The human resource professional fulfills three core roles in any organization. These three roles help
propel the company's success. Which of the following statements best describes the roles of an HR
professional?
A
Explanation:
Answer option A is correct.
Human resource professionals help an organization achieve its goals through strategic, operational,
and administrative roles. The strategic role builds on employee strengths. The operations role
manages the employee relations and recruiting functions. The administrative role describes
compliance with regulations, employee records, and confidentiality of employee information.
Answer option B is incorrect. Legal isn't a role of the HR professional; compliance with regulations is
part of the administrative role.
Answer option C is incorrect. Logistical is not one of the three roles of an HR professional.
Answer option D is incorrect. Functional and logistical are not roles of an HR professional.
Reference: Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide, Sybex, ISBN: 978-0-470-
43096-5. Chapter Four: Workforce Planning and Employment. Official PHR and SPHR Certification
Guide, HR Certification Institute, ISBN: 978-1-586-44149-4, Section III, The US Body of Knowledge.
Chapter: Business Management and Strategy
Objective: Organizations
Each collective bargaining agreement outlines the process to file a grievance. Most agreements
define a four-step approach to the grievance procedure. During which one of the following steps of
the grievance procedure, might the president of the local union meet with the manager of the plant
at which the employee with the grievance works?
B
Explanation:
Answer option B is correct.
The four stages of the grievance procedure are: Initiate the complaint, Escalate the complaint
internally, Reach the highest level of internal escalation, and then Participate in binding arbitration.
The second phase of the grievance procedure likely has the local union's president meet with the
plant manager to try to find a resolution.
Answer option A is incorrect. This is the first step of the grievance procedure, and the supervisor of
the person who experienced the grievance is notified of the complaint and offered a time period to
find a resolution.
Answer option C is incorrect. This phase of the grievance procedure may actually bring the president
of the national union to meet with president of the company, where the union member works.
Answer option D is incorrect. If no resolution has been met, this final procedure causes the grievance
to move onto the court systems.
Reference: PHR Exam Prep, Pearson Education, ISBN: 978-0-7897-3677-2. Chapter Seven: Employee
and Labor Relations. Official PHR and SPHR Certification Guide, HR Certification Institute, ISBN: 978-
1-586-44149-4, Section III, The US HR Body of Knowledge.
Chapter: Business Management and Strategy
Objective: Strategy
A business professional must plan on the direction and mission of the organization. Questions that
direct the business ask where is the business now, where does the business want to go, how will the
business get there, and how will we know when it has arrived. What term is assigned to this business
introspection?
C
Explanation:
Answer option C is correct.
These questions are all indicative of strategic planning.
Answer option A is incorrect. While this is a form of planning, this isn't the best answer for the
question.
Answer option B is incorrect. Mission building happens as the business is in its startup phase of the
organizational life cycle.
Answer option D is incorrect. Vision is linked to the mission of the company. It's the image and model
the founder and executives see for the organization.
Reference: Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide, Sybex, ISBN: 978-0-470-
43096-5. Chapter Four: Workforce Planning and Employment. Official PHR and SPHR Certification
Guide, HR Certification Institute, ISBN: 978-1-586-44149-4, Section III, The US Body of Knowledge.
Chapter: Business Management and Strategy
Objective: Strategy
What plan captures and projects how human resources will contribute to achieving the organization's
strategic plan?
A
Explanation:
Answer option A is correct.
The human capital management plan is a plan created by HR to define how the HR department and
staff will help the organization achieve its strategic goals.
Answer option B is incorrect. The HR Staffing Plan is not a valid plan for this question.
Answer option C is incorrect. The Resource Development Plan is an HR plan that describes the
competency and skills improvement for the human capital in the organization.
Answer option D is incorrect. A change management plan describes the change and how the
company may best overcome the challenges and risks the change presents.
Reference: Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide, Sybex, ISBN: 978-0-470-
43096-5. Chapter Four: Workforce Planning and Employment. Official PHR and SPHR Certification
Guide, HR Certification Institute, ISBN: 978-1-586-44149-4, Section III, The US Body of Knowledge.
Chapter: Business Management and Strategy
Objective: Strategy
An HR audit is designed to help management do what?
D
Explanation:
Answer option D is correct.
An HR audit is an organized process designed to identify key aspects of HR in the organization such as
employee morale, HR policies, programs and procedures, and HR effectiveness. See Chapter 3 for
more information.
Chapter: Business Management and Strategy
Objective: Strategic Management
What term is best described as examining the entire organization to simplify or eliminate
unnecessary processes with the goal of increasing customer satisfaction through improvements in
efficiency?
A
Explanation:
Answer option A is correct.
Reengineering examines the efficiencies of the organization and how it affects profits, production,
capacity, and customer satisfaction and then acts to improve the organization and customer
satisfaction by removing unneeded processes.
Answer option B is incorrect. Corporate restructuring looks to eliminate individual units to reduce or
eliminate redundancy or bureaucratic processes.
Answer option C is incorrect. Workforce reduction is also the reduction of resources, it is also known
as downsizing, rightsizing, or reductions in force.
Answer option D is incorrect. Mergers and acquisitions describe two or more units merging together
into one.
Reference: Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide, Sybex, ISBN: 978-0-470-
43096-5. Chapter Four: Workforce Planning and Employment. Official PHR and SPHR Certification
Guide, HR Certification Institute, ISBN: 978-1-586-44149-4, Section III, The US Body of Knowledge.
Chapter: Business Management and Strategy
Objective: Strategic Management
You need to participate in enterprise risk management and complete an HR-audit. Which of the
following is the best definition of an HR-audit in regard to risk management?
D
Explanation:
Answer option D is correct.
An HR audit examines the areas of human resources management that may be out of compliance
with legal requirements or that are in need of updating.
Answer options A, B, and C are incorrect. These are not examples of an HR audit.
Reference: Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide, Sybex, ISBN: 978-0-470-
43096-5. Chapter Four: Workforce Planning and Employment. Official PHR and SPHR Certification
Guide, HR Certification Institute, ISBN: 978-1-586-44149-4, Section III, The US Body of Knowledge.
Chapter: Business Management and Strategy
Objective: Strategic Management
As an HR Professional, you must be familiar with many laws and the process of how laws come into
existence. One type of law is an administrative law. Which of the following is NOT an example of an
administrative law?
D
Explanation:
Answer option D is correct.
Corporate governance refers to the influences that may impact the way corporations are managed,
not the way a bill may become a law.
Answer option A is incorrect. Agency rules and regulations are laws developed by federal agencies,
such as OSHA.
Answer option B is incorrect. Executive orders are orders signed by the president - they become laws
after existing in the Federal Register for 30 days.
Answer option C is incorrect. Agency orders are also laws originating from federal agencies such as
the National Labor Relations Board.
Reference: Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide, Sybex, ISBN: 978-0-470-
43096-5. Chapter Four: Workforce Planning and Employment. Official PHR and SPHR Certification
Guide, HR Certification Institute, ISBN: 978-1-586-44149-4, Section III, The US Body of Knowledge.
Chapter: Business Management and Strategy
Objective: Corporate Governance
John is the Senior HR Professional for his organization and he's reviewing his company's code of
conduct. Which of the following statements best describes a code of conduct?
A
Explanation:
Answer option A is correct.
The code of conduct is an employer's expectation of employee behavior.
Answer option B is incorrect. This statement describes the company's code of ethics.
Answer option C is incorrect. This isn't a valid statement for the code of conduct.
Answer option D is incorrect. All employees are expected to abide by the code of conduct, not just
management or just employees.
Reference: Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide, Sybex, ISBN: 978-0-470-
43096-5. Chapter Four: Workforce Planning and Employment. Official PHR and SPHR Certification
Guide, HR Certification Institute, ISBN: 978-1-586-44149-4, Section III, The US Body of Knowledge.
Chapter: Business Management and Strategy
Objective: Corporate Governance
As a Senior HR Professional, you may have to work with the board of directors on some
organizational issues and goals. How does the board of directors come into existence?
C
Explanation:
Answer option C is correct.
Shareholders elect the board of directors.
Answer option A is incorrect. The founder of the company doesn't choose the board - the
shareholders of the company do.
Answer option B is incorrect. Members of the board may be employees, but it's the shareholders that
elect the board, not HR.
Answer option D is incorrect. The shareholders of the company determine who will serve on the
board, not regulations or laws.
Reference: Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide, Sybex, ISBN: 978-0-470-
43096-5. Chapter Four: Workforce Planning and Employment. Official PHR and SPHR Certification
Guide, HR Certification Institute, ISBN: 978-1-586-44149-4, Section III, The US Body of Knowledge.
Chapter: Business Management and Strategy
Objective: Corporate Governance