Q&A Hero

Q: What type of interview would most likely include the statement, "Tell me about a time when you worked successfully in a team environment"? A) situational B) behavioral C) puzzle D) stress

Q: The average person can take in information at a much faster rate than is communicated through speech.

Q: Which of the following statements is representative of what might be asked in a behavioral interview? A) "Consider a time when you were faced with an angry client. What did you do to turn the situation around?" B) "We are concerned with employee pilferage. As a manager here, how would you go about discouraging this behavior?" C) "Employees in this division are frequently under a great deal of pressure. How do you think you would handle the stress of the position?" D) "What would you do if a subordinate threatened to sue the company for discrimination?"

Q: An active listener should never interrupt the speaker by asking questions.

Q: How do situational interviews differ from behavioral interviews? A) situational interviews are based on an applicant's responses to actual past situations B) situational interviews are based on how an applicant might behave in a hypothetical situation C) situational interviews ask applicants job-related questions to assess their knowledge and skills D) behavioral interviews ask applicants to describe their emotions in different hypothetical situations

Q: Nonverbal communication is an important part of active listening.

Q: Active listening requires making super-quick judgments immediately after a person begins speaking.

Q: Which of the following is the primary disadvantage of using structured interviews during the employee selection process? A) higher potential for bias B) limited validity and reliability C) inconsistency across candidates D) reduced opportunities for asking follow-up questions

Q: The purpose of feedback is to ensure that a message was received and understood.

Q: Which of the following is an advantage of using a nondirective format when interviewing job candidates? A) allows candidates to ask questions B) uses a manager's time more effectively C) pursues points of interest as they develop D) scores and compares candidates with consistency

Q: In Japan, managers use formal communication to seek consensus.

Q: Which of the following is another term for an unstructured interview? A) directive B) nondirective C) unformatted D) administrative

Q: In the United States, most managers tend to prefer informal over formal communication.

Q: What is the type of interview which lists the questions ahead of time? A) structured interviews B) unstructured interviews C) situational interviews D) behavioral interviews

Q: There is no difference between males and females in communication style.

Q: According to the text, selection interviews are classified by all of the following factors EXCEPT ________. A) administration B) structure C) content D) length

Q: When an interview is used to predict future job performance on the basis of an applicant's oral responses to oral inquiries, it is called a(n) ________ interview. A) group B) selection C) benchmark D) background

Q: Language that is acceptable for one audience can be a barrier to effective communication for another audience.

Q: Emotions rarely interfere with effective communication.

Q: Which of the following refers to a procedure designed to predict future job performance based on an applicant's oral responses to oral inquiries? A) work sample simulation B) selection interview C) reference check D) arbitration

Q: Communication in the U.S. business world typically does not strive for clarity.

Q: Which of the following is the most commonly used selection tool? A) telephone reference B) reference letter C) interview D) personality test

Q: Jargon has no place in effective communication.

Q: What are some considerations and parameters an employer should do in developing and extending a job offer?

Q: In today's world, modern devices prevent the possibility of information overload.

Q: Selective perception involves a listener hearing what he or she wants to hear.

Q: What are profiles? What role do profiles play in the employee selection process?

Q: When information is passed to senior level managers, it is usually edited and filtered to put the speaker in the best possible light.

Q: As an HR manager, you will most likely interview job candidates. What actions can you take to ensure that an interview is effective? What types of errors can undermine the effectiveness of interviews?

Q: Filtering refers to how a listener hears only what he or she wants to hear.

Q: What are three arguments against the use of personality tests as predictors of job performance?

Q: Verbal intonation refers to how loud the speaker speaks.

Q: Various federal and state laws govern how employers acquire and use applicants' and employees' background information. What four steps are necessary in order for an employer to be in compliance with these laws?

Q: The average person can speak about 400 words a minute and can listen at 150 words per minute.

Q: Active listening works best when a listener demonstrates empathy, the ability to listen without making premature judgments when listening.

Q: What is a management assessment center? What are some of the most common tasks conducted in management assessment centers?

Q: Context, culture and content are the three common variables that influence a person's language.

Q: Industrial psychologists often emphasize the "big five" personality dimensions in personnel testing. List and explain the meaning of the big five dimensions. How do personality traits correlate with job performance?

Q: How would an employer benefit from using both personality tests and situational tests when screening job applicants?

Q: Emotions can cause a single message to be interpreted in two different ways.

Q: In a brief essay, discuss the use and effectiveness of cognitive tests versus work sampling techniques for employee selection.

Q: What is the difference between criterion validity and content validity? Which one is more difficult to demonstrate?

Q: Selective perception involves deception on the part of the person sending a message.

Q: What is test validity? How are selection tests validated?

Q: An example of filtering is telling your boss what he or she wants to hear.

Q: How can employers protect themselves against negligent hiring? How can employers protect themselves against defamation?

Q: Nonverbal communication is a minor part of the communication that takes place during a conversation.

Q: Verbal intonation can be a part of written communication.

Q: Why are tests and other screening tools an important aspect of employee selection? What rights do test takers have during the testing process?

Q: Body language and facial expressions are the only forms of nonverbal communication.

Q: According to the Uniform Guidelines, employers are required to prove the validity of selection procedures for all assessments.

Q: One disadvantage of verbal communication is that it is hard to get feedback.

Q: Criterion validity shows a relationship between how well a person performs on a selection test and how well a person performs on the job.

Q: Applicant tracking systems (ATS) compile resumes, track applicants during the hiring process, and screen out applicants who do not meet minimum job requirements.

Q: One advantage of a written communication is that it provides a record of the information.

Q: In order to be legally eligible to work in the United States, a person must be a U.S. citizen.

Q: Feedback is a response that confirms a message.

Q: The Privacy Act is the main directive at the federal level that governs how employers acquire and use applicants' and employees' background information.

Q: A channel is an actual physical product.

Q: Employment screening services are useful in the selection process because they have access to a job applicant's credit history, driving record, and workers' compensation claims history.

Q: Some messages, like spoken words, do not need to be encoded to be sent.

Q: Most employers report preferring written references to telephone references because written letters provide more candid information about job candidates.

Q: Success in communication always involves reasoning skills.

Q: Managers cannot be sued for defamation when giving bad references because only employers are held responsible by state and federal courts.

Q: In order to be sent, a message needs to be decoded.

Q: Everything a manager does involves communication.

Q: Interest inventories are useful for career planning because they compare the interests of the test taker to the interests of people in various occupations.

Q: Which of the following best explains why it is a good idea for a person to cool down before sending off an angry message? A) Emotions are permanent. People never change their view of a situation after their emotion fades. B) Emotions are long-lived. People often change their view of a situation after their emotion changes. C) Emotions are short-lived. People often change their view of a situation after their emotion has time to cool. D) Emotions are short-lived. People often retain their view of a situation even after their emotion changes.

Q: The Federal Privacy Act allows federal employees to view their personnel files.

Q: The American Psychological Association's standards for educational and psychological tests are legally enforceable.

Q: How does empathy improve the communication process? A) Empathy helps the speaker focus on what the listener would like to hear. B) Empathy helps the listener focus on the speaker's actual words. C) Empathy helps the listener get rid of preconceived notions of what the speaker is trying to say. D) Empathy helps the speaker get rid of preconceived notions of what the listener is trying to hear.

Q: Most small businesses find it cost-effective to conduct validity studies of the selection tools they use.

Q: To bridge the gap between speaking and listening, how would speakers need to change their speaking rate? A) Speakers would need to increase their speaking rate by a factor of 5 to increase their speaking rate from about 80 words per minute to about 400 words per minute. B) Speakers would need to increase their speaking rate by a factor of 2 to 3 to increase their speaking rate from about 125 to 200 words per minute to about 400 words per minute. C) Speakers would need to decrease their speaking rate by a factor of 2 to decrease their speaking rate from about 400 words per minute to about 200 words per minute. D) Speakers would not need to increase their speaking at all. Instead, listeners would need to double their listening rate to catch up with speakers.

Q: Although inexpensive to develop, assessment centers are infrequently used by employers because such tests have a weak correlation with future job performance.

Q: Which of the following accounts for people's minds wandering while they listen to a speaker? A) Listeners listen at a slower rate than speakers speak. B) Listeners listen at the same rate that speakers speak. C) Listeners listen at a faster rate than speakers speak. D) Listeners adjust their listening rate to the speaker's rate.

Q: Selection tests should be used as supplements to other tools like interviews and background checks.

Q: When would be the best time to deliver "bad news" to your boss? A) when you also have good news to deliver B) on a day when the boss is not busy and can concentrate on how to respond to the news C) when you have no good news to deliver D) on a day when the boss is very busy and has no time to concentrate on how to respond to the news

Q: Selection tests must be validated in the organization that uses them regardless of the validity shown in other similar organizations.

Q: What kind of process is listening? A) effortless B) emotional C) passive D) active

Q: The strong correlation between test results and job performance has led to numerous expert recommendations that tests be used as the only selection tool in the hiring process.