SPHRi cheat sheet

SWOT classifies internal Strengths and Weaknesses against external Opportunities and Threats; strategy pairs strengths with opportunities.

PESTLE scans Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental macro forces affecting workforce plans.

Porter's generic strategies: cost leadership, differentiation, and focus; HR practices are aligned to whichever the firm pursues.

Vertical alignment means HR strategy supports business strategy; horizontal alignment means HR practices are consistent with each other.

Demand forecasting uses trend, ratio, and judgmental methods; supply forecasting uses skills inventories, Markov chains, and replacement charts.

A gap analysis subtracts projected supply from projected demand; a positive result signals a shortage, a negative result signals a surplus.

HR scorecard links workforce metrics to business outcomes through cause-and-effect chains, unlike a flat KPI list.

Span of control, centralization, and departmentalization are the structural levers HR adjusts when strategy changes.

Yield ratio = applicants advancing to the next stage divided by applicants at the prior stage; higher yield means a more efficient source.

Time-to-fill = days from requisition approval to offer acceptance; time-to-start = requisition approval to first day worked.

Cost per hire = (total internal recruiting costs + external recruiting costs) divided by number of hires in the period.

Selection validity is the correlation between predictor scores and job performance; reliability is consistency of measurement over repeats.

Structured interviews with job-related, behaviorally anchored questions have higher predictive validity than unstructured interviews.

Adverse impact is assessed with the four-fifths rule: a selection rate under 80 percent of the highest group's rate signals disparity.

Realistic job previews lower first-year turnover by aligning candidate expectations with actual working conditions.

90-day and first-year turnover rates are leading indicators of onboarding quality and sourcing fit.

Kirkpatrick's four levels: reaction, learning, behavior, and results; evaluation at higher levels requires transfer to the job.

Needs assessment precedes training design and covers organizational, task, and person analysis.

70-20-10 model: most development occurs through on-the-job experience, then relationships and coaching, then formal courses.

Engagement drivers commonly measured: recognition, growth opportunity, manager effectiveness, and sense of purpose.

Succession planning rates readiness as ready now, ready in 1-2 years, or ready in 3+ years for each key position.

Career development uses dual ladders so technical specialists can advance without moving into management.

Learning transfer improves when supervisors reinforce new skills and goals are set before training begins.

High-potential programs risk disengagement of non-selected employees; transparency of criteria reduces this effect.

Compa-ratio = employee base pay divided by the midpoint of the pay grade; 1.0 means pay equals midpoint.

Range spread = (maximum minus minimum) divided by minimum; midpoint = (minimum plus maximum) divided by two.

Pay compression occurs when new hires are paid near or above incumbents; pay inversion occurs when subordinates out-earn supervisors.

Lead, lag, and match policies set pay relative to market: above, below, or at the market median.

Job evaluation methods: ranking, classification, point-factor, and factor comparison; point-factor is most defensible.

Exempt employees under many statutory frameworks must meet salary basis and duties tests; failing either test makes them non-exempt.

Total rewards includes base pay, variable pay, benefits, and non-monetary recognition and development.

Variable pay plans must self-fund: incentive payout curves are set so awards are earned only when performance thresholds are met.

Progressive discipline escalates from verbal warning to written warning to final warning to termination, with documentation at each step.

Just cause requires consistent rules, timely investigation, proportional penalty, and documented evidence.

Due process in investigations means notice of allegations, an opportunity to respond, and an impartial decision-maker.

Constructive dismissal arises when an employer makes conditions so intolerable that resignation is treated as termination.

Risk control hierarchy: eliminate, substitute, engineer controls, administrative controls, then personal protective equipment.

Enterprise risk assessment scores each risk by likelihood times impact to prioritize mitigation.

Whistleblower protections prohibit retaliation against employees who report suspected misconduct in good faith.

Grievance procedures should specify time limits at each step and the right of appeal to a higher authority.

Descriptive analytics reports what happened; predictive analytics forecasts outcomes; prescriptive analytics recommends actions.

Data quality dimensions: accuracy, completeness, consistency, timeliness, and validity.

HRIS selection criteria include integration with payroll, security controls, scalability, and total cost of ownership.

A data warehouse consolidates sources for reporting; a data lake stores raw structured and unstructured data.

Leading indicators predict future outcomes (e.g., engagement scores); lagging indicators confirm past results (e.g., turnover).

Correlation does not establish causation; controlled comparison or longitudinal design is needed before acting on a link.

Dashboards should present one metric per visual with a defined owner, target, and refresh cadence.

Role-based access control limits HR data visibility by job function, supporting privacy and data protection obligations.