Communication and Employee Self-Service are Keys to Lower Healthcare Benefit Costs

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - March 18, 2010) - Benefits Management 2010, a recent study by Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS) reveals organizations still find that balancing the costs associated with employee benefits against attracting and retaining top talent is a challenging task. Top performing companies, however, manage to keep cost increases around 2% while maintaining 91% employee satisfaction and a manageable burden on HR personnel, especially during open enrollment periods. Analysis showed that communicating benefit offerings to employees, self-enrollment, and automating tasks and correspondence are key performance differentiators. Formally reviewing the effectiveness of benefits management strategy at least annually, seeking feedback from employees on the enrollment process, and surveying them to determine satisfaction with offerings play critical roles in optimizing offerings and streamlining workflows.

"For an employee, health benefits are one of the most critical offerings an employer can impart on them; and for an employer, they are a significant line item in the cost column." said Jayson Saba, Senior Research Associate with Aberdeen's Human Capital Management practice. "Ultimately, effective benefits management initiatives must be able to address both issues while ensuring that the tactical burden doesn't overwhelm HR personnel. This report will serve as a roadmap to achieve this."

By identifying the proven steps adopted by top organizations, this comprehensive guide will serve as a resource for any organization seeking to keep costs down, maintain high level of satisfaction, and eliminate much of the manual processes associated with implementing these programs.

Aberdeen's report provides more detail about how top performing organizations carry out their benefits management strategies in a way that keeps cost down and positions such offerings as recruitment and retention tools. Complimentary access to this report is available for a limited time at: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?spid=30410182&cid=6320&camp2.

To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?spid=30410182&cid=6320.

Visit Research.Aberdeen.com for additional access to complimentary Human Capital Management Research.

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

Aberdeen provides fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having queried more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is 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 or call (617) 854-5200, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748.

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