As technology continues to grow, evolve and develop, many businesses and employers are making the most of this to try and improve the efficiency of their workforce, as well as heighten security and ensure that workplaces and data are safe and secure for all those involved.
New technology also allows employers to keep a closer eye on their employees, and obtain up-to-the-minute data which will allow them to make key decisions and analyses.
Biometrics is one area that has increased in popularity in recent years – but just what does this mean, what is involved, and how can it benefit your business? We took a closer look, so read on for everything you need to know.
What Are Biometrics?
Before we take a closer look at the nuances of biometrics, it is worth considering just what we mean by the term.
In short, “biometrics” refers to specific calculations and body measurements that are related to certain human characteristics, such as retinal scans and fingerprints.
Within the world of computer science – and increasingly, security – biometrics can be very useful in identifying individuals, allowing access to specific spaces or systems, and recording data such as movements and time spent on site.
Within businesses and organizations, biometric time clocks can be used as tools to help employers manage and track employees, including managing hourly wages and using biometric tools to help authenticate data across the workplace.
Types Of Biometric Systems
As we have mentioned, biometrics work by taking scans of particular attributes and using these to identify an individual employee. There are three elements to biometrics – authentication, identification, and verification.
Biometric Authentication
The first stage is biometric authentication – that is, ascertaining that you are who you say you are.
Here, the computer scans the individual using the attributes selected, for example, facial recognition or fingerprint scanning and compares the results to a database containing all valid models.
If the individual matches a template from the database, they will be allowed access to the system. This is the model most commonly used in businesses.
Biometric Identification
Biometric identification allows the identification of a single individual, using physical attributes and features to compare this to a bank of other people – for example, a police database or system at border control.
The FBI database, for example, hosts records for over 70,000,000 individual criminals and records details such as height, weight, hair color, eye color, tattoos, scars, and distinctive features.
Authentication allows the attributes and characteristics of one individual to be compared to this bank, making it easier to track down whether someone was in a certain place at a certain time. Authentication is most commonly used in law enforcement.
Biometric Verification
Biometric verification is often lumped in with authorization, but the two have a key difference – authorization clarifies whether an individual can be compared and matched to someone in the system, while verification is used to prove that someone online matches their real-world identity – this is very useful in cases of suspected fraud or identity theft.
How Does Biometric Authentication Work?
As we have mentioned, biometric authentication is the system most commonly used in businesses, and this is a simple system that can offer benefits for your wider organization. The process is as follows:
Enrollment
In the first instance, a sample is collected from the individual for future reference and cross-matching – this is usually undertaken on the employee’s first day, as part of the onboarding process.
Fingerprints, facial recognition, and retinal scans are all the most commonly used types of biometrics.
Specialist algorithms then take this sample and create a template, which is stored on a card, or in a larger database.
Live Sample
Once the template has been taken, the employee will then provide a live sample. This may be placing their finger on the scanner, or inserting a card that contains their facial recognition data to form a photo.
Comparison And Access
The system will then compare the live sample offered to the template in the database. If the two match, the user will be authenticated and will be granted access to the workplace, system, or room.
How Do Biometrics Identify Employees?
Now that we have taken a closer look at how biometrics can actually work, you may be wondering how they can be used to identify and single out a specific employee? This depends largely on the system used, and some of the most common options include:
- Fingerprints – with a fingerprint scanning system, the whorls, loops, and arches of a unique fingerprint are captured and verified by the system.
- Iris – iris recognition is able to identify and verify a user using the unique patterns that are found in their iris.
- Hands – each hand is unique, and a biometric system of this type will take and measure the geometric features of an individual’s hand, such as the length of their fingers, and the width of their hand. Comparisons can then be made with the live hand.
- Retina – retina scans use a near-infrared camera to capture the tiny capillaries that sit at the back of the eye and will look for a match to ensure authentication.
- DNA – in some systems, DNA segments can be analyzed and compared to confirm or deny authentication.
- Face – with facial scans, the facial geometry is measured – this includes the distance that exists between key features of the face, such as eyes and nose.
- Ear shape – the shape of an ear can be stored and analyzed
- Hand vein – in some cases, the vein patterns that are present in the finger or palm of an individual can be compared and analyzed
- Signature – another popular option is to store the signature of an individual, and compare the inclination, pressure of the pen, speed of signing, and the stroke order to confirm identity
- Keystroke – similar to signature verification, keystroke systems can capture the pattern of an individual typing, and analyze the pattern for comparison
- Gait – gait analysis captures and compares the walking style of an individual to determine and confirm their identity
- Voice – in some systems, the inflection, cadence, and tone of speech and combined with the sound of someone’s voice, are measured to confirm the identity
In some workplaces, particularly those working on matters of national security or handling incredibly sensitive data, multiple biometrics may be implemented in order to help verify the identity of users and maintain safety, accuracy, and security.
How Can Biometric Systems Benefit Businesses?
There are a number of potential benefits that biometric systems, and the ability to identify individuals, can offer to businesses. Some of the key advantages include:
Exams, Tests, and E-Learning
If your business requires employees to take qualifications, participate in CPD, or complete e-learning courses, biometric systems can be used to authenticate the learner, ensuring that the person taking the exam is the right candidate and that they are not using someone else to take the exam or pass the course.
This is a common issue with the rise of digital and remote learning and can result in individuals and employees being awarded credit and qualification that they have not earned.
Securing Workplaces
As we have discussed, biometric systems can also be useful for helping to keep workplaces safe and secure by controlling the flow of individuals who can access a certain site, room, or area of the business.
Biometrics are often used in conjunction with traditional ID systems such as badges, codes, and PINs to add an extra layer of security. This can also be useful in establishing exactly who is in a building at a particular time.
Enhance Security Of Devices
As well as workplaces themselves, biometric systems can also be used to secure equipment such as phones and laptops, and this can be important if you are handing potentially sensitive information.
Biometrics can also be used in place of a password, as you can restrict which employees will have access to specific data and information by adjusting the access settings.
Reduce Incidences Of Time Theft
Biometrics can also store accurate records of times and dates, and this reduces the risk of time theft.
Employees will no longer be able to ask colleagues to clock them in or out – known as “buddy punching” – or face confusion with phones and employee clocks or watches running at different times – instead, every interaction with the clock in the machine will have to be authenticated using your chosen biometric system.
This can also be useful for tracking and monitoring attendance, and, again, for knowing exactly who is in the building at any given time – data that can also be useful for ensuring safety and security, for example, in the event of a fire or serious incident.
Allows Self Check-In
Biometrics are becoming increasingly popular in hotels, as they allow guests the option to check in independently, reducing the need for extra staff and assistance. This is a benefit that can also be transposed to the workplace, reducing the staff that you need to clock staff in each day.
Increase Payroll Efficiency
Payroll can often be one of the biggest headaches for businesses.
There tend to be a number of “touchpoints” – spots where a human error can be made – and a seemingly simple mistake can be a real issue for the employee, as they lose money for that payroll period, as well as the employer and payroll staff, who has to spend time and effort checking numbers and reissuing paychecks as required.
Tax and employee benefits can also be impacted by incorrect data, resulting in extra work all around.
Biometrics ensures that the data is taken straight from the clock-in station to the payroll software and wage generation, a process that not only saves time but improves accuracy and reduces the risk of confusion or error.
Improving And Monitoring Employee Attendance
Biometric systems can also be integrated into attendance systems to allow for real-time monitoring of employee attendance, which can be used as an additional tool in reducing absenteeism rates.
This is done by sending out automated reminders to employees, as well as setting up alerts when somebody misses more than a certain amount of scheduled shifts – all without having to rely on memory registers or manually checked logs or records.
Biometric time clocks can even help ensure compliance with legislation relating to minimum hours worked. For instance, it can quickly identify those people who may be working overtime or under the legal limit, allowing management and HR to review their performance accordingly.
Final Thoughts:The Future Of Biometrics In The Workplace
Although biometric technology is still fairly new, there are many potential applications in the workplace, particularly in terms of improving efficiency and productivity, and in offering poor attendance solutions.
As time goes on the number of uses and usages will increase, so it’s likely that you’ll see biometric systems being integrated into everything from manufacturing plants to factories and warehouses, to offices and conference rooms.
They’re already starting to become common in hospitality and retail environments, and will continue to expand into new areas over the next few years.
