Here are 4 different approaches taken to solve this problem:
1. Approval Policy
2. Location IP
3. Signature + Authorization
4. Supervisor/Client Led
Approval Policy:
Location IP:
The platform uses the location of the candidate when they are checking in and out. It can then calculate the candidate’s trustworthiness and the validity of their hours based on how near or far from the location of the job the candidate was when they checked in. A couple of challenges we have faced with this approach are:
- Not all candidates will allow location access to apps. This is likely to cause anomalies that will require the staffing company’s recruiting team to intervene and coordinate with clients over email to get confirmation.
- In some dense areas, location is extremely inaccurate. Places which are crowded and dense will have poor location accuracy, especially if the candidate is indoors or at a big event.
Signature Authorization:
The platform collects the signature from a client’s designated supervisor at the time of check-in and check-out on the phone of the candidate. Some potential issues are:
It can be extremely difficult to accurately sign on a smartphone. It’s hard on good smartphones, for older versions of phones and Androids, it might be even harder.- Having a process for validating the signature. How does the staffing company ensure it is the signature of the supervisor?
- The candidate locating the supervisor at the time of check-in and check-out if they’re in a big institution. If the supervisor could be anyone from the company, identifying who signed is practically impossible.
Combine the above three points, and the candidate might be able to sign for her/himself.
Supervisor/Client Led:
This is when the platform disables the timesheets submission option for candidates and just gives the option to the client or supervisor to check in and out on behalf of the candidate. The option could be delegated to any third party, such as your staffing company, the client, the supervisor, or a receptionist. This is the most robust system for all and cannot lead to the issue of a client having a dispute--after all, they’ve checked in and out the candidates and submitted the timesheets themselves! The only issue is that not all of your clients may want to take on this responsibility. But, this could be selectively deployed for a few clients who may want more control or vigilance on timesheets.
How can staffing companies ensure that the timesheets submitted by candidates on the platform are legitimate and valid so that they can bill their clients and pay their staff?
Not all candidates will allow location access to apps. This is likely to cause anomalies that will require the staffing company’s recruiting team to intervene and coordinate with clients over email to get confirmation.
In some dense areas, location is extremely inaccurate. Places which are crowded and dense will have poor location accuracy, especially if the candidate is indoors or at a big event.