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PEO Selection Process

Our PEO selection process, simple, transparent, free

From your first form submission to your first payroll with a new PEO, here's exactly what our PEO selection process looks like. Eight steps. Zero cost. No obligation at any stage.

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100+
Companies placed
36
PEOs in our network
4 to 8 wks
Average implementation
$0
Cost to you
PEO Selection Process

Our 8-step PEO selection process

Every client goes through this same rigorous PEO selection process. It's designed to be thorough without wasting your time, and there's no cost at any stage.

01
πŸ“‹
2 minutes

Initial Intake Survey

Fill out our brief survey and it gives us the information we need to better understand what solution is best for you. We ask about your company size, industry, current payroll provider, and key priorities. This takes less than 2 minutes and there is no obligation.

The more detail you provide, the better we can match you with the right PEO partners.

02
πŸ“ž
15 to 20 minutes

Intake Call

We schedule a brief call to better understand your submission, dig deeper into your goals, and answer any questions you have. This is a no-pressure conversation, we're here to learn about your business, not sell you anything.

Most clients walk away from this call with a much clearer picture of what a PEO can and can't do for them.

03
πŸ“
At your pace

Document Gathering

We provide a simple checklist of the documents we need to get accurate quotes, things like your current employee census, existing benefits plan documents, and workers' compensation details. We guide you through each item.

Don't worry if you don't have everything, we'll work with what you have and help you track down anything missing.

04
πŸ’Ό
3 to 5 business days

Quoting

We reach out to the PEOs we feel would be the best fit for your specific needs and submit your information for formal quotes. Because of our existing relationships, we often get faster turnaround and better pricing than clients get going direct.

We typically approach 4 to 6 PEOs depending on your size, industry, and location.

05
πŸ“Š
Handled by us

Comparison Analysis

We put together a detailed side-by-side comparison covering employee benefits quality, service fees, workers' compensation rates, HR technology platforms, payroll capabilities, compliance support, and contract terms, everything you need to make an informed decision.

This is where having a broker pays off. We know what to look for and what red flags to watch out for.

06
πŸ†
60-minute call

Top 3 Presentation

We present your top 3 options with our recommendation, walking you through the pros and cons of each based on your specific situation and priorities. You'll have a clear picture of the cost, the benefits, and the trade-offs before making any decisions.

We give you our honest recommendation, even if that means telling you a PEO isn't the right fit right now.

07
πŸ’»
30 to 45 minutes per PEO

Intro Call & Tech Demo

We arrange introductory calls and technology platform demonstrations with your shortlisted PEOs. You'll meet the team who would actually service your account and see the HR software platform before committing to anything.

This step is often where the final decision gets made, culture fit and software usability matter as much as price.

08
βœ…
4 to 8 weeks to go live

Final Decision & Implementation Support

Once you've chosen your PEO, we support you through contract negotiation, final pricing, and the implementation process, making sure the transition from your current provider is smooth, timely, and nothing falls through the cracks.

We stay involved until you're live on payroll. You're not on your own after the sale.

The PEO RFP checklist we actually use

Every comparison we run starts with the same document set and puts the same questions to every provider, because quotes are only comparable if they were built from identical inputs. This is the working checklist from our own quoting process.

Documents a PEO needs to quote you accurately

  • Employee census with home states, dependents and current plan enrollment
  • Current medical renewal and plan summaries (SBCs)
  • Workers compensation policy declarations and loss runs
  • State unemployment (SUTA) rate notices for each state you employ in
  • A recent payroll register or payroll invoice
  • Your current PEO invoice, if you are leaving a PEO
  • Target effective date and estimated annual payroll

Providers will quote without some of these, but every missing document becomes an assumption in the price, and assumptions get corrected at renewal, not in your favor.

The questions we put to every provider, identically

  1. Is the administration fee flat, per employee per month, or a percentage of payroll, and exactly which services does it include?
  2. Was this quote priced on our census, or on your assumed employee count?
  3. What is excluded or carved out of this quote (workers comp, specific ancillary lines, states)?
  4. Which fees are one-time and which recur, and is any fee listed twice under different names?
  5. How are medical renewals set, is there a rate cap, and what triggers re-underwriting?
  6. How long is this quote valid, and what happens if enrollment changes before the effective date?
  7. What are the exit terms: notice period, data return, and any termination fees?
  8. What deposit or collateral does workers comp require at inception?
  9. What does implementation cost, how long does it take, and who staffs it?
  10. Which of the services shown in the proposal cost extra?

How we score the finalists

WeightFactorWhat it measures
60%Total costNormalized first-year and recurring annual employer cost versus your current program
25%Plan similarityHow closely proposed medical plans match current plans in deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, coinsurance and network
15%CompletenessWhether the provider actually priced everything asked, or left material items to be resolved after signature

This is the same deterministic recipe printed in the comparison workbook every client receives, so a recommendation can always be traced back to the numbers that produced it. Cost carries the most weight, but a cheap quote that maps employees onto much thinner plans, or leaves fees unpriced, loses to a complete one. Use the checklist yourself, or start a free comparison and we run it for you.

Why is this process free?

PEO brokers are compensated directly by the PEO you ultimately choose, as a standard part of their partner program. This is similar to how a mortgage broker or insurance broker works, the provider pays the intermediary, not the client.

Importantly, this does not increase your cost. Because we place multiple clients per year, we actually have leverage to negotiate better pricing than most companies can get going direct.

Our incentive is to find you the best long-term fit, because our reputation depends on it. We're not tied to any single PEO, which means our advice is genuinely unbiased.

No cost to you, ever
Our fee comes entirely from the PEO you choose. You pay nothing at any stage of the process.
No markup on your rate
The commission structure doesn't add to your monthly PEO cost. In most cases we reduce it.
No obligation to proceed
If we go through the full process and the right PEO isn't a clear win for you, we'll tell you honestly.
No single-PEO bias
We work with 36 PEOs and recommend based on fit, not commission size.
"

The whole process took about three weeks from our first call to signing with our new PEO. They handled everything, we just showed up for the demos and made the final call.

, Operations Director, 65-person professional services firm

Common questions about the process

How long does the entire process take?

From your first form submission to go-live on payroll, most clients complete the process in 6 to 10 weeks. The quoting and comparison phase takes about a week, and PEO implementation typically takes 4 to 8 weeks after you sign.

Do I have to commit to anything upfront?

No. There is no commitment required at any stage until you sign a contract directly with the PEO of your choice. Our process is entirely no-obligation.

What if I already have a PEO and want to switch?

Switching is one of the most common reasons businesses come to us. We review your current contract for termination clauses, benchmark your current pricing, and manage the transition so there's no payroll disruption.

What if a PEO isn't the right fit for my business?

We'll tell you. If after going through the process we don't believe a PEO delivers clear value for your situation, we'll say so honestly and suggest alternatives.

View all frequently asked questions β†’

Ready to start your PEO selection process?

Fill out our brief intake survey and we'll kick off the PEO selection process same day. No cost, no commitment, no pressure, ever.

Start your free consultation β†’

Or browse our state-by-state PEO guides