DSST Human Resource Management study plan

Define the core functions of HRM (planning, staffing, development, appraisal, compensation, safety, relations) and explain in writing how each function feeds the others

Trace the historical shift from personnel administration to strategic HRM and list three ways HR strategy must align with organizational strategy

Map the external environment forces (labor market tightness, demographics, technology, globalization) that shape HR planning decisions

Distinguish job analysis outputs - job description versus job specification - and write one of each for a role you know well

Sequence the HR planning process from demand forecast through supply analysis to gap-closing action plans

Compare recruitment sources (internal vs external, job boards, referrals, campus) on cost, speed, and quality-of-hire tradeoffs

Contrast structured, unstructured, and situational interview formats and identify which reduce bias most

Explain the purpose of realistic job previews and validation of selection tests (content, criterion, construct validity)

Distinguish training from development and identify when each is appropriate

Conduct a training needs analysis at organizational, task, and person levels for a scenario

Compare on-the-job methods (coaching, job rotation, apprenticeships) with off-the-job methods (classroom, simulation, e-learning)

Explain how to evaluate training using reaction, learning, behavior, and results criteria

Identify the purposes of performance appraisal (administrative, developmental, strategic) and the tensions among them

Compare rating formats: graphic rating scales, behaviorally anchored rating scales, critical incident, and management by objectives

Diagnose common rater errors (halo, leniency, central tendency, recency, similar-to-me) and name a mitigation for each

Outline a legally defensible appraisal process, including documentation and feedback timing

Explain the components of a total compensation package: base pay, variable pay, benefits, and nonfinancial rewards

Contrast job-based pay structures with person-based (skill and competency) pay and state when each fits

Describe how job evaluation and market salary surveys set internal equity and external competitiveness

Identify the legal constraints on pay (equal pay, minimum wage, overtime, exempt vs nonexempt classification)

Apply the Occupational Safety and Health Act framework: employer general duty, employee rights, inspection triggers, and recordkeeping

Identify major workplace hazards and match controls using the hierarchy of controls (elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE)

Summarize the core requirements of the key employment statutes: Title VII, ADEA, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, and OSHA

Explain the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint process and the concepts of disparate treatment and disparate impact

Outline workplace security concerns, including workplace violence prevention and employee privacy limits

Distinguish the National Labor Relations Act, Labor Management Relations Act, and Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act by the rights and limits each established

Describe the union organizing process from authorization card signing through election and certification, including what constitutes an unfair labor practice on either side

Sequence the collective bargaining steps from preparation through tentative agreement and ratification

Explain grievance procedures, arbitration, and the role of mediation and fact-finding in impasse resolution

Identify the legal limits on employer conduct during organizing campaigns

Synthesize all seven domains into a single integrated review outline that links each HR function to its legal constraints

Complete at least 120 practice questions, tagging every miss by domain and error type (recall gap vs misread vs concept confusion)

Re-drill the two weakest domains until practice accuracy in each reaches 80 percent or better

Rehearse timed test-taking strategy, including pacing checkpoints and when to flag and skip