Article: The coming of age for mobile HR

Technology

The coming of age for mobile HR

A lot has been said about the influence of mobile in HR processes however, it is no longer an option, but a reality that organizations have to implement for.
The coming of age for mobile HR

In 2005, Thomas Friedman wrote about the world becoming flat. Flat is passé now. Today we live in a mobile world. Think about the “overnight" success that Pokemon Go has seen over the last few days and you realize that mobile is a disruptive force. The creators of the game had to wait until now to find the right amalgamation of circumstances to make sure the game was a success.

And when it comes to the global workforce, Millennials have taken over and the Gen-Y and Gen-Z are soon going to come in as well. And, that means that the modern workforce is distributed, impatient and mobile-first. 

The coming together of these forces is changing the way businesses have to deal with their employees. Processes like recruiting, onboarding, continuous feedback, employee help & support and other services are primed for a mobile-first world. 

Global Digital Snapshot

THE EMPLOYEE LIFECYCLE & MOBILE

Employee lifecycle and mobile 

Mobile Recruiting

While it might be tough to think of a scenario where an individual who is applying to 5 organizations is going to have download 5 different apps to apply … what is possible is for organizations to tap SMS, WhatsApp, FB and other such mobile platforms to engage & attract candidates. 

Here are some of the ways in which organizations are tapping into mobile devices to make the whole recruiting process more efficient 

  1. Application filling is being made easy by linking data capture to LinkedIn and other social accounts
  2. Gamification of the application process through a mobile gameplay interface on company career sites
  3. Engage on mobile communication apps like WhatsApp, Slack and others to reach the each and every candidate

Mobile Onboarding

Onboarding is seen as a boring and painful process. However, by bringing in interactivity and bite-sized content to a mobile-first world makes it an experience that employees will love. The idea that the new hire will have access to everything about the organization on a mobile device - when she needs it or wants it - is a massive value-add for her! 

Here are some of the ways organizations are successfully implementing a mobile-first onboarding strategy 

  1. A preboarding & onboarding site/app that will give individuals with the option of learning more about the company any where and at any time
  2. Create a comprehensive and interactive experience of the company culture through documentation, photos and videos that can be consumed on the mobile device
  3. Use the mobile camera to give new hires the option to upload their documents 
  4. Creation of bite-sized content that can easily be consumed on small screens

Continuous Feedback 

Gone are the days of sending out a 20-question survey once or twice a year. While there is a lot of talk about the performance appraisal process changing across organizations - it is more important to understand that today, employees & the organization need continuous feedback. They need to understand where they are and how they can grow – and at the same time, the manager & HR need to understand what the pulse of the organization is. 

And, the easiest way to manage continuous feedback is to administer it through the mobile device. Whether it is sending out regular single-question Pulse surveys or short surveys – the mobile device delivers better engagement than traditional paper & web-based solutions. 

Mobile Help & Support

Support & help - two integrals parts of the HR service bouquet. Employees always have questions and it could range from policies to pay, benefits to roles & responsibilities. And it is critical for an organization to provide a support channel that is available anywhere and any time - i.e. on a mobile device. 

More importantly, organizations are finding ways to create mobile FAQs that the employee can refer to anywhere and at any time. Information being available just when they need it reduces the stress on HR teams. 

Mobile Learning

If they have not already, organizations will have to move their Learning & Development in to a mobile-first world. And with a mobile-first interface comes the need for short, bite-sized learning. Gone are the days of long tedious manuals & training documents. L&D managers will have to find ways to make courses immersive, interactive and broken down in to smaller chapters. 

Take companies like GuideSpark for example – they produce video & interactive content that is best suited for bite-sized mobile consumption. 

HR is going to fundamentally change. And whether you see it or not - mobile is going to come in like a wrecking ball - making you re-build for this new world. The culmination of a mobile-first and computing-first generation puts data at the forefront and makes it evermore important to bring personalized insights. 

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Topics: Technology, #TechHR2016

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