Eighty Percent of Companies That Outsource HR Functions Would Do So Again, According to Study by The Conference Board and Accenture

No Companies Plan to Take Outsourced Services Back In-House

NEW YORK; April 15, 2004 – More than three-fourths of executives at large North American and European companies that currently outsource one or more major human resources functions said they would do so again, according to a survey released today by The Conference Board and sponsored by Accenture (NYSE: ACN).

“HR Outsourcing: Benefits, Challenges and Trends” is The Conference Board’s second study to track the benefits of human resources (HR) outsourcing and changes in the HR marketplace. Based on the results of a survey of executives at more than 120 companies in North America and Europe with annual revenues of at least US$1 billion, the new study found that outsourcing is now firmly embedded as part of HR service delivery.

Some 76 percent of respondents surveyed said their organizations currently outsource one or more major HR functions, and 80 percent of those said they would do so again. In addition, nearly three-fourths (71 percent) of the surveyed companies that currently outsource HR said that they will extend or renegotiate contracts with their current outsourcing providers and 29 percent said that they will put their existing outsourced services out for a new bid – but none said they plan to take services back in-house.

In addition, 91 percent of respondents reported either having achieved or partially achieved their HR outsourcing objectives. Only 9 percent of respondents said they are entirely against outsourcing some or all of their major human resources functions, compared with 23 percent in the previous year’s survey.

The survey revealed notable regional differences regarding the acceptance of HR outsourcing, with U.S. companies being the most accepting. For instance, 87 percent of executives at U.S. companies surveyed said they currently outsource major HR functions, compared with 71 percent in Canada and 57 percent in Europe. However, European firms lead in outsourcing non-HR functions, with 70 percent of European respondents indicating that they outsource a significant business process other than HR, compared with 65 percent in Canada and 52 percent in the United States.

“European companies are more likely to be confronted with challenges in standardizing HR processes across national borders due to differing in-country legislative requirements,” said David Dell, author of the study and former Research Director of Capabilities Management and HR Strategies at The Conference Board. “And there are still a relatively scarce number of vendors who can offer multinational capabilities. North American companies do not face this legislative challenge, and are more likely to be driven to HR outsourcing by a need to streamline costs, improve service quality, and reap the benefits of new technologies without major capital investments.”

“Many companies today view HR outsourcing as one of the most viable options to save money and improve services while also making a strategic contribution to the business,” said David Clinton, president of Accenture HR Services, an Accenture business that provides human resources services on an outsourced basis. “The most compelling indicator of outsourcing’s high approval rating is the fact that none of the survey respondents plans to bring that activity back in-house.”

HR programs that are most often fully outsourced are: 401(k) programs (selected by 53 percent of respondents); pensions/benefits (30 percent); stock options administration (30 percent); and health benefits (29 percent). Leading the list of partially outsourced services are health benefits (50 percent), training and development (48 percent) and payroll (40 percent). The study also found that while most companies fully outsource some HR programs, they often deliver their HR services via a blended solution, using both internal and external capabilities with multiple providers.

Among the study’s other findings:

“The initial growing pains of early HR outsourcing are clearly giving way to a more maturing industry,” said Clinton. “As companies apply lessons learned from early experiences, they are finding better ways of managing their outsourcing relationships, and measuring their success with greatly improved governance and metrics. As companies continue to come under pressure to do more with less, HR outsourcing is rapidly becoming the best way to reduce costs, improve service to employees, and maximize resource availability across their organization. The question today is less about whether or not to outsource than how to get better at it.”

About the Survey:
This study is based on the results of a September 2003 survey of 122 companies with annual revenues exceeding US$1 billion. Three-quarters (76 percent) of respondents were from North America, with the remainder from Europe. Two-thirds (66 percent) of the 66 percent of respondents who indicated that they work in human resources are vice presidents or above, and 24 percent are directors.

HR Outsourcing: Benefits, Challenges, and Trends provides insights into the direction of HR outsourcing and tracks changes that have arisen since The Board’s previous study in 2002 on the same subject. It also evaluates the benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing, explores the considerations that lead to the decision to outsource, and examines the early experiences of a growing number of companies that are choosing to outsource the bulk of their HR activities. A related TCB/Accenture report is HR Outsourcing Trends, Report #1321-02-RR, The Conference Board.

All findings and data in the report register the collective experience of survey participants and reflect the overall results of the study, not necessarily the views of individual companies or employees, unless otherwise specifically indicated.

About the Conference Board
The Conference Board creates and disseminates knowledge about management and the marketplace to help businesses strengthen their performance and better serve society. Working as a global independent membership organization in the public interest, The Conference Board conducts conferences, makes forecasts and assesses trends, publishes information and analysis, and brings executives together to learn from one another. The Conference Board is a not-for-profit organization and holds 501(c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States. Visit The Conference Board’s website—www.conference-board.org.

About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Committed to delivering innovation, Accenture collaborates with its clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. With deep industry and business process expertise, broad global resources and a proven track record, Accenture can mobilize the right people, skills, and technologies to help clients improve their performance. With approximately 90,000 people in 48 countries, the company generated net revenues of US$11.8 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2003. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

Accenture HR Services, an Accenture business, provides people-management services to enterprises on an outsourced basis. Employing advanced technology and best-of-breed human resources practices, Accenture HR Services works in close collaboration with its clients to accommodate the unique needs and characteristics of their business operations and people. In this way, Accenture HR Services enables organizations to concentrate on optimizing their core business activities while reducing their costs and realizing the greatest possible value from all of their assets. Its home page is www.accenture.com/hrservices.

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