2.1 Intro to HR
2.2 Management & motivation
2.3 Organizational structure
2.4 Resumes, cover letters, interviews
Error analysis
100
Name 1 advantage and 1 disadvantage of recruiting internally (aka: advertising a job position internally)
Adv: free, already knows the background/performance of the applicant, applicant knows the business, motivates current employees, etc. Disadv: no new ideas, could create rivalry, only seen by current employees, etc.
100
What makes a good manager? Name 3 traits/skills.
Self-confidence, intelligence, takes initiative, assertiveness & determination, communication skills, energy and enthusiasm, foresight, strong people/interpersonal skills, etc.
100
Karen works in a business that delegates decision making to a lower level of management. What is this type of decision making called?
Decentralization
100
Name 3 don't's of a resume
Use slang, use personal pronouns (e.g. I), have typos, include photo/age, etc.
100
You are interviewing Candice, a recent college graduate, for an entry-level position at your business. You asked Candice to go through her resume and she does so by reading the contents on the resume verbatim. What is Candice doing wrong?
Interviewer can read the resume as well. Candice is not adding any value by reading the resume.
200
We learned about the various responsibilities of the HR dept. Name and describe 3 responsibilities.
1. Recruitment & selection; 2. Salaries, benefits; 3. Training; 4. Health & safety; 5. Industrial relations; 6. Dismissal, redundancy, resignation
200
What is intrinsic motivation? What is extrinsic motivation? For each, explain and provide an example.
Intrinsic motivation – occurs when someone gets satisfaction from an activity itself without threats or rewards from outside (e.g. "I want to do well and learn a lot in Business class"); Extrinsic motivation – motivators that come from outside the individual (e.g. school grades, pay and benefits, parents telling you to do well in school)
200
Why do businesses hire interns? Name 2 reasons
1. To attract the top students early (else they may get recruited by other businesses) 2. To get temporary or additional help without the long term commitment 3. cheaper than hiring permanent staff 4. To assist current employees (so they have opportunity to pursue more complex work) 5. Interns are usually motivated, may provide fresh ideas / new perspectives, and will increase diversity in the work place.
200
What are the usual resume sections for students/recent graduates? Name at least 3 sections.
Header Objective (optional) Education Work experience Extra-curricular activities Skills Additional information / other
200
Question: Why do you think Microsoft hires interns (trainees)? Please state two reasons. Answer: (1) So the interns can get work experience (2) So the interns could get a full-time job after internship/graduation.
Question is asking for reason from Intel's point of view. Answer is from intern's/trainee's point of view.
300
In the US, employers are not allowed to ask certain questions in an interview or make hiring decisions based on certain factors of the candidate. Give 2 examples.
Questions that could result in discrimination. E.g.: Sexual orientation, race, marital status, religion, etc.
300
Jay, the Department Head of Human Resources, gives employees considerable freedom on how they should do their work. What management style best describes this situation?
Laissez‐faire
300
Why would a business allow for career progression? Name 2 reasons.
Motivates employees, increases competition, helps to retain good employees, etc.
300
Name 3 do's of a resume
"Stick to one page Make it easy to read and to follow Be professional List information in reverse chronological order Be truthful Focus on achievements and results (not a laundry lists of duties) Proof read & spell check Maintain a consistent writing style Follow instructions"
300
From Unit 2 quiz: Question 1b: What is the best place to advertise flight attendant positions for Scoot Airlines? Please justify your answer. Response: Internal
1. No justification given 2. Scoot will require a lot of flight attendants. If Singapore Airlines flight attendants join Scoot, then Singapore Airlines would have to find a lot of new flight attendants to fill the new vacancies
400
You are the HR manager at FAO Schwarz (a toy store in New York City). A vacancy for an entry-level position in the Sales department arises and you are responsible to fill the position. (1) Where should you advertise the position? Please justify your answer. (2) What should be included in the job advertisement? Please name 3 things.
1) Best response: Local newspaper, online. Incorrect: national newspaper, recruitment agency. 2) Job description, job specification, reporting manager, etc.
400
You are the Operations Manager at an ice cream manufacturing plant. What are some of the financial motivators that you could give to your employees? Name 3.
Salary, hourly wage, performance related pay, profit related pay, employee share ownership schemes, benefits. (not good answers: piece rate, commission)
400
What is a matrix organizational structure?
Organization is not only organized by function, by location or by product/service. Rather, the organization is organized by more than 1 factor (e.g. by product/service and by location). Used by many large businesses (especially businesses that operate internationally)
400
What are some of the most commonly asked questions in an interview? Name 3.
Tell me about yourself, what are some of your strengths/weaknesses, do you have any questions about our business/this position; etc.
400
From Unit 2 quiz: Question 1b: What is the best place to advertise flight attendant positions for Scoot Airlines? Please justify your answer. Response: Local newspaper because you don't need any skills to be a flight attendant and anyone can do it.
1. Skills are required for any position (e.g. interpersonal skills, multi-tasking skills) 2. Not everyone can be a flight attendant (e.g. 10 year old boy, persons with severe physical handicap, etc.)
500
Tests can be used in interviews to assess the fit of the candidate. Briefly explain two of the tests.
1. Skill tests (shows ability of the candidate to carry out certain tasks) 2. Aptitude tests (shows potential to gain additional skills). 3. Personality test (if a particular type of person is required for the job) 4. Group situation test (give tasks to applicants to complete in group situations and the members are assessed on the way they work individually and as a team)
500
You are the Operations Manager at an ice cream manufacturing plant. What can you do to give non-financial motivation to your employees? Name 3.
Job enlargement, job enrichment, team work, empower employees, provide opportunities for personal growth, give feedback, give recognition when it is due, take interest in employees (from a work and personal perspective), provide chance of promotion, provide good work hours & work conditions, fair treatment, etc.
500
Cecile is planning a 2-day training program for the new hires at the school's technology department. Her training plan includes: school tour, discussing the school's core values, and discussing the school's Digital Citizenship Agreement. What recommendations can you give to improve her training plan?
Provide more relevant training (specific for the job, hands-on). E.g. Getting an experienced staff in the department to go thru: demo of the applications used at the school, the common technical problems and how to resolve the problem, etc.
500
You are shortlisted for an interview for a paid internship position at Intel. What can you do to prepare for the interview? Name 2 things.
Research the company/position, think of potential interview questions and your response, bring at least 2 copies of your resume, ensure you have professional clothing for the interview, plan to arrive at the interview early, etc.
500
From Unit 2 quiz Question 2c: What would you do to increase the motivation of employees at the restaurant in Vivocity? Response: Change financial motivation from hourly wage to commission.
If there are not a lot of customers then employees would not make very much (employees get penalized for slow business). Commission is not a good financial motivator in restaurants because people can only eat/drink so much (vs. can buy a lot of clothes at once)
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