Human Resource Management MCQs

Human Resource Management MCQs

These Human Resource Management multiple-choice questions and their answers will help you strengthen your grip on the subject of Human Resource Management. You can prepare for an upcoming exam or job interview with these Human Resource Management MCQs.
So scroll down and start answering.

1: True or false? Harassment can occur in all work environments between opposite and same sex employees.

A.   True

B.   False

2: One important role of the HR Manager is to:

A.   Make everyone happy

B.   Please only highly compensated employees

C.   Assess risks as it relates to employees

D.   Encourage department managers to create and enforce their own rules

3: Which is a soft skills topic for Leadership Training?

A.   Payroll

B.   Sales

C.   Time Management

D.   System processes

4: The best way to prevent unionization is to:

A.   Terminate all employees who express interest in organizing

B.   Prevent unhappy employees by treating them well

C.   Campaign against unions

D.   Create a non union policy

5: Which is not considered a payroll tax?

A.   City Income Tax

B.   Garnishments

C.   Federal Income Tax

D.   Social Security Tax

6: With frequent regulation changes, it is best to:

A.   Keep policies very general

B.   Evaluate policies regularly

C.   Frequently call local Employment Agency

D.   Contact a Lawyer monthly

7: When evaluating compensation, it is best to look at

A.   Employees' education only 

B.   External and Internal Equity

C.   Internal Equity only

D.   Employees' experience only

8: When creating a new position which is best?

A.   Conducting an assessment of the department's needs

B.   Ask existing employees their opinions

C.   Mirror a competitor's department

D.   Looking at the market first

9: True or False: Organizational Development (OD) is a process used to enhance the effectiveness of an organization and the well-being of its members through planned interventions.

A.   True

B.   False

10: True or false? A Matrix Organization is characterized as one that is diverse and interconnected.

A.   False

B.   True

11: To help reduce the risk of discrimination, it is best practice to:

A.   Be overly cautious around a member of a protected class

B.   Try to make everyone happy

C.   Allow management to do what it takes to keep the disgruntled quiet

D.   Have fair and enforceable policies and procedures

12: A good safety program should include:

A.   All of these.

B.   Evaluation

C.   Recognition and incentives

D.   Training and communication

E.   Prevention and program design

13: Standard Operating Procedures are useful for

A.   Both new and existing employees

B.   Existing employees only

C.   New employees only

D.   HR only

14: True or false? Role playing is a training technique used to develop skills.

A.   False

B.   True

15: True or false? A good HR Manager may not always know the right answer, but will know how to find it.

A.   True

B.   False

16: True or false? A flat organization is an organization with many levels.

A.   True

B.   False

17: What is the best way to increase Performance Appraisal process satisfaction? 

A.   Allow the employee and supervisor to set goals

B.   Provide a "good" appraisal to sensitive employees

C.   Do not share full appraisal with employee

D.   Do not compare scores with others

18: When recruiting for an openned position, which is best practice?

A.   Contact all who applied

B.   Contact most qualified candidates to schedule 1st interviews

C.   Contact unemployed candidates first

D.   Contact provided references first

19: Which is a good observation when developing an Employee Recognition Program?

A.   Everyone is motivated by money

B.   Everyone is motivated by praise

C.   Employees may have different motivators

D.   It is impossible to motivate staff

20: True or false? Non-Exempt employees must be paid for hours worked overtime.

A.   True

B.   False

21: True or false? The length of time employee records must be kept varies, according to federal and state laws.

A.   False

B.   True

22: What is a good way to increase organizational performance?

A.   Acting on employee surveys

B.   Reducing standards

C.   Hiring tough Managers

D.   Enforcing strict disciplinary actions

23: An interviewer believes that older workers are more difficult to train and make more mistakes than younger workers. This form of performance appraisal error is

A.   Conflict.

B.   Bias.

C.   Contamination.

D.   Deficiency.

24: An HR audit is designed to help management

A.   Improve employee morale.

B.   Analyze HR policies, programs, and procedures against applicable legal requirements.

C.   Improve HR effectiveness.

D.   All of these.

25: An Employee Handbook:

A.   Remains in HR department

B.   Remains in managers' offices

C.   Does not need to be signed

D.   Should be signed by all employees

26: What action can help reduce company risk when dealing with unemployment claims?

A.   Allow every claim to be paid

B.   Consult a Lawyer every time

C.   Fight every claim

D.   Document the events leading to termination

27: Which is considered a bad question during the interview process?

A.   Do you have a degree?

B.   What are your weaknesses?

C.   Can we contact your current employer?

D.   How old are you?

28: Who may not be eligible for benefits?

A.   Families of employees

B.   Owners

C.   Contractors

D.   Lower level employees

29: When an employee comes to HR to discuss a concern with a Supervisor which is best practice?

A.   Bring in the Supervisor right away

B.   Always suggest the employee directly speak with the Supervisor

C.   Pass concerns to other employees

D.   Assure conversation will be kept confidential

30: True or false? A Company is responsible for payroll taxes for Contractors.

A.   False

B.   True

31: In the United States with regards to HIPPA and ADA, it is best practice to

A.   Keep employee and medical records together

B.   Keep medical records off property

C.   Keep employee medical records separate from personnel records

D.   Do not keep medical records on file

32: Investigation interviews should result in:

A.   Involvement of authorities

B.   Immediate disciplinary action

C.   Written statements that are signed by those interviewed

D.   An employee termination

33: Which is not a purpose of a written job description?

A.   Document duties and responsiblities

B.   List several department roles

C.   List Qualifications

D.   List skills required

34: A window manufacturer guarantees its installers a base wage plus an extra $25 for each job completed to specifications. The employer is using a:

A.   Merit pay system

B.   Productivity-based system

C.   Competency-based system

D.   Flat-rate system

35: Skills inventory is used to

A.   Determine experience and skills of competitor's workforce

B.   Determine experience and skills across industries

C.   Determine skills in the marketplace

D.   Determine experience and abilities of workforce

36: Which of the following is one of the elements of a SMART goal?

A.   Threat.

B.   Action-oriented.

C.   Technology.

D.   Strength.

37: When determining Employee vs. Contractor you must look at:

A.   Pay schedule

B.   Hours worked

C.   The department worked

D.    Degree of control over work

38: When working with Unions, how long should HR prepare for contract negotiations prior to end of a collective bargaining agreement?

A.    1 week prior

B.   Up to several months in advance

C.   No need to prepare

D.   1 year

39: Which may not be in a company's Annual Performance Appraisal processes?

A.   Deadlines are set

B.   HR reviews forms

C.   Managers meet with Employees

D.   Managers can change review after meeting with employee

40: FMLA does not grant leaves for:

A.   Fathers

B.   Adopted parents

C.   Siblings

D.   Legal guardians

41: What is the difference between training activities and developmental activities?

A.   Training activities prepare employees for their present jobs; developmental activities prepare employees for future jobs.

B.   There is no difference; the two terms are interchangeable.

C.   Training activities focus on the acquisition of new skills; developmental activities correct skill deficiencies.

D.   Training activities are broader in focus; developmental activities have a narrow focus.

42: True or false? Health benefit deductions are an after tax deduction.

A.   True

B.   False

43: How long should files of terminated employees be held?

A.   10 years

B.   1 year

C.   At least 3 years

D.   6 months

44: Internal recruiting method that allows current employees the chance to respond to announcements of positions;

A.   Open question

B.   Job bidding

C.   Job competencies

D.   Job posting

45: Which fits a remote Independent Contractor Best?

A.   Offered benefits

B.   Must use own equipment

C.   Must manage people

D.   Paid hourly

46: Which of the following is true under the Equal Pay Act?

A.   Employees doing equal work should receive the same pay.

B.   Jobs filled primarily by women should have the same salary as similar jobs filled by men.

C.   Seniority systems cannot result in pay disparity.

D.   Companies should provide all employees with the same working conditions.

47: Which is critical when judging the objectivity of Performance Appraisals?

A.   Awareness of rating biases

B.   Years of of employee experience

C.   Experience of Supervisor

D.   Promotion potential

A.   Employee

B.   HR Manager

C.   Immediate supervisor

D.   CEO

49: Form W2 and 1099 Forms must be mailed on or before which date?

A.   January 31st

B.   February 10th

C.   December 31st

D.   April 15th

50: A general Company Orientation may not include

A.   Department Processes

B.   Company Culture

C.   Harassment Topics

D.   Company Structure

51: Which of the following is an example of disparate treatment?

A.   All employees are required to take an intelligence test.

B.   Members of a protected group are subject to stricter attendance rules.

C.   A neutral staffing practice results in discrimination against protected groups.

D.   Height restrictions are set for all security guards.

52: When providing employment verification over the phone, many employers will provide

A.   Dates of employment, title, and Supervisor's information

B.   Wages, dates of employment, and title

C.   Dates of employment and title

D.   Wages, dates of employment, title, and reason for leaving 

53: Which of the following activities is typical of a transactional leader?

A.   Provides vision to workers.

B.   Intervenes when standards are not met.

C.   Communicates high expectations.

D.   Gives personal attention.

54: Forced Ranking Performance Appraisals ranks against

A.   Last year

B.   Others in department

C.   Past 3 years

D.   A  bell curve

A.   Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA)

B.   Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)

C.   Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

D.   Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)

E.   Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

56: Which contributes to FICA?

A.   Social Security and Medicare Tax

B.   Medicare and Unemployment Tax

C.   State and Federal Income Tax

D.   Social Security and Unemployment Tax

57: Which learning curve is common when an employee is learning a difficult task that also requires specific insight?

A.   Decreasing returns

B.   Increasing returns

C.   Plateau curve

D.   S-shaped curve

58: Pay compression can be created by several means, including:

A.   Emphasizing external competitiveness over internal equity.

B.   Granting increases on a percentage basis.

C.   Emphasizing job-evaluation results.

D.   Following a promotion from within strategy.

59: Which one of the following is not an organisational structure?

A.   divisional structure

B.   functional structure

C.   matrix structure

D.   Autocratic stucture

E.   Bureaucratic structure

60: Which of the following is NOT a compensable factor?

A.   Skill.

B.   Working conditions.

C.   Responsibility.

D.   Seniority.

61: A job design strategy that increases the variety of responsibilities but requires the same skill level is referred to as

A.   Job simplification.

B.   Job enrichment.

C.   Job specialization.

D.   Job enlargement.

62: The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 grants employees the right to do all of the following except:

A.   View detailed reports of all workplace accidents.

B.   Be advised of potential safety hazards.

C.   Observe the employer when measuring and monitoring workplace hazards.

D.   Speak privately to an OSHA inspector during an inspection.

63: Which of the following is a productivity type of statistical HR measurement.

A.   Turnover and retention.

B.   Job satisfaction.

C.   Cost per hire.

D.   Revenue per employee.

64: A standard employment practice that seems to be fair, yet results in discrimination against a protected class is a description of:

A.   Adverse impact.

B.   Unfair treatment.

C.   Disparate treatment.

D.   Disparate impact.

65: Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the minimum age for employment in non-agricultural employment is:

A.   15

B.   16

C.   14

D.   There is no minimum age for non-agricultural employment

66: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

A.   Prevents HR from investigating claims issues.

B.   Established EPO networks.

C.   Requires continuation of health benefits.

D.   Limited preexisting condition restrictions.

67: Which of the following are customarily excluded from a bargaining unit?

A.   Supervisory employees

B.   Seasonal employees

C.   Government employees

D.   Part-time employees

68: Workers' compensation is regulated by the

A.   States.

B.   Social Security Administration.

C.   Private insurance companies.

D.   U.S. Department of Labor.

69: True or false: All investigation interviews should be recorded.

A.   True

B.   False

70: What is NOT a core element of Management by Objectives?

A.   Measurement of actual performance against set goals

B.   Individual targets are set by senior leadership

C.   Employee is involved in goal-setting

D.   Setting specific, measurable, achievable worker goals

71: Steve earns more commission as his sales increase. For example, for sales of up to $25,000, he receives a commission of 2%. For sales between $25,001 and $50,000, he receives a commission of 2.5%, and so forth. What type of compensation structure does Steve receive?

A.   Salary-plus-commission

B.   Tiered Commission

C.   Commission-plus-draw

D.   Graduated Commission

72: What is NOT a major component of Training Needs Analysis?

A.   Resource Analysis

B.   Person Analysis

C.   Organizational Analysis

D.   Task Analysis

73: The tendency to give extreme ratings (i.e. on Performance Appraisals), often resulting in rating inflation.

A.   Floor Effect

B.   Central Tendency

C.   Halo Effect

D.   Leniency

74: Which of the following is a disadvantage of an 'Authoritarian' management style?


A.   It prevents decisions being made quickly

B.   It may demotivate subordinates

C.   It prevents the staff with little knowledge and skills from being effective

D.   The staff may be unclear as to their roles 

75: Which of the following assesses an individual's achievement and motivational levels?


A.   Thurstone Temperament Survey (TTS)

B.   Minnesota Multiphasic Personality (MMPI)

C.   California Psychological Inventory (CPI)

D.   Thematic Appreciation Test (TAT) 

76: Which of the following, according to Frederick Herzberg, is NOT a 'motivator'?


A.   Salary

B.   Promotion opportunities

C.   Recognition

D.   Challenge 

77: Which of the following is an employer legally obliged to do in the recruitment process?


A.   Provide written references for employees seeking employment elsewhere

B.   Write to unsuccessful candidates explaining the reasons for the decision

C.   Seek written references from previous employers

D.   Provide the person appointed with a written statement of their conditions of service 

78: Which of the following statements is/are true?

i)Accountability can be given without consultation.
ii)Responsibility can be given without consultation.


A.   Both are true

B.   Only (i) is true

C.   Only (ii) is true

D.   Neither is true 

79: Which of the following is NOT a benefit of the use of group work in training activities?


A.   All participants get to contribute equally

B.   The staff get to know each other and are able to work more effectively together

C.   The staff can explore ideas together rather than simply being told the answers

D.   Team-working skills can be improved

80: The jobs of project teams, temporary task forces, and assembly teams are _________ in nature.


A.   sequential

B.   independent

C.   pooled

D.   senior

81: Which of the following statements is true?


A.   A labor union is not allowed to organize strikes.

B.   A labor union is allowed to organize only general strikes

C.   A labor union may picket company premises during a strike.

D.   A labor union may organize wildcat strikes.

E.   None of the above

82: A set of statements describing the behaviors that an organization regards as important, is known as the organization's ________.


A.   code

B.   values

C.   morality

D.   ethics 

83: At the end of a new recruit's probationary period, an employer may:


A.   terminate their contract.

B.   extend their probation.

C.   offer a permanent contract.

D.   do any of the above. 

84: In which Human Resource Audit approach do the auditors identify another company as a model for evaluation?


A.   Statistical Approach

B.   Compliance Approach

C.   Comparative Approach

D.   Outside Authority Approach 

85: Which of the following is at the top of the hierarchy in Maslow's hierarchy of needs?


A.   Esteem

B.   Physiological needs

C.   Safety

D.   Self-actualization 

86: Which of the following are expenses associated with recruitment?


A.   Re-location of selected candidates

B.   Employment agency fees

C.   Opportunity costs of interviewers

D.   Salaries of HR staff in preparing contracts etc.

E.   All of the above

87: In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which needs are described as higher order needs?


A.   Self actualization, esteem, and social needs

B.   Physiological needs and safety

C.   Esteem, safety, and social needs

D.   Self actualization, physiological needs, and esteem 

88: Horizontal Promotion refers to:


A.   increase in responsibilities, hike in pay, and change in designation, but no change in job classification.

B.   increase in responsibilities, hike in pay, and change in designation.

C.   increase in pay and change in job classification, but no change in responsibilities.

D.   increase in pay and change in designation, but no change in job classification. 

89: Human Resource Audit covers:

i)Audit of suppliers
ii)Audit of HR function
iii)Audit of corporate strategy
iv)Audit of financial books


A.   i and ii

B.   i and iii

C.   i and iv

D.   ii and iii

E.   ii and iv

F.   iii and iv 

90: Amit, Ben and Charlotte work in the sales department of Fortex.  Amit makes a formal complaint to their manager, claiming that Charlotte has been telling other people that his work is poor.
Under which category does the manager's response come?


A.   Monitoring performance

B.   Giving advice

C.   Handling grievances

D.   Working with others 

91: According to ERG Theory, ERG is an acronym for:


A.   Efficiency, Relatedness, and Growth

B.   Effect, Relatedness, and Growth

C.   Existence, Relatedness, and Growth

D.   Ensconce, Relatedness, and Growth 

92: "Make or Buy" is a phrase associated with Recruitment. To what does the word "Buy" refer?


A.   Hiring less skilled workers

B.   Training the present employees

C.   Hiring skilled workers and professionals

D.   Hiring less skilled workers and imparting training to them 

93: According to the _____________, every employee has to record his/her daily activities.


A.   Register method

B.   Day book method

C.   Book keeping

D.   Diary method  

94: Which of the following is NOT an employer's responsibility?


A.   To comply with health and safety law

B.   To be non-discriminatory

C.   To follow established procedures for disciplinary action

D.   To provide reasonable prospects for promotion

E.   All of the above are the employer's responsibility 

95: What is the name of the rating error in which one aspect of an individual's performance influences the evaluation of the entire performance?


A.   Halo effect

B.   Rater effect

C.   Central tendency

D.   Primary effect 

96: Which of the following techniques are associated with Job Design?

i)Autonomous Technique
ii)Work Study Technique
iii)Work Simplification Technique
iv)Job Analysis


A.   i and ii

B.   i and iii

C.   i and iv

D.   ii and iii

E.   ii and iv

F.   iii and iv

97: The introduction of a new employee to his/her job, colleagues, and organization is called:


A.   Installation

B.   Placement

C.   Induction

D.   Selection 

98: A manager decides to allow her staff to start and finish work at times that suit them, so long as they work their contracted hours.  What change in their conditions will she be making?


A.   Introduction of job sharing

B.   Introduction of flexible-hours working

C.   Introduction of fixed-term contracts

D.   Introduction of shift working 

99: Why might staff development activities have negative consequences for an organization?


A.   Productivity will decrease

B.   Staff loyalty will be reduced

C.   The management burden within the organization will increase

D.   Rival organizations may poach highly-skilled staff 

100: A 'Preliminary Interview' is also called:


A.   Primary-round Interview

B.   Temporary Interview

C.   Courtesy Interview

D.   First-round Interview