While QR codes aren’t new, they have seen a resurgence since the start of the pandemic. QR codes encode web URL addresses and eliminate the need to type a long string of characters to launch a web resource. QR codes are easier for phone cameras to read compared to barcodes. QR invoked web apps don’t have to require downloading from an app store.Â
The QR method for directly launching web applications is perfect for touchless data sharing at restaurants and several other businesses. QR codes are now ubiquitous and a regular feature of our digital lives. Formerly rarely used, at the start of the pandemic, smartphone manufacturers quickly incorporated QR code recognition into their devices.Â
At the workplace, QR codes were initially used just for touchless health screenings and to meet local contract tracing requirements. But now, HR professionals have more uses for digital check-in data and are discovering the digital data generated from QR codes is critical information about their companies.Â
Nothing is more fundamental to workplace risk management than knowing who, where, why and how long people were there. QR codes and their related data and insights offer many benefits to HR. And data collected via QR-launched web apps can make offices more productive, projects more profitable, employees more informed, employee data more private while reducing risks.
In many locations, QR check-in apps privately ask and document an employee’s vaccination status. An employee or visitor is more likely to share this information privately than by interviewing or paper surveys.
Digital check-in/check-out is replacing the paper sign-in book at the front desk. A receptionist is no longer needed to perform a data entry function. Receptionists can still be called to an entrance if needed, but they can now focus on more critical tasks and customer service needs. Deliveries can happen without interruptions by directing vendors to designated, secure locations.
Along with privacy, a digital check-in/check-out provides an immediate digital record of arrival and departure times of employees, visitors, and vendors. Physical visit data can now be combined with CRM data. And HR now has a real-time view of who is in the workplace should an incident arise and has the historical data necessary to take appropriate action. The best apps will immediately secure data in the cloud, encrypted and backed up for queries, reporting and analytics.
For businesses that require employees and guests to read, agree and sign waivers and training materials, a QR code entry app can be customized to ensure policy documents are read and agreed to as a part of granting access.
For all these reasons, there’s been an uptick in the adoption of QR code apps in commercial real estate, assisted living homes, warehouses, laboratories, factories, event venues, media production and construction sites.
QR Codes as a Safety and Productivity Tool
With a dedicated QR code for an office or work area such as a lobby, interview carrel, or a job site, it’s easy to verify the status of everyone in an office.
Along with sharing information throughout the company, especially field workers, the ability to instantly contact everybody onsite is critical in the event of an emergency. Data about who was onsite is beneficial for completing reports concerning HR-relevant incidents such as accidents, illness, or behavior problems, especially if there are potential legal ramifications. Since lawsuits are often filed months or years after the event, having a secure, private digital archive is critically essential.
Emergencies aside, having QR code check-in data provides managers and executives with an additional, insightful view into the health of their business. While not replacing timecard apps, a QR check-in/out app can integrate with a timecard app to help assign work and measure productivity.
For example, construction general contractors are using QR check-in/out to notify a supervisor of the location of workers when they arrive. Workers can upload photos and text showing their work progress. Over time, this data can spot trends and help with planning budgets and future hires. For example, the data can produce reports that give the average time it takes to complete a particular assignment, benchmark productivity, and measure progress against project profitability. Check-in/out data can help proactively identify if workers are being given enough time to complete assignments, are mastering their jobs, and improve job site safety. Knowing what sites, projects, and tasks workers perform is helpful for staffing new projects. Workers and visitors will quickly learn that their check-in is for safety and improving the overall performance of the entire team, not to single out any employee or use the data against them.
The more the QR codes are used, the more valuable the data becomes.Â
See More: Privacy, Productivity, Compliance: 3 Considerations When HR Adopts Employee Monitoring Software
Protecting Employee Data
Still, it’s important to note that the popularity and proliferation of QR codes have resulted in attempts to hack the apps and send visitors to the wrong URL. Well-designed apps can resist such schemes, but as with all digital services, such as email or texts, users need to be wary if a QR interaction seems “off.â€
A trojan QR code can connect a device to a malicious network and attempt to install malware. The impact multiplies if the employee uses a smartphone provided by their employer. QR codes need to come from a reliable supplier and not be generated “on the flyâ€. No user should download a “free†QR code reader from an app store. Work only with a reputable vendor that builds the QR code and protects the user data connected to it.
With employees going back to the office, albeit in staggered and hybrid schedules, QR codes are becoming part of workplace protocol for safety and security. Over time, the insights provided by the data will have a larger impact on staffing, project planning, and management. By eliminating typing and manual data entry, QR codes are a part of tomorrow’s digital workplace.
Are you using QR codes at your workplace? What use cases have you seen for them? Let us know on FacebookOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , and LinkedInOpens a new window .