University of California picks Hays for systemwide workforce management

By AI, Created 4:36 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – The University of California has selected Hays as its systemwide managed service provider after an RFP review of contingent workforce practices. The rollout begins in May 2026 with a pilot at UC Berkeley, followed by UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz, as UC aims to improve compliance, visibility and cost control across campuses.

Why it matters: - The University of California is trying to bring more consistency to how it manages contingent labor across a 10-campus system. - The new model is meant to improve compliance, reduce rate variability and give campuses better workforce data without taking away local flexibility. - UC is the second-largest employer in California, so changes to its workforce management approach can affect hiring, vendor oversight and operating costs at scale.

What happened: - The University of California selected Hays as its systemwide Managed Service Provider after a competitively solicited Request for Proposal and a review of contingent workforce practices. - Implementation begins in May 2026 with a pilot at UC Berkeley. - UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz are next in line for the rollout.

The details: - The RFP process identified opportunities to improve consistency, strengthen compliance and address rate variability across campuses. - The MSP model adds vendor-neutral oversight supported by a Vendor Management System. - UC expects the program to improve visibility into workforce data, standardize processes and control costs. - The structure is designed to preserve campus autonomy while giving the system enterprise-wide governance and benchmarking. - UC says campuses can continue working with preferred suppliers under the new framework. - UC Associate Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer Paul Williams said the goal is greater consistency, transparency and accountability in contingent labor management. - Williams said the partnership supports better data visibility, stronger compliance and more informed workforce decisions while keeping campus flexibility. - Hays VP of MSP Customer Growth Aaron Wolfson said the company expects the program to centralize processes, ensure compliance and deliver measurable cost savings and operational excellence. - Hays also said the initiative will unlock access to diverse, high-quality talent. - More information is available from Hays. - UC Systemwide Procurement information is available through UC Office of the President at UC Systemwide Procurement.

Between the lines: - The move suggests UC wants more systemwide control over contingent labor without forcing a one-size-fits-all approach on every campus. - The emphasis on vendor neutrality and benchmarking signals a push to make spending and supplier decisions more comparable across locations. - The pilot-first rollout indicates UC is testing the model before expanding it systemwide.

What’s next: - UC will launch the pilot at UC Berkeley in May 2026. - UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz will follow after the initial rollout phase. - The university will likely use early results to refine how the MSP model works across the broader system. - Hays and UC will continue building the governance, reporting and supplier framework needed for wider adoption.

The bottom line: - UC is shifting contingent workforce oversight toward a more centralized, data-driven model while trying to keep campus-level flexibility intact.