Since 1991, Genesis HR Solutions has been among New England’s best PEOs for small businesses. We have decades of experience in all aspects of HR, including compliance, HR practices, integrated payroll, and benefits administration. Partnering with us for your HR needs will benefit your entire team—everyone from the business owner, to the HR manager, to individual employees—by providing the best possible benefits and simplifying HR tasks.
To see if a PEO partnership might be a good choice for your growing business, talk with us in a free discovery call. During the call, we’ll:
- Learn about your company and your current HR practices
- Identify your company’s HR challenges
- Share the Genesis service model and information about partnering with a PEO
We’ll then gather some information to prepare a quote, which we will then present to you in person—after all, we’re in the people business, and we want to meet you! Just fill out the form to the right to set up your discovery call today.
But if you’re still researching PEOs for small businesses, you can learn about each of the five non-negotiables you should be looking for in a PEO partner below.
Choosing The Best PEO For Small Businesses: 5 Non-Negotiables
1. It should be a Certified Professional Employment Organization (CPEO).
As of 2017, professional employment organizations are eligible to become certified through the IRS (thus Certified PEOs). This voluntary certification means the organization meets certain requirements regarding tax compliance, experience, business location, financial reporting, bonding, and other things. Certified PEOs take on additional responsibilities with regard to payroll administration, federal employment tax reporting, and payments of their clients.
CPEO IRS designation is a voluntary program for outstanding PEOs (like GenesisHR!). Only a small percentage of PEOs reach CPEO certification—according to NAPEO, of the approximately 500 PEOs in the U.S., only about 50 are certified. Not every PEO will qualify for CPEO status, nor are all of them willing to undergo the rigorous processes required to become a CPEO. Those that do demonstrate their commitment to maintaining operational integrity and a high level of service—which will only benefit you as a client. By choosing a CPEO you can rest assured that:
- It is a well-run organization.
- It has high ethical standards.
- You’ll have access to world-class product offerings.
Genesis HR Solutions is proud to have been one of the first approved CPEOs. We strive to do the absolute best for each and every one of our clients, and becoming a CPEO was just one more way to do that.
You can read more about what it means to be a CPEO in our article, What is a Certified Professional Employer Organization (CPEO)?
2. It should be an ESAC-accredited PEO.
We believe the best PEO companies for small businesses are accredited through the Employer Services Assurance Corporation (ESAC). ESAC accreditation is the gold standard for PEO best practices and financial reliability, and only about 9% of PEOs have earned this distinction. ESAC accreditation provides business owners, PEOs, and PEO state/federal regulators with time-tested verification and financial assurance of all key areas of PEO reliability for both IRS-certified and non-certified entities.
ESAC accreditation is the gold standard for PEO best practices and financial reliability, and only about 9% of PEOs have earned this distinction. Share on XAt Genesis, our clients view us as a trusted advisor. To earn that trust, we bring to the table competencies and designations from various professional organizations under the HR umbrella, including (ESAC) accreditation. We have been accredited since 1996.
3. It should offer best-in-class benefits.
One of the key reasons small and medium-sized businesses choose to partner with PEOs is to achieve economies of scale: In a coemployment relationship with a PEO, employers can get access to health plans they may not otherwise be able to provide their employees.
At Genesis, our partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (one of New England’s premier health care providers) means you can offer a high-ranking health plan that will help you attract and retain the best employees. We also offer the following:
- Group health, dental, and vision
- 401(k) options
- Life/AD&D
- Long- & short-term disability coverage
- Employee assistance plans (EAP)
- Health savings accounts
- Health reimbursement accounts
- Flexible spending programs
- Retail & entertainment discount programs
- Pet benefits
- Integrated employee onboarding
- Online, mobile-friendly access to review/enroll in benefit plans & offerings
4. It should be people-focused and have a reputation for stellar customer support.
Generally, there are two types of PEOs: those that lead with technology and those that are people-first PEOs. Technology-led PEOs tend to automate many of their services through online tools; they also have a heavy focus on sales rather than on creating long-lasting relationships and solving client problems.
On the other hand, relationally driven, people-first PEOs like GenesisHR focus on building relationships first and foremost. We want to better understand your business and your employees so we can be more effective at handling HR matters for both.
Generally, interacting with a people-focused PEO means:
- You can confer with experts who know your company inside and out.
- You receive custom coaching that helps you grow your business in targeted ways.
- You develop personalized relationships with HR specialists who touch nearly every aspect of your business.
- Your HR offerings and policies are always up to date because you have a dedicated team working for you.
- You receive convenient, timely responses when you reach out with questions. (At GenesisHR, we’re proud to say we respond to clients on the same-day to come up with resolutions quickly!)
- You have access to excellent, integrated software technology tools that handle everything from employee onboarding and management, to payroll, to benefits enrollment.
This description fits the GenesisHR team to a T. We keep things simple and transparent, and our experts won’t ever leave you hanging for answers. We’re always here when you and your employees need us, and we know you by name.
5. It should prioritize technology.
This may sound like a contradiction with our statements in the previous recommendation, but here’s the thing: Being a people-first PEO doesn’t mean it shouldn’t also offer an incredible technology stack to support your business and employees!
In fact, while we lead with a relational approach at GenesisHR, we’re incredibly proud of the tech tools we provide our clients and their employees, all of which offer seamless experiences when it comes to hiring and employee management. Some you’ll use every day, and some you may only use once or twice. But no matter what, our aim is to eliminate complexity and make it easy to do all the things you want (or need) to do for your business. We have technology solutions to help with:
- Payroll tax management for remote, multi-state, multi-location, and international employees
- Compliance management for remote, multi-state, multi-location, and international employees
- Multi-state payroll processing
- Workers’ compensation administration
- HR technology and employee self-service
- Custom employee on-boarding experience
- National benefits products
- HR reporting, and more!
The PEO you choose should have a strong technology component—it simply shouldn’t be the main or only component!
Does the PEO you’re looking at have all these non-negotiables?
The list above represents just a small portion of the characteristics that make a PEO outstanding. If you’re weighing your options, check out our free checklist to see what else you need to consider when choosing a PEO.
And when you’re ready to learn how GenesisHR ticks all the boxes, contact us! We’d love to meet with you to explain what makes us different—and why we consider our company to be among the best PEOs for small businesses.
