According to Pew Research Center, 85% of Americans have a smartphone. 15% of these people are “smartphone-only”, meaning they only use their smartphone as their primary internet device. They don’t have broadband at home. Smartphone statistics are important because we often use apps when using our smartphones.
Apps can be used to store and process data. Apps can be a personal assistant that reminds me of details I don’t want or forget right when I need them.
When I find an app that makes me more productive, it becomes my dependency. Selfishly, I wish an app developer would add a feature to make my life easier. Of course, I don’t want to wait for the app to provide me with the exact update I need. Likely, I’m not the only one.
Jotform has created an app product. Jotform apps is a drag-and-drop builder that allows anyone to create an app easily. It supports iOS, Android, and Windows and provides responsive design. Jotform Apps are versatile and can be used across all business areas, regardless of industry or size. Organizations can also use it to create employee portals.
How to create employee apps
Before I show you how Jotform apps can simplify employee interactions, I want to point out that there are three options for creating an app.
- Convert existing Jotform forms to an app. You don’t need to create anything!
- Please choose from one of our 200+ predesigned templates. This is a great way to find creative inspiration.
- Make something unique and customized to meet your needs. It can be lots of fun!
Jotforms Apps was a feature I was testing out, and there were several uses that I immediately recognized.
CHECKLISTS HR and hiring managers must do a lot with employees, including preboarding, onboarding and offboarding. In these cases, checklists can be a great way to ensure consistency and prevent tasks from getting forgotten.
Another common use of checklists is in procedures such as opening and closing duties. In the hospitality industry, there were opening and closing checklists. Similar systems are used in other industries. Why not make an app for employees to use instead of printing paper?
HUMAN RESOURCE: Many HR-related apps are listed in the templates section. A directory was one of the first things I found. It’s not hard to believe that I’m the only one who says that I enjoy the people I work alongside, but I don’t want their contact information to be stored in the same location as my contact list. A working directory would be very helpful.
An app can be a great option for organizations that don’t have a formal time-keeping system but want an automated way to track shift trades and time off requests.
Third, I came across a customer satisfaction survey template that intrigued me. It made me wonder how I could modify it to improve the candidate experience. The survey would allow me to collect valuable information from candidates and send the message that our company is tech-friendly.
CAREER “Daily Logs”, another set of templates I found very interesting was CAREER. It allows employees to log their activity. It could be very useful for employees trying to learn new habits. We’ve discussed how employees can create a “career portfolio” to track their self-learning on HR Bartender.
SALES: I wanted other departments to join the conversation because Jotform’s creations aren’t just for HR. Other departments can use apps to simplify work processes. Apps can be used to create appointments, send proposals, and access customer relationship management software. Selling can be made easier.
Additionally, I was able to see expense reporting templates. We all know that filling out expense reports is not something we enjoy. Accounting departments hate to chase down employees who haven’t filled out their expense reports. An app could prove to be a win-win for all.
You might think, “This looks great, but I’m not a designer.” This will look silly, and nobody will use it. Jotform created a media library that allows users to download images to align their app with your brand. Upload a video or add your company logo. You can also insert QR codes and a countdown clock, which could be fun for customers or employees to count down to big events.
Develop an Employee App Program
After spending some time trying to make an app, I found the app builder very user-friendly. It was easy to convert a form into an app. It becomes a matter of adding logos and other details. This could take longer if you are a perfectionist like me. Based on my time working with the app, I can honestly say that the hardest part of the process was deciding what your app should do. There are so many options. Before actually building an app, organizations might consider creating an “app plan”.
One last thing to discuss is maintaining and updating apps.
Once you have created your first app, you will want to make more. You don’t want your apps to become stale or have employees stop using them. Jotform’s team offered some tips and tricks to keep apps updated. Their response? Get feedback. We encourage employees to give feedback regularly to ensure that your app is up-to-date. You can modify your app quickly in the App Builder after gathering feedback.
Both employees and candidates want the same technology experience at work. Apps don’t need to be complicated or flashy. It’s the simpler apps that make the most impact. Create an internal app to give employees the information they need.