7 items to consider as part of your mobile HRMS requirements analysis

A little before 2014 was over, the number of users accessing the internet with a mobile device outstripped those with desktop access. Given the ubiquity of mobile devices (and how attached to them we all are) it should be no surprise that mobile technology in the workplace, and by extension BYOD, is here to stay.

When it comes to mobile HRMS, your ‘shopping list’ of requirements is not so much a list of mobile features (after all, there is only one: access on the move) but a list of other HR features that your mobile functionality allows you to access. Let’s consider the range of HRMS features that mobile is particularly useful for, and therefore should be included on your potential mobile HRMS platform…

1. Time and attendance

Hourly workers, consultants, nightshift workers… the sheer range of job roles and working patterns means that the capability to record attendance in anytime anywhere is practically essential.

Use this customizable template to identify and prioritize your HRMS requirements

2. Employee directory

Anybody out in the field who needs to call a colleague needs their number; and while they might a few regular contacts programmed into the phone, the most efficient solution is easy mobile access to the employee directory.

3. Potential hires

Before someone gets their name in the employee directory, before they are even employed, they may need some mobile access to the front end of your recruiting software – resume submission, applicant tracking, pre-interview tests and so on; all potentially accessible via mobile.

4. Performance management

Goal setting, monitoring, updates… access to such features at a distance is potentially convenient for everyone; but especially for field workers and others whose working patterns keep them out of the office for long periods.

5. Online learning

In these days of instant gratification and ‘just-in-time’, people want their learning in a timely fashion and that means mobile access. What’s more, a little e-learning is good way to use dead time – e.g. traveling to a meeting – productively.

6. Employee feedback and engagement

A feeling of engagement and involvement comes from contact, so immediately, mobile access to ‘HQ’ systems increases contact and therefore engagement and employee feedback. For more formal engagement activities, such as employee surveys, mobile access is a must if you want a statistically relevant response rate.

7. Location data

Finally, thanks to GPS, mobile functionality allows those in the office to know the whereabouts (during working hours, of course) of those in the field. This real-time data can be vital to some of your business activities, including supply chain management and service provision.

The final (bonus) item on the mobile feature must-have shopping list is the capability to protect the organization’s data at a distance, should the device be lost or mislaid.