Mobile apps for managing people
3 min read 27 Aug 2014, 07:13 PM ISTCompanies across sectors are increasingly using these apps to carry out HR-related tasks
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Mumbai: Companies across sectors are increasingly using mobile apps to carry out HR (human
resources)-related tasks such as recruitment and talent management, and cut the time
that goes into key processes including collecting and filling data, and waiting for approvals. Mint profiles a few such companies and the apps they are using:
App: TCS NextStep
Firm: Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS)
In use since: 2012
Sweta Singh has fond memories of the day she got her offer letter from India’s largest information technology services company TCS. “I was in a movie hall and during the interval, I saw a notification on the app that said ‘view offer letter’. All I had to do was click the accept button," recalled the 23-year-old assistant software engineer.
Candidates can do it all through the TCS NextStep app—right from registering for a job to tracking the status of the job application, getting an update on the interview location—the app is synced with Google Maps—and finally receiving the offer letter.
TCS plans to hire about 55,000 people this year, and intends to use the app as its main hiring tool.
The app also has a quick response code, which lets candidates verify an authentic offer letter, and this has helped clamp down on fraud, said Ajoyendra Mukherjee, executive vice-president and head of global HR at TCS.
“Our recruitment process has become paperless," said K. Sudeep, head (talent acquisition) at TCS.
He added that the company has seen a 20-30% increase in the adoption of the TCS NextStep app annually for the last two years. “We expect to see a 50% adoption (among new employees) of the app this year," Sudeep said.
App: Zoho People
Firm: Zoho Corp. Pvt. Ltd
In use since: November 2013
Chennai-based CRM (customer relationship management) software provider Zoho Corp.’s Zoho People app allows people to mark their attendance. Instead of swiping cards to enter the office, the app lets you log in the check-in and check-out times.
With restrictions set on when and where it can be used, the company has made it foolproof to monitor the activities of its employees.
“Employees find this useful to check-in to work, especially when they work from client locations, and it helps keep a check on their activity," said Aarthi Elizabeth, product marketer at Zoho People.
The company is also introducing a leave request feature through which employees can apply for leave using the phone and their manager can accept it over the mobile device. “This is currently in the beta version, we will be introducing this feature in two months’ time," said Elizabeth.
App: SuccessFactors
Firm: Godrej Industries Ltd
In use since: December 2013
SAP Labs’ cloud-based HR management software offers a suite of solutions, and mobile apps are added free for companies.
Godrej Industries started using SuccessFactors in December. The app has features such as “job-requisition approvals", “interview feedback", “offer approvals" and “performance evaluations", and lists the number of tasks pending against the feature, making it a ready-reckoner for executives.
The user interface of the app is designed in a way that it lays out all necessary details on a single page.
For instance, the interview feedback feature allows senior executives to view the overall rating given to a candidate, view the resume, and even see if the potential hire fits the budget of the organization.
“With a workforce that is always on the move, this platform is convenient for the team to instantly give feedback, leading to more efficiency in recruitment," said Sumit Mitra, executive vice-president (HR) at Godrej Industries.
App: Workday
Firm: Philips India Ltd
In use since: April 2014
Companies are also using apps for performance management. These apps let executives enter objectives of employees and track them on a real-time basis. They also help executives log in feedback given on projects on a real-time basis.
Philips India began using an app called Workday four months ago to generate manpower requests across the organization, and is looking to upgrade it to performance and talent management functions over the next few months.
“The biggest problem with performance management is that the regular conversations around it are usually not recorded as it is time consuming. The app gives flexibility to record all details instantly," said Krish Shankar, head- HR at Philips South Asia.
With a tool now in hand to track the performance of employees on an ongoing basis, it would help executives keep track of their top performers, Shankar added.
