ExtensisHR’s Broker-Centric Business Model: Our PEO Partnership Timeline
Quick look: Hundreds of professional employer organizations (PEOs) exist in the U.S.—but finding one that recognizes and values your relationships with your clients can be challenging. Unlike many competitors, ExtensisHR is dedicated to involving brokers every step of the way as we provide your clients with tailored, high-quality human resources solutions. Here, review our 8-step PEO partnership timeline, from before the RFI to after onboarding, and everything in between.
According to the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO), there are almost 500 PEOs in the U.S. that provide human resources (HR) solutions to more than 200,000 small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). However, not all recognize the valuable role you play as a broker. In fact, many brokers worry about protecting their client relationships from encroachment by their PEO partners.
ExtensisHR, on the other hand, is guided by a different principle. We prioritize and preserve brokers’ relationships with their clients and prospects. We understand that you work hard to earn your clients’ trust, and we recognize and respect the value of this time investment.
Our broker-centric business model reflects our commitment to delivering personalized service to brokers and the SMBs that utilize our HR solutions.
So, what does our broker-centric business model look like in practice? Below, explore our 8-step PEO partnership timeline.
1. Before the request for information (RFI)
The more information you have at your fingertips, the quicker you can close sales. We make it easier for you to access helpful information by providing a wide array of resources focused on our PEO, white-glove PEO Premier®, and human resources outsourcing (HRO) solutions.
Our website also streamlines your ability to share information with prospects by featuring quick access to industry-specific HR outsourcing information, detailed descriptions of what’s included in our PEO and HRO offerings, helpful resources for both brokers and clients, and more.
Through personalized guidance and our extensive on-demand assets, we aim to answer questions, gather feedback, and ensure you feel comfortable explaining the full value of ExtensisHR to prospects.
2. Generating the initial quote
Hard numbers help further the conversation quickly. The sooner you can evaluate a quote, the more quickly you can advance your sales cycle.
We know “time is money,” so we streamlined our proposal process to make requesting quotes for your prospects or incumbent clients as easy as possible.
Generating a basic quote with ExtensisHR requires the following information, all of which is easy to obtain:
- A dependent-level census
- The company’s most recent health insurance invoice(s)
- Plan summaries
- Renewal information (if renewal is within 60 days)
- General health questionnaire (GHQ)
Once we receive this information, we strive to generate a basic quote within 24-48 hours.
For clients desiring a more detailed quote, we ask you to provide all the above information, plus the following:
- A copy of the current Workers’ Compensation policy (not expired)
- Current payroll register
- Current value of Worker’ ‘Compensation Loss Runs (previous 3-5 years)
The documents listed above are required for companies not currently using a traditional payroll company or PEO. If the company is currently partnered with another PEO, we provide a worksheet detailing the specific names of each document to request from their existing PEO partner. This explicit guidance makes obtaining all necessary documentation to generate “apples-to-apples” comparisons easier.
3. Furthering the conversation: overview and analysis
Businesses seeking comparison based solely on price nearly always fail to take full advantage of ExtensisHR’s comprehensive resources, customer service, and deep expertise. To tailor our service to each client, we always seek to understand their business and the full extent of their HR needs.
Before the proposal, we ask you to arrange a discovery meeting to include yourself, the prospect’s representatives, and one or more of our HR managers. During this meeting, we explore the business, probing areas where we believe we can add further value.
Many prospects “don’t know what they don’t know.” Some may be accustomed to the restrictive “big-box” PEO model delivered by their existing outsourced payroll and HR provider. Others may handle all human resource management in-house and are unaware of the full extent of the HR, employee benefits, risk and compliance, and human resource information system (HRIS) services available through ExtensisHR.
Because you realize your incumbent client/prospect’s unique business challenges, we encourage you to ask questions on their behalf. Your voice is important, and your role in servicing the client is invaluable.
Once we understand the full scope of how we can help the client/prospect, we then tailor each proposal to their business to ensure they receive maximum ROI.
This level of personalization helps businesses become better employers and increases your competitive edge against other brokers or PEOs offering “one-size-fits-all” solutions.
4. Broker review and input
At ExtensisHR, brokers are involved during every phase of the proposal process. Before submitting any information to the prospect, we send the proposal to you and review key points. This allows you to address issues or raise questions we may want to consider before sharing the proposal with the prospect.
As your client’s eyes and ears, your sign-off on the proposal is important. We expect your clients/prospects will want to consult with you, so we aim to prepare you to confidently answer their questions.
Together, you and your ExtensisHR sales manager will present the proposal—and we never contact your clients or prospects without your knowledge.
5. Demo of services and technology
After reviewing the proposal, we encourage interested prospects to learn more about our Work Anywhere® HRIS technology and the scope of services they will receive. We coordinate a tech demo and an introduction to their dedicated SHRM-Certified HR manager. Brokers are always invited to participate in these meetings, as well.
6. Implementation
Once the client decides to engage with ExtensisHR, we begin the implementation and onboarding process by introducing ourselves to their workforce and beginning the day-to-day delivery of HR administration.
As the employer’s advocate and advisor, we encourage you to be part of the onboarding meetings to the extent you prefer. Some brokers play an active role in the hand-off. Others are confident in our services and comfortable playing a less prominent role.
7. Throughout the engagement
After implementation is complete, we provide comprehensive benefit administration services. This can significantly reduce a broker’s administrative workload as employees start using ExtensisHR’s self-serve tools and contacting our Employee Solution Center for explanations of benefits, payroll questions, lost insurance cards, etc.
With less work on your plate, you can now direct your attention away from time-draining tasks toward higher-value activities, like annual enrollment or specific requests from your client’s C-suite.
8. An ongoing broker/PEO partnership
We believe compensation should be fair and transparent, which is why our broker commission scale stands out in the industry. Unlike other outsourced HR solutions providers, we do not recognize Broker of Record letters. In our eyes, once you onboard a client, they are your client for the duration of their engagement with ExtensisHR.
Leveraging your PEO relationship with ExtensisHR does more than help your clients—it protects your book of business from other brokers and outsourced HR companies. Letting ExtensisHR assume the risk and do the administrative heavy lifting allows you to dedicate more time to advocating for your clients/prospects and demonstrating your commitment to their success.
Do you have a client or prospect who can benefit from working with ExtensisHR? Let’s start the conversation—contact our broker sales team today.
