SHRM-SCP Practice Questions

When an employee presents evidence of corporate wrongdoing, which is considered the HR leader’s primary responsibility under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002?

The global mobility team contacts an expatriate on assignment and advises that a new position has opened in the home country and a repatriation process will be initiated in two weeks. What is the most effective way to manage the repatriation process in this situation?

How should an organization most effectively improve employee productivity during a time of rapid growth and organizational change?

An HR department at a midsize company hosts regular manager meetings to provide updates regarding company structure practices, and policies. During the recent meeting, the HR director notified all managers of the company's new code of conduct policy and plans for an upcoming training about the policy. The policy explicitly states that managers must not form personal relationships with their direct reports. The HR director explains that the policy was created because concerns about fairness related to promotions and rumors about favoritism were beginning to cause conflict within some departments. Some of the managers express that training is not necessary, but they all agree to attend it. A few days after the training, the HR director receives a complaint from an HR employee who claims to have seen a manager and one of the manager’s direct reports at a restaurant. The HR director was already concerned about this manager's judgment because the manager approved a promotion for the same direct report even though the direct report has documented performance-related issues. The HR director discusses the issue with the manager. In response, the manager criticizes the new policy and insists the relationship did not impact the direct report's promotion recommendation. The manager also states that the training was unclear and that other managers have the same opinion.

Which action should the HR director take first to reduce favoritism from managers when making promotion decisions in the future?

Which process should the HR manager use to identify employees’ developmental needs and readiness for future roles?

The HR VP of a firm is leading an effort to implement a risk management plan and establishes an internal team to assess the risks involved in the event there is a disruption in the supply chain. What should be the team’s first step in confidently evaluating this risk?

The marketing department at a large financial services company chooses five high-performing staff members every year to receive a performance award, which includes a monetary reward and recognition at an end-of-year meeting. Employees are chosen by managers in the marketing department. Each manager nominates two direct reports, and then all managers meet as a group to discuss nominees until a consensus is reached. The names of the winners are given to HR for final approval. The marketing department is preparing to begin this year's nomination process. There have been repeat winners in each of the last three years. A marketing employee files a complaint with the HR director about favoritism in the award process. Additionally, the employee points out that newer employees rarely win the award, which lowers their morale. New employees tend not to win because they spend a couple of years training and shadowing experienced employees before receiving tasks to perform independently.

After the nominations are submitted to HR, a product manager asks the HR director not to approve a nominee who recently insulted the manager during an argument. Which action should the HR director take?

A company has grown into a midsize organization and has retained its legacy staff throughout the years. Hiring has increased introducing a new demographic landscape and disrupting employee morale. Which is the most effective solution for the HR director to recommend?

A start-up technology company is growing rapidly, and senior leadership would like the company to be publicly traded in the near future. The company regularly exceeds its financial goals, but outside analysts express concerns about the inconsistent practices and procedures within the company. The company values innovation, and very little attention is paid to documenting or standardizing work processes. This provides employees with a great deal of freedom to experiment in their roles, but it also leads to confusion about individual assignments and areas of responsibility. In preparation for a public offering, the company's leadership asks the HR director to gather information on best work practices in every functional area and create the required documentation.

The HR director does not have the technology knowledge necessary to understand many of the best work practices recommendations provided by employees. What should the HR director do to ensure all information included in the best work practices documentation is accurate?

The HR and IT directors meet to discuss plans to purchase an applicant tracking system to support the continued growth of the organization. Which is the first step the directors should take?