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SHRM-CP Competencies Questions - Part 17
1. Under which circumstances should ignoring conflict be used as a conflict management strategy?
A) When the team needs to develop a win-win, mutual-gain resolution to the conflict
B) When failure in mediating and resolving the conflict would weaken the leader's position
C) When the issue will resolve itself without damaging the team processes and relationships
D) When the leader does not want to be associated with a negative outcome
2. Refer to the following scenario for the next 4 questions. An employee who has been with the organization for over 10 years arrives every day on time at 9:00 a.m. The employee's team is scheduled to work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The employee returns from lunch 15 minutes after the other members of the team and ends the workday at 5:15 p.m. A new manager has recently taken over the department and notices this pattern of behavior. During an informal conversation, the manager mentions that the employee is taking extended lunches. The employee responds with, 'What does it matter I stay and make up the time.' After concluding the conversation, the manager decides to partner with the HR generalist, as the manager wishes to document the employee taking an extended lunch. The manager is concerned that the previous manager allowed the behavior. There are no notes that the employee has any accommodation. Additionally, the manager is concerned that the morale of the team is suffering because of this, as three team members have approached her about this since she took over two months ago. The new manager is also worried that if the issue is not addressed in a timely manner, she may lose the ability to effectively manage the team. The manager asks the HR generalist if HR can simply update the policy to allow the employees some flexibility in their hours. After a discussion with the manager, which recommendation should the HR generalist provide?
A) A. Nothing; the employee has been allowed to do this for years.
B) B. Immediately document the behavior and issue a final warning.
C) C. Send an e-mail to the entire team that reaffirms attendance expectations.
D) D. Advise the manager to individually reset expectations with the employee in person.
3. How can the HR generalist effectively assess whether to update the policy?
A) A. Review when the policy was last updated and gather all relevant employment law changes in effect.
B) B. Compare the current policy with those of other companies in the industry.
C) C. It is too soon to update the policy because there could be other items that need to be changed. It is better to wait.
D) D. Determine when the last update was, and, if over a year ago, partner with the HR manager to begin the process of updating.
4. How should the HR generalist advise the manager if she insists on documenting the employee behavior?
A) A. The manager can compile whatever documentation she feels is appropriate in this particular situation.
B) B. Advise that it would be a bad decision to take this fight on, as the manager is new to the company and it would not look good in front of all the employees.
C) C. Terminate the employee, despite the fact that the behavior is not documented, and hope the next hire adheres to the policy.
D) D. Partner with the manager and her supervisor to gain effective buy-in that expectations must be reset before documentation can commence.
5. If the employee agrees to follow the policy, which recommended action should the HR generalist suggest to the manager?
A) A. Reiterate to the employee that if the employee does not follow the policy going forward, there will be documentation.
B) B. Nothing. The employee has stated that he knows the policy and will follow it.
C) C. Note the date and time the employee agrees to the policy and send a recap e-mail to the employee regarding his acknowledgment and the expectations.
D) D. Inform the three employees that have been complaining about this particular employee that the issue is resolved and that they don't have to worry about it.
A) When the team needs to develop a win-win, mutual-gain resolution to the conflict
B) When failure in mediating and resolving the conflict would weaken the leader's position
C) When the issue will resolve itself without damaging the team processes and relationships
D) When the leader does not want to be associated with a negative outcome
2. Refer to the following scenario for the next 4 questions. An employee who has been with the organization for over 10 years arrives every day on time at 9:00 a.m. The employee's team is scheduled to work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The employee returns from lunch 15 minutes after the other members of the team and ends the workday at 5:15 p.m. A new manager has recently taken over the department and notices this pattern of behavior. During an informal conversation, the manager mentions that the employee is taking extended lunches. The employee responds with, 'What does it matter I stay and make up the time.' After concluding the conversation, the manager decides to partner with the HR generalist, as the manager wishes to document the employee taking an extended lunch. The manager is concerned that the previous manager allowed the behavior. There are no notes that the employee has any accommodation. Additionally, the manager is concerned that the morale of the team is suffering because of this, as three team members have approached her about this since she took over two months ago. The new manager is also worried that if the issue is not addressed in a timely manner, she may lose the ability to effectively manage the team. The manager asks the HR generalist if HR can simply update the policy to allow the employees some flexibility in their hours. After a discussion with the manager, which recommendation should the HR generalist provide?
A) A. Nothing; the employee has been allowed to do this for years.
B) B. Immediately document the behavior and issue a final warning.
C) C. Send an e-mail to the entire team that reaffirms attendance expectations.
D) D. Advise the manager to individually reset expectations with the employee in person.
3. How can the HR generalist effectively assess whether to update the policy?
A) A. Review when the policy was last updated and gather all relevant employment law changes in effect.
B) B. Compare the current policy with those of other companies in the industry.
C) C. It is too soon to update the policy because there could be other items that need to be changed. It is better to wait.
D) D. Determine when the last update was, and, if over a year ago, partner with the HR manager to begin the process of updating.
4. How should the HR generalist advise the manager if she insists on documenting the employee behavior?
A) A. The manager can compile whatever documentation she feels is appropriate in this particular situation.
B) B. Advise that it would be a bad decision to take this fight on, as the manager is new to the company and it would not look good in front of all the employees.
C) C. Terminate the employee, despite the fact that the behavior is not documented, and hope the next hire adheres to the policy.
D) D. Partner with the manager and her supervisor to gain effective buy-in that expectations must be reset before documentation can commence.
5. If the employee agrees to follow the policy, which recommended action should the HR generalist suggest to the manager?
A) A. Reiterate to the employee that if the employee does not follow the policy going forward, there will be documentation.
B) B. Nothing. The employee has stated that he knows the policy and will follow it.
C) C. Note the date and time the employee agrees to the policy and send a recap e-mail to the employee regarding his acknowledgment and the expectations.
D) D. Inform the three employees that have been complaining about this particular employee that the issue is resolved and that they don't have to worry about it.
1. Right Answer: C
Explanation: Ignoring conflicts is a reasonable conflict resolution tactic when the stakes are small (there will be little damage done) or the conflict is likely to resolve itself in the near future. For example, an HR manager may know that a difficult team member will be transferring to another location soon.
2. Right Answer: D
Explanation: D is the best response, because it will require the manager to address the behavior in question and discuss it with the employee while reinforcing the policy. A is incorrect. The fact that the behavior was accepted previously does not mean that it cannot be addressed. B is incorrect. Because the behavior has not been addressed previously, moving immediately to a final warning presents challenges in ensuring that progressive discipline is followed consistently for issues going forward. C is incorrect. This approach would not solve the issue regarding the employee in question. Preemptively doing this could also have an impact on morale.
3. Right Answer: D
Explanation: D is the best response. Laws and regulations change, and a best practice is to update an employee handbook at least once a year to stay current. A is incorrect. Although reviewing the policy is important, no action is taken regarding the review. B is incorrect. Comparing the policy to those of other companies in the industry does not help to determine if an update is needed at this company. C is incorrect. Not updating the policy could cause confusion for the employees and create compliance issues.
4. Right Answer: D
Explanation: D is the best response. It entails creating a partnership with management and becoming a trusted advisor while also protecting the company. A is incorrect. Allowing the manager to simply do what she wants removes HR as a partner in the organization. B is incorrect. The HR generalist should help guide the manager into finding a solution that will help the employees meet their goals and expectations. C is incorrect. Recommending termination based on a non-documented issue and hoping that the next hire solves the problem is not an acceptable option. Although the manager may be upset with the employee, she must still follow the process of progressive discipline.
5. Right Answer: C
Explanation: C is the best response. Having the manager make a note of the conversation and then send an e-mail to the employee allows for the information to be used if the employee does not follow the procedure going forward. The e-mail also gives a time stamp to further document the conversation. A is incorrect. Stating that the employee will be held accountable if he doesn't follow the policy after this simply underscores to the employee that no real accountability exists in the organization. B is incorrect. Having the employee do nothing is not an acceptable option, as this provides no information if he reverts to this behavior in the future. D is incorrect. There is no need to inform the other three employees about the conversation with the employee in question, nor would this be appropriate. By doing this, you are drawing needless attention toward the employee and potentially creating an unhealthy work environment
Explanation: Ignoring conflicts is a reasonable conflict resolution tactic when the stakes are small (there will be little damage done) or the conflict is likely to resolve itself in the near future. For example, an HR manager may know that a difficult team member will be transferring to another location soon.
2. Right Answer: D
Explanation: D is the best response, because it will require the manager to address the behavior in question and discuss it with the employee while reinforcing the policy. A is incorrect. The fact that the behavior was accepted previously does not mean that it cannot be addressed. B is incorrect. Because the behavior has not been addressed previously, moving immediately to a final warning presents challenges in ensuring that progressive discipline is followed consistently for issues going forward. C is incorrect. This approach would not solve the issue regarding the employee in question. Preemptively doing this could also have an impact on morale.
3. Right Answer: D
Explanation: D is the best response. Laws and regulations change, and a best practice is to update an employee handbook at least once a year to stay current. A is incorrect. Although reviewing the policy is important, no action is taken regarding the review. B is incorrect. Comparing the policy to those of other companies in the industry does not help to determine if an update is needed at this company. C is incorrect. Not updating the policy could cause confusion for the employees and create compliance issues.
4. Right Answer: D
Explanation: D is the best response. It entails creating a partnership with management and becoming a trusted advisor while also protecting the company. A is incorrect. Allowing the manager to simply do what she wants removes HR as a partner in the organization. B is incorrect. The HR generalist should help guide the manager into finding a solution that will help the employees meet their goals and expectations. C is incorrect. Recommending termination based on a non-documented issue and hoping that the next hire solves the problem is not an acceptable option. Although the manager may be upset with the employee, she must still follow the process of progressive discipline.
5. Right Answer: C
Explanation: C is the best response. Having the manager make a note of the conversation and then send an e-mail to the employee allows for the information to be used if the employee does not follow the procedure going forward. The e-mail also gives a time stamp to further document the conversation. A is incorrect. Stating that the employee will be held accountable if he doesn't follow the policy after this simply underscores to the employee that no real accountability exists in the organization. B is incorrect. Having the employee do nothing is not an acceptable option, as this provides no information if he reverts to this behavior in the future. D is incorrect. There is no need to inform the other three employees about the conversation with the employee in question, nor would this be appropriate. By doing this, you are drawing needless attention toward the employee and potentially creating an unhealthy work environment
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