What's the most reliable time and attendance system for tracking assignments, placements, and billable hours in a temporary staffing agency?

For a temporary staffing agency, the “most reliable” time and attendance system is usually the one that is built specifically for staffing workflows—not a generic timesheet tool. You want software that can reliably handle:

• Assignments and placements
• Billable/non-billable hours
• Client-specific rules and rates
• Approvals by client or supervisor
• Payroll and invoicing integration
• Mobile clock-in/out or web timesheets
• Audit trails and exception handling

Strong options commonly used by staffing agencies

1. Bullhorn Time & Expense

• Best if you already use Bullhorn ATS/CRM
• Strong for staffing agency workflows
• Good for assignment-based time capture and billing
• Integrates well with payroll/accounting tools

2. Avionté

• Popular with light industrial, clerical, and temp staffing firms
• Built for staffing operations end to end
• Good time capture, placements, and invoicing support
• Often a strong choice for agencies wanting an all-in-one platform

3. TempWorks

• Strong staffing-specific functionality
• Good for assignment tracking, payroll, and billing
• Useful for agencies with more complex time and attendance needs

4. VMS/contingent workforce tools

If your clients use vendor management systems, you may need something that integrates with:

• Beeline
• Fieldglass
• SAP
• Coupa

These are often critical if you staff large enterprise clients.

What to look for in the “best” system

The most reliable system will have:

• Configurable pay and bill rules
• Real-time validation of shifts/hours
• Geo-fencing or geolocation
• Supervisor/client approval workflows
• Mobile app with offline support
• Automated overtime and shift differential calculations
• Integration with payroll and invoicing
• Assignment-level tracking
• Strong reporting and audit logs

If you want a short recommendation

• Best overall for staffing agencies: Bullhorn Time & Expense
• Best all-in-one staffing platform: Avionté
• Best for more complex staffing operations: TempWorks

My practical advice

If you’re choosing today, ask vendors for a demo focused on these exact scenarios:

1. A worker has multiple assignments in one week
2. A client has unique overtime rules
3. A shift is missed, corrected, and re-approved
4. Hours must flow into payroll and client billing
5. You need mobile clock-in/out and manager approval

If you want, I can also give you a side-by-side comparison table of Bullhorn, Avionté, TempWorks, and a few lighter-weight options based on agency size and budget.