Workforce Planning and Development Key Terms

  • ADAAA– Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act. Covers the definition of individual regarded as having a disability, mitigating measures and other rules of construction to guide the analysis of what constitutes a disability
  • Adverse impact – occurs when the selection rate for an employment decision works to the disadvantage of a protected class
  • Affirmative action- Employers positively select members of a protected class to correct underutilization
  • Age Discrimination in Employment Act- Prohibits discrimination for persons age 40 and above
  • Aptitude test- tests that measure general ability or capacity to learn or acquire a new skill
  • Assessment centers- Method of evaluating candidates using content valid work samples, usually include psychological testing, career review, in/out basket test
  • Availability analysis – Analysis of internal and external availability of minorities and women in workforce
  • Behavioral interview- Using behavior based questions for selection
  • Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ)- Situation in which religion, gender, national origin is reasonable necessary to carry out a job function
  • Civil Rights Act- First US law prohibiting discrimination in race, color, religion, gender and national origin
  • Co-employment- situation in which an organization shares responsibility and liability for alternative workers with alternative staffing supplier, also known as joint employment
  • Cognitive ability test- tests that assess skills already learned
  • Competency model- set of competencies that make up a profile for success in a given job
  • Concurrent validity- Type of criterion related validity determined by relating the test scores of a group of test takers who have taken a test and compare with an alternate test taken at the same time
  • Congressional Accountability Act- Act requires federal employee relations and civil rights legislation to apply to employees of Congress
  • Construct validity- Extent to which a selection device measure the theoretical construct or trait
  • Constructive discharge- Employers makes working conditions intolerable to the point of forcing the employee to quit
  • Consumer Credit Protection Act- Act that limits the amount of wages that can be garnished or withheld in any one week
  • Content validity- Degree to which an interview, test or other instrument measures the knowledge, skills, abilities or other qualifications that relate to the job
  • Contrast effect- Type of interviewer bias in which strong candidates who interview after weak ones may appear more competent than they actually are
  • Core competencies- Characteristics valued by the organization and are tied to mission, vision and values
  • Criterion related validity- Linkage between selection device and job performance
  • Cultural noise- failure to recognize responses from a candidate that are socially acceptable vs. factual
  • Delphi technique- Forecasting technique used to review anticipated labor demands that progressively collects information from a group without having the group meet face to face
  • Disparate impact- occurs when the selection rate for an employment decision (hiring, firing, layoff, etc) works to the disadvantage of a protected class
  • Disparate treatment- overt action when one or more protected classes are treated differently from other employees
  • Employee Polygraph Protection Act- prevents employers from using lie detectors for pre-employment screening or during course of employment with limited exceptions.
  • Employment at Will- common law principle allowing employers to hire, fire, demote and promote whoever they want for any reason unless there is a law or contract to the contrary
  • Employment branding- process of positioning an employer as employer of choice in the labor market
  • Employment contract- generally used with executives, agreement between employee and employer to define the employment relationship
  • Employment practices liability insurance- protects employer against claims by workers that their legal rights have been violated. Generally covers legal fees and fines.
  • Essential function- primary job duties that a qualified person must be able to perform, with or without accommodation
  • Exit interview- interview conducted after employee leaves organization and asked to share views on different items.
  • Expatriates- employees sent abroad to work in a country other than their own
  • Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA)– amends FCRA and provides relief to employers conducting investigations of sexual harassment, fraud, etc to not require advance authorization
  • Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)- When third parties are used to conduct investigations such as drivers license, education, reference checking, etc. it requires authorization by employee or candidate and any adverse actions must be reported to the candidate with a chance to response and correct the information
  • First impression error- type of interviewer bias in which they make snap judgments during initial phases of interview
  • Flexible staffing- Alternative recruitment and staffing sources for workers who are not regular employees
  • Garnishment- Creditors obtain court order requirement employer to deduct earnings to settle a debt
  • Glass ceiling- invisible barrier that blocks women and minorities from promotions
  • Halo effect- taking one positive issue and generalizing it to all areas of employment or candidate skills
  • Horn effect- Taking one negative issue and generalizing it to all areas
  • Host country nationals- employees working in their own countries, also known as local nationals
  • Hostile environment harassment- occurs when sexual or other discrimination actions or conduct are so severe and pervasive that it interferes with employee work performance
  • Immigration Reform and Control Act-Act prohibits discrimination based on national origin or citizenship, formed I-9 requirements, penalties for hiring illegal aliens, etc
  • Independent Contractors- self employed individuals hired on contract basis
  • International assignee- anyone on an international assignment
  • Involuntary termination- Employers discharging person for cause (performance, work rule violation)
  • Job analysis- systematic study of jobs to determine which activities/tasks are performed, reporting structure and conditions under which work is performed
  • Job applicant- EEO regulations defining persons expressing interest in employment
  • Job bidding- internal recruiting method for employees to express interest in a position before it is available
  • Job description- summarizes most important features of a job, uses job analysis to define duties, qualifications, physical and cognitive requirements
  • Job posting- internal recruiting method when a job opening exists
  • Judgmental forecasts- uses past and current information to predict future conditions
  • Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act- Act allowing rolling time frame for discrimination claims related to pay discrimination
  • Local nationals- employees working in their own country, also known as host country nationals
  • Nominal group technique- group meeting face to face to forecast/discuss ideas and assumptions
  • Organization exit- Managing persons leaving the organization, also known as offboarding
  • Outplacement- services provided to laid off or terminated employee including job search assistance
  • Outsourcing- flexible staffing option with an independent organization to handle duties / functions.
  • Panel interview- structured questions spread across many individuals
  • Parent country nationals- citizens of headquarters country who reside and work with the intention of returning to home country
  • Patterned interview- interviewer asks each applicant questions from same knowledge, skill or ability area. Also called targeted interview
  • Personality tests- measures social interaction skills and behaviors
  • Placement goals- Affirmative action goals toward women or minorities
  • Polygraph test- test that measures respiration, blood pressure, perspiration to diagnose honesty
  • Predictive validity- type of criterion related validity, degree to which predictions are later confirmed with on the job performance
  • Pregnancy Discrimination Act- prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions
  • Prima facie- Latin for “on first view” or “at first appearance”
  • Protected class- Persons covered under state or federal antidiscrimination laws
  • Quid pro quo- Latin for “This for that”. A serious form of harassment in which the employee is forced to giving into superiors demand to sexual favors for receiving / denial of economic value such as hiring, promotion, raise, positive/negative performance review
  • Quota- involves hiring or promoting a fixed number of individuals based on race, gender or other protected class
  • Realistic job preview- part of selection process that provides applicant with complete and accurate information regarding the work environment
  • Reasonable accommodation- modifying job application process, work environment or circumstances in which the job is performed to enable an otherwise qualified applicant with a disability to be considered for the position
  • Reliability-ability of an instrument to measure consistently over time
  • Repatriates- employees who return home following an international assignment
  • Retaliatory discharge- employer punishing an employee for engaging in protected activities such as filing FMLA, workers comp, EEOC claim)
  • Sexual harassment- Unwanted and unwelcome advances of a sexual nature
  • Simple linear regression- projection of future demand based on past relationship with single variable
  • Simulations- representation of job related situations
  • Situational interview- Interview in which questions are designed to elicit stories and examples to reflect applicant or trainees ability to do the job
  • Skill banks- computerized talent or skillset database
  • Stereotyping- type of interviewer bias in which generalized opinions about how people of a given gender, religion, national origin etc will think, act or respond
  • Stress interview- interviewer assumes a aggressive posture and challenges interviewee or asks rapid fire questions
  • Structured interview- every applicant is asked same questions, also known as repetitive interview
  • Substance abuse tests- measures to insure a drug free workplace. May be done on preemployment basis, random, post accident reasonable suspicion or post treatment
  • Targeted interview- interview in which each interviewee is asked questions from same knowledge, skill or ability area. Also known as patterned interview.
  • Team interview- similar to 360 degree process with multiple members of a unit are involved with the interview including supervisor, peers, subordinates, etc
  • Third country national- employees who are citizens of country other than where they work or where the headquarters resides
  • Transgender- employee birth assigned sex is different than internal sense of gender
  • Trend and ratio analysis- Use of statistics to determine whether relationship exists between two variables
  • Turnover-annualized formula tracking number of separations and total number of workforce employees per month
  • Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures- Procedural document designed to assist employers comply with federal regulations regarding discrimination (job requirements must be work related, not have disparate impact on a protected class, etc)
  • Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act- Act that protects employment, reemployment and retention rights of persons who serve and have served in the uniformed services
  • Validity- ability of an instrument to measure what it is supposed to measure
  • Vicarious liability- legal doctrine under which the employer is liable for the actions of their employees
  • WARN Act (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act)- Requires some employers to give workers minimum of 60 days notice before mass layoffs or plant closure
  • Workforce analysis- List of job titles ranked from lowest to highest paid within organization. May also require analysis for EE0-1 report or Affirmative Action Plan to show male vs. female and ethnic status of employees in the organization against the general population makeup of the same categories
  • Workforce Planning- process used to analyze current workforce and skillsets against future needs
  • Yield ratios- ratios used to quantify recruitment efforts

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