Insights from the shift-based workforce world

Innovative time and attendance solutions for shift-work scenarios.

Written by JoinedUp | 6 February 2024

Are you using staffing automation technology to gain a competitive edge?

As 2024 began, the staffing and recruitment industry was poised for significant changes. Commenting on the latest KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs survey, Neil Carberry, REC chief executive, said: “Businesses which successfully planned and managed their workforce through the intense Christmas period will be breathing a sigh of relief and hoping 2024 brings some much-needed certainty to boost the UK economy and overall productivity.”

New technologies, demographic shifts, and economic uncertainties will force staffing companies to change the way they work if they expect to survive and thrive. One significant requirement will be to upgrade their staffing automation technology.

Staffing agencies – especially those specializing in delivering high-volume, shift-based labor – can no longer operate cost-effectively using manual shift scheduling and time management techniques. They must adopt staffing automation technology to stay competitive, and staffing companies that invest in the most advanced technologies will gain the most significant competitive advantage.

Errors in time tracking can damage your reputation

Time tracking and management are crucial for recruitment agencies to ensure accurate payments, comply with labor laws, and bill clients properly for services rendered. They can also help individuals and supervisors manage time more effectively and provide insights into how time was spent on various tasks and projects.

Traditional, manual methods of timekeeping are highly inefficient and prone to human error. When inaccuracies in recording hours worked are transferred into payroll software, they can create payment and billing errors and result in disputes, both with workers and clients.

Automate time management for speed and accuracy

Clocking workers in and out with advanced staffing automation can eliminate these errors. Innovative staffing automation providers, like JoinedUp, offer a multitude of automated time and attendance solutions for shift-work scenarios, including:

  • Biometric solutions (e.g., facial recognition)
  • Contactless solutions (e.g., QR codes)
  • Digital check-in to speed up processes
  • Automatic start-and-finish times recording

Attendance reporting is equally important and provides vital information both for recruitment agencies and clients. JoinedUp’s advanced automation solution is fully configurable and supports both standard and bespoke arrangements. Reports can be generated in real time, on demand, or via user-designed schedules. They can even be event-based, for timely download, viewing, or analysis.

You don’t need a box of hammers - you need a Swiss Army knife

There has been a recent proliferation of automation products for recruitment agencies. Still, most of these are single-point solutions – one for scheduling, another for recruiting, another for timekeeping, or other individual challenges staffing agencies face. While each of these solutions may have value, their adoption can result in a “Frankenstack” of incompatible software solutions that must be integrated and managed by the agency’s overworked IT resources.

A better answer is one end-to-end staffing automation solution that addresses all the challenges high-volume, shift-based staffing agencies face. JoinedUp does all these tasks at the touch of a button.

In addition to time and attendance, JoinedUp automates:

  • Shift planning and scheduling
  • Communication with workers and candidates
  • Matching candidates with assignments
  • Producing reports that provide data-driven insight into performance and spend

With JoinedUp, you can allocate jobs, organize shifts, and get real-time availability updates to prevent no-shows and double bookings. With a global view of your workforce, you can schedule and staff shifts quickly and easily. With its automatic communication tools, you can transmit information to workers instantly, confirm availability, and make necessary adjustments on the fly.

Comprehensive automation from front-end to back-office

So, rather than implement a handful of single-purpose automation solutions, a better choice is to implement one comprehensive solution with an easy-to-learn, easy-to-use interface to automate all the most common staffing agency challenges.

JoinedUp helps recruitment agencies that specialize in placing shift-based workers improve their processes and increase efficiency throughout their businesses by automating front-end, customer-facing activities and back-office processes.

Our sophisticated planning and management tools make it easy for staffing agencies to keep pace with complex shift requirements at scale. And when integrated with financial and accounting systems, JoinedUp cuts through complex calculations to generate accurate payroll and invoicing data that takes days off financial processes.

From real-time shift fulfillment and time tracking to error-free billing and worker payment, staffing automation from JoinedUp can increase your efficiency, reduce your costs, and improve your profit margins. Watch our video to learn how.

To find out all the ways JoinedUp can give your business a competitive edge, let’s talk. Contact us today.