Q&A Hero

Q: Error caused by failing to measure a key aspect of the attribute of interest (i.e., the attribute we wish to measure), is known as contamination error.

Q: Even when measurement error is present, true scores can be measured with perfect precision. FALSE

Q: If all the members of a panel interview reach the same conclusion regarding a person who is being interviewed, it could be said that the interview ratings are reliable.

Q: Comparing scores of objective measures within the same time period is a measure of internal consistency.

Q: Calculation of the test-retest reliability of scores between time periods is done for objective measures, not subjective measures.

Q: Perfect reliability is virtually impossible to achieve because of the presence of measurement error.

Q: The consistency of measurement of an attribute refers to its validity.

Q: In staffing the scores of individuals are treated as if they were the attribute itself, rather than merely indicators of the attribute.

Q: While correlation is valuable as an indicator of the degree of association between variables, it is generally not used as a tool for prediction.

Q: The correlation coefficient does not measure the change in one variable caused by another variable.

Q: A correlation coefficient of 1.0 between variables X and Y indicates that there is a perfect linear relationship between these two variables.

Q: If the correlation coefficient between variables X and Y is .90, this means that the proportion of common variance shared by the two variables is ninety percent.

Q: A correlation score of minus one between two sets of scores indicates an exceptionally low association or relationship between the two sets.

Q: The research literature indicates a high correlation between subjective and objective measures of performance.

Q: Performance appraisal ratings are subjective measures.

Q: Numerical employment interview ratings represent objective measures.

Q: Human body weight is an example of a variable measured on a ratio scale of measure.

Q: If scores are classified as "low", "medium", and "high", the scale of measurement is nominal.

Q: When numbers are assigned by category, this reflects an ordinal scale of measurement.

Q: Measurement standardization applies to measurement content, not the administration of measurements.

Q: With very large samples, it is possible for a fairly weak relationship to still be statistically significant.

Q: A standard level for statistical significance is p < .50.

Q: A correlation between two variables does not necessarily that one causes the other.

Q: If an individual has a z-score of 2.0 on a performance test, this indicates this person's score is twice as high as the average test score.

Q: Standard scores are also useful for determining how a person performed, in a relative sense, on two or more tests. This is helpful for comparing relative standing across several tests.

Q: The most appropriate measure of central tendency for nominal scale data is the median.

Q: The standard deviation is a measure of the central tendency of a scale.

Q: Research shows that when an attribute is measured by both objective and subjective means, there is often relatively low agreement between scores from the two types of measures.

Q: A rank ordering of five job candidates in terms of overall qualification for the job is an example of an ordinal scale.

Q: Most staffing measures can be best described as being on a ratio scale.

Q: Scoring keys for tests should be developed immediately after the test has been administered.

Q: To achieve standardization the content of job application tests should be the same for all applicants.

Q: When developing measures, it is a good idea to give each rater some license to interpret the meaning of scores as fits the specific situation.

Q: Measures are methods or techniques for describing and assessing attributes of objects that are of concern to us.

Q: Career development centers are a low cost way to increase employee interest in internal career paths.

Q: Succession planning techniques are important as the workforce increasingly approaches retirement.

Q: Internal temporary employees require more orientation to the organization than would external hires.

Q: Self-nomination is an especially important consideration in the internal recruitment of minorities and women.

Q: Most managers report that talent management systems have greatly simplified their work lives.

Q: The first stage of developing a talent management system is identifying the KSAOs required for all jobs in the organization.

Q: Providing feedback to employees if they are not selected in a job posting system is a bad idea because it will just discourage them from responding in the future.

Q: A job posting may be announced through a bulletin board, newsletter, e-mail, or intranet.

Q: One problem with job postings is that employees may believe that someone has been selected before the job was posted and so will either not bother to apply or will believe the system is unfair.

Q: It should not be assumed that just because job seekers come from inside the organization they will automatically know and understand the selection procedures.

Q: Research suggests that procedures followed for internal recruiting and other personnel practices can be almost as important as the outcome of the decisions themselves.

Q: There is not much research concerning perceptions of fairness in internal recruiting processes.

Q: Word of mouth regarding internal job openings usually serves to provide additional opportunities to women and minorities.

Q: A targeted message for internal recruits points out how the job matches the needs of the applicant.

Q: Targeted recruiting messages are especially appropriate for internal applicants when they move to an unknown job, a newly created job, or a new geographic area, including an international assignment.

Q: Realistic job previews are potentially not necessary for internal recruiting because applicants may already be familiar with the jobs in question.

Q: When it comes down to it, most employees don't care very much about how decisions for internal job opportunities are made, they just care about the actual outcomes.

Q: Perceived fairness of internal recruiting processes is extremely important because those who are not given job opportunities will still have an ongoing relationship with the organization.

Q: A major difference between internal and external recruitment is that external recruitment not only fills vacancies but also creates them.

Q: If only an external recruitment search is conducted, the morale of existing employees may be reduced when they feel that they have been passed over for a promotion.

Q: Research suggests that employees really don't care if mobility policies are well-spelled out, because they only care if they personally get promoted.

Q: It is probably best to avoid listing who is eligible for open positions in a mobility policy, because it will just lock the organization in.

Q: Closed internal recruitment systems are an ideal choice if there are issues about perceived fairness and the organization want to make sure it isn't missing out on hidden talent.

Q: Under a hybrid system, neither open nor close steps are implemented.

Q: Closed internal recruitment systems are very efficient to administer.

Q: Under a closed internal recruitment system, employees are not made aware of job vacancies.

Q: To maintain employee motivation, alternative mobility paths may need to be supplemented with pay for skill development and counseling sessions.

Q: One hallmark of hierarchical mobility paths is an emphasis on pay for skill development and learning.

Q: Alternative mobility paths tend to be very difficult to administer.

Q: Under a parallel track system, the job titles and salaries of technical specialists are treated as hierarchically arranged.

Q: Hierarchical mobility paths make it very easy, from an administrative vantage point, to identify where to look for applicants in the organization.

Q: As a result of rising recruiting, selection, training, and development costs, companies are increasingly looking externally to staff positions.

Q: Which of the following have contributed to the Glass Ceiling? A. rising interest rates B. lack of outreach recruitment practices C. frequent updating of organizational records D. legal definition contradictions

Q: The combination of factors that tend to place women and minorities in fewer top management positions are collectively termed __________________. A. Res ipsa loquitur B. Jacob's ladder C. the broken elevator D. the glass ceiling

Q: A bona fide seniority system is __________________. A. typically banned by the EEOC B. permitted in most cases under EEOC law even if it results in adverse impact C. carefully defined by the law D. based on a mix of factors include perceived loyalty, commitment, and KSAO sets in the workforce

Q: From a legal standpoint, it can be said that ___________. A. the EEOC is more concerned about external recruitment procedures than internal ones B. revised Order No. 4 does not deal with seniority C. promotions based on subjective assessments of who is more senior are not likely to be supported in court D. existence of "bona fide" seniority systems facilitates compliance on EEO/AA matters

Q: Which of the following are important components of ensuring sufficient quality in an internal recruiting system: A. internal job posting systems B. regular performance appraisals of all employees C. systematic review of the employee value proposition D. all of these

Q: Key metrics for evaluating an internal staffing system include: A. cost B. quantity C. quality D. all of these

Q: A ______________ provides employees with opportunities to fill out interest inventories, explore career options, and discuss plans with counselors. A. job-talk center B. succession plan C. lattice career path D. career development center

Q: Why might an organization use internal temporary pools? A. to decrease accountability for personnel errors B. to avoid paying agency feels to temporary help agencies C. to provide a buffer against lawsuits D. both to decrease accountability for personnel errors and to provide a buffer against lawsuits

Q: Which of the following statements regarding talent management systems is true. A. they are usually based on paper files B. they are seen as a historical tool that is not used much any more C. they are increasingly integrated with all of an organization's human resources information systems D. they are almost always cheap and easy to maintain

Q: A company's internal e-mail and internet capabilities _________________. A. make it easy and inexpensive to disseminate internal recruiting messages B. tend to be very time-consuming ways to send messages about recruiting C. cannot effectively complement internal recruiting methods D. are used by 100% of organizations looking to recruit internally

Q: Which of the following statements regarding talent management systems is(are) true? A. talent management systems are maintained by the employee B. talent management systems simplify record keeping C. talent management systems reduce the need for supervisory judgment in promotion decisions D. talent management systems require a user-friendly data base for effective use

Q: KSAOs which are used in making advancement decisions are stored in __________. A. job descriptions B. job specifications C. talent management systems D. ability inventories

Q: An empirical study of the characteristics of a job posting system which lead to high user satisfaction found that _________ was(were) critical. A. the adequacy of job descriptions B. the adequacy of job notification procedures C. treatment during the interview D. all of these

Q: Job postings are effective internal recruitment tools because they _________. A. resemble and support external messages B. are efficient in matching employees to organizational needs C. reduce record keeping D. are far easier to prepare than external messages