CHAPTER 6
Human Resource Development and Retention
While consisting of only 12 percent of the Associate Professional in Human Resources (aPHR) exam, the Human Resource Development and Retention functional area has an important bottom-line impact on any employer organization. Keeping employees’ skills and knowledge current is necessary for the effectiveness of the organization, yet retaining productive and key employees is vital to an organization’s health. Understanding the techniques and methods for delivering training programs and developing individual employees is what the aPHR will address.
The Body of Knowledge statements outlined by the HR Certification Institute (HRCI) for the Human Resource Development and Retention functional area by those performing early HR career roles are as follows:
Knowledge of
• 01 Applicable laws and regulations related to training and development activities (for example, Title VII, ADA, Title 17 [copyright law])
• 02 Training delivery format (for example, virtual, classroom, on the job)
• 03 Techniques to evaluate training programs (for example, participant surveys, pre- and post-testing, after-action review)
• 04 Career development practices (for example, succession planning, dual-ladder careers)
• 05 Performance appraisal methods (for example, ranking, rating scales)
• 06 Performance management practices (for example, setting goals, benchmarking, feedback)
Laws and Regulations
The following eight federal laws have an impact on this functional area. Be sure to refer to Chapter 2 for more information about each of these laws. Understanding them is critical to professional performance in the HR profession. You may expect that any or all of these laws will be subjects on the aPHR certification exam.
• The Copyright Act (1976) The Copyright Act offers protection of “original works” for authors so others may not print, duplicate, distribute, or sell their work.
• The Trademark Act (1946) The Trademark Act sets forth the requirements for registering a trademark or service mark. HR usually has a role to play in training employees in how to properly handle organizational trademarks and the policies that govern those uses.
• Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (1978) This law provides guidelines to avoid illegal discrimination in hiring decisions particularly with regard to the job requirements and selection devices such as written or oral tests, interviews, and ability testing.
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act (1967) This law bans employment discrimination based on age for those 40 years old or older.
• The U.S. Patent Act This law was established to protect inventions for 20 years. U.S. law grants the inventor the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling the invention.
• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (1964) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act speaks to employment discrimination and cites five protected classes of people: race, color, sex, religion, and national origin.
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) This act prohibits discrimination in employment, public services, public accommodations, and telecommunications for people with disabilities.
• Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (1994) This act provides instructions for handling employees who are in the reserves and receive orders to report for active duty. The law also protects the employment, reemployment, and retention rights of anyone who voluntarily or involuntarily serves or has served in the uniformed services.
Training Delivery Format
Training and development (T&D) activities are core value functions of the HR department. The process of training provides skills, abilities, and knowledge that are focused on a specific outcome. The intent is a short-term focus and immediate application for on-the-job use by the trainee.
With development activities, there is a longer-term focus that prepares the intended trainee for future job skill or knowledge needs to increase their effectiveness in the organization.
One of the most widely used standard processes to determine the needs for training, developing the training, and evaluating the outcomes is known as the ADDIE model.
ADDIE represents Assessment, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. The early-career HR professional will generally have responsibilities associated with the implementation and evaluation phases of ADDIE.
Regardless of the type of training to be conducted, there are a number of methods and approaches that an organization can use to deliver the training. With today’s rapid pace of growth in technology, the available choices are expanding exponentially. Whatever the selected approach, there are a variety of considerations when deciding on the methods:
• The subject matter
• Team versus individual training
• Self-guided versus guided
• Number of trainees
• Geographical restrictions
• Resources and costs
• Time frame for the training
• Traditional or e-learning
• Conditions and parameters set by recertification requirements
• Legal issues with the selection of individuals for inclusion in training
There is no one perfect teaching method for every situation. In fact, the method used will depend upon the training circumstances and the material being covered. There are teacher-centered instructional methods and learner-centered instructional methods.1 According to University of Tennessee’s Bob Annon, instructional methods are the manner in which learning materials are presented to students.
Classroom
Facilitator-led classroom training continues to be the most often used approach to training. This traditional mode usually happens internally through the organization with in-house instructors or vendors or through a professional organization. This face-to-face classroom setting permits the use of several learning methods: presentation, case study, reading, role-playing, exercises, demonstration, and group discussion. Table 6-1 explains when to use each method.
Table 6-1 Classroom Learning Methods
An important aspect of classroom training is to recognize that adults in a classroom setting will have different expectations and learning styles than younger students in a school/college classroom setting. The adult learning principles have a single-track focus: trainability. Trainability is concerned with the readiness to learn and its associated motivation.
Virtual Classroom
With current technology, remote instruction is possible. It all began with a growing number of college and university classes that began using some form of Internet-based training to reach out to a broader number of students, and it quickly caught speed with the advent of new technologies and faster Internet speeds. Today, organizations reach out to their employee groups efficiently and effectively via the virtual classroom. Webinars and programs such as Blackboard are popular Internet programs that allow the trainer and the trainees to have real-time chat and electronic file exchanges. Live streaming video is a sign of the times in the training conference room in many organizations, allowing a trainer in one geographical location to see and respond to a group class in a number of other locations.
As with any delivery of training modality, the coordination of creating the virtual classroom, the materials, the instructor, the intended trainees, and the technology (especially the technology) usually involves a number of important elements that will influence the success of the training program. This is the most visible stage of the ADDIE process because success is to be measured by the learning that takes place during the delivery of the training. It would benefit trainers to create checklists to ensure participants have PDF files of handouts and to set up auto-e-mail reminders for participants with time zone information and web links or phone numbers.
Corporate Universities
Corporate universities have been a growing trend in corporations since the 1990s. Large organizations such as Boeing, Walt Disney, and Yahoo! have developed their in-house universities to assist their organizations in achieving their strategic employee development goals and to foster individual and organizational learning and knowledge.2 McDonald’s Corporation has the best-known corporate university, Hamburger University, in Chicago.
For the most part, corporate universities are not universities per se in the strict sense of the term. Not to be confused with accredited universities that may be hosted at an organization’s facility, the corporate university does not provide accredited undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. A corporate university limits its scope to providing job and organizational-specific training. They are set up for a variety of reasons, yet most organizations will have the same basic needs:
• Support a common culture, loyalty, and belonging to a company
• Organize training as part of the curricula for employees
• Remain competitive in their industry
• Retain employees
• Start and support change in the organization
• Offer training development to fit the career aspiration goals of employees
These types of in-house universities offer value-added training and education to employees, but they also help organizations retain and promote key employees.
Learning Styles All adults have a particular learning style that best suits their ability to learn. Understanding these learning styles will assist you in the creation of a learning environment within your organization, allowing you to accommodate each style with the delivery of training.
Additionally, if your job responsibility includes being a presenter or trainer, knowing your own learning style will enhance your ability to adjust your preference of delivery methods, so you won’t fall into the comfort of just your style and can shift your delivery to meet the needs of all participants. Also, knowing your own learning style will assist you in your career with problem-solving, managing conflict, negotiations, teamwork, and career planning.
There are three learning styles: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic.
• Auditory learners tend to benefit most from lecture style. Present information by talking so they can listen. Auditory learners succeed when directions are read aloud or information is presented and requested verbally because they interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed, and other nuances.
• Visual learners rely upon a seeing presentation style: “Show me and I’ll understand.” These learners do best when seeing facial expressions and body language. It helps them understand the content of what is being taught because they think in pictures, diagrams, charts, pictures, videos, computer training, and written directions. These students will value to-do lists, flip charts, and written notes. They need and want to take detailed notes to absorb the information.
• Kinesthetic learners are also called tactile learners. They learn via a hands-on approach and prefer to explore the physical aspects of learning. Sitting for long periods of time is difficult for these learners because they need activity in order to learn. Kinesthetic learners are most successful when totally engaged with the learning activity such as in role-playing, practicing, and with topics that can use the senses of feeling and imagining.
Learning Curves Besides having different learning preference styles, adults also learn at different rates. This is referred to as learning curves. A learning curve is a graphical representation of the increase of learning (vertical axis) with experience (horizontal axis). The factors that determine how quickly an adult will learn are
• The person’s motivation for learning
• The person’s prior knowledge or experience
• The specific knowledge or task that is to be learned
• The person’s aptitude and attitude about the knowledge or skill to learn
The four most common learning curves are
• Increasing returns This is the pattern that comes into play when a person is learning something new. The start of the curve is slow while the basics are being learned. The learning increases and takes off as knowledge or skills are acquired. This curve assumes that the individual will continue to learn as time progresses. An example would be when an IT programmer needs to learn a new coding language. Learning will be slow at first until the programmer grasps the new coding protocol, and after mastering the basics, the learning becomes easier and/or quicker as the programmer learns more about the particular language.
• Decreasing returns This pattern is when the amount of learning increases rapidly in the beginning and then the rate of learning slows down. The assumption with this learning curve is that once the learning is achieved, the learning then stops. This occurs when learning routine tasks and is the most common type of learning curve. An example is when a data entry clerk learns how to enter a sales order—the learning is complete.
• S-shaped This learning curve is a blend of the increasing and decreasing returns curves. The assumption with this learning curve is that the person is learning something difficult, such as problem-solving or critical thinking. Learning may be slow at the beginning until the person learning becomes familiar with the learning material, and at that point, learning takes off. The cycle continues with a slow to faster progression as new material is presented. An example of this is when a production lead is trained on new equipment, yet this equipment has not been utilized in the production of the product before. There might be a trial and error for adjustments until the new production equipment is working as expected and is adjusted to the new product. Then when another product is introduced, the equipment and process need adjusting again until everything works smoothly.
• Plateau curve As the name suggests, learning on this curve is quick in the beginning and then flattens or plateaus. The assumption is that the plateau is not permanent and that with additional coaching, training, and support the person learning can ramp up again. With this curve, it can be frustrating to the learner if they are not getting the support and additional training needed to master the task. An example of the plateau curve is a salesperson who has met quotas in the past, and when a new line of equipment is introduced into the product line, the salesperson is provided with a minimal level of training/knowledge about it but not enough training to answer all the questions of the prospective customers. The anticipation of additional sales with the new product is not being achieved because the salesperson requires more training in order to pitch the new product and convince the customer to purchase.
Figure 6-1 illustrates the four most common learning curves.
Figure 6-1 Adult learning curves
E-learning
Only a few years ago, e-learning was not an option in the workplace. Learning was accomplished by attending a classroom session lasting from a few hours to several days, weeks, or months. Today, employees are able to log on to a computer access point and participate in training programs at their own pace, on their own schedule. These e-learning systems provide materials, review, and testing to assure the employee has accomplished specific learning objectives before moving to the next training step. They also offer an audit trail to report on who has participated in each program. That is handy when you have to be sure everyone has gone through specific training programs. There is no need for an instructor. Each individual works with the materials presented, and perhaps some reference materials, to meet the training objectives.
E-learning can be synchronous or asynchronous:
• Synchronous learning is when training participants interact together in real time.
• Asynchronous learning is when training participants access information at different times and maybe even in different places.
There are also differences in adult learning in the e-learning classroom. The following are some pointers to keep in mind when conducting e-learning training:
• Screens should be designed with attention to adult learning cognition and retention principles.
• Trainees need to have familiarity with the software and computer equipment being used for the training.
• Ensuring models, simulations, online notepads, tests, and games are created to keep the trainee’s attention span.
• Font size, colors, and graphics are used appropriately and allow for easy navigation through the program. Too much rapid movement can cause distraction for the trainee.
• Online and telephone support during the training session for the trainee should be made available.
• Language barriers and other cultural considerations for diversity need to be considered.
Computer-Based Training (CBT)
With computer-based training, employees can participate in training and learning programs from terminals at kiosks in the workplace, from their own desktop computers, and even from their tablets and smart phones. Most computer-based training is self-directed, allowing learners to progress at their own pace, or a timed pace, through a set of training modules. Web-based workbooks and materials are often part of these programs. HR has found that the use of computer-based training programs for compliance and regulatory training needs is not only cost effective, but it also helps with the tremendous amount of recordkeeping requirements.
EXAM TIP Computer-based training is evolving at a rapid pace and becoming the norm for cost-effective delivery for employers. Expect the exam to have questions related to the benefits and the cons of CBT.
On-the-Job Training (OJT)
On-the-job training is specific training provided to existing employees at the actual job site or desk. It utilizes the actual performance of the task or skill of the job function to be accomplished. Some advantages for OJT include a “just-in-time” demonstration of expectations in the real environment where the employee would be expected to perform. It also provides an opportunity for immediate feedback. OJT training can also be done in groups or one-on-one. A major disadvantage to OJT training can be potential safety issues (for example, with the use of machinery), and it can be distracting to other co-workers.
Skills Training
Skills training generally encompasses specific skill sets associated with jobs as identified in job descriptions. Skill development is a constantly moving target because of the nature of changing workplace requirements. With the added complexity of technology and rules/regulations, most jobs will have changing skill set requirements throughout their existence in the organization. Categories of skills training will normally include the following:
• Sales training
• Technology training
• Technical skills
• Quality training
• Communication skills training
• Emotional intelligence
• Basic on-the-job training
Other skills training may be specifically targeted to supervisory-level positions such as leadership/supervisory skills training, discrimination/harassment prevention training, or diversity and ethics training.
Apprenticeships Apprenticeships relate to a technical skills type of training for a specific job position or function. Unions and employer groups will have apprenticeship programs with a set of standards that include an on-the-job training period, some form of learning curriculum that may include classroom instruction, and specific operating procedures with timelines. The U.S. apprenticeship system is regulated by the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training (BAT) of the U.S. Department of Labor. Apprentices are not exempt from the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime rules and regulations or their particular state’s. Federal rules on apprentices can be located at the Code of Federal Regulations (https://www.gpo.gov; search for 29 CFR 520).
Internships Internships are programs that are normally designed to give students who are in a course of professional studies an opportunity to gain real-time experience in their chosen professional career prior to earning their degree or certification. By providing a learning experience in a real work environment, the student gains valuable exposure to the profession, the industry, and the organization that the internship is at. Organizations benefit by developing low-cost access to potential new graduates and the opportunity to observe the intern’s performance and “fit” for potential job openings. They also provide a mode of alternative staffing for the employer.
Job Rotation Job rotation is the shifting of an employee between different jobs. An example would be where an employee may work one day in the ER of a hospital and then the next day work in the urgent-care unit of that same hospital. Or in the case of a manufacturing plant, the employee may work on an assembly line one day and the next day in the quality control inspection station. This not only provides a lot of flexibility for staffing needs for the employer, but also provides an enrichment for the employee with being multiskilled and has been proven to increase their engagement in their work.
Today, a new form of job rotation has emerged that is related to “gig assignments.” Gig workers can be employed for a defined short-term engagement and then rotated to another short-term engagement, such as an employee with several different skill sets that may be assigned to project teams. This is becoming more frequent in technology jobs.
EXAM TIP You may not use trending terms such as gig assignments and gig workers in your organization, but you should know what they mean for the exam.
Cross Training Cross training happens when employees are trained to do more than one job, sometimes several jobs. As an example, a payroll specialist may know how to process accounts payable and accounts receivables. The advantages of cross training for the organization are flexibility with coverage, such as for vacation relief or job vacancy. Advantages for the employee would be professional development and career growth. It’s not uncommon to see employees seeking out cross-training opportunities to prepare them for promotional opportunities. Unions have been known to not be in favor of cross training, as it threatens job jurisdiction and could broaden the job descriptions.
Techniques to Evaluate Training Programs
The final phase of the ADDIE model involves evaluating, which means measuring the effectiveness of the training program. Having training objectives identified before the training is conducted is necessary for measuring the outcome of a training program. Specific achievement and objective goals so training participants can demonstrate their ability to perform are essential for participants and instructors to use in determining training effectiveness. They also provide a focus for the design of the training, which is a responsibility at a midlevel or specialist organizational development HR position. Nevertheless, the identified objectives are needed to provide what is to be measured and select the appropriate technique to be used for evaluating whether the training objectives were achieved. An example of an objective might be something like this: “With the knowledge and techniques taught in this three-day training course on operating the new widget processor, the participant will be able to operate the widget processor at a 100 percent production capacity.” The selected evaluation technique might be observation.
Having a basic understanding of evaluating training and HR programs is helpful for determining the techniques to be used for a particular training program’s evaluation. The most widely known model is Donald Kirkpatrick’s four levels. Kirkpatrick’s model focuses primarily on evaluating the effectiveness of the training presented.3 Figure 6-2 illustrates the four levels.
Figure 6-2 Kirkpatrick’s four levels of evaluating training
The first level measures the reaction of the participant. A survey given at the conclusion of the training is the most common method. Participants detail how they liked the training and their thoughts as to its applicability. This, however, measures the immediate reaction about the training delivery and its environment rather than their level of learning.
The second level measures how well participants in the training learned facts, concepts, theories, and behaviors. Using this measure normally requires HR professionals or consultants who are trained in statistics and studies to interpret the results. Pre- and post-training measurements are conducted, and control groups may be involved. The results will indicate the effectiveness of the training.
The third level deals with the measurement of behavior and is more difficult to measure than the previous two levels because it can be difficult to determine whether behavior changed solely because of the training program; other outside influences could be involved. In level 3 measurement, observations, interviews, 360-degree feedback instruments, and simulations can be used. Critical incidents performance by the trainee’s supervisor might be employed.
The fourth level deals with the measurement of results to determine whether the planned effectiveness of the training delivered the desired results. The difficulty with this measurement is with determining whether the training was the sole factor affecting the results. Typically a cost-benefit of return on investment (ROI) follows to substantiate the level 4 results.
When evaluating the training program’s effectiveness, it is important to achieve an objective viewpoint. Choose techniques that will solicit information from all affected sources—not just the training participants and presenter but also the sources affected by the training, which could be other departments, management, and even customers.
Participant Surveys and Questionnaires
One technique to measure the reaction level of the trainees is to administer participant-written surveys or questionnaires immediately after the conclusion of training. Another method would be an oral interview with the trainees. Use caution, though, because the immediate reaction typically measures only how people like the training and the environment that was used rather than their level of learning and application. It is the easiest method to administer and thus is used the most frequently. This is referred to as level 1 in Kirkpatrick’s model.
Pre- and Post-Testing
Level 2 of Kirkpatrick’s model measures how well trainees learned facts, concepts, theories, ideas, and skills or behavior. Pre- and post-testing would fall into level 2. A pre-test of what the trainee’s knowledge is, and a post-test, which is a second measurement of what their knowledge level is after the training, would establish a baseline of knowledge. This technique determines how much the trainee’s knowledge, or skill level, has changed because of the training, commonly referred to as reaction and learning.
Measuring Behavior: After-Action Review
After-action review involves measuring behavior, and behavior is more difficult to measure than reaction and learning. The reason why is that it involves the circumstances of the trainee. It’s difficult to determine whether a behavior change is related solely to the attendance at a training program. For example, if a supervisor has improved relationships with subordinates, was it through a management training program the supervisor attended or from a recent 360-degree feedback instrument that pointed out a lacking in that area?
Changes in behavior can be evaluated using a variety of techniques. Combining several techniques may provide a truer evaluation of the behavior change. The techniques are performance tests, critical incidents, performance appraisals, 360-degree feedback, observations, and simulations.
Performance Tests
A performance test is administered to training participants and contains actual samples of content that was taught in the training. This type of technique measures behavior changes desired for the work environment. An example of a performance test would be conducting an oral scenario interview after an ethics training course and having the trainee role play the suggested behavior response.
Critical Incidents
With the critical incidents method, a record of both positive and negative incidents is scored to measure the training’s outcomes. Normally this would be completed by the trainee’s direct reporting supervisor or manager. An example of this method might be where a salesperson concluded their negotiation tactics training, and during an actual new client meeting, the salesperson’s manager is present and noting the behaviors that were effective, and least effective, in the negotiation.
Performance Appraisals: 360-Degree Feedback
Performance appraisals will most likely include the critical incidents method, though captured for a longer period of assessment of behavior, such as a year. More effective these days is the use of the 360-degree feedback performance appraisal. This is where trainees, their peers, their direct reports, internal (or even external) customers and suppliers, and other relevant people whose perspectives “count” give feedback about effective behaviors and ineffective behaviors. Perceptions may be right or wrong; what matters is that perceptions count! Which perceptions does the trainee need to change? This type of feedback zeros in on what specific behavior the trainee would benefit from changing and, over time, measures how well they changed it. This is a popular technique used in management and supervisory training in organizations and is an administrative-intense process that HR is normally intimately involved with.
Observations
Observation can be one of the most validated of the techniques in evaluating changed behavior, that is, if the behavior has been observed both pre- and post-training. The difficulty is in determining the conditions of the observation period and the length of the observation and then pinpointing whether the observer is subjective or biased. Observations can assess complex performance that is difficult to measure or evaluate by the other techniques. External executive coaches are often hired by organizations for senior management and utilize the observation tactics of their coachee to assess where improvement has occurred (e.g., facilitation of meetings) or behavior has changed (e.g., body language in meetings).
Simulations
With simulations as a training evaluation technique, the training participant performs a simulation of what was learned and applies it in real time on the job. This is an experiential bridge between the training and its actual application in the world of the trainee’s work. How well the trainee performs the simulation can be a measurement of the training’s effectiveness on the trainee. Simulations that accurately reflect the work conditions and environment can be costly to construct by way of resources and time.
Career Development Practices
Career development is the lifelong individual process that involves planning, managing, learning, and transitions at all ages and stages in work life. In organizations, it is an organized approach used to match employee goals with the business’s current and future needs. An individual’s work-related preferences and needs continuously evolve throughout life’s phases. At the same time, organizations are also continuously adapting to economic, political, and societal changes.
It is not just the individual employee and HR involved in career development. The direct line of management and the organization’s leaders have roles to play, too.
Individuals bear the primary responsibility for their own careers. Today, individuals are required to be proactive in planning their career progressions and not rely on an organization to direct their career paths. Being keenly aware of currently assessed traits and skills, along with needs for increased knowledge, skill, and experience associated with the individual’s career ambitions, is largely the responsibility of an individual employee. Figure 6-3 illustrates the stages of an individual’s career development.
Figure 6-3 Individual career development
The direct line of management normally serves as support in helping an individual assess his or her current effectiveness and potential and provides a broader view of the organization’s career paths. The direct supervisory management will wear many hats, including coach, appraiser, guidance counselor, and resource referral, in the employee’s career development planning.
HR professionals are involved in the development of career pathing, personal development programs, and skill development training in order to enable employees to achieve their career aspirations and goals. Creating a skill inventory database along with work and educational experience of the current workforce is needed in helping the organization assess its current workforce talent. Additionally, HR professionals monitor training and development needs and create programs to meet those needs, along with the communication of job progression opportunities.
The organizational leader’s role in career development includes communicating the organization’s mission and vision to the workforce to link the organization’s initiatives and changes with the anticipated talent needs. Fostering a culture of support and internal opportunity for career development is another important function of the organizational leader’s role.
In the role of early-career HR, the HR professional will most likely have responsibilities associated with tracking, monitoring, and providing or aligning resources with regard to the organization’s career development practices.
Succession Planning
Succession planning systematically identifies, assesses, and develops talent as a key component for business success. It is an ongoing process that enables an organization to plan or recover when critical talent is lost. An effective succession plan includes a focus on identifying, developing, and preparing the placement of high-potential employees for future opportunities. It is foolish to assume that key players would provide adequate notice of resignation. Succession planning is not just for the planned events such as retirements; it serves for replacement planning such as when a key player is relocating because of family or perhaps perished in an accident. Succession should be developed to anticipate managerial staffing needs or key employee positions that would interrupt the business process if an incumbent were to vacate.
A succession plan contains an identification of high-risk positions along with those positions with known or potentially known vacancy dates (as with retirements). Competencies for those positions are identified, and a gap analysis is performed using the current workforce to review potential candidates. Individuals within are identified as high-potential employees, which might include their interest/aspiration in the position. After all, not every individual may be interested in moving into a position with more responsibility. Tentative plans are created for shortages, which may include seeking outside candidates.
HR is typically responsible for maintaining a candidate database of skills and career development plans, along with the monitoring of development activities. This function is generally one that is handled by early-career HR professionals. Additionally, HR is responsible for the sourcing or creation of training needs for candidates and monitoring their continued interest. Figure 6-4 provides a typical progression of steps in succession planning.
Figure 6-4 Succession planning
Career Pathing
Career pathing is a practice in which an employee charts a course within their organization for his or her career path and career development. Using HR as an example, an early-career HR employee, who may have started out in the organization as an HR intern during their college studies, may have decided that the area of HR that most interests them and aligns with their talents is associated with the functions of compensation. The HR employee will research the responsibilities and requirements for the differing positions within the HR compensation function. They may plan to attend an outside course of study to attain a certification credential in compensation. Or they may apply for voluntary positions with the union to learn the aspects of union salary negotiations.
Additionally, with career pathing, a formalized employee self-assessment tool may be used to assist employees in understanding their areas of strengths and where to hone their areas of development needs or weaknesses. Self-assessments will identify where the employee is now in the career, where they intend to grow, and, more importantly, what gaps they need to fill. Creating a plan that gains the employee the exposure, experience, and knowledge to move through the various levels of the career aspiration goals is career pathing.
EXAM TIP The importance of career pathing is that employees design and drive their chosen career progression with input from others. It is vastly different from formal in-company career development programs where selected individuals may be fast tracked in a career progression such as management training development programs.
Dual-Ladder Careers
Dual-ladder career development programs allow mobility for employees without requiring that they be placed into the managerial enclave. Mostly associated with technical, medical, engineering, and scientific occupations, this type of program is a way to advance employees who are not interested in pursuing a management track. These individuals exhibit one or more of the following characteristics:
• Have substantial technical or professional expertise beyond the basic levels
• Have licensure or required credentials
• Are known for innovation
• May or may not be well suited for management or leadership roles
An objective within a dual-ladder development program is to increase complexity and value to the organization, enabling the organization to increase employee salaries to improve employee retention and satisfaction. Lateral movement may occur within a dual-ladder program such as team membership, internal consultative roles, mentorships, or larger facility rotation. Figure 6-5 shows an example of a dual-ladder career path.
Figure 6-5 Dual-ladder career path
Career Counseling
Whether in a large or small organization, HR will generally receive a knock on the door from employees who are seeking guidance for their careers within an organization. Sometimes having a crystal ball sitting on your desk can have metaphoric value. “Let’s have a look at the crystal ball and see what it indicates for you.” Seriously, with career counseling and coaching, the foremost skill that all levels of HR professionals must utilize is helping the employee take ownership and accountability for their careers, not expecting the organization to map out or hand them their personalized career plan on a silver platter. Individual counseling and coaching involves one-on-one discussions about specific direction and needs between an aspiring employee and experienced individuals within the organization who are normally in the career path the employee is intending to pursue. This can be a supervisor, a mentor, a retiree, or a hired career consultant. HR’s role is to help the employee sort out their options and engage the resources available to them.
Performance Appraisal Methods
A regular feedback system discussing individual employee performance is at the core of a good organization. It ensures that employees are on course for the completion of tasks and goals that are aligned with the organization’s goals and that resources and support are provided for the employee to perform such functions.
Employees need to know and understand what specific performance is expected of them in performing their jobs and the acceptable behavior. This communication begins with the very first discussion in a job interview and certainly with the job offer and new-hire onboarding orientation. The discussion continues on a consistent basis, both with the reinforcement of organizational standards that are outlined in employee handbooks and other written material and with performance appraisal review sessions. The clearer the expectations set for employees, the greater the success in having expectations met.
Performance appraisals satisfy three purposes:
• Providing feedback and coaching
• Justifying the allocation of rewards and career opportunities
• Helping with employee career planning and development plans
For the organization, performance appraisals can foster commitment and align people to contribute to initiatives with their upcoming performance contributions. The most common performance appraisal method involves just two people: the employee and a direct supervisor. In some companies, others are asked to be involved in the appraisals such as peers, another level of management, and sometimes colleagues in the organization whose job function interacts with the employee. These are known as 360-degree feedback appraisals.
Methods for rating the performance can be completely narrative, management by objectives (MBO), behaviorally anchored ratings (BARS), category rating, and comparative ratings with others in like functions. No single method is best for all situations. Therefore, a blended combination of methods may be the best choice in certain circumstances and offset the disadvantages with some methods and highlight the advantages in others.
EXAM TIP Most employers use a blended method approach to performance approvals, and using the MBO method does not require an employee to be in a management job.
Category Rating
The least complex of the methods is the category rating method where the evaluator simply checks a level of rating on an evaluation form. Three types of rating formulas are typically used in category rating methods, covered next.
Forced Choice
With the forced-choice rating method, the evaluator is required to check two out of four statements on the evaluation form, one that the employee is “most like” and one that the employee is “least like.” The statements on the form are normally a combination of positive and negative statements. The biggest limitation of this appraisal rating method is the creation of the valid statements. The creation of the statements would typically not be part of the early-career HR professional role.
Graphic Scale
This is the most common type of category rating, where the appraiser checks a place on the scale for the categories of tasks and behaviors that are listed. A typical scale is 5 points, where 1 means not meeting expectations or low, and 5 means exceeding expectations or high. These types of performance appraisals normally have a comments section that the appraiser completes that provides justification for the rating.
Checklist
Another common appraisal rating method is one in which the evaluator is provided with a set list of statements/words to describe performance. The appraiser selects the one word or statement that best describes the performance—for example, “Employee consistently meets all deadlines” or “Employee consistently misses deadlines.”
Comparative Methods
With comparative methods, employee performance is compared directly with others in the same job, group, or function. The evaluator will rank the employees in a group, causing a forced distribution known as a bell curve. Ten percent will fall in the highest and lowest areas of the rating scale, another 20 percent will fall on either side, and then 40 percent will meet job standards and expectations. An obvious fault with this type of system is suggesting that a percentage of employees will fall below expectations. Figure 6-6 displays a bell curve distribution.
Figure 6-6 Bell curve distribution
Ranking
Using a ranking method, the evaluator lists all the employees in the same job or function, from highest to lowest, performance-wise. If there are ten employees, the evaluator will rank them with a number in order of best performance (#1) to poorest in performance (#10). This method is restrictive in that the difference between the employees ranked and their performance output is not described. There may be little difference between rankings 3 and 4 and yet a huge difference in performance results and output between 7 and 10. The bias of the evaluator comes into play with this method’s effectiveness, and it forces a conclusion of better to worse. What would you do if all employees in the group were adequately performing or perhaps were an exemplary group of key contributors? Ranking would not be appropriate.
Paired Comparison
In paired-comparison evaluation methods, each of the employees in a group is paired with every other employee and compared, or “toggled,” one at a time, using the same scale of performance. Although this method provides more information about individual employees than pure ranking, it has its limits in that the time required to evaluate each pair of employees can be significant within large employee groups.
Narrative
Narrative evaluations are time consuming for an evaluator to complete, yet they can be the most meaningful to the employee being evaluated. Three methods are the most common for the narrative appraisal.
Essay Format
Basically, the evaluator writes a short essay type of narrative describing each employee’s performance. There may be structures with specific categories to comment on, such as attendance, teammanship, achievements, and development plans. Some are free form, without guidelines. This method allows the evaluator a lot of flexibility than the other methods mentioned. But it is time consuming and normally difficult to get supervisory management to comply with this method in a timely fashion. Today, most performance appraisals have blended an element of the essay format with the other methods.
Critical Incidents
With this method, the evaluator is noting dates and details of both good and not-so-good performance incidents throughout the evaluation period. This method requires the appraiser to keep detailed notes on a regular basis during the appraisal period and not rely solely on an employee’s most recent performance.
Field Review
In the field review method, this will directly involve the HR professional. The HR person will interview the supervisor of the employee group, taking notes about the performances of the supervisor’s direct reports. After the information is compiled, the HR group will gather and do a comparison ranking for all like positions/employees. An example would be all lead widget producers in the district at five manufacturing facilities.
EXAM TIP When reading the exam questions pertaining to evaluation methods, read the scenario closely to determine the job function that would best be evaluated using a narrative versus ranking method.
Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS)
This appraisal method describes desirable behavior and undesirable behavior. Examples are then compared with a scale of performance levels for the rating. BARS works well in circumstances in which several employees perform the same function. A BARS appraisal system requires extensive time to develop and maintain to keep the performance dimensions up to date as the job functions change. This is a prime reason why those in early-career HR roles will be involved in the administration and monitoring of the performance appraisal system when BARS is employed. The BARS method offers a more accurate gauge of performance measurement, provides clearer standards to employees, and has more consistency in rating.
BARS is best suited for situations where many employees are performing the same function. However, a unique BARS must be created for each like occupation/job. As an example, an accounts payable clerk function would have its unique BARS, and so would a payroll clerk.
Management by Objectives (MBO)
Management by objectives is often used by the supervisor and employee to mutually identify specific performance goals. The goals are derived and aligned with the overall goals and strategies of the organization. Other names used for MBO include appraisal by results, performance objective setting, and mutual goal setting. Frequently MBO is associated with compensation incentive programs. The advantage of this method is it helps align an employee’s performance and actions with the organization’s goals, measuring the accomplishment of goals with quality and quantity as a scorecard. It is a highly effective manner in tying results to goals and is used in HR interventions such as performance improvement programs (PIPs).
The term MBO was first introduced in Peter Drucker’s 1954 book The Practice of Management.4 It is a management model that aims to improve the performance of an organization by clearly defining objectives that are agreed to by both the individual and the line management. According to Drucker, when people have a say in goal setting and action plans, it ensures better participation and commitment on the part of the individual and alignment to organizational goals. Thus, many performance appraisal systems include MBO, and incentive bonus awards are linked with an MBO list of organizational goals.
To use the MBO method in performance evaluation, a foundation must be in place within the organization that includes the following:
• A strategic plan
• A high level of commitment from employees who are willing to plan and set their own goals
• Clearly defined objectives that are not ambiguous
• Measureable performance objectives that specify the desired outcome
Organizations adopting the MBO method need to ensure that the goals are not unachievable or even too easy to reach. That can work against the intention of MBO and actually turn into a demotivator.
Performance Management Practices
Performance management is the process in which the organization maintains or improves employee job performance utilizing performance tools, coaching/counseling, and feedback. Because individual contribution drives the business results in an organization, the practices involved in performance management are of great interest to the growth and sustainability of the organization. People (including their skills, their knowledge, their contributions, and their innovations) are the soul of the performance management system and practices.
Figure 6-7 shows the elements of a performance management system. They must incorporate the following:
Figure 6-7 Performance management system
• Delegating and planning work
• Setting expectations for performance results
• Continually monitoring performance
• Developing a capacity to perform to new levels for personal and professional growth
• Periodically rating performance in a summary fashion
• Providing recognition and rewarding good performance
Organizational Values and Goals
Values and goals reflect the organization’s philosophy and structure. As mentioned earlier in this chapter, when organizations establish and clearly communicate their values and strategic goals, employees gain a sense of purpose and have a better understanding of where their job fits in to the priority line.
Values are principles and create standards of behavior; they are what is most important in how the organization will conduct business and shape its culture. Values can be positive drivers of behavior (treating everyone with respect) or negative drivers causing behavior that may be less than desirable in the workforce (i.e., being tethered to your smart phone 24/7 to respond to work texts or calls), which in this example causes an unbalance in work/life.
It is an important role of both management and the HR group to consistently and clearly communicate the organization’s goals and strategic direction. Goals and their milestone achievements are the signs that reflect the success of the organization, assisting the workforce in perceiving the organization’s progress and how their performance plays a part.
Performance Management Standards
It’s important that employees know and understand what specific performance is expected of them in performing their jobs and associated acceptable behavior. For example, if putting the customer first is expected as a high standard of behavior, each employee’s job needs to have identified and measured clear examples of what represents “putting the customer first.” Performance standards will include behaviors (what does the organization want employees to do?) and results (what does the organization want employees to produce?).
Setting and communicating a job’s performance standards is an ongoing process. It begins during the initial interview when filling the position with a candidate, and during the onboarding phase. It continues on a frequent and regular basis as the employee learns and grows in the job, and as changes occur to the job’s functions. This is one of the most important supervisory functions of management—being clear on what the expectations are of each employee in their job role and as an employee at the organization. The clearer the expectations, the greater the chances of the employee understanding them and being able to meet the standards.
Employee Performance/Behaviors
For employees to meet expectations, there should be a direct correlation for them between their job description and the job competencies required, along with the performance plan’s goals and behaviors before the work is performed. Basically performance standards (which are benchmarks and targets) define what satisfactory job performance is for the employee. Employees need to understand what aspects of their job are critical to its success, in priority order. We’ve discussed the value of clear expectations so that employees completely understand the outcome their job functions are to produce and the importance of having employees and their supervisor develop their goals jointly along with a plan to achieve those goals. This is the foundation part. The next part, and just as impactful, is what motivates and keeps the employee engaged in producing the expectations of their job. This includes interacting with their supervisor, receiving timely feedback, and feeling personally connected to their work and the organization.
Ways that organizations can foster this level of performance from employees include the following:
• Nurture a positive work environment.
• Have employee engagement activities.
• Be sure management is trained in good performance management methods and understand the legal issues surrounding the methods.
• Provide continual feedback (the good, the not so good, and the ugly). Hold monthly performance appraisal meetings rather than just an annual meeting.
• Provide the resources and tools needed for employees to do their jobs and exceed standards.
• Be consistent in management practices.
• Show sincerity toward employee development and assist employees with resources.
These are just a couple of ways to set the stage for employee performance and behaviors to thrive. As an HR professional, your role is to support these functions for management and the employee group. This can be the innovative part of your job, so get creative!
Goal Setting
When involving employees in setting and creating goals for their performance and development programs, using the SMART method will ensure that the goals selected stand a chance of actually being achieved. Here’s an example of an achievable goal:
Implement the ABC time management approach to reduce customer call wait time by 5 percent by the end of the third quarter.
SMART stands for the following:
• Specific Be specific on what the outcome or end result is to be (“reduce customer call wait time.”)
• Measurable Have a yardstick to measure the specific intention (“by 5 percent”).
• Attainable Make the goal achievable (“using the ABC time management approach to”).
• Realistic Make the goal realistic to achieve in the time frame and relevant to the person’s job.
• Timed Specify whether this goal has an implementation date or is ongoing (“by the end of the third quarter”).
Composing goals with the SMART outline and using action verbs such as identify, describe, and define will guide the objective of the goal’s learning.
A word of caution when assisting employees and/or management with goal setting: be careful of the smorgasbord effect, which means getting so excited about creating SMART goals that too many are put into the employee’s goal sheet. This can dilute all other goals.
Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs)
Like with any type of relationship, in the employment relationship there will be instances where disagreements and conflict arise, especially in the form of perception and expectations related to job performance. When an employee is not meeting the minimum requirements of their job, or perhaps their behaviors are producing issues within the workgroup, it is the supervisor’s responsibility to have a “painfully honest discussion” that shifts the supervisory tactics to the disciplinary realm. HR’s role is to help provide the guidance and expertise needed to set up the disciplinary process to be fair and equitable and to make sure it is applied uniformly and consistently throughout the organization.
A PIP is not an automatic “nail in the coffin” sentence for the employee; it is a de facto document in writing that makes no misunderstanding as to what it is the employee is to correct and by when. The employee has a chance to make a course correction to the results produced to meet the plan’s expressed standards or to shift their behavior to align with the plan’s expressed perception. A must for a PIP is the consequence: “if this is not corrected by a certain time frame, then this will be the consequence” (up to and including losing the position or employment). The HR professional will be skilled in asserting what the appropriate consequence is and determining whether the time frame and requested changes are reasonable and attainable. HR acts as a broker in a sense to help the parties ensure a successful completion of the PIP.
EXAM TIP Though normally used as a last resort to correct deficient performance and behavior, PIPs are an opportunity to make it perfectly clear to the employee what performance is expected in order to maintain their employment in the current job.
Employee Retention
Once you’ve hired a new employee or developed existing employees who are contributors to the progress of your organization, you want to keep them. Retention is the collection of programs and techniques that result in good and productive employees staying at your organization, engaged. Retaining employees means the employer does not have to undertake the expenses involved with recruiting, hiring, training, and possibly relocating.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management’s “Future of the U.S. Labor Pool Survey Report,”5 three out of ten employees in the workforce are retiring each year for the next 12 years. That creates a large knowledge gap and an emphasis on passing institutional knowledge to employees via replacement/succession planning. Yet a plan is only going to work as designed if the identified candidates remain employed with the organization. Retention is the ability to keep talented employees. The importance of retention has moved to the top of the priority list in today’s global competitive marketplace because of the following factors:
• An improved economy rebounding from a recession, causing the job market to improve
• Retirement of the Baby Boomers and a likely shortage in skills/knowledge-based labor
• An increase of global competition
• Economic factors resulting in cost of living substantially increasing
• Technological advancements
• Generational motivation differences
Methods for Employee Retention
Many management members believe that money is the prime retention factor. That would be true if an individual’s hierarchical needs6 are not being met with their compensation. Yes, competitive pay and benefits are important methods for retention of talent, as discussed in Chapter 5. Yet it is the employee relationships to the organization, including its structure, management, job recognition, and culture, that are mostly connected to retention. Having tangible forms of recognition for a job well done and milestones of commitment are good and necessary, though providing employees with sincere feedback and appreciation that the work they do makes a difference is a reward that tops the retention reasons lists.
Additional forms of relationships for employee retention involve even the HR department, its policies, the perceived fairness, and assistance to the employee. HR could be administering a program on work and family life balance, which might be a key program that is high on the priority list for a group of employees. Identifying what your key contributors in your workforce value and then matching those needs to programs, rewards, and benefits that your organization is willing to offer is a successful retention objective.
Employee Suggestion Systems
Having an employee suggestion system is an employee engagement and involvement strategy that goes along with employee retention. When employees feel their opinion counts, or their perspective is “heard,” they are more likely to turn away from third-party representation.
Employee suggestion systems, anonymous or not, can provide management with a way to “hear” the workforce for both positive ideas and negative issues or perceptions. Many improvements are discovered through employee suggestion systems that are considered at upper management levels in an organization. Often, HR is the gatekeeper responsible for screening or compiling the employee suggestions. It’s important that employee suggestions are acknowledged and given serious consideration and that responses are provided in a timely manner.
Employee Focus Groups
When a large cross-section of employee opinions or perspectives is needed, an employee focus group from various units, functions, and facilities in an organization is used. Surveys can solicit the input from the entire employee population, and there are survey instruments that can compile this input for HR, but a focus group offers the opportunity to have two-way dialogue for clarity and probing purposes. The employees, however, must feel safe providing candid and honest feedback, which is a reason why either HR or an outside consultant will conduct employee focus groups.
When an organization is bleeding from key and high performers exiting, a focus group of existing employees might be needed in order to learn what the root cause of the exodus is.
Chapter Review
HR development and retention is the integrated use of training, organizational development, and career development efforts to improve individual, group, and organizational effectiveness for the purpose of retaining top talent. This HRCI functional area focuses on the methods and tasks that the HR department is responsible for in order to support management and employees in evaluation and development, in an effort to further the organization’s goals. The aPHR professional will have various methods and processes to follow that support the integration of programs that help develop, select, and implement human resource programs and activities into the workforce.
HR has a prominent role to play in helping employees acquire skills and knowledge and in assisting with the changes and outside influences through the development of training and development programs, change management, performance management, employee career planning, and job enhancement.
Questions
1. Your company decided to review the exit interviews from the past two years for the finance department to determine the reasons why turnover was higher than other departments. From the analysis of the interviews, the HR consulting firm found that exiting employees for the most part left for a promotional opportunity in other organizations. It was suggested that a formal career counseling program be implemented to reverse the perception of lacking promotional opportunities. Which answer best describes the kind of program HR will be developing?
A. Knowledge management program
B. Succession planning program
C. Career pathing program
D. Talent management program
2. Which term best describes the manner in which adults learn?
A. Kinesthetic
B. Emotional intelligence
C. Andragogy
D. Pedagogy
3. HR has been asked to facilitate a companywide training for all forms of harassment (sexual, bullying, etc.). Which would be the best training delivery for the employees located in remote locations?
A. In-person, groups of ten each
B. Corporate university course
C. E-learning course
D. Virtual classroom
4. At the completion of an eight-module computer-based training course, the trainees are being asked to complete an assessment about what they learned. What evaluation method is this known as?
A. Learning
B. Reaction
C. Results
D. ROI
5. ADDIE is an instructional design tool. What is not part of ADDIE?
A. Delivery
B. Implementation
C. Design
D. Development
6. According to Maslow’s hierarchy theory, which need must first be met?
A. Esteem
B. Security/safety
C. Self-actualization
D. Belonging/loving
7. Rx Pharmaceuticals is a company that employs both technical and scientific professions. What could it provide to have the most effective impact on retention for its employees?
A. An employee work/life balance program
B. A validated succession planning program
C. Dual-ladder careers
D. Differing telecommuting options
8. What performance evaluation method increases employee engagement and dialogue the most?
A. Management by objectives (MBO)
B. Behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS) method
C. A forced-choice method
D. Paired comparison method
9. Which of the following is not an example of a narrative evaluation method?
A. Behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS)
B. Forced distribution
C. Management by objectives (MBO)
D. Essay
10. HR is modifying the supervisory trainee program and has decided that a case study should be added to the program, one that trainees would work on in a group. Which stage of the ADDIE model is HR currently in?
A. Analysis
B. Implementation
C. Decision
D. Design
11. The customer service manager in your company maintains an online log of her employee’s weekly results along with praises or criticism from customers. She uses this information in the quarterly performance reviews. This is an example of what type of performance appraisal method?
A. Behavior observation
B. Forced distribution
C. Critical incident
D. Supervisory logging
12. Headquarters in Virginia Beach, Virginia, has decided that all management employees who have direct responsibility for directing the work of subordinates will have their annual evaluations include feedback not only from their direct report but also from a selection of their peers and subordinates. Which evaluation method is headquarters adopting?
A. Management by objectives (MBO)
B. Peer review
C. 360-degree review
D. Internal customer rating scale
13. MaryLou has decided that she will give a presentation at her professional association chapter’s annual conference, based on the best practices her marketing department uses. She expects to have anywhere from 150 to 300 attendees at her breakout session. Which of the following instructional methods would be best for MaryLou to use?
A. Group discussion in pairs
B. Case study
C. Presentation
D. Demonstration
14. Your branch manager is given a set of effective sales traits and is being asked to rate his salespeople on each of them on a scale of 1, being unsatisfactory, to 5, which represents outstanding. Which of the following does this appraisal method describe?
A. Paired comparison
B. Behavior observation
C. Forced distribution
D. Graphic rating scale
15. Pita holds an advance degree in chemical engineering and works in research and development in the Paris facility of a large global company. Pita is solely responsible for developing a new type of removable adhesive for picture hangers, which she discovered while working on improvements for an existing elastic chalking product her company produces. Who will be the owner of the patent for the new adhesive?
A. Pita, because she is the researcher and developer of the product
B. Pita’s company because Pita is an employee and is paid to research and develop products
C. Pita, because her discovery of the new adhesive had nothing to do with the product she was working on
D. The French government due to an agreement with the company having an R&D facility in Paris
16. What appraisal method approach is the IT manager using when she details the strengths, weaknesses, and development recommendations for her employees?
A. Management by objectives (MBO)
B. Critical incident
C. Ranking method
D. Narrative essays
17. The ADDIE model is an acronym that describes the five elements of __________ design.
A. Interactive
B. Development
C. Instructional
D. Talent management
18. Which of the following is a comparative method of performance appraisal?
A. BARS
B. Ranking
C. Critical incident
D. Rating scale
19. When creating SMART goals, what does the acronym SMART stand for?
A. Smart, Meaningful, Action-oriented, Relevant, and Timed
B. Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timed
C. Smart, Measureable, Accurate, Relevant, and Timed
D. Specific, Measurable Accurate, Responsible, and Timed
20. The training specialist at a chain of retail stores is conducting a training evaluation after the new customer service VIP training that took place last quarter. He is analyzing data from observations, interviews, tests, and surveys to assess whether new skills were successfully transferred to the job by the trainees. The analysis he is completing is an example of what type of evaluation?
A. Behavior
B. Results
C. Learning on the job
D. Reaction
21. Your organization has a six-page performance evaluation form that management is using to evaluate employee performance annually. The requirements are to evaluate and mark a box for each performance category, selecting (1) unsatisfactory not meeting expectations, (2) inconsistent in meeting expectations, (3) consistently meets expectations, (4) exceeds expectations, and (5) above and beyond expectations. What kind of performance appraisal method is this?
A. Ranking
B. Checklist
C. Comparison
D. Graphic rating scale
22. What is not a benefit of job rotation?
A. Engagement in work for the employee
B. Flexibility for employer staffing needs
C. Multiskilled workforce
D. Reduced benefit cost
23. Performance improvement plans (PIPs) are:
A. Used when an employee is transitioning to a new job via promotion
B. Used when existing employees are no longer meeting standards
C. Used in career pathing
D. Used at the end of the apprenticeship program
24. Girish is a recruiter, and his company is opening several new retail facilities within the next six months in a metropolitan area. He is having difficulty locating interested candidates for their new opening project teams that will work for the first four weeks at each facility. Which program should he propose to his HR director to address the staffing need?
A. Internships
B. Job rotation
C. Gig workers
D. Cross-training
25. Which statement is not true about in-house corporate universities?
A. Offer collegiate-accredited degree programs
B. Support a common culture and loyalty
C. Offer training and education to employees
D. Help organizations promote from within
Answers
1. C. Career pathing is a practice in which an employee charts a course within their organization for his or her career path and career development. By creating a program in which employees can perceive other possibilities for their career, it broadens their career progression opportunities and is a helpful practice for retention of talent.
2. C. Andragogy is the process of learning associated with people who are older than 18 to 25 and generally referred to as nontraditional learners.
3. D. Virtual classroom training has been proven to be more cost effective and timely in reaching a multitude of employees in differing geographical locations
4. B. The easiest method to administer and the most frequently used, the reaction evaluation method, is level 1 of Kirkpatrick’s model. It measures how participants in the training felt about the training program immediately following the conclusion of the training.
5. A. ADDIE is an instructional design model that follows the phases of assessment, design, development, implementation, and evaluation.
6. B. Abraham Maslow’s 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” created a framework in sociology extending to management training and adult development theories and describing the stages of human growth through varying needs beginning with physiological, safety, belonging, love, esteem, and then self-actualization. This is the pattern that human motivations generally move through.
7. C. Dual-ladder careers provide opportunities for a parallel occupational track that recognizes and rewards different skill sets. This allows organizations to retain their technical and professional employees at a similar rate as their managerial track employees.
8. A. Management by objectives (MBO) is often used by the supervisor and employee to mutually identify specific performance goals, offering a two-way dialogue and agreement on what goals should be and a discussion of self-assessment by the employee. Employees are more engaged in their work goals when they have a say in setting them.
9. B. Forced distribution is when employee performance is compared directly with others in the same job, group, or function. The evaluator will rank the employees in a group, causing a forced distribution known as a bell curve.
10. D. During the design phase, the course developer is involved in activities related to determining which tasks participants need training on, and in this case, they have determined a case study would be the delivery method.
11. C. This example best describes the critical incident appraisal method. The critical incident method refers to when a rater logs over a period of time both desired and effective behaviors with their results and ineffective behavior incidents.
12. C. More organizations are having their employees participate in perception evaluations on their bosses, peers, and co-workers, known as 360-degree evaluations. This affords an opportunity for the employee to become aware of how their behaviors and actions affect others they interact with on the job. The input offers focused areas of behavioral effectiveness and ineffectiveness for leadership and personal development plans.
13. C. Presentation style will allow MaryLou to present her best practices to a large group of attendees at the same time, with minimal disruption.
14. D. A graphic rating scale is used when an evaluator is given a set of traits and asked to rate the employee on each of them. The ratings are on a scale, typically 1 to 5.
15. B. Pita’s employer pays her for this R&D work as a part of her normal job duties, and as long as this discovery occurred while Pita was on the job, the patent and discovery belong to the employer. HR needs to ensure this information is imparted to all employees, new and existing, in functions like R&D.
16. D. Narrative essay methods allow a short written description of the performance of the employee in a free-form fashion.
17. C. The ADDIE model is an acronym that describes five elements of instructional design.
18. B. Ranking, paired comparison, and forced ranking are all comparative methods of performance appraisals.
19. B. Goal setting using the SMART format requires that goals be specific, measureable, attainable, realistic, and timed.
20. A. Having observations, conducting interviews, giving tests, and conducting surveys describe the behavioral evaluation method.
21. D. Graphic rating scales are the oldest and most popular performance appraisal method. They assign a simple rating by using a scale describing acceptable performance to unacceptable performance.
22. D. Job rotation is the shifting of an employee between different jobs and does not usually correlate with reduced benefit costs.
23. B. When an employee is no longer meeting the specific requirements of their job, a performance improvement plan is created that specifically describes what needs to be improved and by when, along with a consequence (including termination of employment) if the performance level is not brought up to standards by the specified time frame.
24. C. Gig workers are independent workers employed by an organization for short-term engagements; they have the skills and/or knowledge for a particular function.
25. A. In-house corporate universities are not credentialed “universities” that provide academic-accredited degrees.
Endnotes
1. University of Tennessee, http://edtech2.tennessee.edu/projects/bobannon/in_strategies.html, accessed on July 25, 2014.
2. Annick Renaud-Coulon, Corporate Universities: A Lever of Corporate Responsibility. (Global CCU Publisher, 2008).
3. Don Kirkpatrick: The Father of the Four Levels (Chief Learning Officer Magazine, November 2009)
4. Peter Drucker, The Practice of Management (Harper Business, 2010).
5. SHRM, “Talent Management Future of the U.S. Labor Pool Survey Report” (2013), www.shrm.org/india/hr-topics-and-strategy/strategic-hrm/talent-development-strategy.
6. Abraham Maslow, “A theory of human motivation” (Psychological Review 50 (4): 370–96, 1943).