Human resources information systems: A company wants to run a “skills search” to find employees with specific competencies. Which file access path is essential for this capability?

Introduction / Context:
HR information systems support workforce planning, staffing, and project assignment. A frequent requirement is finding employees with certain certifications, languages, or technical capabilities—commonly called a “skills search.” The key is how records can be indexed and queried.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Employee master data includes identifiers, positions, and competencies.
• The objective is to filter by skill criteria, not just by individual identities.
• Applicants are managed separately from current employees.

Concept / Approach:
A skills search must be able to query by employee skill category (e.g., cloud architect, Spanish proficiency, welding level 3). Name-based access returns a specific person, not a set by competence. Position-based access may reflect job titles, which often lag behind actual skill inventories. Applicant files concern candidates, not existing staff available for assignment.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Competency management modules standardize skills with taxonomies and levels to enable quick discovery and gap analysis.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Employee position: Job titles do not reliably encode detailed skills.
• Applicant file: Not the population of current employees.
• Employee name: Index by identity, not by capability.

Common Pitfalls:
Maintaining free-text skills without normalization; lacking proficiency levels; not updating skills after training or projects.

Final Answer:
employee skill category