Contents -- About This Course -- How to Take This Course -- Pre-Test -- 1 The Human Resources Function: An Overview -- The History of Personnel/Human Resources -- Today's Successful HR Practitioner -- Important Competencies -- HR Challenges -- Diversity -- Workplace Illiteracy -- Telecommuting and Virtual Management -- Integrating a Contingent Workforce -- Work/Life Programs -- Establishing an HR Function -- HR Staff Ratios -- HR Budgets and Operating Costs -- What's in a Name? -- The HR Function in Small and Mid-Sized vs. Large Organizations -- Degree of Specialization -- Number of Geographic Locations -- Unionization -- Variety of Jobs -- Hierarchy of Reporting Relationships -- Grievances and Disciplinary Problems -- The HR Function in Relation to Non-HR Functions -- Legal Issues -- The Employment Process -- Testing -- Compensation -- Performance Management -- Benefits Administration -- Employee Relations -- Training and Development -- Human Resources Management Systems (HRMS) -- Recap -- Review Questions -- 2 HR Management and Legal Issues -- Employment-Related Legislation -- Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 -- Civil Rights Act of 1866 -- Civil Rights Act of 1964 -- Equal Pay Act of 1963 -- Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 -- Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970 -- Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) of 1978 -- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 -- Civil Rights Act of 1991 -- Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 -- Requirements for Posting Information -- The Impact of Employment-Related Legislation on HR Management -- Employment- and Termination-at-Will -- Negligent Hiring and Retention -- Avoiding Discrimination Charges -- Recap -- Review Questions -- 3 The Employment Process -- Interview Preparation -- Step One: Become Familiar with the Job.

Step Two: Review the Employment Application or Résumé -- Step Three: Plan Basic Questions -- Recruitment -- Recruitment Sources -- Recruitment Strategy -- ABC Guidelines for Successful Recruitment -- Interview Questioning Techniques -- Competency-Based Questions -- Open-Ended Questions -- Hypothetical Questions -- Probing Questions -- Closed-Ended Questions -- Documentation -- Objective and Subjective Language -- Avoid Recording Unsubstantiated Opinions -- Refer to Job-Related Facts -- Documentation for Jobs Without Tangible Requirements -- Orientation Programs -- Organizational Orientation Programs -- Departmental Orientation Programs -- Recap -- Review Questions -- 4 Testing -- How Preemployment and Employment Tests Are Used -- Preemployment Testing -- Employment Testing -- Testing Advantages and Disadvantages -- Testing Advantages -- Testing Disadvantages -- Test Validation -- Types of Validity Studies -- Test Administration -- Test Takers -- Test Administrators -- Test Standardization -- Test Security -- Language Consistency -- Testing Policies -- Types of Tests -- Drug Testing -- Psychological Testing -- Personality Testing -- Recap -- Review Questions -- 5 Compensation -- Characteristics of an Effective Compensation Program -- Job Descriptions -- Before Writing Job Descriptions -- Generic and Specific Job Descriptions -- Job Description Contents -- Guidelines for Writing Job Descriptions -- Position Evaluations -- Position Evaluation Process -- Benchmarking -- Specific Compensation Programs -- Base Pay -- Merit Increase System -- Single Rates -- Variable Pay -- Skill-Based Pay -- Competency-Based Pay -- Broadbanding -- Gainsharing -- Long-Term Incentive Compensation -- Recap -- Review Questions -- 6 Performance Management -- Objectives and Uses -- Components of an Effective System -- Performance Management Methods -- Essay Evaluation.

Graphic Rating Scale -- Weighted Checklist -- Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS) -- Forced Choice -- Critical Incident -- Ranking -- Forced Distribution -- 360-Degree Evaluation -- Self-Evaluation -- Choosing the Most Appropriate Performance Management System -- Allocation of Performance Management Responsibilities -- Coaching and Counseling -- Performance Management Forms -- Uses of Performance Management Forms -- Instructions and Training -- Numerical Ratings -- Misuses of Performance Management Forms -- Limitations of Forms -- Performance Management Meetings -- Preparing for a Performance Management Meeting -- Conducting the Performance Management Meeting -- Performance Management Meeting Pitfalls -- Recap -- Review Questions -- 7 Benefits Administration -- Benefits Trends -- Primary Objectives of Benefits Programs -- Required Benefits -- Social Security and Medicare -- Unemployment Insurance -- Workers' Compensation -- Family and Medical Leave -- Additional Benefits Legislation -- Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974 -- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) -- New EEOC Guidance on Discrimination in Employee Benefits -- Different Types of Benefits Plans -- Traditional Benefits Plans -- Flexible Benefits Plans -- Selecting an Insurance Carrier -- Questions to Ask Carriers -- Funding Options -- Recap -- Review Questions -- 8 Employee Relations -- Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) -- Cost of an EAP -- EAP Providers -- Confidentiality -- Grievances and Disciplinary Procedures -- Grievance Procedures -- Disciplinary Procedures -- Alternative Dispute Resolution -- HR Policies and Procedures Manuals and Employee Handbooks -- Policies and Procedures Manuals -- Employee Handbooks -- Employee Retention -- What Employees Want -- The Impact of Managers on Turnover -- Retention Challenges in Today's Workplace.

Communication: The Key Component of a Retention Environment -- Employee Recognition and Award Programs -- Best Practices: The McDonald's Corporation -- Recap -- Review Questions -- 9 Training and Development -- Training Trends -- Types of Training -- Training Costs -- Training Formats -- Linking Learning with Performance -- The Role of HR -- Knowledge Management -- Needs Assessment -- Types of Needs Assessment -- Directed Training vs. Nondirected Training -- Directed Training -- Nondirected Training -- Distance Learning -- Advantages and Disadvantages of Distance Learning -- Classroom Learning vs. Distance Learning -- Evaluating the Effectiveness of Training -- Isolate Competencies -- Application of Learning -- Return on Investment (ROI) -- Career Development -- Career Development Model -- Succession Planning -- Acceleration Pool -- Mentoring -- Mentoring Programs -- Recap -- Review Questions -- 10 Human Resources Management Systems (HRMS) -- Guidelines for Using, Selecting, Replacing, and Upgrading an HRMS -- Uses of an HRMS -- Selecting an HRMS Project Team -- Upgrading an Existing HRMS -- Steps for Implementing an HRMS -- Selecting a Vendor -- Request for Proposal (RFP) -- Product Demonstrations -- The HRMS Contract -- Self-Service Applications -- HRMS Costs -- Internal or External Development -- Anticipated Costs -- Scope Creep -- Business Impact -- Privacy and Security Issues -- HRMS Maintenance -- Recap -- Review Questions -- Bibliography -- Post-Test -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Z.