Client Background
- Business Name: (confidential)
- Industry: Business Consulting (Service-Based)
- Employees: ~10
- Engagement Lead: Erica Roelike, Elevate Results Consulting
Reason for Engagement
The company in this case study had initially partnered with Elevate Results Consulting to provide payroll services and HR function support. As the business grew, the leadership team — particularly the COO — began to evaluate whether moving to a new Professional Employer Organization (PEO) would offer better cost efficiency, enhanced features, and stronger employee support.
Having worked closely with their HR and payroll operations, Elevate Results was brought in to advise on the evaluation process and provide guidance through the transition.
Client Goal
The company’s leadership wanted to:
- Evaluate their current PEO costs and features against the marketplace.
- Understand potential long-term financial and compliance impacts.
- Ensure a timely and accurate payroll transition during the PEO switch.
- Support employees in understanding the change, benefits re-enrollment, and new payroll onboarding.
Elevate Results Approach
- Comprehensive Evaluation
- Reviewed the current PEO’s HR and payroll services, identifying what was working well and what features were missing or underutilized.
- Partnered with the COO to document the company’s desired HRIS features and service needs.
- Conducted a cost review, comparing actual spend with perceived value.
- Market Interview & Comparison
- Assisted in evaluating multiple PEO providers, focusing on cost transparency, feature integration, and service delivery.
- Distinguished which tools and features were included versus those offered only as upgrades — clarifying the “true cost” differences across providers.
- Pricing Structure & Financial Analysis
- Outlined transition-related fees (service termination charges, 401(k) and benefits migration, workers’ comp adjustments).
- Explored annual fee structures and the likelihood of year-over-year service agreement increases.
- Provided the COO with cost benchmarking to strengthen negotiation discussions with potential new vendors.
- Transition Support
- While the new PEO managed the official transition timeline and requirements, Erica provided ongoing support to the COO, ensuring the company was responding effectively with timely data and documentation.
- Assisted leadership in organizing the necessary payroll and employee information for the initial payroll cycle with the new PEO.
- Employee Rollout & Kickoff
- Supported the COO during employee communications by helping schedule and facilitate a kickoff meeting with the new PEO.
- Attended the session to assist as employees completed required documents (I-9s, W-4s), reviewed the updated handbook, and began benefit re-enrollment.
- Helped ensure employees were reassured, informed, and prepared for the first payroll with the new platform.
Outcome
- Cost Transparency: Leadership gained a clear view of whether their existing PEO was cost-competitive and had the data to make an informed change.
- Successful Transition: Despite the inherent complexities, payroll moved seamlessly into the new system, with correct processing from the first cycle forward.
- Leadership Partnership: With Elevate Results embedded at their side, the COO confidently worked through vendor requirements and decision-making without being overwhelmed.
- Employee Engagement: The kickoff meeting created structure and clarity, leading to a smooth re-enrollment and onboarding process for employees.