With a background of over 17 years in procurement, Robin Harris is an experienced player in the contingent workforce sphere. In July, Harris became VP category manager over contingent labor for IT with JPMorgan Chase & Co., overseeing the overall strategy around the company’s contingent labor program.

But her career in the industry began around 2002 with a position at BearingPoint. She later moved to Pepsi-Co and then to JCPenney, where, as procurement sourcing manager, she built the program’s MSP and VMS from scratch. She also spearheaded a long list of tactical initiatives, such as managing suppliers, updating and changing program policies, and researching the talent pool landscape, all of which focused on the strategic building of a best-in-class program.

Harris notes that a prevalent challenge facing everyone in the CW sphere today is the low unemployment rate. “You have to be creative and innovative to find the right talent,” she says, adding that she makes good use of out-of-the-box solutions like seasonal workers and labor sharing pools. At JCPenney, she piloted Wonolo, a tool that she describes as “a little like an online dating app” which matches candidates to roles. Harris believes that communication and collaboration between suppliers, internal HR, and even other companies’ CW programs are the best way to ensure that the right talent is available at the right time.