HRM Exam

1) You are working for a home health care agency. Most of your employees are home health care aides. These employees travel to your clients’ homes and provide various services for them: change bandages, help them get dressed, take them to doctor’s appointments, and assist them in physical therapy exercises. Due to the nature of these tasks and the fact that many of your clients have significant mobility issues, this job can be quite physically demanding on your employees. Your company has seen a recent spike in worker’s compensation claims for these employees. Most of these cases have arisen when the employee is in the process of helping a client get out of bed or out of their wheelchair.

You are thinking about creating a training program to address this situation. (25 pts)

a) Do you think the training program should be done on or off-site? Why?

b) Based on your answer above, what TWO training methods would you recommend for this program? Why?

c) Since the program will be offered to many employees, it’s likely these employees will have different learning styles. Do your methods above accommodate VAK learners? Please explain.

d)Based upon Kirkpatrick’s model, how would you recommend evaluating this program?

2) After you completed the training program, your next job was to improve the performance management system for the agency’s home health care workers. The current performance review for this job is very simple. The home health care aides are evaluated simply based upon the number of clients they serve each week. Address the following issues based on the assumption that the agency evaluates these employees on this criteria only: (25 pts)

a) In what ways is this performance management system deficient?

b) In what ways is this performance management system contaminated?

c) Assuming you recommend increasing the number of factors in the appraisal process, would you recommend multi-source feedback? Why? Or Why not?

d) Do you think the agency should adopt a forced distribution system as well? Why?

3) After you completed your performance appraisal task, your attention turned to the agency’s struggles retaining home health care aides. The average aide at your facility earns about $30,000 per year. The agency employs 50 of these workers. The turnover rate is about 40% a year! The company estimates that turnover cost per aide equals 30% of their yearly salary. A satisfaction survey revealed high levels of dissatisfaction for these workers. Based upon this scenario answer the following questions: (25 points)

a)What is the total turnover cost to the agency for this job? (Do not apply the turnover costing model – just base your answer on the information above) Show your work.

b)What type of psychological contract do you think most of these aides have at this organization? Why?

c)Based on your answer to “b” what type of organizational commitment do you think those that stay there probably have? Explain.

d)Which retention determinant would you recommend to the agency to reduce turnover for this job? Explain.

4) Your agency hired a new controller last year. The agency’s manager has been hearing many complaints about this person from the staff. The manager wants your advice on whether or not we should terminate the controller’s employment. Besides EEO issues (e.g., race, sex, religion, pregnancy, age, disability) discuss THREE key issues that would/should affect whether or not this person should be let go. (25 points)