The Best Mobile Apps for Busy HR Professionals

The Best Mobile Apps for Busy HR ProfessionalsSavvy HR professionals know mobile is here to stay. With 85 percent of Americans owning a cell phone and 45 percent of those owners owning a smartphone, mobile recruiting is on the rise. According to a 2011 survey, 19 percent of those surveyed said they use mobile devices for career-seeking activities, with 50 percent stating they could imagine doing so in the future.The audience for mobile activity is large and growing even more with the use of tablet devices. But what are the benefits of using mobile apps for your HR needs? Well, it makes it easy to continue working on-the-go because youre not tied down to a program accessible only in your office. Not to mention, 80 percent of employees use their mobile devices for work, so if youre seeking to reach your employees more effectively, mobile might be the way to go.Here are some apps for HR professionals looking to take their work on-the-go.Vortex ConnectNeed to manage shift changes, employ ee schedules and time and attendance issues while out of the office? Vortex Connect offers a series of mobile apps meant to do just that. With their Mobile Shift Connect, Mobile Employee Connect and Mobile Manager Connect apps, you have full visibility of your team on your smartphone with real-time views of employee requests, time cards, violations and scheduling.WorkDayToday, nearly everything is on the cloud and WorkDay is no different. WorkDay delivers enterprise cloud applications for business functions including human capital management, which is great for HR pros on-the-go. With WorkDay, users have access to HR and talent management features at their fingertips, including onboarding, goal management, performance management, succession planning, and career and development planning.Spark HireWe recently launched a mobile app version of our video interviewing platform for the iPhone and Android. Employers can now present multiple text-based questions to job seekers who, in turn, respond with short video answers. These video answers can then be viewed by you anywhere and at any time. The app also allows you to view and respond to job applications and classify your top prospects. Its interviewing on the godiversityDNALooking for a one-stop shop on diversity training at a low cost? diversityDNA might be for you. This free app provides essential insights into how cultural differences impact workplace conduct. Using a cultural DNA profile, this series of short, visually-compelling and voiced-over videos describes important ways in which we differ in values, beliefs, norms and assumptions. If youve found yourself with limited time and resources, diversityDNA might be a great way to train your staff.HR at Your FingertipsEver find yourself forgetting the key terms and federal laws surrounding human resources? HR at Your Fingertips is for the newbie and veteran HR professionals alike. The $1.99 app houses a glossary of more than 270 terms and definitions of key con cepts for easy reference. If youre thinking, I know my concepts, why would I need this app?, HR at Your Fingertips also includes sections on HR laws such as employee eligibility and compliance standards and how-to guides for writing company policies and handbooks.These apps are great resources to get started, but Im sure there are more innovative mobile apps on the horizon.Are there other features youd like to see in HR-specific mobile apps?IMAGE Courtesy of Flickr by Cory M. Grenier