Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Chapter 14: HR Metrics and Workforce Analytics
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. A method of creating useful comparisons is called ______.
A. organizational enhancement
B. baseline functionality
C. benchmarking
D. risk avoidance
2. How is the success of any metrics and analytics project measured?
A. how many people are involved
B. the impact that the project’s results have on managerial decisions
C. how many metrics the project tracks
D. how many people receive reports
3. Which of the following is not one of the categories of workforce analytics efforts?
A. HR process efficiency
B. operational effectiveness
C. large numbers of metrics
D. strategic realignment
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
4. The metrics that focus on how well the HR department accomplishes its critical
processes to support organizational effectiveness are ______.
A. strategic realignment
B. predictive analysis
C. computing infrastructures
D. administrative process efficiency
5. ______ allows users to maintain a current snapshot of key HR metrics.
A. A dashboard
B. Data mining
C. Workforce modeling
D. An operational experiment
6. “Big Data” refers to ______.
A. many dashboards on one topic
B. extremely large data sets that can be many terabytes or more
C. a program to build more effective benchmarks within an organization
D. all of these
7.Which of the following is an example of a metric for administrative process efficiency?
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
A. lost time accidents
B. percentage of performance reviews completed on time
C. future demand for human capital
D. units sold
8. Which of the following is a managerial benefit of metrics for organizations?
A. Operational reporting is more efficient and cost-effective.
B. Graphically rich information is available to the people who make decisions.
C. Human resources practices and investments can be optimized.
D. all of these
9. The technique used to identify a causal mechanism within data and identify patterns of
relationships is called ______.
A. data mining
B. computing infrastructures
C. operational experiments
D. strategic realignment
10. Workforce analytics are ______.
A. used to calculate costs and benefits analyses
B. used to predict the future strategy of an organization
C. strategies for combining metrics and for examining changes in metrics
D. efforts to align real-time analysis of organizational and HR processes
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
11. A common concern among individuals who construct metrics and analytics reports is
______.
A. they can lead to erroneous managerial actions
B. whether anyone pays any attention to their reports
C. poor reporting of data elements to form metrics by the HR department
D. that the computer software is capable of handling the magnitude of data
12. An organization is determining if it can change its recruiting in order to reduce lost
time accidents. Which category of workforce analytics does this exemplify?
A. HR process efficiency
B. operational effectiveness
C. strategic realignment
D. all of the above
13. One of the useful things to remember about HR metrics and analytics is “Don’t Do
Metrics.” This advice means ______.
A. that organizations without an integrated computing infrastructure should not do metrics
B. not to focus on small, narrowly targeted metrics
C. developing HR metrics should be focused on increased organizational effectiveness
D. both push and pull communications should be used
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
14. Attempt to understand how an organization’s human capital needs would change as a
function of some expected change in the organization’s environment is called ______.
A. strategic alignment
B. workforce modeling
C. operational experiments
D. data mining
15. Strategic realignment involves the set of activities most commonly known as ______.
A. predictive analysis
B. benchmarking
C. total quality management
True/False
1. HR process efficiency focuses on how well HR departments accomplish critical HRM
processes that support organizational effectiveness.
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
2. An important test of the appropriateness of intermediate outcomes is the “why” test.
3. HR administrative efficiency metrics involve the set of activities most commonly known
today as human resources planning (HRP).
4. Many managers perceive the increased interest in metrics and analytics as simply a
mandate to compute and report more metrics.
5. Assessing and reporting HR metrics will result in better organizational performance.
6. No information system generates any return on the investment unless managers
change their decision behavior for the better.
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
7. Trying to identifying what metrics should be reported without considering an
organization’s problems and opportunities misses the reasons for the metrics.
8. Operational effectiveness analyses focus on organizational process improvement.
9. “Big Data” is often seen as valuable because it offers volume, variety, and velocity.
10. External rather than internal benchmarking will often provide more appropriate data
for establishing operational objectives.
11. When undertaking a HR metrics effort, the first question the organization needs to
answer is what it will cost.
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
12. Personal theories used to identify choices for outcome measures are an accurate
reflection of reality.
Essay
1. What is operational effectiveness?
2. What are some of the limitations of early attempts of HR metrics?
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
3. What is strategic realignment and why is it important?
4. What is the difference between “push” and “pull” methods of communicating HR
metrics and analytics?
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
5. What is workforce modeling, and what is its use in an organization?
6. What is the primary determinant of the success of a metrics and analytics project?
7. Why is it important to put HR metrics and analytics in context?
8. What is the value of an HR dashboard?
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
9. What is the difference between data mining and predictive analyses?