aPHR Certification Study Guide

Human Resource Managment (HRM) - Correct Answer-HRM consists of an organization's "people practices" - the policies, practices, and systems that influence employees' behavior, attitudes, and performance. Explain how HRM contributes to an organization's performance - Correct Answer- Through its practices or process, The HRM influences who works for the organization and how those people work. These human resources, if well managed, have the potential to be a source of sustainable competitive advantage, contributing to basic objectives such as quality, profits, and customer satisfaction. HRM Process/ practices - Correct Answer-1) Analysis and Design of work 2) HR planning 3) Recruitment 4) Selection 5)Training and development 6)Compensation 7)Performance Management 8) Employee Relations Human Capital - Correct Answer-An Organization's employees, described in terms of their training, experience, judgement, intelligence, relationships, and insight. Human Resources qualities valuable to the success of organizations - Correct Answer- 1) Human Resources are VALUABLE- high-quality employees provide a needed service as they perform many critical functions. 2) Human Resources are RARE- a person with high levels of the needed skills and knowledge is not common 3) Human Resources CANNOT BE IMITATED - 4) Human Resources have NO GOOD SUBSTITUTES High Performance Work System - Correct Answer-An organization in which technology, organizational structure, people, and processes work seamlessly to give an organization an advantage in the competitive environment. Maintaining a High-Performance Work System may include: - Correct Answer-- Development of training programs -Recruitment of people with new skill sets - Establishment of rewards for such behaviors as team work, flexibility, and learning Ratio of HR employees to total employees - Correct Answer-2 full time HR staff persons for every 100 employees on payroll. In small organizations the ratio is much higher Administrative role of HRM - Correct Answer-Handling administrative tasks ( hiring employees, answering questions about benefits) efficiently and with a commitment to quality. This requires expertise in the particular task Business Partner role of HRM - Correct Answer-Developing effective HR systems that help the org meet its goals attracting, keeping, and developing people with the skill it needs. For the systems to be effective, HR people must understand the business so it can understand what the business needs Strategic partner role - Correct Answer-Contributing to the company's strategies through an understanding of its existing and needed HR and ways HR practices can give the company a competitive advantage. For strategic ideas to be effective, HR people must understand the business, it's industry, and its competitors Job Analysis - Correct Answer-The process of getting detailed information about jobs Work Flow Design - Correct Answer-The process of analyzing the tasks necessary for the production of a product or service Job - Correct Answer-A set of related duties Position - Correct Answer-A set of duties performed by a particular person Job Description - Correct Answer-A list of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities (TDRs) that a particular job entails Job Specification - Correct Answer-A list if the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics that an individual must have to perform a particular job Job Design - Correct Answer-The process of defining the way work will be performed and the tasks that a given job requires Industrial Engineering - Correct Answer-The study of jobs to find the simplest way to structure work in order to maximize efficiency Job enlargement - Correct Answer-Broadening the types of tasks performed in a job Job extension - Correct Answer-Enlarging jobs by combining several relatively simple jobs to for a job with a wider range of tasks Job rotation - Correct Answer-Enlarging jobs by moving employees among several different jobs Job enrichment - Correct Answer-Empowering workers by adding more decision making authority to jobs Flextime - Correct Answer-A scheduling policy in which full time employees may choose starting and ending times within guidelines specified by the organization Job sharing - Correct Answer-A work option in which two part time employees carry out the tasks associated with a single job Telework or Telecommuting - Correct Answer-Means doing one's work away from a centrally located office Ergonomics - Correct Answer-The study of the interface between individuals' physiology and the characteristics of the physical work environment Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) - Correct Answer-A standardized job analysis questionnaire containing 194,questions about work behaviors, work conditions, and job characteristics that apply to a wide variety of jobs Flesh an Job Analysis System - Correct Answer-Job analysis technique that asks subject matter experts to evaluate a job in terms of the abilities required to perform Competency - Correct Answer-An area of personal capability that enables employees to perform their work successfullyb Recruitment - Correct Answer-The process through which the organization seeks applicants for potential employment Selection - Correct Answer-The process by which the organization attempts to identify applicants with the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics that will help the organization achieve its goals Top 5 qualities employers look for in employees - Correct Answer-1)- Teamwork Skills 2)- Verbal Communications Skills 3)- Decision Making, Problem Solving 4)- Gathering / Processing information 5)- Planning/ Prioritizing Tasks Training - Correct Answer-A planned effort to enable employees to learn job-related knowledge, skills, and behavior