---
title: "What's the Best Way for Employees to Clock In?"
date: 2023-08-04
author: Findd
tags: Facial Recognition, Time Tracking
description: "Selfie clock-in confirms the right person is at the right building, with no special hardware. How it works, and how to answer employee questions."
social_description: "What's the best way for employees to clock in? The case for a selfie on a phone or tablet, with consent and a person reviewing exceptions."
image: hero.webp
image_alt: "A woman taking a selfie on her phone"
status: green
original_url: https://www.findd.ai/mobile-facial-recognition-whats-the-best-method-for-employees-to-punch-in/
---
## For most cleaning and facility services teams, the best way to clock in is a selfie on a phone or tablet. It confirms the right person is at the right building, it needs no special hardware, and nobody has to touch a shared clock. It works best with clear consent, an option for anyone who can't be matched, and a person who reviews the exceptions.

## How Selfie Clock-In Works

When a worker arrives for a shift, they open the app on their phone or on a tablet at the site and take a selfie. The system matches their face to the photo they enrolled, checks that a live person is in front of the camera, and records the time and location with the punch. It takes a few seconds.

## Why It Beats Badges and PINs

Badges and PIN codes identify a card or a number, not a person. They can be lent, lost, or forgotten, and every one of those cases turns into time a supervisor has to enter by hand. Fingerprint clocks are hardware you have to buy, mount, and fix, and some workers' fingerprints are hard to read.

A selfie works on the phones and tablets you already have, nobody touches a shared device, and every punch keeps a photo a person can check if a question comes up later.

## Answer Your Team's Questions Up Front

Some employees will worry about where their photo goes. Answer that before you start, in writing and in their own language:

- Biometric data is collected only with their consent.
- It's used only for timekeeping.
- It's deleted on a fixed schedule.
- There is another way to clock in for anyone who can't be matched, reviewed by a person.

Check the biometric privacy laws in each state where you operate with your counsel, since some require written consent and a published retention policy.

## What Your Clients See

Clients want to know the people in their building are the ones you assigned and trained. A verified punch with a photo, a time, and a location shows exactly that, and it's easy to share at a QBR or when a question comes up.

## Paying for the Time People Worked

Rounding and hand-entered time make pay less exact, in both directions. With verified punches, you can pay to the minute, and workers can see their time was recorded correctly.

## A Checklist for Rolling Out Selfie Clock-In

1. Write a short consent form and a retention policy, and have your counsel review them.
2. Translate both into every language your team speaks.
3. Decide how workers without a smartphone will clock in, like a shared tablet at the site.
4. Set up each building as its own location.
5. Decide who reviews exceptions, and how quickly.
6. Show the app at a shift meeting before go-live.

## Make Every Punch Easy to Trust

Findd customers use [Findd Time and Labor](../../products/time-and-labor/) for selfie clock-in with liveness detection and geofencing. Face matching happens on the phone or tablet, so it works online or offline, and every punch keeps a photo that a person can review. Sites where phones aren't allowed use a shared tablet with a PIN and a selfie.

## Questions About Selfie Clock-In

### What if the app can't match someone's face?

The punch should still be recorded and flagged for a supervisor to review with the photo attached. The worker gets credit for their time, and a person makes the call.

### Do employees need their own smartphone?

No. A shared tablet at the site works too, with a PIN and a selfie.

### What laws apply to facial recognition for timekeeping?

Several states and provinces have rules for biometric data, like written consent and a published retention schedule. Check the rules where you operate with your counsel before you start.