New Apps to Help in the Human Resources Department

HR apps are reshaping the way Human Resources work. Many of them have proprietary connections to the HRIS systems that automate much of your administrative burden. Tied to HRIS or not, new mobile apps give you the freedom to run or monitor your department while away from the office.

10 HR favorable apps

1. Dropbox, Google Drive, and MS Skydrive provide free access to the Cloud where you can store documents, notes to self, and photos. When you return to the office, you can pull your records from the Cloud with a simple click and drag.
2. Evernote is another Cloud storage box. It lets you take notes and enter text. You can grant permission to staff members to access the Cloud file to process instructions while you are away. It helps you schedule, calendar, and follow the work in progress.
3. Dunno searches the web for sites on any topic that comes up during your day. It does so in the background while you work on something else. Most important, Dunno does not pull your identity into the search: no ads, no cookies, and no-cache.
4. Skitch invites you to add notes and illustrations over pictures and existing documents. You can write notes in the margin of a document or circle an issue in a photograph.
5. SuccessFactors’ BizX Mobile gives you access to all your administrative functions. It lets you approve employee requests for leave and information even in multiple location situations. You can monitor the recruiting process, pursue your online continuing education, and give instructions to your staff.
6. Acquire InSight offers everything you need to know in the boardroom. You can quickly access analytics measuring workforce performance. It delivers all the real-time information to your corporate leaders to make strategic decisions.
7. JobVite is a subscription service that mines social networks, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, for job candidates you want to invite to a job opportunity. It helps you find the most desirable job applicants and build relationships with them for future hiring decisions.
8. SocializedHR scans resume and screens candidates. It researches a candidate’s public profile on the internet and develops a candidate relationship management system.
   It is a platform that allows users to scan resumes and source and screen candidates.
9. HR Management is an Android app (available through iTunes) that holds a library of best practices. It helps with HR management and strategy, leadership development, staffing and recruiting personnel and safety law, and payroll and benefits.
10. Wunderlist is an easy to use task management app that delivers on-time real-time updates as staff completes the work. It is big and rich enough to handle all your tasks across all your devices and platforms.

Human resource graduates cannot cover all the applications useful to HR professionals because they develop too quickly. Today’s HR students generally value apps across the board as shortcuts to the information they need – archived or real-time.

The HR value

Human Resources leaders and HR graduates find great benefit in the freedom to access the information that apps provide – at home, on the road, in meetings. Employees appreciate the expedited HR response to their queries and requests. The executive suite with its decision makers counts on your ability to access data quickly, accurately, and efficiently. And, you should appreciate the time it frees up for you. Look for those HR applications that sync across all your devices from the office desktop to your laptop and smartphone. Some may require a subscription and some a flat-rate fee but start with the free ones until you are comfortable. You can always upgrade or expand your space in the Cloud.