Finding a PEO can be a daunting task. You should feel confident in your partnership with Nextep or any PEO for that matter. To ensure you do, we’ve put together a short checklist of questions to ask in your meetings with PEOs.
1. What accreditations and certifications do you hold?
A few credentials you’ll want to look out for are: IRS certification, NAPEO membership, ESAC accreditation, and SOC certification.
ESAC is the PEO industry’s nationally recognized accreditation and financial assurance program. Similar to FDIC for banks, ESAC is an independent nonprofit corporation that verifies different areas of a PEO to ensure the organization is financially and ethically stable.
The SOC 1®, Type 2 audit process analyzes the controls that affect users’ financial reporting. This strenuous audit provides our clients with peace of mind knowing our extensive procedures and controls protect their info and we conduct our services professionally.
The IRS certification is awarded to PEOs that meet rigorous tax compliance, background, experience, business location, financial reporting, bonding, and other requirements.
Nextep holds all these accreditations. You can learn more about how we do business on our website.
2. How will my employees get support?
We know every person has different communication styles and preferences, so we offer every kind of support — online chat, email, phone call, SMS, video chat, and more.
If you have specific service ideas in mind, be sure to ask your prospective PEO what their support channels are and how you and your people can get answers.
Visit our contact page to see the various ways you and your employees can get the help you need. Once you become a client, you also have a 24/7 chat feature in your Nextep account.
3. Are benefit packages and offerings flexible?
You and your employees will have a variety of needs. Some may want higher deductibles to keep costs down, some may want the lowest deductible possible. You may have the need for pet insurance, legal coverage, HRAs, and more. It’s important to know what the benefit offerings and strategies are before you commit to a PEO.
We have a lot more info about our benefits and benefit technology on our website. Take a look!
4. What does your technology platform look like and what can my employees do through it?
You need an all-in-one technology platform that’s powerful, intuitive, and accessible on the go. If you have specific needs and questions about technology capabilities, be sure to ask those in your initial meeting.
Nextep created just that for our clients! As a Nextep client, you’d have access to your Nextep account on any device. Check out our App page for a quick look at the features.
5. What will a relationship with your PEO look like?
At the end of the day, most people want a seamless experience from a company they can trust and support they can count on. This starts by building a relationship. Ask your prospective PEOs what you can expect from your relationship with them.
Browse our about pages to learn more about what a relationship with Nextep looks like. We’d love to tell you more about it.
We hope this list helps you prepare for those initial conversations! Of course, we’ll go over all of this and more in our meeting. We hope to talk soon!
