Chapter 5: Staffing for Service
TRUE/FALSE
1. Competency measures should be the only tool in the selection process.
2. A belief that drives many hiring decisions is that you cannot manage someone doing something you
have never done.
3. The Internet has completely replaced traditional ways that companies and job seekers find each other.
4. Hotels and restaurants consistently make up much of the 100 Best Companies to Work For list.
5. One element crucial to the success of structured interviews is prior training of the interviewers in how
to conduct interviews and evaluate candidates.
6. A higher GMA does not affect the employee’s capability to perform better.
7. The indirect cost of turnover is the cost of disappointed customers.
8. Turnover is always a bad thing.
9. Because of rapid changes in the finance field, positions in that area within hospitality organizations are
apt to be filled from the outside.
10. Many young people avoid the hospitality industry because they think most jobs are suitable only for
“burger flippers.”
11. A police or background check is particularly important in the hospitality industry because so many
employees are dealing directly with guests.
12. A possible reason for not hiring from within is that current employees know the culture too well.
13. Some employees seek hospitality jobs partly for the opportunity to demonstrate their creativity and
originality, which is fun for them.
14. Older employees often bring an enthusiasm for helping and interacting with guests to hospitality
organizations.
15. Many hospitality organizations have successfully used the principle of “Study the best; then train the
rest.”
16. Most hospitality organizations prefer to recruit from inside.
17. Manufacturing and industrial organizations hire more walk-ins than the hospitality industry does.
18. In the hospitality industry, the typical procedure when evaluating potential employees involves
screening applicants using a brief interview and then having those with hiring potential fill out the full
application form.
19. The organization should try to maintain a good relationship with all job applicants—both the
successful and the unsuccessful.
20. Most hospitality employees, no matter what their educational level, start at the same entry-level point,
then try to prove their commitment to service excellence.
21. A properly designed and administered structured interview includes probing questions designed to
encourage job candidates to tell something about themselves and why they are interested in the job and
qualified for it.
22. Hospitality organizations try to hire people who are able to handle the stress of providing service,
especially when a service failure occurs.
23. Student recruiting is a major strategy in hospitality because the industry tends to want mature
employees who have “been around the block a time or two.”
24. “Hire for attitude and values; train for skills” doesn’t make much sense in the hospitality industry since
it is service skills that lead to guest satisfaction.
25. Selecting the right person for a particular job should begin by first looking at the applicants, then
looking at the job.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
26. KSAs are
a.
knowledge, skills, and aptitude.
b.
knowing, showing, and applying.
c.
knowledge, skills, and abilities.
d.
knack, skills, and application.
27. Surface acting involves the changing of
a.
inner feelings.
b.
facial expressions.
c.
both a and b.
d.
none of the above.
28. A benefit of hiring internal candidates is
a.
the known quantity.
b.
lower cost.
c.
they know the culture.
d.
all of the above.
29. Succession plans are used to
a.
plan employee careers, including the progression through a number of key positions.
b.
plan the next step toward achieving the company’s goals.
c.
determine where the company wants to go.
d.
help managers find new jobs outside the company.
30. Which of the following does the use of a billboard to advertise a job NOT typically tend to target?
a.
the unemployed
b.
those currently working for other companies
c.
internal employees
d.
Billboards are specifically put up to target all of the above.
31. McDonalds’ program for workers over the age of 55 is called
a.
McSeniors.
b.
McMasters.
c.
McElders.
d.
none of the above.
32. Student recruiting can take the form of
a.
campus interviews.
b.
job fairs.
c.
schools’ required work experience.
d.
all of the above.
33. The selection decision will come down to which two factors?
a.
how choosy the company can be and how well employee’s performance can be predicted
b.
how much advertising was done and what the response rate was
c.
how pushy the candidate is and how receptive the selection committee is
d.
how long the company has been looking for an employee and how long the candidate has
been looking for a job
34. 24/7 automated recruiting systems are useful for people who
a.
live in a different geographic area.
b.
cannot call during the regular workday.
c.
both a and b.
d.
none of the above.
35. Structured interviews _______ the likelihood that interviewers will assess all candidates according to
the same criteria.
a.
increase
b.
decrease
c.
do not affect
d.
none of the above
36. A properly designed and administered structured interview ensures that the questions are
a.
asked of all candidates.
b.
job related.
c.
consistently scored.
d.
all of the above.
37. Questions relating to which of the following should be included in a structured interview in the
hospitality industry?
a.
work competencies
b.
commitment to service
c.
critical incidents
d.
all of the above
38. Types of psychological tests that can be used during the selection process are
a.
integrity tests.
b.
background tests.
c.
drug tests.
d.
all of the above.
39. Of the five dimensions of personality, the one that is the most valid predictor of job performance is
a.
extroversion.
b.
emotional stability.
c.
conscientiousness.
d.
agreeableness.
40. GMA stands for
a.
gross mental ability.
b.
general mental ability.
c.
growing mental awareness.
d.
general mental aptitude.
41. The primary purpose of all the various selection devices is to
a.
discourage unmotivated applicants from applying.
b.
spend as much money as possible on the selection process.
c.
determine potential criminals.
d.
help companies hire the kind of employees who can make the company’s service
experience truly stand out.
42. On–boarding is
a.
getting the new employee started in a new company.
b.
getting customers involved in the company.
c.
moving customers through the service experience.
d.
getting potential hires interested in the company.
43. A reason for companies to foster diversity in their staff is
a.
employing a diversified workforce by tapping all available segments of the general labor
pool will result in the best workforce.
b.
increasing numbers of guests are from diverse cultural and demographic populations.
c.
to be prepared for the greater diversity they will face in the future due to the increasingly
diverse labor market.
d.
all of the above.
44. Which of the following is NOT an advantage of a diversified workforce?
a.
It can probably serve a diversified customer population well.
b.
It probably shows that the organization has tapped into all available segments of the labor
pool.
c.
It sensitizes managers to the needs of people from different backgrounds.
d.
It is less expensive than a non-diversified workforce.
45. The advantage of benchmarking against your own best employees as your hire new people is
a.
you can use your best as a template for hiring new people.
b.
you can learn what organizations in other industries are doing.
c.
it helps to develop an employee compensation program.
d.
it aids in the design of your organization’s benchmarking system.
46. Hospitality employees are different from manufacturing employees; in addition to task skills, they
must have
a.
an understanding of basic culinary principles.
b.
extensive experience.
c.
a bubbly personality.
d.
interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
47. Which of these would NOT be a typical question asked during a structured interview?
a.
Have you ever found it necessary to shout at a guest?
b.
What can you tell us about yourself?
c.
Are you willing to work overtime if we get extra busy?
d.
Can you use Microsoft Excel?
48. A good reason for seeking external candidates for a job is
a.
it promotes external equity.
b.
external candidates will usually work for less.
c.
the skill set required by the position is not available internally.
d.
external candidates provide a healthy challenge to cultural values.
49. Hospitality organizations like to promote from within for all of the following reasons EXCEPT
a.
the internal candidate is a known quantity.
b.
internal hiring leads to feelings of equity among present employees.
c.
the internal candidate has assimilated the organizational culture.
d.
internal candidates tend to be smarter.
50. The first screen typically used in deciding who to hire is
a.
an inside employee’s recommendation.
b.
the information on the application form.
c.
a police check.
d.
a preliminary interview.