Human Resource Management

absenteeism

practice of regularly staying away from work without good reason

administrative policies

Administrative policy consists of formal, internal rules and guidelines that structure an organization's daily operations, ensuring efficiency, consistency, and compliance

attitude

learned, persistent feeling or evaluation that an employee holds toward their job, coworkers or the organization

behavior

the actions, attitude and demeanor employees demonstrate while performing tasks, and interacting with others at work.

behaviorally anchored rating scale

performance appraisal tool that rates employee performance based on specific, observable behaviors rather than vague traits.

business results

quantifiable outcomes, metrics, and operational impacts such as revenue growth, profitability, employee productivity and retention

central tendency

statistical measurement of the typical or average value in a dataset.

contrast

a cognitive bias that occurs when an employee or candidate is evaluated against another person recently evaluated, rather than against an objective predefined standard.

designs for evaluating training

structured methods used to assess training effectiveness, ROI, and learner improvement.

employee training and development

systematic, ongoing programs designed to enhance an employee’s knowledge, skills, and competencies.

experiential learning

hands on training approach where employees acquire skills and knowledge through direct, real world experience, reflection and active participation rather than traditional passive instruction.

forced distribution

a performance management method where managers must rank employees into predefined categories, based on fixed percentages.

fundamental attribution error

The cognitive bias where managers overemphasize an employee’s personality or character traits to explain negative behaviors while underestimating external situational factors.

goal

establishing SMART goals. specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

graphic rating scale

A common simple performance appraisal method in HR that rates employees on specific traits, behaviors, or performance metrics using a standardized continuum such as a numerical scale or descriptive labels.

halo

a cognitive bias where a manager or recuiter forms a overall positive impression of an employee or candidate based on a single often superficial trait or accomplishment.

high conscientiousness

a personality trait reflecting a strong sense of responsibility, organization, reliability, and achievement striving.

high cognitive ability

A trainee characteristic referring to strong general mental capacity (e.g., reasoning, problem-solving, learning speed); employees with high cognitive ability tend to acquire and apply new knowledge and skills more readily.

job performance

The degree to which an employee fulfills the duties and responsibilities of their role; typically measured along task performance, contextual performance, and counterproductive work behavior dimensions.

learning

The second level of Kirkpatrick's training evaluation model; refers to the degree to which trainees acquire the intended knowledge, skills, attitudes, or confidence as a result of training.

leniency

A rating error in performance appraisals where a rater consistently assigns inflated, overly favorable scores to employees, reducing the ability to distinguish high from low performers.

less anxious

A trainee characteristic indicating lower levels of performance anxiety or test anxiety; employees who are less anxious tend to engage more openly with training content and perform better during learning activities.

multiple time-series design

A quasi-experimental training evaluation design that tracks both a trained group and a comparison group across multiple measurement points before and after training, strengthening causal inferences.

opportunity to perform trained tasks

The extent to which trainees have chances to use newly learned skills on the job after training; a key factor in the transfer of training and skill maintenance.

organizational results

The broader business-level outcomes (productivity, profitability, employee retention) that reflect the cumulative impact of HR practices, training programs, and workforce management efforts.

performance measure

A quantitative or qualitative indicator used to assess an employee's or organization's output, behavior, or achievement against defined standards or goals.

positive climate for learning

An organizational environment that encourages continuous skill development, supports experimentation, values knowledge sharing, and provides resources for employee growth.

posttest-only control group design

A training evaluation design in which both a trained (experimental) group and an untrained (control) group are measured only after training, allowing comparison without pre-measurement.

posttest-only design

A simple training evaluation design in which trainees are assessed only after completing a program, with no baseline measurement; limited in its ability to demonstrate training's causal impact.

pretest–posttest control group design

A rigorous training evaluation design that measures both an experimental and control group before and after training, enabling stronger conclusions about training effectiveness.

pretest-posttest design

A training evaluation design that measures trainees before and after a program to assess change; lacks a control group, making it harder to rule out alternative explanations for improvement.

reaction

The first level of Kirkpatrick's training evaluation model; measures trainees' immediate satisfaction, perceptions, and feelings about the training program's content, delivery, and relevance.

reinforcemment of continuous learning

Organizational practices (e.g., recognition, follow-up coaching, refresher training) that encourage employees to consistently build on their skills and apply learning over time.

reporting requirement

A mandatory obligation placed on employees or managers to document, disclose, or communicate specific information (e.g., incidents, performance data, training completion) to relevant stakeholders or regulatory bodies.

return on investment

The fifth level of Kirkpatrick/Phillips' evaluation framework; compares the monetary benefits of a training program or HR initiative to its total costs, expressed as a percentage.

ROI

a financial metric used to justify and evaluate the economic value of HR and training investments relative to their costs.

similar to me

A performance rating bias in which a rater gives higher evaluations to employees who share similar backgrounds, values, personalities, or experiences with the rater, regardless of actual performance differences.

situational constraints

Environmental or organizational barriers (e.g., lack of resources, poor equipment, unsupportive supervision) that prevent employees from performing at their full capability or applying trained skills on the job.

strictness

A rating error in performance appraisals where a rater consistently assigns low scores to all employees, underestimating their actual performance levels; the opposite of leniency bias.

time for practice

A trainee and organizational factor referring to the availability of opportunities during or after training to rehearse and apply new skills, which is essential for skill retention and transfer.

trainee characteristic

An individual attribute of a training participant (e.g., cognitive ability, motivation, prior experience, personality) that influences how effectively they learn and transfer training to job performance

training is relevant to career

A motivational factor in training effectiveness; when employees perceive that training content directly supports their career goals or advancement, they are more engaged and likely to transfer learning.

training needs assessment

A systematic process for identifying gaps between current and desired employee knowledge, skills, and behaviors at the organizational, job/task, and individual levels, used to design targeted training programs.

transfer of training

The degree to which knowledge, skills, and behaviors learned in training are applied and maintained on the job; influenced by trainee characteristics, training design, and the work environment.

turnover

The rate at which employees leave an organization voluntarily or involuntarily within a given period; a key HR metric linked to recruitment costs, productivity loss, and organizational culture health.