There’s an app for everything, including HR

Organisations are meeting employees halfway by making work and HR services accessible with just a tap, and one employer in Asia is leading the charge

There’s an app for everything, including HR
The onset of mobile apps has made instantaneous access to information and tasks evolve from being a ‘nice to have’ to a must. For the past few years, businesses have been scrambling to create mobile versions of their websites and launch apps that can make everything look sharper, faster, and easier for customers.

All of this is just as should be, judging by the results of various surveys. Asia remains the dominant region in terms of app usage and revenue, according to Google’s Mobile Apps in APAC: 2016 Report, while the previous year’s report revealed that users in emerging countries like Indonesia, India and Philippines have more apps that they voluntarily install on their phones.

Meanwhile, comScore’s recent mobile usage report shows that the number of mobile users has already surpassed desktop users across the globe; of the different countries assessed in terms of per cent of mobile share of total digital minutes, both the US and China scored 71%, while Indonesia had the highest share of mobile time at 91%.

Looking at that last statistic, it’s no surprise that the HR team at Indosat Ooredoo, one of Indonesia’s leading telco providers, has come through with an app to simultaneously simplify and digitise most of the work processes for their employees. HRD chatted with Jeremiah Ratadhi, Group Head Culture Transformation and Change Management at Indosat Ooredoo, about their latest accomplishments in HR tech, beginning with their ‘Digi Office’ mobile app.

Could you tell us more about the internal mobile app you’ve introduced – the Digi Office? How did this come about, and how does it address key HR areas?
Digi Office is Indosat Ooredoo’s employee application – an ‘all in-one’ app to simplify our employees’ work journey. It helps corporate management to confidently change the ‘traditional’ working culture into a digital, agile and more dynamic, yet still controlled environment. This is part of the digital transformation culture journey we’ve embarked on based on our assessment and employee engagement survey. 
 
Currently, it consists of three different features: real time performance management, enterprise social media, and mobile working application.
 
  1. iPerformance Management (iPM). We are reducing bias on employees’ appraisals with real time assignment and feedback both from direct report and other stakeholders. With iPM, the employee or line manager can create / give assignments and get immediate feedback after the job is completed.
  2. iEnterprise social media (iConnect). We’ve increased employee engagement through social media interaction and recognition. With iConnect, we’re providing a social media channel dedicated for internal employees that includes a Recognition feature, Instant Pooling Survey, and an Event Calendar.
  3. Mobile working (iWork).  This feature was developed to increase mobile working adoption and provide means for direct report to manage the team. The app serves as a validating tool, [allowing employees] to record work requirements, check in/out and start/finish mobile working, and helps managers make sure their employees remain visible and reachable wherever they are working, to deliver on their tasks.
Through the mobile working app, we’re aiming to reduce seat capacity [in the office]. We’re also aiming to reduce the time required for performance appraisal and thereby increase productivity.

How are you ensuring your team has the right level of digital skills/competencies to keep up with the pace of technology change?
We’ve redefined seven digital leadership competencies, and with that we conduct our assessment and come up with Individual Development Plans (IDP) based on the gap between the competencies required for the position and the assessment result. There are several types of IDPs [that involve] classroom training, job assignment, and coaching.

Lastly, is there any area of HR’s work that you believe would really benefit from technological disruption and innovation?
We believe that technology disruption and innovation will be helpful for talent acquisition. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analytics will help HR create a model of talent and enable us to predict candidates that fit our organisation’s needs.

We are looking to use AI/data analytics to profile our talent for critical positions. The talent profile will help us do career mapping for current employees, as well as serve as a recruitment tool. While this initiative is still in the early stages, we believe this technology will disrupt our current HR practice.
 

Recent articles & video

Fatal, major injuries for workplaces reach new low in Singapore

Betrayal: Employer accuses ex-manager of establishing rival agency during tenure

UOB training frontline staff on dealing with cyber scams

Decision issued in first indictment case of South Korea’s Serious Accidents Punishment Act

Most Read Articles

More than half of Singapore's workers struggle with trust in workplace relationships

What are Singapore employers planning for salary increases in 2024?

Is HR your biggest risk to data loss?