One of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of being a business owner is seeing the company you’ve nurtured grow into an organization that has employees all over the world.
If you’ve grown to a point where you’re hiring internationally, you already know that everything becomes more complex. It’s one thing to have varying state laws to adhere to; it’s another thing entirely to try to stay compliant with a bevy of global regulations.
You might already be working in partnership with a PEO who helps you navigate HR issues here at home, but what happens when you go global? Can you still work together or not? And if so, what can you expect from the relationship? In this article, we’ll talk about what a global PEO partnership looks like, and if it’s right for you.
How To Handle PEOs On A Global Scale: 3 Big Questions
Perhaps when you initially started your PEO relationship, you weren’t concerned about having a global presence; as a result, you didn’t pay much attention to what that might look like. Now it’s time to reevaluate your PEO in a new light: how they handle international growth. Here are some specific questions to consider.
1. What is your comfort level with having a global network?
The PEO partner you choose may have multiple PEO partners who are experts in their respective regions. Are you comfortable outsourcing to other countries where you may not be as familiar with how work happens? Do you want to take on the complexity that comes with having an international company?
2. What does your existing PEO’s global network look like?
Investigate your PEO’s global partnerships. At GenesisHR, our partnerships span the globe. We have strategic partners in dozens of countries (and their partners are located in dozens more) so no matter where you have employees, you will be covered.
3. Do your PEO partners all operate under the same expectations you have for your company?
The culture your business is trying to create in the U.S. should be mimicked everywhere in terms of types of benefits, values you place on your employee population, etc. Your global PEO partner should help you, so as you select them, pay attention to legislation and cultural norms that vary from country to country for things like healthcare, termination, and PTO.
How does a global PEO work?
One of the major benefits of doing the work to find a reputable PEO with an “employees anywhere” mentality is that you don’t have to go find someone to help you when you’re ready to take the leap across country borders. Your PEO may vary in its exact process, but typically, here’s how a global PEO works for clients of GenesisHR.
1. Your company contacts our PEO and shares where they are planning to expand. You may have questions:
- How can you help?
- What are the rules for operating a business in X country?
- How do I hire?
As your PEO, we are always happy to answer these questions.
What countries does the GenesisHR network include?
Our global network includes partners such as EuroDev and PEO Canada. In addition, our international partners have several other strategic partners that stretch the network to APAC and beyond, including:
-
- UK
- Germany
- France
- Netherlands
- Spain
- Poland
- Denmark
- Ireland
- Portugal
- Belgium
- Slovenia
- Greece
- Austria
- Finland
- Croatia
2. We introduce you to our already-vetted partner in whatever part of the world you’re considering expanding into. For example, if you’re growing into a Canadian market we’d introduce you to our strategic partner in Canada.
3. The strategic partner then becomes your point of contact for establishing employment for someone in Canada.
4. Along the way, GenesisHR is involved and can answer questions and confirm employment, and your global PEO partner will assist you with matters taking place in your expansion countries.
Who is a global PEO not well-suited for?
If you have hundreds or thousands of employees, you won’t use a PEO model—it simply doesn’t make sense, and your company likely has its own global networks. But most small and midsize businesses that are headquartered in the U.S. would benefit from establishing a global PEO partnership as they grow.
Hopefully, the PEO you’ve chosen to work with fits all the criteria we’ve identified here. (If not, it’s never too late to find a new partner!)
At GenesisHR, we’d love to talk with you more about your company’s international growth trajectory and see if our model is a good fit for you. If you’re considering hiring outside the U.S., contact us today to see how we can help.
