Chapter 8

Question 1

What has HR always been considered?

Answer 1

> The HR department has always been the custodian of employee information

Question 2

The use of information technology (IT) for HRM has increased at a fast pace over the last couple of decades. As a result, HR professionals have been able to do what?

Answer 2

> able to handle a greater workload and achieve operational efficiency.

Question 3

Compared to paper-based systems, IT provides what? What burden does this alleviate?

Answer 3

> IT provides better data storage, information retrieval, and tools for analysis—capabilities that help alleviate the burden of transactional activities

Question 4

What are the widely discussed benefits of information technology (IT) for HRM?

Answer 4

> Greater efficiencies, higher productivity, and a reduction in performing repetitive tasks are some of the widely discussed benefits of information technology (IT) for HRM

Question 5

Technology has had a transformational change in many aspects of the HR function, provide an example:

Answer 5

> technology has dramatically increased the size of the applicant pool for many jobs

Question 6

What is a consequence of online job boards / sites such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter?

Answer 6

> One consequence of these hubs has been a greatly expanded reach for employers, and a large increase in the number of applications for many jobs.

> To deal with very large numbers of applicants, technology has provided solutions to reduce the applicant pool using keywords and by administering automated online tests to applicants such as personality and cognitive ability tests.

> These methods are not perfect, as research shows that some groups of people score differently on computer-written cognitive ability tests than on pencil-and-paper cognitive ability tests, so the validity of some of these testing methods is not certain at this point

Question 7

How has technology changed selection?

Answer 7

> job applicants can be tested online, and interviews can be conducted over rich media sharing platforms such as Zoom so that candidates may be assessed from almost anywhere in the world.

Question 8

Are virtual interviews here to stay?

Answer 8

> While the use of virtual job interviews has been on the rise steadily over the past decade, a survey done by Indeed suggests that most employers adopted virtual interviews during the pandemic, and that almost all of those adopters plan to continue the practice either in a hybrid selection system, or through an entirely virtual selection process

Question 9

An issue that technology brings to recruitment and selection is that:

Answer 9

> An issue that technology brings to recruitment and selection is that while the applicant pool has certainly increased in size, it is not known whether the quality of the applicant pool has increased.

Question 10

If the use of technology increases the size of the applicant pool but not the quality, it may actually be causing what?

Answer 10

> it may actually be increasing the cost of recruitment and selection without bringing expected benefits such as higher performers or lower turnover.

Question 11

What organizations are in a position to benefit from technology?

Answer 11

> Organizations that are able to test the validity of their selection methods by using job analysis to understand job relevant knowledge, skills, abilities, and other attributes (KSAOs), and by measuring whether changes to selection methods lead to changes in employee performance or turnover are in a position to benefit from technology in ways that firms without these capabilities cannot

Question 12

Technology has brought many changes to training, mostly by:

Answer 12

> mostly by providing training through electronic means (e-training).

Question 13

The benefits of technology-assisted training include:

Answer 13

Include lower costs, greater convenience for trainees, and more flexibility in training methods.

Question 14

The research on training suggests that learning is enhanced when :

Answer 14

> learning is enhanced when people have the opportunity to practise what they have learned, get feedback on their learning, and interact with others in the learning process.

Question 15

Learning effectiveness increases when technology does what?

Answer 15

> Learning effectiveness increases when technology is used to provide these training benefits

Question 16

Many organizations today use technology in support of:

Answer 16

> Many organizations today use technology in support of either performance feedback or performance measurement

> Technology can be used to increase communication and interaction between raters and ratees.

Question 17

In addition to increasing the frequency of feedback opportunities, technology-assisted performance appraisal has been associated with:

Answer 17

> increased time savings and a greater focus on employee development.

Question 18

Overall, technology has had the most dramatic changes on what HR functions?

Answer 18

> Overall, technology has had the most dramatic changes on the recruitment and selection, training, employee performance appraisal, and employee self-service aspects of the HR function

> While many of these changes have increased the efficiency of processes, their future contribution to the strategic impact of the HR function in the organization will be enhanced as technology allows for greater interaction between the individual and the organization, and as technology becomes more active in its relationship with the individual.

Question 19

Web-based HR allows what?

Answer 19

> Web-based HR allows service delivery that pushes employees and managers into making transactions.

Question 20

What are two important web-based service delivery models?

Answer 20

> Self-service is an important web-based service delivery model.

> Another is web-based HR service solutions through online access to information, resulting in quicker responses from experts.

Question 21

Recruiting can now contain basic computer-based screening tests to reduce the applicant pool. Hence, rather than outsource, HR may do what as a result of technology?

Answer 21

> HR may consolidate its services into an internal HR service centre and operate the centre with its own HR practitioners.

Question 22

What are enterprise portals?

Question 23

What are HR portals?

Answer 23

> HR portals are sophisticated websites that are designed to communicate a range of human resources information and a variety of organizational resources.

> They provide a single site for employees to access HR services.

> They are, in a sense, HR’s front door, as they offer a web-based access point to all information sources, tools, and systems needed to consume HR services effectively

Question 24

What principle is self-service based on?

Answer 24

> Self-service is based on the principle that data is most effectively captured at source.

Question 25

Self-service allows employees and managers to do what?

Answer 25

> Self-service allows employees and managers to communicate with and affect databases

Question 26

How are employee self-service (ESS) and manager self-service (MSS) applications changing service delivery?

Answer 26

> This is how employee self-service (ESS) and manager self-service (MSS) applications are changing service-delivery models as HR service consumers no longer need to interact directly with HR service providers.

Question 27

The research on employee self-service options shows that what percentage of organizations use ESS?

Answer 27

> The research on employee self-service options shows that over 80 percent of large organizations use employee self-service and that most employees readily accept the use of these system

Question 28

IT can be leveraged to better manage several activities involved in HR planning. For instance:

Answer 28

> available information on employees’ participation in training, their competencies, and their performance levels may help determine the most competent employee for a position. > technology can be leveraged to gauge client satisfaction with the service levels provided by the HRM department, and electronic surveys are increasingly being used to conduct climate or engagement surveys.

Question 29

There is an amazing diversity of software solutions for HRM and HR planning. Organizations may favour what kind of systems?

Answer 29

> may favour a comprehensive human resource information system (HRIS) or a specialty product focused on a single area, such as applicant tracking.

Question 30

Organizations go through various stages as they incorporate technology to help manage the workforce. Describe them briefly:

Answer 30

Stage 1: At this initial phase, companies simply codify employee data such as name, job, compensation, etc. Stage 2: The basic data is supplemented by data pulled from other sources, such as performance ratings and training outcomes. Stage 3: In this stage, employees are given access to their data and can update or edit their profiles. They can also access career trajectories, and indicate their career preferences. Stage 4: This is the data mining stage, where organizations use statistics, such as turnover data by occupation, to predict employee behaviour, and link it to organizational outcomes.

Question 31

These talent management systems (and new integrated HRMS systems) input what? As a result, what are they useful for?

Answer 31

> input performance history, education, job assignments, and tests taken, so these systems are extremely useful for understanding what drives performance, engagement, and other desirable outcomes.

Question 32

What does the human resources information system (HRIS) offer?

Answer 32

> The human resources information system (HRIS) offers an integral solution for the HR department

Question 33

What does an HRIS include and collect?

Answer 33

> It includes the software, hardware, support functions, and system policies and procedures used to gather, store, and report human resources data. > The system collects, stores, and maintains data, and retrieves information about employees and their jobs.

Question 34

What does an HRIS provide access to?

Answer 34

> The HRIS provides access to a large database through a variety of modules that automate diverse functions. > As such, the HRIS is an integrated solution that includes several subsystems or modules, such as recruitment and selection, time and attendance management, payroll, training and development, pension administration, and so on

Question 35

In terms of transactions, what does the HRIS cover?

Answer 35

> It is the primary transaction processor, editor, record keeper, and functional application system lying at the heart of most computerized HR management work.

Question 36

What are speciality products available for? What are some examples?

Answer 36

> Numerous specialty products are available that enable the automation of discrete tasks and responsibilities. > Some examples of specialty products include compensation planning, workforce scheduling, managing training and e-learning, and applicant tracking.

Question 37

What do specialty products have the ability for and what is an advantage?

Answer 37

> These have the ability to address specific needs, as they are focused on a single area of HRM. > They thereby offer the advantage of going in-depth into a particular business activity.

Question 38

Do speciality products integrate with larger HRIS systems?

Answer 38

> They are also likely to interface with a company’s more comprehensive HRIS or enterprise resource planning (ERP) base system.

Question 39

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions are based on and what do they provide?

Answer 39

> Enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions are based on software that integrates data from diverse applications into a common database. > ERP solutions may be on-premise or cloud-based - On-premise ERP solutions are installed locally on a company's hardware, while cloud-based ERP solutions are managed centrally (i.e., in the cloud) by the ERP vendor > They cover the fullest range of organizational activities and processes, including finance, logistics, production, accounting, and HRM.

Question 40

The ERP approach promotes the use of what?

Answer 40

> The ERP approach promotes the use of a single, shared relational database for critical information across the organization. > This fosters the enforcement of consistent processes and procedures throughout the organization and ensures that administrative units can easily share information and communicate with one another.

Question 41

How is an ERP good for HR?

Answer 41

> For HR, the enterprise-wide solution provides a platform for a better integration of HR and finance in the management of payroll > HR professionals may also gain credibility as a result of their effective involvement in an ERP system implementation.

Question 42

When HR finds it difficult to obtain budget approval for investments in an HRIS solution, the enterprise-wide solution offers what?

Answer 42

> offers an opportunity for automation along with other administrative functions.

Question 43

What is a downside to ERPs'?

Answer 43

> The ERP approach, however, is often quite costly with a lengthy implementation, as it involves significant organizational and contextual change > HR may get sidelined in the process of integrating a whole range of functions across the organization. Also, because ERP systems are built with “generic users” in mind, they may not be well adapted to the specific practices and requirements of the HR user group in any given company. > This may create tensions regarding the organization’s unique identity

Question 44

What does BIG data refer to?

Answer 44

> Big data ultimately refers to the integration of digitized data from all the corporate functions, including marketing, operations, finance, and HR. > It even extends to customer information such as customer satisfaction, buying habits, and preferences, as well as information from social media sources such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and more. > Big data may comprise large, unstructured and unrelated data sets that can be difficult to analyze

Question 45

Big data is commonly measured in what?

Answer 45

> Big data is commonly measured in petabytes or larger measures, where one petabyte is the equivalent of 1,000 terabytes.

Question 46

How often does big data increase?

Answer 46

> big data is getting bigger all the time; some suggest that the world’s available data is doubling every four years

Question 47

How big is big data? (What are some recent estimates?

Answer 47

> Recent estimates show that Walmart collects roughly 2.5 petabytes of customer data every hour, and the expectation is that as the ability to ­collect different types of data, store data, and use data to develop customer insights grows, so too will the amount of data

Question 48

Big data is based on many different forms, which can be classified into two basic categories

Answer 48

Structured and unstructured

Question 49

What is structured data and provide an example;

Answer 49

> These are the kinds of data with which businesses are most familiar. Structured data are essentially any form of data that can be organized into columns and rows. > When HR practitioners enter employee data into the HRIS system, or when finance employees enter organizational financial data, they usually go into a spreadsheet or database that is organized into columns and rows. Other types of structured data include sensor data (e.g., from swipe cards or from monitoring movement).

Question 50

What is unstructured data and provide an example:

Answer 50

> These forms of data include the various kinds of files you might have on your computer. > Text documents, email or text messages, audio, presentations, geotags, images, or videos are all unstructured data because they do not conform to a pre-established structure. > Unstructured data may be searchable, but can be difficult to include with other types of data for analysis.

Question 51

What do the two basic types of big data include (or can include)?

Answer 51

> These two basic types of data can include data that are produced internally, or that originate outside the organization. > External data can originate from suppliers, customers, or social media sources, and are becoming increasingly useful in big data applications as organizations try to understand how their strategy affects and is affected by customers, competitors, and their supply network.

Question 52

When attempting to assess an organization’s readiness for big data, what gives them an indication that they have the required resources for it?

Answer 52

> the five pillars of big data give some indication of the resources required to extract value from the investment required to collect, store, and analyze big data.

Question 53

What are the five pillars of big data?

Answer 53

> These five pillars refer to the attributes of volume, velocity, variety, veracity, and value

Question 54

What is the volume pillar requirement of big data?

Answer 54

> The first resource requirement for organizations considering trying to make use of big data is having the capacity to store the potentially overwhelming volume of data.

Question 55

What is the velocity pillar requirement of big data?

Answer 55

> This refers to the requirement to be able to transfer large amounts of data in a reasonable period of time

Question 56

What is the variety pillar requirement of big data?

Answer 56

> Big data can come in many formats, as suggested by the possible types of unstructured data. > Organizations must have the ability to deal with a wide variety of data types to make the most of big data.

Question 57

What is the variety pillar requirement of big data?

Answer 57

> When considering the way that unstructured data might be error-prone (e.g., the metadata might be incorrect for photo files, or object recognition from video files might be error-prone), and the reduced ability to verify the accuracy of external data, the potential for error in the data leading to incorrect inferences from the data becomes greater, and the ability to detect and reduce those errors becomes more difficult.

Question 58

What is the value pillar requirement of big data?

Answer 58

> With the ability to capture data from so many sources, how do organizations determine what data is of value and what to ignore? More valuable data can be given greater attention so that it is gathered with less error.

Question 59

The five pillars demonstrate what?

Answer 59

> The five pillars demonstrate that harnessing the power of big data presents significant challenges and a large investment of knowledge, skills, and technological capital.

Question 60

What does AI refer to in general?

Answer 60

> Artificial intelligence (AI) in general refers to the ability of a piece of software to learn.

Question 61

Big data and AI pose problems for organizations in what way and provide some examples:

Answer 61

> However, big data and AI pose problems for organizations beyond the challenges of developing the technology and providing the resources to enable it. > The issues around big data quickly move from how machines learn, to how to manage the security of the data, the privacy of individuals, and the ethics around decisions made by machines

Question 62

Data security is an ever-growing concern, particularly as what happens?

Answer 62

> Data security is an ever-growing concern, particularly as the volume of data stored increases

Question 63

A strength of AI is that:

Answer 63

> A strength of AI is that we can teach it how to make decisions using historical examples, and then let it use that guided learning as a launch point for experimenting with new ways of applying what it has been taught.

Question 64

However, AI lacks what around decisions?

Answer 64

> However, AI lacks transparency around the decision rules that it develops. > It cannot explain the decisions it arrives at, which is the point at which ethical issues around the use of AI begin to surface. > Who becomes liable for the decisions and predictions that are made using AI

Question 65

Until the questions surrounding the liability of mistakes made by AI can be answered, the primary tools used by the HR function will be:

Answer 65

> the HRIS system and its associated databases, spreadsheets such as Excel, and statistical analysis packages.

Question 66

Google began a big data HR project in 2008 - what is that project?

Answer 66

> Project Oxygen. > This project sought to discover the attributes of a good manager at Google by looking at past performance reviews; surveys; nominations for best manager awards; and other sources of data that could be used to uncover the habits, behaviours, or attributes of a great manager.

Question 67

Some researchers suggest that big data and AI have the potential to do what / or have an impact on what?

Answer 67

> have the potential to have a large impact on aspects of the business that deal with less sensitive and private data and where there are millions of data points, such as millions of customer transactions or inventory transactions.

Question 68

But the scope for big data and AI to have a large impact on the business through HR is limited by what?

Answer 68

> is limited by the degree to which private employee data can be used and shared, and by the fact that even very large organizations count their employees in the tens of thousands rather than millions.

Question 69

HR metrics and HR analytics applications address the challenge of what?

Answer 69

HR metrics and HR analytics applications address the challenge of getting business intelligence for strategic decision making.

Question 70

What is a subset of business intelligence?

Answer 70

> As a subset of business intelligence, ­HR metrics use statistical modelling and software to gather information about employees and work in order to optimize the use of human resources in the organization

Question 71

The purpose of HR dashboards is to:

Answer 71

> organize key pieces of HR information and present data in ways that are simple to understand.

Question 72

What is HR analytics?

Answer 72

> HR analytics has been defined as an “HR practice enabled by information technology that uses descriptive, visual, and statistical analyses of data related to HR processes, human capital, organizational performance, and external economic benchmarks to establish business impact and enable data-driven decision-making

Question 73

Many organizations are using HR metrics to do what?

Answer 73

> many organizations are using HR metrics to capture costs, show length of time of processes, or capture turnover rates, few are at the point of using HR analytics to show the ultimate impact of HR activities on organizational outcomes.

Question 74

The role of HR analytics can be placed into one or more of three categories:

Answer 74

> Descriptive analytics– describe what happened > Predictive analytics– make inferences based on existing data to describe what could happen > Prescriptive analytics– describe what should happen

Question 75

While HR analytics span all three of these domains, HR metrics function largely within what domain?

Answer 75

> While HR analytics span all three of these domains, HR metrics function largely within the first domain of descriptive analytics

Question 76

The primary distinction between HR metrics and HR analytics is that:

Answer 76

> HR metrics generally refer to a narrower set of measures that tend to be restricted to measuring HR outcomes (e.g., cost of recruitment from various sources, time taken for selection, or turnover rates by department), > whereas HR analytics attempt to place HR in the broader context of the organization and its other functions, systems, or strategy

Question 77

Some uses of HR analytics include:

Answer 77

> predicting the probable success of a candidate; > identifying and quantifying the physical risks to employees; > identifying workforce characteristics that ­contribute to fraud; > measuring employee engagement and predicting turnover; and > identifying obsolete departments and/or positions

Question 78

What is an HR dashboard?

Answer 78

> An HR dashboard is simply an aggregation, in electronic format, of useful or relevant HR metrics, or key performance indicators (KPIs). > he convenience of a dashboard is that it should be able to incorporate data from multiple information sources, and that it provides real-time summaries of performance.

Question 79

What are popular measures for inclusion in dashboards?

Answer 79

> employee survey results > ratios of the most current performance period > diversity rates > Time per hire > hiring rates based on recruitment source > sales targets > cost per hire > product delivery times > Sales growth

Question 80

The purpose of dashboards is to:

Answer 80

> The purpose of dashboards is to provide managers with a quick understanding of KPIs in their business. > Rather than looking through multiple spreadsheets and conducting hourly, daily, or weekly analyses of the updated data, dashboards focus managers’ attention on the most recent and up-to-date information.

Question 81

A criticism of dashboards is that they can focus too much attention on what?

Answer 81

> they can focus too much attention on summary measures, and so, rather than contributing to higher performance, they can distract managers from the real underlying causes of the measures.

Question 82

What kind of uses do dashboards serve?

Answer 82

> Dashboards can also serve very specific uses.

Question 83

The purpose of an HR dashboard is to:

Answer 83

> The purpose of an HR dashboard is to acquire a snapshot of system performance at a given point in time. > In order to capture this snapshot, management must give some thought as to what aspects of performance are the most suitable to monitor. > These performance measures are known as key performance indicators (KPIs). The KPIs can be used at the individual level to monitor the alignment of individual performance with functional and organizational objectives, as you will see in an HR scorecard in Chapter 14, or at the functional level where the purpose is to gauge the alignment of the overall functional area with the firm’s strategy.

Question 84

The logistics of workforce management and scheduling are often quite complex. Workforce scheduling and optimization software provides for what?

Answer 84

> provides applications for deploying employees most effectively.

Question 84

What KPIs' are the best to include in a dashboard? The logistics of workforce management and scheduling are often quite complex. Workforce scheduling and optimization software provides

Answer 84

> The KPIs that are best to include in an HR dashboard are those that demonstrate the extent to which the HR function is addressing strategic needs, and those that are improving service quality and efficiency.

Question 85

Forensic reporting can be used to :

Answer 85

> Forensic reporting can be used to monitor employees, for the good of the organization and for the benefit of employees. > Forensics can also identify at-risk employees.

Question 86

Employers have an obligation to protect what?

Answer 86

> Employers have an obligation to protect employees’ personal records, medical records, and employment tests.

Question 87

Legislation in Canada requires that personal information used for an administrative purpose is to be what? How about the use of it?

Answer 87

> be as accurate, up to date, and complete as possible. > This legislation also sets boundaries for the use of personal information. Such information should be used only for the purpose for which it was obtained or compiled, or for a use consistent with that purpose.

Question 88

With regard to the collection of personal information, only what information should be related?

Answer 88

> With regard to the collection of personal information, only that information that relates directly to a business should be collected and maintained in the HRIS.

Question 89

What is another golden rule of employee data?

Answer 89

> Another golden rule is that only authorized persons should have access to employee data > Some security features that restrict access include login security, row-level security (record security), and field-level security (data field)

Question 90

Procedures to further protect data include :

Answer 90

> Procedures to further protect data include the usage of PINs and passwords; the usage of encryption devices or software when sending sensitive email; smart cards or tokens; provision of regular, ongoing education and reinforcement of clearly defined organizational policies; and turning off systems when they are not in use.

Question 91

What are two important indicators of HRIS success?

Answer 91

> User satisfaction and system usage are important indicators of HRIS success

Question 92

Drawing from the technology acceptance and user satisfaction streams of research, a study found that attitudes toward IT are influenced by what two components?

Answer 92

> are influenced by behavioural beliefs about technology usefulness and ease of use

Question 93

What are some Sample Technology Effectiveness Items?

Answer 93

Attitude - Using this HR technology is very enjoyable. Usefulness - Using this HR technology enhances my ­effectiveness on the job. > Information satisfaction - I am very satisfied with the information I receive from this HR technology. > System satisfaction Overall, my interaction with this HR technology is very satisfying. plus information quality and system quality

Question 94

Systematic needs analysis will involve what processes?

Answer 94

> Systematic needs analysis will involve collecting information about the organization (e.g., size, industry demands), its technical environment (e.g., hardware, operating systems, network environment, database, installed software, telecommunications, possible application service providers), and the needs of its HR department. > It is also helpful to consider what information requests the HR department responds to, what reports and documents it uses, what information passes through the HR unit, and what manual records are maintained—in short, the information processing needs of the HR function.

Question 95

In a systematic needs analysis, what did James G. Meade state?

Answer 95

> With regard to such needs, Meade suggests exploring areas in which the HR department is not accessing critical information in an accurate or timely manner.