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PHR Cheat Sheet

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Business Management

  • 14% of exam
  • Business Context Stakeholders Risk Metrics Ethics

Workforce Planning + Talent

  • 14% of exam
  • Workforce Planning Job Analysis Recruiting Selection Onboarding

Learning + Development

  • 10% of exam
  • Needs Analysis Training Design Evaluation Succession

Total Rewards

  • 15% of exam
  • Compensation Benefits Incentives Pay Equity Rewards

Employee Engagement

  • 17% of exam
  • Lifecycle Surveys Performance Retention Offboarding

Employee + Labor Relations

  • 20% of exam
  • Complaints Investigations Discipline Safety Labor

HR Information Management

  • 10% of exam
  • HRIS Records Reports Security Data Integrity

Quick Facts

  • Exam PHR
  • Credential Professional in Human Resources
  • Time 2 hours
  • Questions 90 scored + 25 pretest
  • Pass 500 scaled
  • Delivery Pearson VUE or OnVUE
  • Validity 3 years
  • Credits 60 recertification credits

FAIR HR BU

  • Good answers stay FAIR.
  • Facts Apply policy Investigate Record

Time-fill vs Time-hire BU

Time-to-fill

  • Starts at requisition
  • Measures staffing speed

Time-to-hire

  • Starts at applicant
  • Measures candidate speed
  • Define start point first

HR Action Picker BU

  • Vague business problem → Clarify context
  • Legal risk appears → Escalate review
  • Policy gap found → Update procedure
  • Manager wants shortcut → Apply process
  • Metric conflicts → Define data
  • Culture issue repeats → Reinforce values
  • Change affects employees → Plan communication
  • Risk spans groups → Audit pattern

Business Context BU

  • Strategy Business direction
  • Operations Work execution
  • Stakeholders Affected decision parties
  • Culture Shared behavior norms
  • Values Expected conduct anchors
  • Ethics Fair lawful choices
  • Risk Threat to objectives
  • Policy Written expectation

HR Metrics BU

  • Turnover Separations over headcount
  • Attrition Unreplaced workforce loss
  • Time-to-fill Requisition to acceptance
  • Time-to-hire Applicant to acceptance
  • Cost-per-hire Hiring spend per hire
  • ROI Return versus investment
  • Absenteeism Missed scheduled work
  • Yield ratio Stage conversion rate

Validity vs Reliability TA

Validity

  • Measures job requirement
  • Supports selection defense

Reliability

  • Consistent results
  • Repeatable measurement
  • Need both for selection

Talent Picker TA

  • Work changed → Job analysis
  • Future headcount gap → Workforce plan
  • Narrow applicant pool → Broaden sourcing
  • Inconsistent interviews → Structured questions
  • Selection disparity → Adverse impact review
  • Early turnover → Onboarding audit

Talent Foundations TA

  • Forecast Future workforce demand
  • Supply analysis Current workforce capacity
  • Gap analysis Demand versus supply
  • Job analysis Work requirement study
  • Essential functions Core job duties
  • Job description Role summary
  • Job specification Worker requirements
  • RJP Realistic job preview

Selection TA

  • Validity Measures job need
  • Reliability Consistent measurement
  • Structured interview Same job questions
  • Background check Post-offer verification
  • Adverse impact Disparate selection effect
  • Nepotism Relative preference risk
  • Offer letter Employment terms summary
  • Onboarding Role integration process

ADDIE LE

  • Build training through ADDIE.
  • Analyze Design Develop Implement Evaluate

Learning Models LE

  • Needs analysis Find skill gaps
  • ADDIE Design cycle
  • Objectives Measurable learning outcomes
  • Mentoring Career guidance
  • Coaching Performance support
  • Succession Future leader pipeline
  • Kirkpatrick Training evaluation levels
  • Compliance training Required risk instruction

Total Rewards RE

  • Base pay Fixed cash wage
  • Incentive Performance-linked pay
  • Bonus One-time variable pay
  • Benchmarking Market pay comparison
  • Salary band Pay range
  • Pay equity Fair pay comparison
  • Benefits Noncash employee programs
  • Recognition Noncash appreciation

Coaching vs Discipline EN

Coaching

  • Develop performance
  • Support improvement

Discipline

  • Correct misconduct
  • Document consequences
  • Match cause and severity

Engagement + Performance EN

  • Lifecycle Hire through exit
  • Survey Employee sentiment data
  • Focus group Guided employee discussion
  • ERG Employee resource group
  • Action plan Feedback response steps
  • PIP Performance improvement plan
  • Retention Keep valued employees
  • Exit interview Departure feedback

Union TIPS RE

  • Managers avoid TIPS during organizing.
  • Threats Interrogation Promises Surveillance

Exempt vs Nonexempt RE

Exempt

  • Duties test matters
  • No overtime required

Nonexempt

  • Track all hours
  • Overtime after forty
  • Title alone never decides

Employment Law Picker RE

  • Pay or overtime → FLSA ( Wage-hour )
  • Medical leave → FMLA ( Protected time )
  • Work restriction → ADA ( Accommodation )
  • Protected class → Title VII ( EEO )
  • Union activity → NLRA ( Concerted rights )
  • Safety hazard → OSHA ( Workplace safety )
  • Benefit plan issue → ERISA ( Plan governance )
  • Health coverage loss → COBRA ( Continuation )

Relations Laws RE

  • Title VII Protected class discrimination
  • ADA Disability accommodation
  • FMLA Job-protected leave
  • FLSA Wage-hour rules
  • NLRA Concerted activity rights
  • OSHA Workplace safety
  • ERISA Benefit plan governance
  • COBRA Health coverage continuation

FMLA vs ADA RE

FMLA

  • Job-protected leave
  • Eligibility thresholds

ADA

  • Reasonable accommodation
  • Interactive process
  • Leave exhaustion may trigger ADA

Employee Relations RE

  • Complaint Employee concern raised
  • Investigation Fact-finding process
  • Documentation Decision support record
  • Progressive discipline Escalating corrective steps
  • Retaliation Punishment for protected action
  • Grievance Formal dispute process
  • CBA Union contract
  • TIPS Union conduct warnings

Clean Data IN

  • Reports need clean DATA.
  • Defined Accurate Timely Authorized

Records vs Reports IN

Records

  • Source evidence
  • Retention rules apply

Reports

  • Summarize data
  • Decision support output
  • Bad records corrupt reports

HR Information IN

  • HRIS Employee data system
  • Personnel file Employment record
  • Medical file Separate confidential record
  • I-9 Work authorization record
  • Retention Required record period
  • Access control Permission limits
  • Data integrity Accurate complete records
  • Dashboard Decision support view

Common Traps

Salary Is Not Exempt

  • Salary basis ≠ Duties analysis

FMLA Exhausted

  • Leave ended ≠ ADA still possible

Union Rights

  • Union workplace only ≠ Nonunion rights too

Fast Hiring

  • Post immediately ≠ Validate job first

Survey Results

  • Collect feedback ≠ Act on themes

Medical Details

  • Manager curiosity ≠ Need-to-know limits

Last Minute

  • 1. Know seven domain weights
  • 2. Relations is twenty percent
  • 3. Use process before action
  • 4. Document facts and rationale
  • 5. Pay worked overtime first
  • 6. FMLA can overlap ADA
  • 7. Title never decides exemption
  • 8. Validate metrics before reporting
  • 9. Protect medical confidentiality
  • 10. Nonunion workers have NLRA rights

PHR

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