PHR HRCI Professional in Human Resources Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

Cross-functional training and job rotation expose employees to different departments, enhancing collaboration. Additionally, encouraging innovation fosters problem-solving across teams. These two strategies drive a more collaborative, agile work culture.

Official Extract:

"Facilitating cross-functional exposure and encouraging innovation are key strategies to promote collaboration, creativity, and teamwork within organizations."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Employee and Labor Relations Section, Building Collaborative Workplaces)

Inadequate orientation at the start of employment often leads to early disengagement and turnover because employees feel confused, unsupported, and disconnected from the organization’s culture.

Official Extract:

"Effective onboarding and orientation programs reduce early turnover by helping new hires understand their roles, expectations, and organizational culture."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Talent Planning and Acquisition Section, Onboarding and Retention)

A job analysis is a foundational HR tool used to identify the essential duties, responsibilities, and skills required for a specific role. It precedes the creation of job descriptions and competency models.

Official Extract:

"Job analysis systematically collects information about the duties, responsibilities, necessary skills, outcomes, and work environment of a particular job."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Talent Planning and Acquisition Section, Job Analysis and Design)

Under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), unionized employees have the right to request union representation (Weingarten Rights) during investigatory interviews that could lead to discipline.

Official Extract:

"Employees represented by a union have the right to request union representation during interviews that may result in disciplinary action (Weingarten Rights)."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Employee and Labor Relations Section, Labor Relations and Union Rights)

Multirater (360-degree) feedback is a comprehensive assessment technique gathering performance information from a variety of sources: supervisors, peers, subordinates, and sometimes customers. It provides a holistic view of an employee’s skills, competencies, and behaviors critical for succession planning.

Official Extract:

"Succession planning relies on multiple feedback mechanisms to assess employee readiness, including 360-degree feedback, competency models, and individual development plans."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Talent Planning and Acquisition Section, Succession Planning Strategies)

The success of an outplacement program is best measured by the number of displaced employees successfully re-employed. This demonstrates the program’s effectiveness in helping employees transition to new opportunities.

Official Extract:

"The effectiveness of outplacement programs is assessed by measuring the reemployment rates of separated employees."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Talent Planning and Acquisition Section, Separation and Transition Programs)

Maintaining consistent post-employment documentation is critical to flag performance issues and ensure hiring managers have accurate information about former employees' work history during the rehire process.

Official Extract:

"Accurate and consistent post-employment records are necessary to make informed rehire decisions and avoid repeating past employment mistakes."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Talent Planning and Acquisition Section, Rehiring Policies)

Pay inversion happens when a new employee is hired at a higher salary than a current employee performing the same or similar work with equal or greater experience — often due to rising market rates.

Official Extract:

"Pay inversion occurs when newly hired employees are paid more than existing employees in comparable roles, creating internal pay inequities."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Total Rewards Section, Pay Structures and Market Competitiveness)

Standard deviation measures the amount of variability or dispersion in a set of scores or ratings. In selection assessments, it helps determine how spread out the ratings are and identifies consistency issues.

Official Extract:

"Standard deviation measures the spread of data points from the mean, providing insight into the consistency of selection ratings and assessment scores."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Talent Planning and Acquisition Section, Selection Metrics)

Organizations implement social media policies primarily to limit legal liability by clarifying acceptable online behavior, protecting confidential information, and preventing harassment, defamation, or regulatory violations.

Official Extract:

"Establishing employee policies regarding communication technologies, including social media, protects the organization against liabilities related to defamation, discrimination, data breaches, and intellectual property theft."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Business Management Section, Risk Mitigation and Compliance)

A successful RIF (reduction in force) process prioritizes sustaining employee morale and ensuring the ongoing operation of the business. Without maintaining morale, productivity, and trust suffer badly.

Official Extract:

"Effective RIF management requires careful planning to ensure business continuity and address the morale and engagement of retained employees."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Talent Planning and Acquisition Section, Workforce Reductions)

When managers hire based on cultural fit, they often form qualified teams that not only meet skill requirements but also align with company values and dynamics. However, it is critical to balance cultural fit with diversity to avoid groupthink.

Official Extract:

"Hiring for cultural fit supports the development of cohesive, high-performing teams that align with organizational values while ensuring skill qualifications are met."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Talent Planning and Acquisition Section, Talent Acquisition Best Practices)

Direct turnover costs include recruitment expenses like hiring additional recruiters, advertising job openings, and conducting interviews. Indirect costs include productivity loss, delays, and morale impact.

Official Extract:

"Direct costs of turnover involve tangible expenses such as recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and training new employees."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Talent Planning and Acquisition Section, Turnover Costs)