For UK recruitment agencies, choosing the right CRM is the single most important tech decision, especially on a high-volume temporary desk. Both Firefish and Voyager Infinity are powerful, UK-centric contenders, offering specialised tools far beyond what a global giant might provide.
However, when you drill down into the needs of the fast-moving UK temporary market—where speed, location, and precise compliance are paramount—Voyager Infinity pulls ahead as the truly tailored and efficient solution for managing shifts, staff, and risk.
Here is why Voyager Infinity is built to win on the UK Temp Desk.
1. The Race for Compliance and Candidate Onboarding Speed
In temporary recruitment, time-to-placement is everything. Manual onboarding and compliance checks are major bottlenecks. Both systems offer Candidate Portals and strong compliance, but Voyager Infimity is explicitly designed for lightning speed and UK legislative detail.
| Feature Area | Voyager Infinity Advantage | Firefish Note |
| Onboarding Speed | Voyager’s Candidate Portal claims up to 80% reduction in time for simple temp candidate onboarding, resulting in less drop-off and faster job readiness. | Firefish also offers a Candidate Portal, but public claims of such large-scale, documented time savings are less emphasised. |
| UK Compliance Depth | Strong and explicit support for complex UK laws: Working Time Directive, AWR, and IR35. Includes automated document expiry reminders and verification. | Firefish offers excellent native compliance workflows, blocking placements until documents are valid, which is fantastic for risk mitigation. |
| Document Management | Allows for the customisation of required documents per client or sector, providing granular control for specialised temp niches. | Focuses on robust enforcement of compliance rules at multiple stages before placement. |
The Takeaway: While both platforms are strong on UK compliance, Voyager Infinity provides the critical speed advantage for temp desks, with its Candidate Portal claiming significant time reductions for simple onboarding and offering explicit, native support for the complex trio of UK regulations (WTD, AWR, and IR35).
2. Mastering Temp Desk Logistics: Visual Planning and Location
Temporary desks rely on two things: knowing who is available right now and how long it takes them to get to the site. Voyager Infinity’s planning tools are specifically engineered for this geographical and visual challenge.
| Feature Area | Voyager Infinity Advantage | Firefish Note |
| Visual Shift Planning | Features a powerful “Temps Planner” with a colour-coded visual planner to instantly view current bookings, free time, and compliance status for all candidates. | Offers a defined Temporary Recruitment Workflow, but the visual planner/scheduling tools appear less emphasised in the core offering. |
| Location Matching | The “iMaps” feature provides essential location, route planning, and distance metrics to help recruiters match the closest and most efficient candidates to shifts. | Provides postcode radius matching, a solid feature, but lacks the dedicated route planning and distance-based filtering offered by iMaps. |
| Candidate Scoring | Includes candidate ranking and scoring (e.g., last contact, CV recency) to prioritise the best temps for immediate assignment. | Strong in bulk actions (see point 3), but less focus on pre-assignment candidate scoring metrics. |
The Takeaway: Voyager Infinity is engineered for logistical superiority in shift work, featuring a powerful colour-coded visual Temps Planner and the ‘iMaps’ feature which provides essential route planning and distance metrics—giving recruiters a distinct advantage in quickly matching and placing the closest, most efficient candidates.
3. Pay & Bill and Back-Office Efficiency
Both systems provide functionality to streamline the back office, but Voyager Infinity’s integrated approach, combined with Firefish’s strength in handling complex rates, creates an interesting trade-off.
| Feature Area | Voyager Infinity Advantage | Firefish Note |
| Pay & Bill Integration | Offers integrated Mid-Office / Pay & Bill for seamless placement import, timesheet processing, and invoice raising, acting as a single, connected suite. | Has “Time Capture” functionality and excellent integration with back-office tools like Xero, Tempaid, and Timesheet Portal for export. |
| Bulk Administration | Supports bulk matching and assignment via the planner, as well as communications (SMS/email) for shift confirmations. | Appears stronger in post-placement bulk actions, such as bulk contract roll-ons, extensions, and terminations—essential for high-volume contract renewal workflows. |
| Complex Rates | Supports shift-based temp work, but Firefish is noted for more explicitly supporting “multiple rates & positions” (e.g., overtime, basic, etc.) within a single role. | A strong point for Firefish if your temp roles frequently involve complex, multi-tiered pay structures. |
The Takeaway: Voyager Infinity is the preferred choice for a single, integrated suite with its seamless Mid-Office/Pay & Bill module. However, Firefish may be a better fit for agencies that require stronger bulk contract administration or frequently deal with highly complex, multi-tiered pay rate structures within a single role.
The Verdict: Voyager Infinity is the UK Temp Specialist
Firefish is a powerful, compliant CRM that excels at handling complex rate structures and bulk contract administration.
However, Voyager Infinity is the better investment for the UK temp agency that prioritises speed, location-based efficiency, and deep UK compliance confidence. Its dedicated visual Temp Planner and iMaps tools are a game-changer for day-to-day logistics, while the Candidate Portal’s speed ensures your temp database is always full and compliant.
If your agency’s success hinges on swift, compliant placement of shift workers, Voyager Infinity provides the specialised, end-to-end functionality you need to dominate the temporary market. Book a demo today!
Voyager Infinity and Voyager Mid-Office are software solutions that make Recruiters’ lives easier. Voyager Infinity is a CRM used by thousands of recruiters globally to source, nurture and maintain the relationships with their clients and candidates, and Mid-Office manages the entire Pay and Bill process (IR35 ready).
