Big Brother is watching you: recruitment company launches staff tracking app

BuzzHire’s app uses GPS tracking to monitor staff. Combined with Google Maps and information on the state of the roads and the public transport network, the data can be used to predict how late a member of staff will be.

If necessary, the app will alert BuzzHire and a standby member of staff will be asked to come in their place.

Though potentially useful for employers, tracking the movement of staff via GPS and other technologies carries a number of legal and ethical considerations.

It’s common practice for companies to track the movements of remote staff during working hours - for example delivery personal - but monitoring them on route to work is a grey area and is certainly something that staff would have to opt into.

To help BuzzHire recruits arrive on time, they get a reminder on their phone to start travelling to work two hours before they’re due at the job.

According to BuzzHire, the average no-show rate for traditional temp agencies is around 12.5% and that no-shows can have a huge impact on the operations of a company; the remaining staff are put under pressure to cover the work load, and customers often receive a lower level of service.

“Being just one team member down during Christmas sea-son could cost a business up to £500 per night,” says BuzzHire founder Nick Miller. “Our new GPS tracking function provides greater transparency for employers so there are no nasty surprises. In addition, our automatic rebooking guarantees that a BuzzHire approved worker will be there to work on time.”