ISS Australia to use custom-built app for employee engagement, leave, roster management

by Brianna Crandall — December 30, 2016 — Following a successful trial period, ISS Australia has launched what it says is a first for the facilities management industry, with the creation of a custom-built app for employee engagement, called MyISS, to give all field-based employees mobile access to their payroll, rosters, and annual leave data, as well as company information.

MyISS app for employee engagement

The MyISS custom-built app for employee engagement gives all field-based employees mobile access to their payroll, rosters, and annual leave data, as well as company information.

Global facilities services provider ISS has a large employee base across Australia — approximately 11,000 — and most of the employees are based on customer sites rather than in an office. This presents some unique challenges for engaging with employees and managing paper-heavy workflows, such as ensuring ISS has accurate, up-to-date information and making sure employees have access to the latest pay information and rosters, notes the company.

For example, a chef at a mine site, a cleaner at a hospital, or an aviation protection officer at an airport do not use a computer as part of their daily role and so cannot easily be reached via e-mail or company intranet, points out ISS.

The MyISS app was custom-built, in partnership with Mumba Cloud, to allow access to and from those employees who have previously been hard to reach, with the goal of boosting employee engagement to new levels.

Scott Erwin, director of People and Culture at ISS Australia, commented:

With the launch of the MyISS App, we are becoming an employer of choice for cleaners and support service staff. Giving them direct electronic access to their payroll and roster information empowers them and improves our efficiency. Integration with Kronos, our rostering tool, and other ISS technology, has been a complex task, but we feel it is a game changer for how our employees interact with us.

The initial trial ensured access on a wide range of Android and iOS mobile devices. The app allows team members to apply for leave electronically and access previous payslips. Managers are able to approve requested leave electronically too, improving efficiency and reducing paper consumption. Employees will also be notified of company news, keeping them in touch with colleagues across the country, and the world, as part of the global ISS community.

MyISS has been rolled out at sites including regional airports in Tasmania and a multitude of cleaning contracts across Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia, with a high level of employee engagement — over 1,000 ISS Australia employees logged in within four weeks of going live. The Cleaning division of ISS Australia was first to receive the app, and phased rollouts to the entire Aviation and Transport, Energy and Resources, and Health divisions are now planned.