SPHR Timed Final Exam – 175 Questions / 180 Minutes

Super’s Supermarket requires all fresh food shipments reach the stores within 10 hours of it being loaded from the distribution center. This is an example of a business operations:

Hector, the HR Director over a chain of fast food restaurants, is working to show a comparison between how many man-hours and other resources went into creating a better onboarding process and how much money the company has subsequently saved due to the reduction in voluntary and involuntary terminations. Hector is working to show a:

All of the following are types of non-tariff trade barrier policies EXCEPT:

All of the following are appropriate ways to respond to an OSHA inspector who shows up on site except:

Ron wants to send out an employee satisfaction survey to capture employees’ pain points and preferences and to use the information to justify making corrective changes. Which of the following is the MOST critical for Ron to have before moving forward?

A personality assessment for a data entry job that eliminates most candidates with mood disorders such as bipolar disorder is an example of:

The HR department performed a job analysis for Sales Associates responsible for national accounts.  Which of the following is an example of a knowledge requirement?

All of the following are common barriers to employees applying what they learned from training on the job EXCEPT:

If the annual salary aging factor is 3%, what would be the corrected salary amount for a position that paid $53,000 4 months ago?

Justin wants to change his company’s strategy of completing employment paperwork by allocating time at the end of the year to do so. He’s including the I-9 form, employee handbook acknowledgement, along with other documents as part of this new strategy. What do you think of Justin’s strategy?

What type of non-monetary rewards can a company give their employees that wouldn’t be a violation of taxable earnings rules?

Ron wants to send out an employee satisfaction survey to capture employees’ pain points and preferences and to use the information to justify making corrective changes. Which of the following is the MOST critical for Ron to have before moving forward?

A Customer Service Department is comprised of employees who handle mostly technical support issues and employees who handle mostly customer complaints. The department identified and split out these functions into separate groups. This is an example of:

All of the following are reasons for tariffs in trade EXCEPT:

Jennifer is going out on FMLA for her own serious health condition. Her employer has required her to have her healthcare provider complete the healthcare provider’s certification paperwork and to have it returned to the employer. Which of the following is true about the HIPAA privacy rule as it relates to Jennifer’s situation?

If the FLSA comes out with new regulations around job classifications, which action would be the MOST critical for the HR Pro at a company to take?

Which piece of legislation ruled that it is acceptable for a test to have an adverse impact on a protected class if it is job related?

Which of the following is an example of a skills requirement?

HR can accommodate the different learning styles of adults by

What is the range spread for a position minimum salary of $50,000 and a maximum of $60,000?

An example of an alternate work schedule would be

An Employee Participation Program (EPP) at a railroad company can make decisions on implementing company policies on paid leave, overtime, holiday pay and other conditions of employment. While their decisions are not necessarily final, they essentially function at a management level. Which of the following is true?

If the FLSA comes out with new regulations around job classifications, which action would be the MOST critical for the HR Pro at a company to take?

Prior to deciding to move forward with a merger, the involved companies should engage in what process to investigate each other’s assets and liabilities?

The Uruguay Round Agreements Act has to do with:

What is the MOST labor-intensive phase in the project lifecycle?

A consulting firm comprised of one person (the owner) is getting more requests for work than it can handle. The requests are mostly project-based. Which of the following business decisions would BEST address the issue:

The HR Manager of a company that subcontracts with a local municipality is putting together an Affirmative Action Plan. In which section does she report that the company’s management team is comprised of 40% men and 20% women?

When a company decides to provide special development opportunities for a small group of high-performing employees, they are implementing what type of career development program?

HR can accommodate the different learning styles of adults by:

Bill is a sales rep who spends most of his time familiarizing prospective customers with the company’s product line and providing them with technical assistance. What pay structure makes the most sense for Bill?

An Employee Participation Program (EPP) at a railroad company can make decisions on implementing company policies on paid leave, overtime, holiday pay and other conditions of employment. While their decisions are not necessarily final, they essentially function at a management level. Which of the following is true?

All of the following are advantages of focus groups EXCEPT:

A consulting firm comprised of one person (the owner) is getting more requests for work than it can handle. The requests are mostly project-based. Which of the following business decisions would BEST address the issue:

Which law protects emails from being intercepted, accessed and disclosed?

A fast food chain is planning on opening up new locations for the next few years. Which of the following HR metrics would be the MOST helpful?

Marcus is an HR project manager brought in to create an effective teambuilding program. He liaises with managers and helps establish norms to breed harmony within each team. This is an example of what type of project manager role is Marcus performing?

Kevin has a business partner who is an investor but is not involved in company operations. What kind of partnership do Kevin and his partner have?

Marcus, an HR Director has tasked his team with determining the availability of qualified internal and external female candidates for roles at the company that have historically only been held by males. Marcus’s team is conducting:

In career management, the organization is responsible for

Many managers strongly prefer action over research when it comes to training. This will MOST likely result in which of the following?

Before determining employee benefit needs, HR should:

An HR professional who is also a retirement fiduciary can be charged criminally and/or civilly for:

At a corporate office, one employee physically assaults another employee. The company promptly dismisses the assaulting employee without going through the normal disciplinary steps. This action is BEST supported by:

Kevin has a business partner who is an investor but is not involved in company operations. What kind of partnership do Kevin and his partner have?

Which of the following applications/systems manages information from all of the organizations functions and, in some cases, external organizations?

An HR Manager wants to uncover the root cause of recent voluntary employee turnover. All of the following metrics will help her create a narrative EXCEPT:

Companies are required by law to post Federal Law Posters clearly when they have how many employees?

Which of the following groups is MOST likely to be negatively impacted by a temporary government shutdown?

Which of the following is the BEST example of an essential job function of a Call Center Agent in a Customer Service Department?

Wendy is putting together a training program for senior-level managers, and she needs to select a location for the training. Which of the following types of location will be the MOST conducive to the managers’ effective learning?

The Training Manager has put together a computer-based training program for a large group. Which seating arrangement should be used?

All of the following strategies are likely to reduce employer health-care costs EXCEPT:

Jake is right up against the deadline to submit payroll through the company’s online payroll provider’s web portal when a storm takes out the power to Jake’s office building. Which of the following actions, as part of disaster recovery, would have been most helpful?

A customer service representative is reported by a customer to have been rude and unhelpful on a call. The call center supervisor meets with the employee and asks why the employee thought it was okay to speak to a customer that way and what they could do to ensure this did not happen again moving forward. This is an example of:

The SMART model is used in _________ and describes corporate ___________.

Which of the following applications/systems manages customer information?

Juan is concerned about having to work in an area that contains exposed wires. He fears he might be electrocuted. The exposure to the exposed wiring is an example of a/an:

A medical study needs Clinical Research Assistants. The study will only last 6 months. Which of the following type of staffing arrangement makes the MOST sense in this scenario?

A snapshot of a company’s financial performance at a given time is known as a/an:

The HR department performed a job analysis for Sales Associates responsible for national accounts. Which of the following is an example of a skills requirement?

Managers can best measure training program results by:

All of the following are common barriers to employees applying what they learned from training on the job EXCEPT:

Can-Can Construction is a family-owned construction company with 20 employees. They have received a federal contract of $5,000 to repair a small part of a federal building. The majority of construction companies in the area pay construction workers $25 per hour. Which of the following statements is DEFINITELY true?

All of the following are advantages of focus groups EXCEPT:

At a skilled nursing facility, no policy currently exists on loaning money to patients. Metou, a Nurse Aide, loans a patient $100. Her supervisor finds out and suspends her for 1 week without pay. Metou complains to HR that due process was not followed. What part of due process was not followed?

Which law redefined “highly compensated individual”?

In a major change initiative, the MOST important role for HR is:

Access to a highly dangerous part of a power plant is not correctly restricted, which could lead to employees and/or equipment being harmed. This oversight is an example of a lack of:

An Accounting department needs additional AP and AR staff to help them get through year end. Which of the following type of staffing arrangement makes the MOST sense in this scenario?

If an HR Manager is performing a supply analysis, then she is:

The eCommerce Marketing Specialist position will effectively increase web traffic to pages selling the company’s products, increase pay-per-click activity and ensure that the images and descriptions of the products are appealing and accurate. These are examples of:

According to Maslow, an example of a self-esteem need would be:

Wendy is putting together a training program for senior-level managers, and she needs to select a location for the training. Which of the following types of location will be the MOST conducive to the managers’ effective learning?

What is the compa-ratio for an employee who makes $20 per hour where the midpoint for the positions salary is $18 per hour?

Considering the statements below, what is one major cost saving benefit for a company to purchase a high deductible medical plan supported by health reimbursement accounts that reimburse employees for eligible healthcare expenses?

Why do companies prefer to use alternative dispute resolution?

The relationship between strategies and goals is BEST described by which answer choice?

What is the first step in locating a third-party payroll provider?

Which of the following best describes Worker’s Compensation Insurance?

A company with less than 50 employees wants to focus on making, testing and selling their product without focusing on administrative aspects of running a business. Which of the following type of staffing arrangement makes the MOST sense in this scenario?

A group of HR Managers meet to discuss how technology is impacting staffing. Which forecasting method does this describe?

A small but growing company is struggling to get enough candidates to their open positions. Up until this point, the owners have been able to use networking to fill the positions with people they knew, but they are now in need of specialized, expert and experienced staff to help grow their business. They have an Office Admin but no Recruiter. Which of the following recruiting strategies will be the MOST effective?

When a subject receives no response, what is the appropriate intervention strategy?

A merit pay plan is related to an employees:

Which of the following statements about FICA is correct?

What is the reason for a section 125 flexible benefits plan?

How does the Sarbanes-Oxley Act most impact HR?

Edward E. Lawler defined four elements of a high-involvement organization. Those four elements are:

All of the following HR services can be outsourced EXCEPT:

For the purposes of risk management and Worker’s Comp, how is “illness” defined?

Widgets Inc. allows its retail locations to make independent operational decisions based on their individual markets, and Corporate HQ sets the financial targets and branding guidelines. Which of the following organizational structures is Widget Inc. using?

A statistical comparison between gross sales and the number of employees in a retail chain is an example of which forecasting method?

The HR department performed a job analysis for Sales Associates responsible for national accounts. Which of the following is an example of a knowledge requirement?

Many managers strongly prefer action over research when it comes to training. This will MOST likely result in which of the following?

Miriam is a line manager who has several employees who all perform similar tasks. There are not very many levels of difficulty or responsibility that she can add to any of the positions, but there are some employees who are capable of operating at a higher level. She wants to ensure that the employees who can do more complicated work and lead by example are paid more than those who can only meet the normal requirements of the job. What type of pay system will Miriam request for her employees?

Flat-rate pay systems are most often used for:

Justin wants to change his company’s strategy of completing employment paperwork by allocating time at the end of the year to do so. He’s including the I-9 form, employee handbook acknowledgement, along with other documents as part of this new strategy. What do you think of Justin’s strategy?

Which of the following is the first step in conducting a security risk analysis?

Nestaste, a major food company, sold its candy division to a company that specializes in chocolates, and is now focusing on healthy foods. What Nestaste has done with their candy division is BEST described as:

One positive aspect of a company having a Chief Ethics Officer is that:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is an agency within the:

T&M’s Accounting Department is reviewing the company’s balance sheet and identifies that the company has 20% more debt than it did in the preceding year. They have identified a:

How can you measure the effectiveness of your HR staffing efforts?

Shanda, the HR Director, wants to increase employee retention. Exit interviews indicate that most people who resign leave due to a perceived lack of advancement opportunities. Which of the following tactics is MOST likely to help Shandra to meet her objective?

When measuring what skills are needed to perform a job effectively, what level is a needs assessment targeting?

Mike works on an assembly line. While he is not a highly skilled worker, there is a high demand for his skills. There are also strict production quotas that must be met. Given this information, which compensation system makes the most sense for Mike?

A merit pay plan is related to an employee’s:

You have been given the task of developing a policy on employee complaint handling. The company you work for does not have a union. So what kind of restrictions would be on you as you move forward?

LaShonda is the HR Manager at a company whose corporate office is near an area that is ravaged by hurricanes every few years. To safeguard the organization’s assets, what is the most important step for LaShonda to take when developing an emergency response plan?

All of the following Finance KPIs make sense for a company that is in the growth/survival stage of the business lifecycle EXCEPT:

A company is about to extend an offer to a high-level candidate who the company is relocating at a significant expense. Which of the following things should the company vet the MOST prior to extending the offer?

Freda, the HR Director over a hospital system has discovered several unsafe and unhealthy working conditions. How can she best address these issues with company Leadership?

Nestaste, a major food company, sold its candy division to a company that specializes in chocolates, and is now focusing on healthy foods. What Nestaste has done with their candy division is BEST described as:

How do courts influence employment law?

Marcus, an HR Director has tasked his team with determining the availability of qualified internal and external female candidates for roles at the company that have historically only been held by males. Marcus’s team is conducting:

After completing a training, all of the following ensure that the employees transfer their newfound skills to their jobs EXCEPT:

The HR Director is reviewing the company’s compensation against salary survey data to make recommendations to lead in the local market. What is a likely outcome of this strategy?

Miriam is a line manager who has several employees who all perform similar tasks. There are not very many levels of difficulty or responsibility that she can add to any of the positions, but there are some employees who are capable of operating at a higher level. She wants to ensure that the employees who can do more complicated work and lead by example are paid more than those who can only meet the normal requirements of the job. What type of pay system will Miriam request for her employees?

Which action BEST supports union employer cooperation?

Brian is a data analyst at a company with over 10,000 employees worldwide. His coworker Kia used FMLA and PTO after she gave birth to recover and bond with her child. Brian’s wife is pregnant, and he requested to use a combination of paid and unpaid leave to bond with his child following the birth. Brian’s department is already short-staffed, and his manager is overwhelmed. The appropriate response to Brian’s request from his manager is:

What kind of document shows how much cash is flowing into and out of an organization, including sources or destinations?

A system of clinics is having trouble finding enough licensed Primary Care Physicians in the US. While there are highly skilled physicians from other countries who would like to accept the positions, the licensing requirements are specific to the US. The company can BEST address this issue long-term by:

What is the best way to begin a workplace security plan?

Payroll is considered to be:

Which piece of legislation prohibits discrimination against job applicants on the basis of country of origin or citizenship?

Which of the following OFCCP activities focuses on promoting minorities and females to senior-level positions?

A global organization modified its strategic business plan after downsizing. The Director of Training and Development wants to ensure that his department supports company’s new goals and objectives. How can he BEST accomplish this?

What term is used to describe an employee who is hired into a position with a pay range of $10.00-$13.00 per hour who is paid $9.00 per hour?

Mike works on an assembly line. While he is not a highly skilled worker, there is a high demand for his skills. There are also strict production quotas that must be met. Given this information, which compensation system makes the most sense for Mike?

An automotive technician at a logistics company presents an idea to management that saves the company $100,000 in vehicle repair costs. Management decides to present the tech with a $100 gift card at the next quarterly meeting. Why might this reward not be well-received?

The provisions of the Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 that prevent employers from requiring applicants or employees to take lie detector tests would apply to:

A global nonprofit with 10,000 employees worldwide has a global headquarters but allows almost all approvals to happen at the Territorial level. In order to get Territorial HQ approval, the Area HQs have to be able to report on all of the facilities in their respective areas. Currently the HR functions are being handled differently at different facilities. To streamline reporting for Territorial HQ, the Area HR Manager needs to increase:

The money supply is expanded by which of the following?

All of the following are part of creating a workplace security plan except:

A plastics manufacturer divides its business units into commercial and consumer divisions. The commercial division decides to provide priority customers with the BEST, customized service by forming special service teams. This is an example of:

The ruling in Kolstad v. American Dental Association:

City Park Co. instituted an Affirmative Action Plan last year. They still do not have any minority employees at the executive level. Which of the following would be the LEAST acceptable remedy?

Which of the following would NOT be considered a learning organization?

What are the best approaches to maintaining a workplace free of union activity?

Considering the statements below, what is one major cost saving benefit for a company to purchase a high deductible medical plan supported by health reimbursement accounts that reimburse employees for eligible healthcare expenses?

The extent to which a job requires a whole, identifiable unit of work is known as:

All of the following are true about drug tests except:

Which of the following is the LEAST important reason to have a code of ethics?

Which of the following is true about the fiscal policy?

Devon is an employee who works in an office building. After the Las Vegas shootings, he is worried that there could be a shooting at work. He tells the HR Manager that he has a right to defend himself, and is going to start bring a gun to work. He has a legal license to carry the gun. HR is most likely to be able to have a policy that prohibits employees from doing all of the following except:

A company has a 90% retention rate of top performers. This is considered a:

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964:

Karen feels like she has a good report with her team and believes that her jokes about one of her subordinate’s race are “all in good fun.” She repeatedly uses racial slurs and references racial stereotypes. Which of the following is DEFINITELY true?

Tamara found a great article on effective communication that she wants to use in the training she is developing. Under what circumstance is an article in public domain?

For the past 3 years, the local minimum wage has been statutorily increased by 5% each year. What is the likely result for a retail company?

What is the reason for a section 125 flexible benefits plan?

Katie is a Receptionist at a marketing firm. She has her bachelor’s degree in a creative discipline. She is bored with her regular job duties, which include answering the phone, sorting mail, ordering lunch and scheduling meetings. Which of the following job redesign strategies would drive the BEST outcomes?

Rajesh, an HR Manager, saved a policy on the company shared drive for all employees to access. He saved it in an unprotected, editable format. What has he potentially caused his document to lose?

How does the consumer price index relate to employee retention?

The Widget Emporium will increase the price on its signature widget. When the price increases, what will happen to the product’s demand level and subsequently the quantity produced?

Which of the following is the most effective way HR can help prevent violence in the workplace?

Mark’s plan is to increase his team’s output by 20% before the end of the year. Mark’s plan would be considered a:

The federal agency established to investigate claims of discrimination under title VII is the:

Global Widgets Inc. has offices in 13 countries but has all of its executives working out of the global corporate HQ in the HQ country. What is the name of this international human resources management organizational approach?

Mark has been tasked with creating a training on a new project management system that the company is rolling out. Which of the following is an important consideration for Mark to be able to effectively define his target audience?

If an HR Manager wants to evaluate an entire job, rather than just specific components of it, the HR Manager should use what kind of job evaluation method?

Injury and Illness Prevention Programs:

Which of the following is a disadvantage of flextime?

Juanita needs to send an employees’ completed evidence of insurability (EOI) form to her company’s benefits broker. Which of the following practical methods of sending the form is the most secure?

What measure indicates the relationship between two variables?

An oligopoly is best described as a market structure where:

Which of the following is least likely to trigger an OSHA inspection?

Super’s Supermarket requires all fresh food shipments reach the stores within 10 hours of it being loaded from the distribution center. This is an example of a business operations:

If the EEOC finds no reasonable cause for an employee’s complaint during the EEOC complaint process, what is the most likely outcome?

Which of the following is the BEST example of an essential job function of a Call Center Agent in a Customer Service Department?

The Training Manager has put together a computer-based training program for a large group. Which seating arrangement should be used?

A small organization that needs a quick, inexpensive way to compare one job to another might use:

Which type of insurance provides employers with protection against claims of discrimination, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, or other employment-related issues made by employees?

An example of an alternate work schedule would be: