Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Answers to Questions in the Text
Chapter 8: Talent Management and HR Planning
1. Why are job descriptions critical to the effective management of an
organization? What role(s) does job analysis play in an HRP and talent
management program?
Job descriptions define the working contract between the employee and the
organization. Job description uses include:
(1) evidence for any litigation involving unfair discrimination in hiring,
promoting, or terminating employees;
(2) development of all the HRM programs, especially TM in organizations,
and other important HRM programs including recruitment, selection, training,
and performance appraisal;
2. How can an HRIS assist in establishing and maintaining accuracy and
timeliness in job descriptions?
Through an HRIS, organizations can take advantage of an online repository of
information on over 1,000 broad occupations, O*Net, to help guide the
development of job descriptions. Self-service portals can be used to make sure
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
3. How does the strategic direction of the organization influence talent management
and human resource planning activities?
Corporate strategy answers the question of what businesses an organization
should pursue so that they can maximize their long-term profitability. An
4. Given the different needs of the HRP process discussed in this chapter, what types
of data would you expect the HRIS to contain?
The data warehouse should have the following data:
• The forecasted need for employees based on the strategic objective
• The knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) required in the forecasted jobs
• Number of employees needed for growth or decline
• Required competencies and behaviors of these employees
5. Discuss the pros and cons of using social networks to recruit top talent.
Social networking using the Web has become popular with recruiters and
potential applicants. These social networks (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, and
Plaxo) are just media to increase the flow of information for making social
connections.
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
6. How would you use workforce analytics to support talent programs such as
recruiting, retention, and employee development?
Using workforce analytics to manage talent can involve asking many
questions about an individual person or a group of employees. The real
7. Discuss the underlying attributes necessary to support high achievers.
The following attributes are necessary for high achievers:
• Ability to communicate with others using multiple media
• Drive or motivation
8. Discuss how you would use information systems (IS) to support succession
planning.
An information system would have the KSAs of all employees, their job
performance, and their job histories. By some simple sorting of this