team should investigate, understand the harassment prevention laws, and notify the local law enforcement department to correct the problem in company A.

139.  Does company B have an obligation to fix the situation for its employees?

A.  No. Company B has no responsibility in this situation because they can just close the curtains to simply close the matter with their staff.

B.  Yes. Company B has a responsibility to ensure that all of their employees are not being harassed and that a hostile workplace is prevented.

C.  Yes. Company B has a responsibility to ensure there is no harassment or a hostile workplace, and they need to take steps to correct the problem, while protecting rights.

D.  No. Company B has some responsibility to ensure that all of their employees are not being harassed but only when they have direct and immediate control over the situation.

140.  How should company B approach company A if it chooses to interact to resolve the matter?

A.  The HR team in company B should make an appointment with company A’s HR staff, after they have investigated, and have a friendly discussion, with the goal to work together to fix the situation.

B.  The HR team in company B should make an appointment with company A’s HR staff, after they have investigated, and insist that they correct the situation immediately or get sued.

C.  The HR team in company B should make an appointment with company A’s HR staff, after talking with their employees, and have a meeting to resolve the situation.

D.  The HR team in company B should go to company A’s HR staff immediately to have a timely resolution of the matter and, if necessary, notify the EEOC or the OFCCP.

141.  What should the HR team in company A do if they are informed?

A.  The HR team should investigate, understand their company policy regarding harassment, and take corrective action only if their policy directs them to do so.

B.  The HR team should investigate, understand the harassment prevention laws and company policy, and attempt to resolve the matter.

C.  The HR team should investigate, understand their company policy regarding harassment, and take no further action; this is a company B problem.

D.  The HR team should investigate, understand the harassment prevention laws, and notify company B that they have corrected the problem.

142.  What are the best strategies and competencies for different company HR teams to interact?

A.  The best strategies are leadership, relationship management, and business acumen.

B.  The best strategies are relationship management, HR expertise, and ethical practice.

C.  The best strategies are diversity and inclusion, relationship management, and business acumen.

D.  The best strategies are relationship management, corporate social responsibility, and ethical practice.

Behavioral Competency 7—Consultation

Consultation is defined as the ability to provide guidance to organizational stakeholders.

Key Behaviors for All HR Professionals (SHRM-CP & SHRM-SCP)

•  Apply creative problem-solving to address business needs and issues.

•  Serve as an in-house expert on workforce and people management.

•  Analyze specific business challenges involving the workforce and offer solutions based on best practices or research.

•  Generate specific organizational interventions (e.g., change management, culture change, restructuring, training) to support organizational objectives.

•  Develop consultative and coaching skills.

•  Guide employees as to specific career situations.

Q   SHRM-CP Questions

Scenario 38 (Questions 143–147): The rapid growth of the company has resulted in an average of 25 new hires per month and multiple opportunities for current employees already employed by the company. The senior management team wants to create a performance-oriented culture, and they want HR to update the on-boarding process to include teamwork and results as key attributes. With the large number of new employees entering the company and the high demand for the company products, there is a need for employees to become productive as soon as possible!

143.  What should HR recommend to emphasize teamwork in the on-boarding process?

A.  HR should recommend a new hire buddy/sponsor plan for all new employees.

B.  HR should recommend immediate time with each new hire’s supervisor.

C.  HR should recommend training that emphasizes specific KSAs and assimilation.

D.  HR should recommend meeting all stakeholders who interact with the position.

144.  What recommendations can HR make to improve the assimilation of employees into the company beyond orientation?

A.  HR can recommend a plan to ensure that all new hires are able to participate in the complete orientation process.

B.  HR can recommend an assimilation plan, which includes information from managers that will result in faster productivity from the new hires.

C.  HR can recommend an assimilation plan that is measurable based on past metrics and best practices for new hires.

D.  HR can recommend a plan to ensure all new hires are shown the employee handbook on the first day of their office work.

145.  What should HR recommend to emphasize a results-oriented environment?

A.  Group and company goals and objectives, the company vision, overall mission, corporate values, high-level strategy

B.  Accountability systems, MBO, goals, and objectives, and a professional, effective, and efficient on-boarding process

C.  Root-cause analysis, company-wide goals and objectives, recognition for working as a team, and doing your job correctly

D.  Pay for performance, specific targeted goals and objectives, recognition for successful results, and corporate values

146.  Which of the following should be promoted by HR?

A.  Consistency of the approach to the entire company, teamwork, and results orientation

B.  Focus on one specific department, using them as an example, and speed up the process

C.  Communication of the changes, slow down the process, and increase training opportunities

D.  Communication, consistency and validity; results-oriented culture; and team building

147.  What can HR objectively do to help the organization continually improve the speed of assimilation in the company?

A.  Create and/or promote accountability systems, MBO, goals and objectives, and a professional, effective, and efficient on-boarding process

B.  Create and/or promote an effective, comprehensive on-boarding process; responsibility charts; goal planning and performance management; clear lines of communication; and leadership development

C.  Create and/or promote clear lines of communication, group goals and objectives, group recognition, project management, and supervisor training

D.  Create and/or promote group and company goals and objectives, the company vision, overall mission, corporate values, and employee relations and conflict management

Scenario 39 (Questions 148–151): The CEO of the company attended a seminar on mindfulness. As a result of the seminar, the CEO was impressed by the training. She has made the training mandatory for all of her managers and supervisors in the company. The training focuses on three major areas: mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and meditation. Several of the supervisors and managers object to having to participate in the mandatory training. They state that some of the training feels like it’s religious and spiritual in nature and want a religious accommodation not to participate. The CEO is not happy because she feels that having everyone on board will result in higher profitability in the company, better communication, and reduced conflict management.

148.  If there is no religious or spiritual aspect to this training, must the organization accommodate the managers and supervisors who do not want to participate?

A.  No, the accommodation is not necessary, and all the leaders must participate as required by the CEO’s directive.

B.  No, the company is not legally required to accommodate, but they should consider doing it anyway.

C.  Yes, the company must accommodate the leader’s request because there is no undue hardship to the organization.

D.  No accommodation is required, but the CEO should alleviate any valid concerns about the training through communication sessions.

149.  The senior leadership team convinces the CEO to only train managers and not train the supervisors, considering the potential problem with the religious accommodation. What does this illustrate?

A.  Poor leadership and governance

B.  A risk avoidance management

C.  Acceptable risk management

D.  The organization’s risk tolerance

150.  What can HR recommend to make the business case for the required training?

A.  Tie emotional intelligence (EQ) to better leadership and profitability for the company

B.  Show how EQ, mindfulness, and mediation will improve all aspects of the company

C.  Encourage the CEO to force all leaders to comply and show her strong political power

D.  Request the CEO drop the required training because there is no business case

151.  This is unscheduled training from the training budget. What type of budgetary response is necessary in order to fund the training at this point?

A.  Zero-based budgeting

B.  Incremental budgeting

C.  Activity-based budgeting

D.  Formula-based budgeting

Key Behaviors for Advanced HR Professionals (SHRM-SCP)

•  Create talent management strategies by utilizing innovative business solutions that align with and drive business strategy.

•  Listen to business leaders’ challenges.

•  Develop visions for critical solutions to organizational human capital challenges.

•  Identify opportunities to provide HR and business solutions that maximize ROI for the organization.

•  Use appropriate analytical tools enabling other leaders to provide input on strategic decisions.

•  Identify creative solutions for the organization and its business units.

•  Supervise HR investigations together with legal counsel.

•  Recognize excessive HR liabilities and provide proactive strategic guidance for remediation.

•  Coach executives on people-management issues.

•  Design strategic HR and business solutions.

Q   SHRM-SCP Questions

Scenario 40 (Questions 152–155): The company is having a difficult time finding the right talent for a key marketing position that will work on supporting the top product of the organization. They need fresh new ideas to increase sales and stimulate the customer base for increased profits in the space. There are a significant number of highly qualified marketing professionals available in the United States who could potentially fill the position. The VP of marketing has learned of a talented marketing person who is a foreign national and is currently residing outside the United States with no visa status.

152.  What advice should HR provide if the VP requests sponsorship for a permanent visa for the foreign national?

A.  HR should advise the VP that the position does not qualify for a permanent visa and should present acceptable qualified candidates from the United States.

B.  HR should advise the VP that the position does qualify for a permanent visa and pursue the candidate as the main qualified candidate.

C.  HR should advise the VP that the position does qualify for a permanent visa and should ensure that the cost is reasonable before proceeding.

D.  HR should advise the VP that the position does not qualify for a permanent visa and should consider hiring the employee outside the country.

153.  What advice should HR provide if the VP requests a temporary visa for the foreign national?

A.  HR should advise the VP that the position does not qualify for a temporary visa and should present acceptable qualified candidates from the United States.

B.  HR should advise the VP that the position does qualify for a temporary visa and pursue the candidate as the main qualified candidates.

C.  HR should advise the VP that the position does qualify for a temporary visa and should ensure that the cost is reasonable before proceeding.

D.  HR should advise the VP that the position does not qualify for a temporary visa and should consider hiring the employee outside the country.

154.  Which of the following visas would be recommended to possibly fit the situation?

A.  HR would recommend an EB1 visa.

B.  HR would recommend an H1B visa.

C.  HR would recommend an L1 visa.

D.  HR would recommend a TN visa.

155.  Which response should HR give if the candidate insists on sponsorship for a permanent EB1?

A.  HR should advise the VP that the position does not qualify for a permanent visa and should present acceptable qualified candidates from the United States.

B.  HR should advise the VP that the position does qualify for a permanent visa and pursue the candidate as the main qualified candidate.

C.  HR should advise the VP that the position does qualify for a permanent visa and should ensure that the cost is reasonable before proceeding.

D.  HR should advise the VP that the position does not qualify for a permanent visa and should consider hiring the employee outside the country.

Scenario 41 (Questions 156–158): The operations director needs assistance to manage a problem within his department. He is struggling with a problem between employees from one section of the department having difficulty working with employees in another section of the department. HR has done some preliminary work and they believe that part of the problem is a structural problem in terms of reporting relationships and allocation of resources. The issue is significant enough to the employees that they refuse to work with each other, and the leader feels he might be removed for his lack of effectiveness.

156.  What type of OD intervention would most likely provide the quickest success in this particular circumstance?

A.  The most likely OD intervention would be team building and conflict resolution.

B.  The most likely OD intervention would be restructuring and reallocation of resources.

C.  The most likely OD intervention would be individual counseling and coaching.

D.  The most likely OD intervention would be strategic and workforce planning.

157.  What response should HR provide to the operations director?

A.  The HR team should work with other teams to take over the responsibilities of the department shifting to a more effective team to get appropriate results.

B.  The HR team should interview the key stakeholders, investigate identified concerns, plan appropriate interventions, and involve the team in the resolution.

C.  The HR team should discuss the concerns with the leader and provide coaching and skill development that could have a positive impact on the situation.

D.  The HR team should interview the customers and other departments to find out what caused the problem between the different sections of the department.

158.  What other OD solutions might be helpful in this situation?

A.  The HR team could recommend 360-degree feedback on the team and the leaders.

B.  The HR team could recommend an off-site meeting bringing the teams together in a neutral location.

C.  The HR team could transfer troublemakers and difficult employees to other parts of the company.

D.  The HR team could train the team on problem solving and communication.

Scenario 42 (Questions 159–162): The L&D director is requested to facilitate a strategic planning session and to decide who should attend the planning session to participate with the strategic planning process. In the past, the company has started incomplete SWOT analyses and failed to successfully operationalize the strategy. There is discussion about bringing in a consultant to observe and advise. The organization made it clear the L&D director must decide whether to bring in a consultant, use somebody on the current staff, or do the facilitation herself. She is an excellent facilitator, there are some outstanding consultants with adequate facilitation skills, and other members of the staff can make the event happen, as well.

159.  Should the L&D director bring an objective observer on board, or should she use internal staff to understand the concerns for the strategy?

A.  The internal staff will be a good choice because they can provide inside information that outsiders do not know about the company.

B.  The L&D director should use both internal staff and external industry consultants to have both perspectives in the discussion.

C.  The external consultants will be a good choice because of their objective perspective about the company that would be good to include.

D.  The L&D director should involve all stakeholders at the appropriate time throughout the process to get buy-in and multiple perspectives.

160.  What steps in the process are most critical for this situation?

A.  The steps in the strategic planning process that are most critical are the development stage because the vision, mission, and values are clarified and the evaluation stage.

B.  The steps in the strategic planning process that are most critical are the formulation stage because the vision, mission, and values are clarified and the evaluation stage.

C.  The steps in the strategic planning process that are most critical are the development stage because of the SWOT and PEST analyses and the implementation for the balanced scorecard.

D.  The steps in the strategic planning process that are most critical are the formulation stage because of the SWOT and PEST analyses and the implementation for the balanced scorecard.

161.  Who should the L&D director choose to facilitate the session?

A.  The L&D director is most experienced and knows the organization best, so she should choose herself.

B.  The L&D director should choose a third-party consultant to maintain the most objectivity.

C.  The L&D director should choose someone from the current staff to ensure costs are reduced.

D.  The L&D director is able to influence other members of the staff, so she should choose them.

162.  What relationships are required to be developed through the years to ensure credibility at this time?

A.  The L&D director must maintain relationships with all stakeholders to be effective at this time.

B.  The L&D director must maintain a relationship with the rest of HR to be effective at this time.

C.  The L&D director must maintain relationships with only the executive team to be effective at this time.

D.  The L&D director must maintain a relationship with the rest of management to be effective at this time.

Scenario 43 (Questions 163–166): The CEO of the company has just made a statement to enforce the attendance and punctuality policy because the CEO is tired of people being late, which is costing the company a lot of money. The employees have been late for work and missing work time. The CEO states strongly in a formal written statement that the next person who is late because of their own nonbusiness reasons will be terminated regardless of any other policy that exists. The next day an outstanding fully engaged employee is late for work because of a major accident on her way to work; she has never been late before. Also, the CEO’s son who works for the company is late for the fifth time from being out late the night before!

163.  What potential problems are created by the CEO’s statement in this situation?

A.  The CEO’s statement limits the company for extenuating and mitigating circumstances and options for investigations.

B.  The CEO’s statement limits the company’s ability for options and for extenuating and mitigating circumstances.

C.  The CEO’s statement may create ethical issues, and leaders will have to make unnecessary decisions, thereby compromising values.

D.  The CEO’s statement will likely create frustration and anger that employees are being treated differently based on who you know.

164.  How should HR go about correcting the problem created by the absolute statement from the CEO?

A.  The competencies that are most critical are consultation, relationship management, and communication.

B.  The competencies that are most critical are relationship management, consultation, and ethical practice.

C.  The competencies that are most critical are diversity and inclusion, corporate social responsibility, and ethical practice.

D.  The competencies that are most critical are relationship management, communication, and critical evaluation.

165.  What should the HR team recommend in reference to the outstanding employee being late?

A.  Regardless of the CEO’s statement, HR should fully investigate the circumstances and make decisions based on the company policies and procedures.

B.  Based on the CEO’s statement, HR should immediately terminate the employee regardless of any other policy or procedure and inform the employee.

C.  Regardless of the CEO’s statement, HR should make decisions based on the company policies and procedures and not allow any relationship to influence recommendations.

D.  Based on the CEO’s statement, HR should investigate the situation and then terminate if the employee was late regardless of the reason learned.

166.  What should the HR team recommend in reference to the CEO’s son?

A.  Regardless of the CEO’s statement, HR should fully investigate the circumstances and make decisions based on the company policies and procedures.

B.  Based on the CEO’s statement, HR should immediately terminate the employee regardless of any other policy or procedure and inform the employee.

C.  Regardless of the CEO’s statement, HR should make decisions based on the company policies and procedures and not allow any relationship to influence recommendations.

D.  Based on the CEO’s statement, HR should investigate the situation and then terminate if the employee was late regardless of the reason learned.