2. HRCI- SPHR Talent Planning &
Acquisition Exam-Graded A
How does the U.S. president pass labor laws without the approval of Congress?
A. Interpret labor laws
B. Proclaim executive orders
C. Rule on court cases
D. Study case law - correct Answer-B. All three branches of the U.S. government
influence the legal and regulatory climate in which HR operates. Congress (legislative
branch) may pass or amend a law. The U.S. president (executive branch) may enact an
executive order. The courts (judicial branch) may interpret court cases, providing insight
into compliance.
Which of the following agencies is responsible for enforcing executive orders (EOs)
related to unlawful discrimination in companies doing business with the federal
government?
A. Department of Labor
B. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
C. Office of Federal Contract Compliance
D. All of the above - correct Answer-C. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance
(OFCCP) enforces EOs. It is tasked to ensure that equal employment opportunities are
afforded by federal agencies and private businesses that contract or subcontract with
those agencies.
Private employers with 100 or more employees, and federal contractors or
subcontractors with 50 or more employees, must submit which of the following reports?
A. Headquarters report
B. Consolidated report
C. EEO-1 report
D. Diversity report - correct Answer-C. An EEO-1 report compiles statistical information
related to specific employment data. It must be filed on or before September 30.
Employers with operations at a single location or establishment complete a single form.
However, those who operate multiple locations may have to complete a headquarters
report, an establishment report, an establishment list, a consolidated report, or a
combination, depending on specific criteria.
Executive Order 11246 prohibited employment discrimination based on which of the
following protected-class characteristics?
A. Gender, age, religion
B. Race, color, national origin
C. Race, ethnicity, age
,D. Race, sex, religion - correct Answer-B. EO 11246 in 1965 prohibited discrimination
on the basis of race, creed, color, and national origin. EO 11375 amended 11246 to
prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex.
The job group analysis is organized using which of the following categories?
A. Employee names
B. Total number of incumbents
C. Job titles
D. Salary grade - correct Answer-C. A job group analysis is a component of an
affirmative action plan (AAP) that places job titles with similar duties and responsibilities
into groups for analysis.
Which of the following scenarios may be the effect of the strategic planning process on
workforce goals and objectives?
A. Reengineering
B. Merger or acquisition
C. Outsourcing
D. All of the above - correct Answer-D. The strategic planning process seeks to identify
and plan for changes that will aid in organizational growth. The results of the strategic
plan will have an impact on the workforce, such as reengineering work processes,
acquiring products through mergers or acquisitions, or outsourcing the non-core-
competency functions of the organization.
The goal of strategic workforce planning is to ensure that qualified employees are what?
A. Going to do the work they were hired to do
B. Effectively managed for successful retention
C. Properly managed in accordance with federal EEO laws
D. Available and capable when the organization needs them - correct Answer-D.
Strategic workforce planning includes identifying the skillsets of the existing workforce,
matching those skills to the current and forecasted needs, and ensuring that those
qualified individuals are available when the company needs them.
When a company chooses to outsource existing staff to an outsourcing provider, who
becomes the employer of record?
A. The company and the outsourcing provider become co-employers.
B. The company
C. The outsourcing agency
D. Nobody; they are considered independent contractors. - correct Answer-C. When
employees are acquired by an outsourced provider, they're terminated from the
organization and hired by the new company. Co- or joint-employment issues are
certainly important, and they should be addressed through other HR efforts.
If part of an organization's strategic plan is to increase sales by 15 percent, which of the
following workforce planning strategies might HR recommend?
A. Train and develop the sales staff.
B. Increase the sales staff.
, C. Evaluate the compensation plans for the sales force.
D. Review the price structure of the products. - correct Answer-B. While all of the
answers may come into play in the execution of this strategy, hiring is the best choice in
the category of workforce planning.
Organizations have three options for locating the talent they need to achieve business
goals: internal transfers or promotions, external hires, and what?
A. Alternative staffing methods
B. Contingent workforce
C. Temporary employees
D. Job bidding - correct Answer-A. Alternative staffing methods include several options
to support workforce-planning efforts. They include hiring contract workers, such as a
contingent workforce, job sharing, part-time employees, and interns.
Which of the following types of alternative staffing methods allows two people with
complementary skills to share the duties and responsibilities of a full-time position?
A. Internships
B. Part-time workers
C. Job sharing
D. Payrolling - correct Answer-C. Job sharing is a type of alternative work schedule that
allows an employer to reach a broader pool of qualified candidates. It fills a full-time
position with two part-time workers.
Teamwork, communication, and customer focus are all examples of which of the
following criteria being predicted in an interview?
A. Job competencies
B. Abilities
C. Knowledge
D. Skills - correct Answer-A. Job competencies guide interviewers in formulating
questions that elicit information beyond specific tasks and responsibilities assigned to a
specific job.
A position has just opened up in the sales department in the organization for which you
work. This was the third sales representative to hold the job in as many years, and the
exit interviews indicate that the job requirements are unrealistic. Which of the following
strategies should you recommend first?
A. Interview the supervisor of the workgroup
B. Change recruiting sources
C. Conduct a thorough job analysis
D. All of the above - correct Answer-C. A job analysis provides the foundation for
identifying the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to achieve specific results
in an organization. If the organizational objectives are not being met, a job analysis is a
useful tool to begin a needs analysis for proper recruiting and retention of qualified staff.
A job analysis includes interviewing other staff and supervisory personnel. Changing
recruiting sources may be necessary once a diagnosis has been made.
Acquisition Exam-Graded A
How does the U.S. president pass labor laws without the approval of Congress?
A. Interpret labor laws
B. Proclaim executive orders
C. Rule on court cases
D. Study case law - correct Answer-B. All three branches of the U.S. government
influence the legal and regulatory climate in which HR operates. Congress (legislative
branch) may pass or amend a law. The U.S. president (executive branch) may enact an
executive order. The courts (judicial branch) may interpret court cases, providing insight
into compliance.
Which of the following agencies is responsible for enforcing executive orders (EOs)
related to unlawful discrimination in companies doing business with the federal
government?
A. Department of Labor
B. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
C. Office of Federal Contract Compliance
D. All of the above - correct Answer-C. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance
(OFCCP) enforces EOs. It is tasked to ensure that equal employment opportunities are
afforded by federal agencies and private businesses that contract or subcontract with
those agencies.
Private employers with 100 or more employees, and federal contractors or
subcontractors with 50 or more employees, must submit which of the following reports?
A. Headquarters report
B. Consolidated report
C. EEO-1 report
D. Diversity report - correct Answer-C. An EEO-1 report compiles statistical information
related to specific employment data. It must be filed on or before September 30.
Employers with operations at a single location or establishment complete a single form.
However, those who operate multiple locations may have to complete a headquarters
report, an establishment report, an establishment list, a consolidated report, or a
combination, depending on specific criteria.
Executive Order 11246 prohibited employment discrimination based on which of the
following protected-class characteristics?
A. Gender, age, religion
B. Race, color, national origin
C. Race, ethnicity, age
,D. Race, sex, religion - correct Answer-B. EO 11246 in 1965 prohibited discrimination
on the basis of race, creed, color, and national origin. EO 11375 amended 11246 to
prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex.
The job group analysis is organized using which of the following categories?
A. Employee names
B. Total number of incumbents
C. Job titles
D. Salary grade - correct Answer-C. A job group analysis is a component of an
affirmative action plan (AAP) that places job titles with similar duties and responsibilities
into groups for analysis.
Which of the following scenarios may be the effect of the strategic planning process on
workforce goals and objectives?
A. Reengineering
B. Merger or acquisition
C. Outsourcing
D. All of the above - correct Answer-D. The strategic planning process seeks to identify
and plan for changes that will aid in organizational growth. The results of the strategic
plan will have an impact on the workforce, such as reengineering work processes,
acquiring products through mergers or acquisitions, or outsourcing the non-core-
competency functions of the organization.
The goal of strategic workforce planning is to ensure that qualified employees are what?
A. Going to do the work they were hired to do
B. Effectively managed for successful retention
C. Properly managed in accordance with federal EEO laws
D. Available and capable when the organization needs them - correct Answer-D.
Strategic workforce planning includes identifying the skillsets of the existing workforce,
matching those skills to the current and forecasted needs, and ensuring that those
qualified individuals are available when the company needs them.
When a company chooses to outsource existing staff to an outsourcing provider, who
becomes the employer of record?
A. The company and the outsourcing provider become co-employers.
B. The company
C. The outsourcing agency
D. Nobody; they are considered independent contractors. - correct Answer-C. When
employees are acquired by an outsourced provider, they're terminated from the
organization and hired by the new company. Co- or joint-employment issues are
certainly important, and they should be addressed through other HR efforts.
If part of an organization's strategic plan is to increase sales by 15 percent, which of the
following workforce planning strategies might HR recommend?
A. Train and develop the sales staff.
B. Increase the sales staff.
, C. Evaluate the compensation plans for the sales force.
D. Review the price structure of the products. - correct Answer-B. While all of the
answers may come into play in the execution of this strategy, hiring is the best choice in
the category of workforce planning.
Organizations have three options for locating the talent they need to achieve business
goals: internal transfers or promotions, external hires, and what?
A. Alternative staffing methods
B. Contingent workforce
C. Temporary employees
D. Job bidding - correct Answer-A. Alternative staffing methods include several options
to support workforce-planning efforts. They include hiring contract workers, such as a
contingent workforce, job sharing, part-time employees, and interns.
Which of the following types of alternative staffing methods allows two people with
complementary skills to share the duties and responsibilities of a full-time position?
A. Internships
B. Part-time workers
C. Job sharing
D. Payrolling - correct Answer-C. Job sharing is a type of alternative work schedule that
allows an employer to reach a broader pool of qualified candidates. It fills a full-time
position with two part-time workers.
Teamwork, communication, and customer focus are all examples of which of the
following criteria being predicted in an interview?
A. Job competencies
B. Abilities
C. Knowledge
D. Skills - correct Answer-A. Job competencies guide interviewers in formulating
questions that elicit information beyond specific tasks and responsibilities assigned to a
specific job.
A position has just opened up in the sales department in the organization for which you
work. This was the third sales representative to hold the job in as many years, and the
exit interviews indicate that the job requirements are unrealistic. Which of the following
strategies should you recommend first?
A. Interview the supervisor of the workgroup
B. Change recruiting sources
C. Conduct a thorough job analysis
D. All of the above - correct Answer-C. A job analysis provides the foundation for
identifying the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to achieve specific results
in an organization. If the organizational objectives are not being met, a job analysis is a
useful tool to begin a needs analysis for proper recruiting and retention of qualified staff.
A job analysis includes interviewing other staff and supervisory personnel. Changing
recruiting sources may be necessary once a diagnosis has been made.
