The PEO Client Employee Experience

A strong PEO client employee experience can transform how a business operates and how its people engage with their work. A PEO (professional employer organization) can enhance HR support and payroll services efficiencies, while supporting company culture and employee trust.

PEO services can help small and medium-size businesses create a more people-focused work environment while supporting efficiency and compliance.

Despite the advantages of working with a PEO, employers may wonder about how it could impact their workforce. Common concerns are that it could change employee-management relationships, company values and employee communication.

The truth is that a PEO can enhance employee engagement by combining advanced HR technology with expertise and administrative support.

Understanding the PEO Impact on Client Employees

The foundation of a positive employee experience with a PEO lies in the co-employment model. In this structure, the client retains direct management while the PEO takes on certain responsibilities such as providing payroll processing support and administration of payroll taxes for payroll paid through the PEO platform, workers' compensation and benefits administration. Employees still work for the same company and report to the same leaders, but could gain access to additional HR services, resources and benefits through a PEO.

From the employee perspective, the potential advantages might include:

• Access to medical benefits, retirement plans and other offerings that rival those typically offered by larger companies.
• Access to an employee self-service portal for managing payroll, benefits and HR information.
• Efficient and streamlined payroll processing and payroll tax administration supported by modern HR systems.
• The ability to seek HR assistance from professionals who specialize in the concerns employees face.

PEOs are designed to work behind the scenes, while supporting a positive company culture. The PEO supplies HR tools and technology that supports culture through communication and centralized area to help provide insights for client’s decision-making.

The Benefits of PEO Services for Client Employees

A major advantage ofHR outsourcing with a PEO is the access to comprehensive benefits typically associated with large employers. Research shows that comprehensive benefits packages are closely tied to job satisfaction, loyalty and retention rates. In asurvey by WTW, 81% of employees said they would stay with their employer because of benefits.

A PEO can help small and medium-size organizations offer employees a competitive total rewards experience, including:

• Access to health, dental, and vision programs.
• Access to 401(k) and retirement plans.
• Access to life insurance, disability options and wellness resources.

A PEO also provides cloud-based benefits enrollment portals making the enrollment experience simple and fast. All of these perks are crucial to promoting PEO client employee satisfaction.

Enhanced HR support and resources

PEO human resources support also may enhance everyday elements of the client employee experience, such as:

• Best practice guidance for workplace concerns, questions and professional development.
• Compliance support that helps clients navigate rules and requirements.

PEOs can provide risk mitigation services that help to mitigate risk. These services might include:

• Best practices guidance on workplace safety.
• Information on employment-related rules and requirements.
• Support from an experienced team to expedite workers' compensation claims in case of workplace injury.

Streamlined administrative experience

Throughadvanced HR technology platforms, PEOs can centralize processes like payroll process, benefits administration and time and attendance into a single intuitive system.

This can provide streamlined operations with efficiency, as well as real-time HR support for employees. A user-friendly portal gives employees more control over their information, encouraging transparency and enhanced engagement.

How PEOs enhance their workplace experience

An elevated PEO client employee experience goes beyond administration. Employees may also gain access tolearning and development tools,performance tracking systems andcareer growth programs.

These opportunities may strengthen engagement, foster skill-building and create a strong sense of belonging, all hallmarks of an empowered workforce and a positive company culture.

Supporting Client Employee Trust and PEO Success

Supporting transparency is central to employee trust. Clients can build trust by clearly communicating PEO services and impacts as well as by responding quickly to feedback from employees.

Recommended strategies include:

• Regular updates about services and changes.
• Open communication channels for PEO-related concerns.
• Sharing data on performance outcomes and satisfaction metrics.

Businesses can also track the quality of their PEO client employee experience by measuring portal engagement, monitoring benefits participation and conducting surveys. Gathering ongoing feedback helps to make sure the relationship continues to meet employee needs.

For example, a small nonprofit organization, theMcCarton Foundation, reported that employees and the company in general benefited from working with a PEO. Company culture depends on people who care deeply about the group's mission of supporting autistic children. Yet it must compete for personnel in a difficult labor climate.

"So many of the things that as a smaller nonprofit we couldn't have afforded to provide, TriNet did for us," says Dr. Cecelia McCarton, its founder. "TriNet has helped us grow from two employees to over 250, and they will help us double that number and double our impact as we go into the future."

Jim Bennett’s Plumbing in Tallahassee, Florida, has grown since 1969 into one of the area’s largest plumbing companies. Bennett says that the employee experience he has established by working with a PEO helps him hire and retain employees.

Employees who had left the company returned when they checked back and found that new services and benefits were available. "They're here to stay with us now, Bennett says.

FAQ: How to Address Employee Concerns

Let's look at some common concerns about how a PEO impacts client employees and how a small business can address them.

Will I lose my job or benefits?

Employment status is separate from PEO services. A PEO is not directly involved in the decisions relating to employee benefits. The benefits a company offers may change, however, based on the PEO a business works with.

Will my relationship with my manager change?

Reporting lines and leadership structures remain unchanged. A PEO provides supporting services and tools while company leadership to continue driving performance and decision-making.

Whom do I contact for HR concerns?

Employees may have multiple support channels, from direct company resources to dedicated HR specialists through the PEO.

Clear communication guidelines help employees know where to go for each type of question or concern, creating a more responsive HR environment.

Enhancing the Client Employee Experience

As an experienced PEO,TriNet offers comprehensive HR solutions for small and mid-size businesses across a wide range of industries.

TriNet delivers collaborative services that can enhance the client employee experience. From benefits enrollment platform and payroll processing efficiency to professional development tools, TriNet helps businesses strengthen engagement, enhance retention and build a culture where employees thrive.

To explore how TriNet’s PEO services can elevate your company’s HR efficiency and employee satisfaction, download our free report onState of Small Business Employee Benefits.