A Professional Employer Organization (PEO) is a third-party administrator that offers benefits to businesses and their employees.

A PEO may offer payroll processing, W-2 filing, workers compensation insurance and other benefits to businesses and their employees.

 

Best PEO Companies

What Are PEO Companies

PEOs are the best way to save money and time. In fact, a PEO can save you up to 80% off the cost of hiring your own employees. It’s also a great way to cut down on administrative hassles when it comes to payroll, benefits, and time tracking.

That’s why more and more companies are turning to PEOs to help them with their HR needs.

The only problem is that there are tons of companies out there trying to get your business. What should you look for in a PEO? Here’s our list of everything you need to know before choosing a company that fits your needs.

 

 

What is a PEO?

The idea behind a PEO is to relieve small and mid-sized companies from the burden of running their own HR functions.

Instead of hiring an HR manager or taking on the expense of setting up an HR department, these companies can outsource those responsibilities to a PEO.

In addition to providing many of the same services as a traditional HR department recruiting, onboarding new employees and managing benefits some PEOs also offer services for payroll processing, workers’ compensation insurance and human resource consulting.

What to Look for from a PEO

The decision to outsource HR, payroll and benefits is a big one. Here are some things to look for from a PEO before making the leap.

1. The PEO should be able to provide you with the necessary HR documentation so that you can stay compliant with the laws governing your business.

2. The PEO must have experience working with small businesses in your industry or niche market.

3. The PEO should have knowledge of the latest trends in HR and benefits administration so they can help you stay on top of things as they change over time or when new regulations come into effect.

4. You should be able to access your account online 24/7, so there’s no need to wait until regular business hours if something comes up that needs attention right away (like an employee dispute).

5. The PEO should provide training on how to use their software, which will make it easier for you and your staff members to navigate through their system without any issues down the road.

Price

 When it comes to your business, you want to be sure that you are getting the best price on everything. It is important that you find a PEO that offers you the best value for your money.

When shopping for a PEO, it is important to look at their pricing structure and make sure it fits within your budget.

The first thing you need to do is compare the quotes from different companies. You should always check out at least three or four PEOs before making a decision.

   

This will help you see what kind of prices they offer, and which one is right for your company.

If you have an established company, then it might not be necessary for you to have a full-time HR professional on staff. However, if this is something new or if your company has multiple locations, then it might be worth investing in a full-time HR professional who can handle all of your needs so that you don’t have to worry about them anymore.

Benefits and Offerings

There are many benefits of using a Professional Employer Organization (PEO). However, not all companies offer the same types of services.

Some companies offer more services than others, while some companies may provide fewer services but at lower prices. You should take time to research the different PEOs that are available in your area and compare each one against each other.

The most obvious benefit of using a PEO is that they help you find and hire employees, which can be very time consuming if you do not have the right resources or experience. A PEO will also handle all of your payroll needs and insurance claims for you, which can save you a lot of time and money over time.

The other benefit to using a PEO is that it makes your life easier because they can help you manage all aspects of your business from human resource management to accounting services.

This means that you don’t have to spend time worrying about these things on top of running your business; instead, you can focus on growing your business and making money with your product or service offerings.

Service Quality

 When you’re looking for a PEO, it’s important to know what to look for. The following are some of the most common characteristics of quality providers:

Service Excellence

A quality PEO focuses on providing clients with excellent service and client satisfaction.

This means that clients are treated as individuals and their unique needs are addressed. Quality providers will offer multiple ways to contact them, including 24/7 phone support, email and chat.

Client Satisfaction

Clients can give feedback on the services they receive from a PEO, so quality providers make sure they listen to what their clients have to say. They also survey clients after each engagement to ensure their expectations were met or exceeded.

What’s more, they use this feedback to improve their offerings and stay ahead of the competition.

Predictability

Quality providers create clear, easy-to-understand contracts that outline expectations up front so clients know what they’re getting into before signing on the dotted line. This makes it easier for clients since there are no surprises later on down the road when something goes wrong (which happens less often with quality providers).

Transparency

Quality providers are transparent about everything from pricing to fees charged for specific services provided by them or their vendors. 

Minimums and Requirements

 As a small business owner, you have to make every dollar count. That’s why it’s important to consider your options when it comes to outsourcing HR and payroll.

   

The first step is deciding what kind of PEO (professional employer organization) you want to work with:

  • A national PEO provides services to companies in all industries, manages their payroll and offers multiple service levels from basic to comprehensive.
  • A regional PEO specializes in a particular industry or vertical market and offers specialized services that are tailored for its specific customers’ needs.
  • A local PEO provides services exclusively for companies within a particular geographic area.

Next, take a look at the minimums and requirements for each type of PEO so that you can see how they might fit into your budget and business plan:

National PEOs usually require their clients to have at least five employees nationwide and pay at least $10,000 per month in payroll costs (with some exceptions).

The average annual fee is 2 percent of gross payroll plus additional fees for certain compliance-related services such as workers’ compensation insurance coverage or unemployment claims management.

These organizations also charge an annual fee for administration services such as recordkeeping and tax reporting.

Customer Service

 If you’re wondering what to look for from a PEO, here are some of the best practices to keep in mind:

  1. A PEO should be able to provide you with references.
  2. A PEO should offer 24/7 support and be available by phone or email.
  3. A PEO should be able to provide training and professional development opportunities for your employees so they can grow in their roles and continue learning throughout their career with your company.
  4. A PEO should have an established process for onboarding new employees, including an orientation program that covers key policies and procedures, as well as other areas of interest like benefits enrollment, 401(k) plans, insurance information and more.

Online Tools and Portals

 When you’re looking for a PEO, you should consider the following:

Online tools and portals.

The best PEOs will offer a variety of online tools and portals that allow you to manage your benefits and payroll in one place.

These tools often include access to your company’s data, including employee information such as payroll, benefits and leave balances. You can also see how much money is being spent on each individual benefit category.

The more flexible the system, the more likely it will be able to accommodate future changes to your staff or your business.

   
A single point of contact.

A good PEO should be able to answer all of your questions about the company’s services and give you an overview of what each service entails so you know what you’re getting into before signing up for anything.

Some companies may have multiple accounts managers who handle different departments within your company (such as HR), so make sure that everyone gets the same level of attention from their assigned account manager or team leader.

A strong reputation for customer service. If you ever need help with an issue or question, it’s important that someone at your PEO responds quickly and effectively ideally within 24 hours so that things don’t fall through cracks while they’re trying to fix things.

What Are the Best PEO Companies?

If you’re looking for a business partner, you might want to consider a Professional Employer Organization (PEO). A PEO can offer a number of benefits, including:

A one-stop shop for all your HR needs.

You don’t have to worry about finding and managing an HR team or training them on your policies and procedures. The PEO will take care of that for you.

A reduction in compliance risk.

As an employer, you are responsible for complying with federal, state and local laws related to employment matters such as payroll taxes and insurance coverage.

A PEO will handle all of these obligations on your behalf so that you don’t have to worry about them yourself.

A more streamlined payroll process.

With a PEO, there’s no need for employees to fill out paper forms every week instead, they simply submit their timesheets online through the company website or app.

And because payroll is handled electronically by a third party rather than an employee manually entering data into an accounting software program like QuickBooks or Microsoft Dynamics 365, mistakes are less likely to occur and any errors that do arise can quickly be corrected by the PEO before they become too costly or damaging to your business’s bottom line.

1. ADP PEO

 ADP PEO. is a complete HR solution that provides access to ADP’s full range of HR products and services, including payroll and benefits administration.

ADP PEO is ideal for small businesses that want to focus their time on running their business, not managing it.

ADP PEO includes:

  • Payroll processing and reporting
  • Vacation tracking, management and administration
  • Health insurance administration and billing
  • Employee benefit plan administration (e.g., 401k)

Key Features

  1. ADP PEO is licensed in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
  2. Self-funded and 100% employee-owned (ESOP).
  3. Easy and fast set up, usually within a week.
  4. Simple and uncomplicated administration.
  5. Tax savings can be as much as 30% or more compared to traditional insurance plans.
  6. Financial Planning Assistance
  7. Health Care Coverage
  8. Dental Coverage
  9. Vision Coverage
  10. Life Insurance
  11. Short-Term Disability Coverage
  12. Long-Term Disability Coverage

User Experience:

The ADP platform is designed to be easy to use and intuitive for the user. The user experience is similar to other HR platforms, so there is no learning curve when transitioning from one system to another.

It also allows users to customize their experience by allowing them to choose which modules they want to see on their dashboard.

ADP PEO. Security:

The ADP platform has multiple layers of security, including SSL encryption, password protection and two-factor authentication (2FA).

This ensures that only authorized people can access your data and that it is protected from unauthorized access.

ADP PEO. Reporting:

The ADP platform provides real-time reporting capabilities so you can monitor your business metrics at any time during the day or night.

The reports are comprehensive, giving you a full picture of how well your company’s benefits programs are working for employees and employers alike.

What I Like/Dislike About ADP PEO

Here are some of the things I like about ADP:

  1. The customer service is always top notch. There are times when I call in at 11pm and they answer right away! The agents are also very knowledgeable and friendly.
  2. They have flexible plans depending on your needs and budget. If you have a small business with 2-3 employees only, you can save money by having them handle payroll and benefits administration for you.If you have 4+ employees then they will handle payroll, benefits (medical/dental/vision), 401k, employee training & development programs, etc…
  3. You don’t have to worry about renewing your contract every year because it automatically renews unless you decide to cancel it or change service levels or add new employees or whatever else may happen during the year.
  4. It’s super easy to use their online portal.

2. Amplify PEO

 Amplify PEO is a full-service professional employer organization (PEO) that provides clients with the tools they need to manage their employees’ benefits, taxes and compliance.

By outsourcing these key functions, Amplify can help companies focus on what they do best while providing peace of mind in knowing that their employees are taken care of.

Amplify helps companies reduce risk and save money by taking on the administrative burden associated with running a business.

 

   

Amplify PEO has been in business since 2004 and has offices in Irvine, CA and Dallas, TX. The company employs more than 60 people who specialize in helping businesses grow by simplifying everyday tasks for clients through technology and strategic planning.

Key Features

  1. Medical, dental and vision insurance
  2. Life Insurance
  3. Long-term disability insurance
  4. Dental, vision and hearing coverage for employees
  5. Flexible spending account (FSA)
  6. Short-term disability insurance (STD) and long-term disability insurance (LTD)

User Experience

Amplify PEO is a human-friendly and intuitive platform that enables users to easily manage their business. Amplify PEO provides you with multiple options for managing employees such as:

  • Employee statuses like active, inactive, terminated etc.
  • Sending emails to employees through the platform itself (this helps you save a lot of time).

What I Like/Dislike About Amplify PEO:

 I have been a client of Amplify PEO for over 5 years. I’ve worked with many different PEO’s and I can honestly say that Amplify is the best.

Their customer service is excellent and they make sure you get everything you need to run your business. I’ve tried other PEO’s but always come back to Amplify because they are the best.

Their customer service is amazing! They are always helpful, friendly and quick to respond to any questions or concerns that I may have.

The website is easy to navigate and use. You can easily find what you’re looking for without any problems.

It also makes it easy to submit your payroll information in a timely manner so that there are no delays in getting paid by your clients or employees.

I have never had any issues with getting paid on time by my clients even though they will sometimes pay late because of their own internal issues.

This has never been an issue with Amplify PEO because they always make sure that all funds are disbursed on time for both employees and employers so that everyone gets paid correctly and on time each month.

3. CoAdvantage PEO

 CoAdvantage PEO is a professional employer organization (PEO) that provides human resource services to small businesses.

Key Features

  • Benefits administration – we handle all aspects of benefits administration such as enrollment, claims processing and payment
  • Cost control – we negotiate discounts with vendors on your behalf to keep costs low for you
  • Service provider management – we select and manage all benefit service providers including pension plans and 401k plans
  • Payroll administration – we process all payroll transactions including direct deposit, tax reporting and filing, vacation pay accrual and more
  • Workers’ compensation program administration – we handle all aspects of Workers’ Compensation including claim management, policy management, premium payments, audits and more

User Experience:

CoAdvantage PEO is a web application that is used for managing the Human Resources department. The platform provides a seamless interface to its users, which makes it easy to navigate through the website without any problems.

The system also has a user-friendly dashboard where all the necessary information can be accessed with just one click.

The CoAdvantage PEO software has an intuitive design, which makes it very easy to use. All you have to do is register on their website and you will get an email with your login credentials as soon as possible.

   

Once you are logged in, you can access all your information on your dashboard or by clicking on any other menu item on the left side panel of the screen.

The CoAdvantage PEO website has been designed professionally with modern standards so that everyone can easily understand how it works without having any technical knowledge about it. The website is also optimized for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets so that users can access all their data from anywhere in the world at any time they want.

CoAdvantage PEO offers four different plans – Small Business Plan ($150/month), Medium Business Plan ($200/month), Large Business Plan ($300/month), and Enterprise Plan ($500/month).

What I Like/Dislike About CoAdvantage PEO

– The fact that they have several options to choose from makes it easier to find the right package for me.

– They’re very friendly and helpful when you have questions or concerns about anything related to your account or benefits.

They always respond quickly if you email them or call with questions or concerns.

What I Dislike About CoAdvantage

– There isn’t much I dislike about CoAdvantage except maybe the fact that they don’t offer dental insurance as part of their plans, which is something I would like to see them add in the future!

4. VensureHR

 VensureHR is a cloud-based, HR software that helps you manage all your HR needs. It helps you automate the HR functions and processes, save time and money on HR management and boost productivity of your business.

VensureHR is a perfect tool for startups as it is affordable and easy to use. With this software, you can create employee profiles, manage payrolls and benefits, hire new employees, onboard them quickly and easily, manage compliance issues like employee health insurance or tax filings with just a few clicks.

VensureHR also provides multiple integrations with other services like Zoho CRM or Freshbooks so that you can seamlessly integrate these services into your existing workflow.

Key Features

-Employee Time Tracking: Track employee hours with the integrated payroll system.

-Employee Scheduling: Schedule employees according to their availability and preferences using the built-in scheduling tool.

-Employee Benefits Management: Manage employee benefits such as medical insurance, 401(k) plans, and more with ease.

-Performance Reviews: Conduct performance reviews with ease using the integrated review tool.

-Time Sheets: Capture time sheets from your employees in real time using this feature.

User Experience

The user interface is easy to navigate and has a clean design.

The dashboard has three different sections: Home, Companies and Profile. Each section has its own color scheme, but they all share the same gray background.

This makes it easy for users to distinguish between sections at first glance. The Home page contains links to your profile, company and support center.

   

The Companies page contains a list of all the companies you have access to in the current subscription plan. You can click on each company name to view more information about it (e.g., number of employees, total payroll amounts).

The Profile page contains information about your account, including billing details and company access history.

VensureHR uses simple icons as well as text labels for buttons and links throughout the interface for navigation purposes. These icons are located within each section of the dashboard so that users can easily find them when they need them most (e.g., when creating or editing an employee record).

What I Like/Dislike About VensureHR

– The interface is very simple to use and easy to navigate through.

– The software is very affordable (especially for small businesses).

– It’s cloud based, so there’s no need to worry about hardware or software upgrades. All you need is internet access and you’re good to go!

– There are many features that allow you to customize your employee experience, like custom fields, benefit plans, etc…

What I Dislike:

– The system can be a little slow at times (especially on mobile).

5. Resourcing Edge

Key Features

-Resource planning and forecasting

-Resource allocation, management and reporting

-Resource allocation and forecasting

-Workforce optimization (WFO)

-Basic scheduling, automated scheduling and advanced scheduling (including Gantt chart)

-Calendar management (e.g., holidays and special events)

-Time entry, time off tracking and time sheet approval  

-Automated time card creation/approval 

  -Automated vacation tracking  

-Employee self service portal with online clock in/out

What I Like/Dislike About Resourcing Edge

-They are very responsive and quick to respond to any questions or concerns you may have.

-They are very knowledgeable about the candidates they send out and will provide feedback on how those candidates did in their interview process.

-They are not only focused on finding good candidates but also helping you hire them successfully!

6. Insperity

 Insperity is a best-in-class human capital management company that helps organizations to attract, retain and engage their talent.

With over 100 years of combined experience, our team of industry experts can help you plan for successful business results and achieve your most important goals.

Insperity offers a complete suite of integrated human capital management solutions that include retirement plans, payroll services, benefits administration and on-line employee portals.

Insperity’s suite of HR software solutions includes the industry’s most comprehensive retirement plan administration platform coupled with integrated payroll services.

Insperity has helped more than 10 million employees save for retirement since its founding in 1999.

The company serves more than 2,200 clients globally who represent $1 trillion in assets under administration across all industries – from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

Insperity’s Human Resources Solutions include:

  • Payroll Services
  • Benefits Administration
  • ERISA Compliance Services
  • Workforce Management Solutions
  • Workplace Safety Programs

PEO Companies FAQ

 What is a PEO?

A Professional Employer Organization (PEO) is a company that provides payroll, benefits administration, workers’ compensation insurance and other human resource services to employers. A PEO can either be an independent third-party organization or an internal division of a staffing firm.

What do PEOs do?

A PEO performs tasks that employers would otherwise handle themselves: hiring and firing employees, collecting taxes and paying state insurance premiums, maintaining employee records and other administrative duties that are associated with running a business.

The idea behind a PEO is to allow an employer to focus on its core business without having to worry about managing employee relations issues.

How do PEOs work?

When you hire an employee through a PEO, the PEO assumes responsibility for paying wages, withholding taxes from workers’ paychecks, providing workers’ compensation insurance coverage and administering other HR functions like health care benefits and retirement plans.

Employees are still technically employed by their clients (the client company), but they are managed by the PEO which means they report directly to their client’s management team instead of being managed by HR staff at their client company’s location.

How do I find a good PEO company?

First, you should ask for references from other clients and check them out before hiring the company. Also, look at their website and social media pages to see what kind of work they do.

Make sure they have experience in your industry and that they have a track record of success with clients similar to yours.

What if my company doesn’t fit their client profile?

A good PEO will be able to help even if they don’t have many clients in your industry. They often work with smaller companies who want specialized services or guidance on how to grow their business further.

If a company doesn’t seem like a good fit for you, keep looking until you find one that does!

Best PEO Companies – Conclusion

A Professional Employer Organization (PEO) is a company that provides payroll, employee benefits and HR services to their clients.

PEO’s collect taxes, pay claims and handle other administrative tasks so businesses can focus on running their business.

There are many ways to find a PEO that fits your business needs. You can search online or ask your insurance agent if they offer any recommendations for PEO companies.

You should also ask current clients if they would recommend their current provider.

The last thing you want is for your employees to be unhappy with their new payroll provider!

Every employer is required by law to have an Employer Identification Number (EIN).

This number allows you to file taxes and have access to other benefits such as health insurance plans through an HSA account (Health Savings Account).