Streamlined scheduling
Calendar view, real-time roster, instant visibility into shift schedules
Single hierarchy for both professional and shift-based worker assignments
Designed for high volume and quick turnaround
white paper
Shift-based staffing automation for greater efficiency & profitability
August 7, 2025
Table of Contents
According to the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, 25.7 million temporary/contract placements are made annually in the UK, and nearly one million temporary workers are on assignment on any given day. These temporary staff allow companies to adjust their workforces quickly based on their changing needs and project demands.
At the hub of today’s employment ecosystem, staffing agencies supply their clients with more than just temporary workers. They deliver flexibility, agility, and specialized skills day after day, on time and within budget.
However, staffing or recruitment agencies — especially high-volume, shift-based staffing agencies — find it increasingly difficult to meet the constantly changing needs of clients, workers, and the government. Due to changes in legislation, global inflation, and competitive pressures, the goalposts are constantly moving.
How can you get ahead?
Old-fashioned shift scheduling techniques using spreadsheets, whiteboards, emails, and text messages squander time and resources. Manual sourcing, timekeeping, and financial processes are too slow and at scale, drag down efficiency dramatically. Contacting individuals on a one-by-one basis is hugely time consuming, and these manual transactions introduce human errors that your team must identify and correct, which will cost more time, trouble, and expense.
Who uses JoinedUp?
200+
staffing agencies and businesses
3m
workers
40k
monthly activeagent users
$1.8b
transacted
14m
shifts planned
80b
hours processed
Digitization and automation: multiple choices, but which option is right?
As a result, forward-looking staffing agencies are turning to technology to automate their business processes. Some take a step-by-step approach and adopt standalone solutions that address only one problem area, such as:
- shift scheduling
- recruitment
- timekeeping
- billing
- compliance
Others opt for custom-built packages designed to digitize multiple agency processes.
Some recruitment agencies even try to adapt software designed to manage employees, not temporary staff. When this happens, the agency pays for features it doesn’t use – and misses out on vital functionality its business needs.
Digital transformation the right way
Not surprisingly, the best solution for automating high-volume, shift-based temporary staffing is a fit-for-purpose solution designed to meet the specific needs of staffing and recruitment agencies. JoinedUp by Beeline is a comprehensive, user-friendly shift-based staffing automation platform.
JoinedUp accelerates shift fulfillment and streamlines agency processes. At the same time, it provides end-to-end visibility so that clients can see how their shifts are being filled. Both agency staff and clients have a clear view of who is available, who is compliant, and who has the right qualifications to fill each shift.
JoinedUp also makes life easier for workers. Smartphone calendars show workers what shifts are open so they can instantly make themselves available to fill them. Workers can use their mobile devices to accept assignments and for SMS/text-enabled communications, onboarding/offboarding, and checking in and out of shifts using QR codes or facial recognition technology.
Make complex rate management automatic
Managing rates and compliance requirements accurately can be hugely complex. Staffing agencies and clients must understand and comply with all the legal regulations surrounding shift workers. In the UK, Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR) specifies the number of hours an individual can work, rest breaks and periods, and even student working conditions. Non-compliance can not only result in penalties but can also lead to legal challenges from workers.
JoinedUp correctly calculates billing and payment for every worker on every shift. It factors in shift limits and allowances as well as straight time, overtime, weekend and holiday rates, and more. By managing these complex rates accurately and consistently for every invoice and payment, JoinedUp helps ensure the satisfaction of clients, workers, and staffing agency professionals.
JoinedUp seamlessly integrates all aspects of shift-based staffing management, including:
- recruitment
- hiring
- shift scheduling
- time and attendance
- billing
- policy, legal, and regulatory compliance
JoinedUp clients report
27%
increase in staffing agency productivity
30%
(12+ hours) saved per recruiter per week
38%
average increase in operational efficiency
78%
reduction in worker no-shows
87%
improvement in payroll accuracy
95%
fewer financial queries
Which shift-based staffing solution is right for you?
If you want to digitally transform your staffing agency for greater efficiency, productivity, and profitability, what solution is best for your business? We think you should consider and compare all the options available.
You could choose to automate one process at a time with standalone solutions that address only shift scheduling, recruiting, or payroll processing. However, this may result in a “Frankenstack” of incompatible software applications, each with its own user interface, maintenance requirements, and learning curve.
You could opt for a customized solution. But that could require significant time and IT resources to implement today – and more customization tomorrow as your business grows and changes. This is particularly true if you choose a system designed for employees that must be adapted to manage temporary workers. If you have more than one client, you will have to ensure your solution can handle workers assigned to multiple client organizations, with all the client billing and worker payment processes this requires.
And finally, you could select an end-to-end platform that automates all aspects of your shift-based staffing operations and eliminates the need to juggle multiple systems. By integrating shift scheduling, recruitment, timekeeping, billing, and compliance management in a single solution, JoinedUp simplifies your operations, enhancing efficiency and streamlining your processes from start to finish.
Simplified shift fulfillment
Easily address split shifts, night shifts, weekend shifts, minimum guaranteed hour shifts, Agency Workers Regulations (AWR), sick or holiday policies, and skill types
“Recurring requisitions” for cyclical, short-term, and long-term assignments
“Mass assignment management,” including requests, work orders, timecards, rate adjustments, and notifications
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Intelligent rate management
Accommodates various rate structures and automates nuances specific to shift work, country by country
Ensure compliance and eliminate manual work
Supports worker, supplier, and SLA management for shift-based contingent labor, streamlined workflows, and unique requisition types
Process flow
Built by Beeline, a leader in workforce technology
JoinedUp is a robust cloud-based digital staffing solution from Beeline, the leading independent provider of contingent workforce management technology. Beeline’s 25-year commitment to customer support and continuous innovation assures JoinedUp users that their technology will consistently deliver performance they can depend on.
Ask questions, get answers
We encourage you to review the available technology options and talk with your peers and industry experts. And talk with us. Speak to one of our experts, who will answer your questions and help you explore exactly what you need to manage your shift-based staffing business more efficiently and more profitably.
