Coach in the pocket

There's an app for just about everything - from finding a restaurant, current news and weather, airline schedules to losing weight. Now apps can also be used by HR departments to manage recruitment and payroll processes, track employee time, attendance records, and work schedules and provide performance data of an increasing global workforce. There are apps such as Hay Group's Leadership Styles and Climate app, which can enable organisations measure the effectiveness of their leadership programmes. For example, most organisations measure their leadership development initiatives by gathering feedback from participants. But how does an organisation measure whether employees have actually changed their behaviour? These apps designed especially for managers enable them to create their own development plan for broadening their leadership styles and improving the climate in which their teams operate. Moreover, HR can monitor the programme and its impact behind the scenes.

"Apps can empower line managers, free up HR to focus on more strategic, value-added activities and make it easier for people to make real behaviour change on the job to ensure they stay on track with their plans," writes Rick Lash, leader for the management development practice, Hay Group, Canada, in the company blog.