How to Find Comprehensive PEO Ongoing Support for Your SMB

PEOs deliver comprehensive HR services for companies at every business stage, from startups to well-established organizations. Their support goes beyond everyday routine administrative tasks, offering strategic best practices and advanced technology platforms.

Key elements of PEO ongoing support include:

• Payroll and benefits administration. Administering payroll processing and tax filings and providing access to competitive, big company employee benefits.
• Compliance and risk mitigation. Staying on top of HR compliance in an evolving landscape while mitigating risk.
• Talent acquisition and retention. Providing best practices and platforms for attracting, recruiting and retaining top talent.
• Employee development. Offering ongoing training, performance management tools and resources for career growth.
• Scalability and adaptation. Supporting smooth transitions during business growth phases by scaling HR services to meet company needs as they grow.

For startups, this means simplifying HR by outsourcing so founders can focus on growth. For established firms, PEOs help support effective HR administration and HR compliance.

Companies using a PEO often experience faster growth compared to those that don’t. For example, a study found that businesses working with PEOs grew more than twice as fast as similar businesses not using a PEO. Specifically, from January 2023 to January 2024, PEO clients averaged an annual workforce growth rate of 4.3% versus 1.9% for non-PEO companies.

Let's look at how PEOs provide comprehensive, scalable HR solutions that can evolve with your business.

How PEOs Support Business Scaling

PEOs offer solutions designed to help companies scale efficiently, taking much of the HR and administrative work off business leaders. Here’s how they address key areas crucial for sustainable business growth, with cost efficiency in mind:

• Flexible workforce support during growth phases
• Infrastructure that can handle company growth
• Access to premium benefits

By scaling easily, PEOs can continue to support a business as it changes.

Supporting HR Compliance

PEOs equip growing businesses with HR expertise and risk mitigation services, allowing companies to focus on growth and the ability navigate complex, ever-evolving employment-related rules and requirements. Here’s how PEOs help businesses address key compliance and risk needs during scaling:

• Stay on top of changing employment-related rules and requirement
• Multi-state compliance support
• Risk mitigation
• Payroll tax compliance support

Working with a PEO supports growing businesses so they can navigate complex compliance challenges and maintain a strong footing.

Enhancing Operational Efficiency

PEOs provide strategic HR infrastructure that fuels scalable business growth and helps to enhance staff retention. Here’s how their services address four critical areas for companies preparing to expand:

• Centralization of HR functions
• Technology integration and automation
• Employee self-service capabilities
• Reduction in administrative burden

PEOs make it possible for companies to scale up with efficiency. Small and medium-sized businesses can leverage leading tools, support and time savings that might otherwise be inaccessible.

Evaluating a PEO’s Long-Term Potential

Working with a PEO can be a strategic investment. To make sure a provider offers long-term stability and supports your growth, consider the following criteria:

Service expectations and considerations

• Clear definitions. Make sure the expectations for payroll services, benefits administration, compliance support, response times, and employee support are aligned.
• Performance metrics. Look for measurable KPIs such as error rates, ticket response times and open enrollment success rates to help keep the PEO accountable.
• Periodic reviews. Insist on regular review provisions to revisit service levels and adjust as your company evolves.
• Transparent escalation pathways. Clarify how issues are escalated, tracked and resolved.

HR technology platform evaluation

Assess the PEO’s human capital management (HCM) system for scalability, security, real-time data access and reliability. Ongoing PEO support also can be furthered by:

• Integration capabilities. The platform integrates with your existing accounting, time-tracking and scheduling systems.
• User experience. Test for intuitive dashboards, mobile accessibility and role-based access for employees and administrators.
• Automation and updates. Look for a system that automates tracking, filings and updates, so less manual intervention is involved.
• Support and training. Ask about onboarding, user training and ongoing tech support for smooth adoption.

Cultural alignment factors

• Shared values. Evaluate whether the PEO’s approach to HR aligns with your company’s values.
• Communication style. Does the PEO's communication cadence and style (updates, openness, willingness to educate) fit your preferred working relationship?
• Long-term fit. Ask for references from similar-sized businesses in your sector to gauge cultural and operational fit over time.

Terms and scalability

• Clear terms. The contract should include clear terms outlining expectations and obligations.
• Scalability. Confirm that the PEO can support new domestic locations, remote employees and higher volumes. The associated fee structures should be available and detailed.

A thorough evaluation using these criteria will help you select a PEO that not only provides stability and longevity but also adapts with your company’s needs and growth trajectory.

Key Services for Sustained PEO Support

PEOs offer an extensive range of HR solutions designed to help you accelerate growth, streamline business operations and navigate compliance, no matter how complex their needs become. Here’s how these PEO services could boost long-term success:

Comprehensive benefits administration

PEOs offer end-to-end administration of PEO-sponsored benefits, including health, dental, vision, retirement plans and voluntary benefits.

Their comprehensive sponsored benefits can help give small to mid-sized businesses access to premium benefit plans that is cost-effective, helping attract and retain top talent.

Payroll services

Modern PEO payroll systems are designed to scale with changing company needs. They can support various types of worker payrolls across multiple jurisdictions.

Automated systems are less vulnerable for manual errors, provide simpler handling of pay, and enable efficient administration of payroll tax filings and deductions—even as your workforce changes or expands.

HR expertise

PEOs stay on top of federal, state and local employment-related rules and requirements. They provide expertise and help companies navigate these rules and requirements, especially valuable for companies operating in multiple states.

Regular HR policy updates

Expert teams provide HR policy support by reviewing employee handbooks, company policies and HR documentation, helping companies can align these materials with business needs and rules and requirements.

This ongoing HR support helps companies stay on top of practices that might present risks.

Employee training and development programs

PEOs offer access to training content, professional development courses and compliance training (e.g., harassment prevention) for ongoing workforce skill-building and risk mitigation.

Recruitment and retention

Comprehensive recruitment solutions include job postings, sourcing, screening, background checks and onboarding tools.

PEOs offers retention programs with access to competitive benefits, employee recognition frameworks and compensation benchmarking solutions to support workforce stability and growth.

Performance management systems

Integrated systems allow managers to set goals, conduct regular evaluations and deliver feedback.

Digital tools streamline performance tracking, merit reviews and succession planning, aligning individual and company growth objectives.

Workers’ compensation administration

PEOs manage the complexities of workers' compensation, including claims handling, policy, renewals and filings.

They may also provide workplace safety training, risk assessments and workplace injury prevention best practices, which can help to lower costs and enhance employee workplace safety.

Risk mitigation services

PEOs  may offer risk mitigation including employment practices liability insurance, workplace safety and OSHA best practices.

Regular risk assessments and best practice guidance can help mitigate exposure and business disruptions.

Strategic HR consulting

PEOs also offer data-driven HR advisory services tailor to your company’s size, industry and goals.

Strategic consulting is also available and can include workforce planning, leadership development, organizational structure and expansion preparation.

By leveraging these service areas, companies can gain a scalable HR infrastructure that drives efficiency, enables confident expansion and fosters a positive workplace culture that attracts top talent and sustains growth.

The Benefits of PEO Ongoing Support

TriNet’s PEO services stand out as a comprehensive HR solution designed to support the evolving needs of businesses at every stage of growth. With over 30 years of experience, TriNet is a trusted advisor, uniting technology, access to comprehensive benefit options, compliance support, HR expertise and responsive human support.

With TriNet, both business owners and their employees have access to the benefits and HR support typically reserved for big companies. Employees can manage their pay information, benefits and HR needs with one login. TriNet’s leading expertise and support is available, by phone or online.

By outsourcing HR to TriNet, businesses can focus more fully on their growth and vision, while confidently handling the complexities of compliance, payroll, risk mitigation and employee satisfaction.

Choosing TriNet means forming a long-term relationship that prioritizes the unique demands of your business. Learn more about how TriNet's PEO can help your business at every stage.