"More than half of HR professionals we surveyed indicated that they have no intention to add mobile applications for themselves, their managers or the employees in their organizations," said Katherine Jones, vice president, Human Capital Management Technology research, Bersin by Deloitte, Deloitte Consulting LLP. "However, when we interviewed HR executives, many indicated that they would like to be able to provide mobile access to HR applications.

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"The most-expressed barrier to using smartphones for HR applications is the existing HR information system or enterprise resource planning system that typically integrates financials, HR, manufacturing, supply chain and customer relationship management. HR professionals who are in environments with a deeply entrenched, on-premises system that does not support mobile access often express both desire for mobile access and acceptance of the fact that they feel very unlikely to get it." 

Although HR leaders might be slow to embrace mobile HR applications, Jones highlights several trends that are converging in the market to support the adoption of such applications: 

• Mobile devices are increasing in use in both the consumer and work environments.

• The computing power required to run even large HR applications is increasingly available in smaller and more economical devices. Today's transactional applications for smart devices, such as those that give managers the ability to approve compensation rates, merit pay and bonuses, may in the future be complemented with computational capabilities. HCM software providers increasingly develop software for mobile devices as they move to the cloud.

• The increased use of HR applications for management of hourly workers—especially in the hospitality and retail industries—likely indicates accelerating adoption. In manufacturing and other industries with an hourly workforce, the use of clock-ins and clock-outs via smartphones is growing. 

These perceived benefits of HR applications on smart phones, including higher productivity, improved timeliness in decision-making and enhanced end-user engagement, "bode well for increased adoption, when the core HR and talent applications currently in place in the organization support smartphone integration," Jones said.