Grateful for Growth: 2025 Wins for Brokers
Quick look: As Thanksgiving approaches, brokers have plenty to appreciate. Demand for HR outsourcing is rising, employers are seeking cost stability, and workplace well-being and technology are top of mind. At the same time, compliance needs are growing as remote and multistate workforces expand, strengthening the broker’s role as a trusted guide. A professional employer organization (PEO) partner that offers high-quality benefits, recruiting assistance, HR expertise, and a broker-friendly service model can position you to continue delivering exceptional value in the year ahead.
The Thanksgiving season offers a moment to reflect and appreciate the opportunities shaping the upcoming year. There is much for brokers to be grateful for as they navigate the evolving business landscape, from growing interest in human resources (HR) outsourcing to stronger demand for strategic benefits guidance.
Here are the trends and shifts brokers can be thankful for this year, and how they meaningfully impact small and midsized businesses (SMBs) and worksite employees:
1. Increasing demand for HR outsourcing and expert guidance
As labor regulations continue to change and administrative burdens mount, employers are relying more heavily on their trusted advisors and outsourced HR solutions, such as professional employer organizations (PEOs). According to the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO), unaided awareness of PEOs among decision-makers is 67%, up from 58% in 2023.
This heightened demand reinforces a broker’s role as a strategic partner in areas outside of benefits, and presents an opportunity to deliver comprehensive value, improve compliance, and lighten clients’ workloads.
2. Employers prioritizing cost control and predictability
In a fluctuating economic environment, businesses are focusing even more on controlling and forecasting costs. A recent survey of small and midsized employers found that 89% of business leaders are concerned about unstable group health plan costs over the next three years.
This has opened the door for benefits brokers to introduce creative strategies, such as level-funded plans, value-based care models, and PEOs with large-group cost structures, which offer greater affordability and stability.
3. A renewed focus on employee well-being
Now more than ever before, employees look to their employers to provide comprehensive employee well-being benefits, including mental health support, a flexible work-life balance, and financial wellness tools. This shift gives brokers a chance to showcase innovative offerings and enhance retention strategies.
4. Rapid adoption of HR and benefits technology
If there’s one thing making headlines in 2025, it’s artificial intelligence (AI). Seemingly everywhere you look, there’s new information on how the technology is changing the game across industries. Perhaps unsurprisingly, employers continue to embrace modern HR tools for onboarding, payroll, compliance, and benefits administration.
Technology has become a driving force in strengthening relationships between brokers and clients, and that’s something to celebrate. Brokers can differentiate themselves by partnering with a tech-savvy PEO that leverages a comprehensive, mobile-friendly human resource information system (HRIS) and merges AI and human expertise for other functions, such as recruiting.
5. Growing need for compliance assistance across expanding workforces
As SMB employers navigate remote teams and multistate hiring, their risk management and compliance needs intensify. The intricacies of workers’ compensation, employment law, tax requirements, and benefit consistency are prompting clients to lean heavily on trusted brokers and PEO partners for clear, reliable guidance. This shift is a true win-win: it not only strengthens your role as a strategic partner but also creates new opportunities to support clients as they develop.
Looking ahead, together
Thanksgiving is here, and brokers can take pride in the crucial role they play for their clients as they navigate a complex business world. SMB employers need trusted advisors who can deliver clarity, stability, and strategic vision, and brokers are delivering.
A strong pipeline is always something worth appreciating, and the right PEO partner can make it even more powerful. When that partner helps you deliver in-demand offerings like high-quality benefits, recruiting support, and expert HR guidance, it enhances the value you bring to the table. And when they genuinely understand and support your goals as a broker, it’s a win all around. That’s exactly what ExtensisHR provides through its:
- Competitive employee benefits packages that clients can leverage through economies of scale, as well as benefits planning and administration services
- Complimentary recruiting services for PEO customers that pair the latest AI tools with a professional human approach
- Full range of HR services, including payroll and tax administration and dedicated HR guidance
- Affordable access to 15Five, a leading employee engagement platform that includes surveys, feedback gathering, weekly check-ins, and more
- On-demand learning and development portal with immersive training modules to develop clients’ in-house talent and expertise
- Broker-centric philosophy, designed to help you widen your offerings, differentiate yourself, secure new and long-term clients, earn competitive commissions, and experience a seamless RFI process
ExtensisHR is thankful for all its broker partners and grateful for the trust you put in our services. From our team to yours, have a safe and happy holiday season!
Want to learn more about how working with ExtensisHR can benefit your book? Contact us today.
