Question 1:
A) Discuss the evolution of the HR role from administrative to strategic. What internal and external factors were involved in this transition? Discuss and provide examples of three different types of skills needed by HR professionals to be effective as strategic business partners.
B) Reflect on the HR function in your current organization or an organization you have worked for. Evaluate the HR role in the organization and discuss the alignment between HR priorities and the organizational strategy (do not name the organization). In other words, did you see evidence of a strategic focus? Why or why not?
Question 2:
A) Select three functional areas of HR (i.e. recruiting, selection, training and development, compensation etc.) and, for each one, discuss how that function supports the HR and organizational strategies. Provide specific examples of goals and outcomes that support organizational success.
B) Consider the organization you work for or one you have worked for in the past. Evaluate the effectiveness of the HR function overall and at least two specific functional areas (do not name the organization). Share at least one HR program or initiative that you found particularly effective and discuss how it supported the organization’s strategy. Why was it effective?
Question 4:
A) Discuss the interrelationships between recruiting, selection, and retention. Why is it important to consider retention in the selection process? How would you evaluate your recruiting and selection programs to determine the impact on employee retention? What metrics would you use?
B) Consider your organization or one where you have been recently employed. What are some strategies used by human resource managers to retain employees? Are they effective? Why or why not?
