Refer to the following scenario for the next 3 questions.
An HR generalist is assigned to support a scientific organization. Those in leadership positions in the organization are highly educated, most with doctorates. Some are Nobel Prize winners. Those in supporting positions tend to have jobs that are clerical in nature; most do not have college degrees. In addition, the leadership and support teams have strong ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic differences among them that result in cultural conflicts. The leadership team is highly critical of the level and quality of support it receives from the support staff and has gradually eliminated, outsourced, or automated large segments of support tasks. The size of the support team has dwindled to half the size it was five years ago. An administrative analyst from the human factors division asks to meet with the HR generalist to discuss bias in the division. The administrative analyst complains that the scientists do not respect administrative analysts, do not utilize them fully, and do not share critical information with them. The administrative analyst wants to file a complaint. The following week a scientist in the human factors division calls the HR generalist and says the administrative analyst should be fired for incompetence. Later, the scientist contacts the HR generalist again to say that the administrative analyst’s job should be eliminated. The scientist explains that if and when the leadership team needs support for the tasks that the administrative analyst performs, it will contract for that support.
Which is the HR generalist’s best response to the scientist’s request to eliminate the administrative analyst’s job?
Answers:
1)Tell the scientist that it is very important to keep process integrity intact and that HR will investigate the situation but eliminating the job is not appropriate at this time.
2)Ask if the scientist wants to eliminate the job simply to get rid of the administrative analyst because of a cultural conflict.
3)Explain to the scientist the process for eliminating a job and how long it will likely take.
4)Tell the scientist that HR needs to talk with the legal department first because of the diversity issues that have been raised.
What is the HR generalist’s best immediate response to the administrative analyst’s complaint?
Answers
1:Explain to the administrative analyst that HR will alert management to the problem and facilitate a solution.
2:Ask the administrative analyst specific questions about the incidents and the impact on the work environment.
3:Validate the administrative analyst’s feelings by agreeing that the administrative analyst is being left out and isolated.
4:Counsel the administrative analyst on how to file a complaint.
A different manager in the human factors division asks the HR generalist for ideas on how to improve the climate in the organization. Which is the HR generalist’s best response?
Answers
1:Give the manager a book about managing a diverse workforce.
2)Ask the manager to describe the issues with the organizational climate and the impact of those issues on the team.
3)Suggest a listening session so that administrative support personnel can openly share their feelings and concerns with leaders and scientists.
4)Provide the manager with a copy of a diversity study conducted for the organization two years earlier.
