Contract Labor Management: Permanent Solutions for Temporary Workers

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - February 6, 2008) - The category of contract labor, also known as contingent or temporary labor, is a complex category of spend that is playing an increasingly significant role in today's enterprise, according to a new study published by Aberdeen, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS). Enterprises with formal contract labor programs which drive strong collaborative links between procurement, human resources, and internal stakeholders will be better positioned to manage their workforce in volatile times. Top-performing enterprises are gaining significant benefits from their contract labor programs by centralizing management and standardizing processes.

The "Contract Labor Management" report finds that enterprises that automate the requisition process and have a more rigorous post-selection process outperform their peers. Higher performing enterprises are led by organizations around the globe are also challenged by a decentralized system of program management, evidenced by 41% of enterprises in this report's survey pool.

Blending centralized program management with technology and collaboration has allowed Best-in-Class enterprises to eclipse their peers in several key areas including:

--  20% year-over-year cost savings on their contract labor spend
--  23% faster time rate to fill an open requisition
--  Shorter time periods to onboard new contract labor employees
    

The "Contract Labor Management" benchmark study found that enterprises instituting a high level of collaboration between human resources and procurement have seen an average cost savings rate of 10%, a figure that is 115% higher than enterprises that have no level of collaboration. The report goes on to analyze the balancing act of finding the right contractor, at the right price and getting them to your site at the right time.

To reach the level of performance of Best-in-Class organizations, Aberdeen recommends that enterprises undertake the following actions:

--  Leverage procurement strategies and technology in the management of
    contract labor
--  Promote collaboration between contract labor management stakeholders
--  Automate all facets of the contract labor process, including job
    requisition tracking
    

A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part by the following underwriters: The Guidant Group, Peopleclick, and Bartech Group. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=4573.

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets, corporations turn to Aberdeen™ for insights that drive decisions.

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement - Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit Aberdeen http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748 or go to http://www.harte-hanks.com.

© 2008 Aberdeen Group, Inc., a Harte-Hanks Company
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Boston, Massachusetts 02110-3112
Telephone: (617) 723-7890
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www.aberdeen.com

Contact Information: Media Contact: Chris Dwyer Aberdeen Harte-Hanks (617) 854-5310 chris.dwyer@aberdeen.com