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PEO Strategy for High-Growth Tech Companies: A 2025 Playbook

 

In 2025, high-growth tech companies are scaling faster than ever—but so are their HR challenges. From managing remote teams across multiple states to offering competitive benefits that attract top talent, growth can quickly become chaotic. That’s where a PEO strategy for tech companies comes in. By partnering with a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), scaling startups can centralize HR, stay compliant, and maintain agility—without losing their culture or focus on innovation.

This playbook outlines how a modern PEO partnership can help tech founders, CFOs, and operations leaders eliminate HR bottlenecks, reduce costs, and build the infrastructure for sustainable, long-term growth.

The HR Growing Pains of High-Growth Tech Companies

Scaling a tech company is exhilarating—but it’s also messy. Payroll grows complex across states, benefits inflate, compliance risks multiply, and founders find themselves buried in HR admin instead of driving strategy. In fact, many startups lose up to 3% of EBITDA annually from HR inefficiencies and misclassification penalties alone.

These issues compound when tech companies expand globally or adopt hybrid work models. Each new state or country brings its own tax, labor, and benefits rules. Without expert HR infrastructure, even minor oversights—like late filings or missing I-9 verifications—can lead to major fines and credibility loss. A PEO strategy helps eliminate that risk by creating a unified system for payroll, benefits, and compliance across all locations.

How a PEO Helps Tech Companies Scale Smarter

A Professional Employer Organization (PEO) acts as a co-employer—sharing certain administrative and compliance responsibilities with your company. The PEO handles payroll, benefits, tax filings, HR policies, and risk management, while you retain control of your people and operations. In essence, you get a full-scale HR department without the overhead.

According to the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO), businesses using PEOs grow 7–9% faster, have 10–14% lower turnover, and are 50% less likely to go out of business than non-PEO peers. For fast-scaling tech startups, that translates directly into margin protection and stronger workforce stability.

Key Advantages of a PEO Strategy in 2025

  • Access Enterprise-Level Benefits: PEOs pool thousands of employees, giving startups access to Fortune 500-grade benefits at small-business rates. That includes health insurance, 401(k) plans, wellness programs, and even mental health resources—critical for recruiting top engineers in a competitive labor market.
  • Streamline Multi-State and Remote Work Compliance: With remote work now a permanent norm, a PEO ensures every employee—whether in Austin, Seattle, or London—is properly classified and compliant with local labor laws. This eliminates one of the biggest operational risks for tech companies scaling across borders.
  • Lower HR Costs and Prevent Mistakes: The average startup saves $450 per employee annually in HR overhead by outsourcing payroll, benefits administration, and compliance to a PEO. That means leaner operations and fewer expensive HR errors that could slow down growth.
  • Faster Onboarding and Integration: PEOs provide digital onboarding tools, automated payroll systems, and ready-to-launch HR workflows. For tech firms adding dozens of new hires after a funding round, this speed is invaluable—it keeps your people operations in sync with your product momentum.
  • Data-Driven HR Insights: Modern PEOs use analytics dashboards to track turnover, engagement, and benefits usage—empowering tech founders with data to make smarter workforce decisions.

2025 Tech Workforce Trends a PEO Can Solve

The tech landscape in 2025 brings new HR realities. Here’s how a PEO helps navigate them:

  • Hybrid Workforce Optimization: Over 60% of tech teams now operate remotely or hybrid. A PEO ensures consistent policies, benefits, and compliance across distributed teams, freeing HR from geographic chaos.
  • Equity and Compensation Management: Equity plans and variable pay structures are common in tech—but tricky to manage. A good PEO ensures your comp structures comply with SEC and tax laws while keeping employee equity reporting transparent.
  • AI and Data Privacy Compliance: As more tech firms leverage AI in HR and operations, new data protection and employment laws are emerging. A PEO keeps you compliant with regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and evolving AI governance standards.
  • Global Expansion Support: Many PEOs partner with global Employers of Record (EORs), enabling tech firms to hire internationally without creating new entities—perfect for startups expanding into Europe or Asia.

Strategic PEO Advisory™: Your Growth Partner for 2025

Choosing the right PEO isn’t simple. Tech companies need a partner that understands scale, complexity, and speed. That’s where Strategic PEO Advisory comes in.

Our team helps high-growth tech companies compare options, benchmark costs, and implement PEO solutions that match their growth goals. We specialize in advising venture-backed and private equity-owned startups that need scalable HR systems without losing control of their operations.

Through independent, vendor-neutral guidance, we help you evaluate and compare PEOs confidently—no bias, no sales pressure. From negotiation to transition, our advisory team ensures you get the right structure and the best long-term value.

And as part of Dinsmore Steele, we bring deep experience in compliance, benefits strategy, and HR transformation for growing organizations. The result: less risk, lower cost, and faster, cleaner growth for your company.

Final Word: Build Smarter, Scale Faster

In 2025, the best tech leaders know that smart HR infrastructure isn’t a back-office task—it’s a growth multiplier. A data-driven PEO strategy enables high-growth tech companies to operate like established enterprises while maintaining startup speed and culture. Whether you’re expanding your team across states or raising your Series C, a PEO gives you the systems and expertise to grow without friction.

For fast-scaling startups ready to professionalize HR and protect margins, Strategic PEO Advisory™ is your next move. Let’s build your 2025 playbook—together.

Talk to Strategic PEO Advisory™

 

Alicia Mole

Senior PEO Consultant

Meet Alicia Mole

Alicia helps businesses navigate the world of PEOs—whether they’re evaluating options, switching providers, or simply looking to get more value from renewals. At Dinsmore Steele, she manages the RFP process from start to finish, gathers competitive quotes, and delivers detailed analyses that give clients clarity and confidence. Acting as a bridge between companies and PEOs, Alicia makes sure onboarding, compliance, and benefit transitions are smooth and stress-free.

 

With a strong background in PEO brokerage, consulting, and customer service, Alicia brings both industry expertise and a client-first mindset. Her style is strategic and detail-oriented—she’s known for keeping projects organized, proposals accurate, and communications clear. Over the years, she’s successfully negotiated lower fees, secured stronger service agreements, and uncovered hidden savings that translate into measurable ROI. Clients trust her not just for her knowledge, but for her ability to listen, advocate, and deliver solutions that make a real difference.

Outside of Work

Alicia’s passion for helping others extends beyond the office. She’s a dedicated animal rescue advocate, actively volunteering with dog rescues and adoption efforts—and a proud dog mom of three herself. She also loves staying active through strength training, hot yoga, and pickleball. Whether with clients, colleagues, or in her community, Alicia thrives on building strong connections and supporting others in reaching their goals.

Ethan Grove

Peo Consultant

Meet Ethan Grove

Ethan helps clients make sense of the complex PEO landscape, guiding them through evaluations to find the right long-term solution. Before joining Dinsmore Steele, he spent several years at ADP—starting in small business and later selling TotalSource—working closely with companies in blue collar industries, professional services, and tech. A consistent top performer, Ethan has built a reputation for listening closely, cutting through the noise, and finding solutions that actually solve the problems clients are facing.


His strengths lie in navigating the overwhelming number of PEO options to identify the best fit for each company’s goals. Ethan’s approach works because it’s rooted in problem-solving—he focuses on what matters most to clients and ensures every recommendation aligns with their specific needs. What he enjoys most is the trust clients place in him and the satisfaction of delivering solutions that truly fit.

Pat Villalobos

Operations Director

Meet Pat Villalobos

Pat is the glue that keeps operations running smoothly at Dinsmore Steele. As Operations Director, Pat focuses on processes, workflows, and accounts—making sure nothing falls through the cracks and every system works the way it should.

 

With a career that spans industries and countries, Pat brings a truly global perspective to the team. Prior to joining Dinsmore Steele, Pat served as a Marketing Manager for a restaurant chain in the Philippines, a Regional Sales Director for a tech start-up in Vietnam, an Accounts Manager for the Central Bank of the Philippines, and an Operations Manager for an HR firm in Australia. This diverse background has given Pat the ability to see both the big picture and the finer details, spotting inefficiencies, improving workflows, and bridging gaps between teams to create systems that actually scale. Known for being strategic yet execution-focused, Pat makes sure every plan is not only effective but also executable.

Outside of Work

Pat’s early career as an international model with Elite Model Management developed a sharp eye for branding, visual storytelling, and creative direction. That creative perspective still shows up in their work today, blending operational precision with design-minded detail. Outside the office, Pat enjoys exploring new ways to merge structure with creativity, bringing balance to both professional and personal pursuits.

Bobbi Jo Jenkins

Chief Human Resources and Client Experience Officer

Meet Bobbi Jo Jenkins

Bobbi Jo is a seasoned HR leader who believes people strategy should always push the business forward—not just keep it running. With more than two decades of experience, she’s helped companies tackle big challenges like turnover, scaling through acquisitions, and building systems that make HR less reactive and more proactive.

 

As a former CHRO, Bobbi Jo knows what it takes to lead a high-performing HR team and get results in fast-changing environments. She’s streamlined processes, redesigned job structures, and rolled out performance tools that stick—all with a focus on creating efficiency without losing sight of the people behind the work. Having been both a sole contributor and a leader of large teams, she gets what HR professionals at every level are up against, and she knows how to help them shine.

How Bobbi Jo Can Help You

Bobbi Jo is the person you call when HR needs to be more than just a support function. She guides businesses through PEO transitions, benefit renewals, and M&A integrations, while also digging into the nuts and bolts like compensation benchmarking, pay equity, recruiting strategies, and turnover action plans. She’s skilled at building or reworking HR systems, creating policies that actually work in practice, and setting up engagement programs that inspire real results. Whether it’s payroll, performance reviews, or planning the next generation of leaders, Bobbi Jo brings clarity, structure, and energy to every project.

Rachel Shipp

Marketing Director

Meet Rachel Shipp

Rachel leads all things marketing at Dinsmore Steele, where she’s known for turning big business goals into smart, data-driven strategies that actually connect with people. Her superpower? Blending creativity with analytics to build marketing programs that not only look good but also drive real, measurable growth.

 

Rachel has worn just about every marketing hat: go-to-market planning, brand positioning, demand generation, team leadership, and more. She’s built marketing programs from the ground up, partnered with product, design, sales, and growth teams, and helped transform complex ideas into stories that resonate with customers. From launching new ad formats and running multi-channel campaigns to refining customer journeys with data insights, Rachel brings a mix of strategic thinking, collaboration, and a results-driven mindset. 

Outside of Work

When she’s not leading marketing initiatives, Rachel’s likely off exploring. She’s traveled extensively (including bungee jumping in Greece!) and loves experiencing new places and cultures. Rachel’s love for travel fuels her curiosity and creativity—she’s always drawing inspiration from new experiences. At home, she finds joy in music—she’s an accomplished pianist and never misses a chance to sit down at the keys.

Josh Doering

Chief of Staff

Meet Josh Doering

Josh is an operations and marketing strategist who helps businesses scale by combining automation, CRM strategy, and airtight systems that eliminate chaos. With more than a decade of experience supporting executives and business owners, he’s built a reputation for translating big ideas into workflows that actually work.

 

At Dinsmore Steele, Josh manages client lifecycle campaigns, builds CRM automation in HubSpot, leads outreach strategies, and makes sure marketing vision translates into measurable results. Known for being proactive, precise, and systems-obsessed, Josh is the trusted behind-the-scenes operator who keeps both the DS team and their clients running smoothly.

How Josh Can Help You

Josh specializes in creating end-to-end systems that drive growth and efficiency. He builds CRM automation and marketing funnels, designs HubSpot workflows and sequences, and develops follow-up strategies for both active and lost deals. He also supports PEO lead nurturing and client retention efforts, while running survey campaigns, email drips, and slybroadcast voicemail outreach. Beyond campaign execution, Josh strengthens team communication systems, ensures content and campaign quality, and continuously optimizes processes to keep businesses running at peak performance.

Cassandra Anderson

SVP/Sales & Revenue

Meet Cassandra Anderson

Cassandra joined Dinsmore Steele in 2023, bringing more than a decade of experience and a reputation as one of the top 1% of performers in the PEO industry—earning her the nickname “The PEO Queen.” Few, if any, know more about the inner workings of PEOs than Cassandra, and she uses that expertise to help clients navigate their options with clarity and confidence.

 

Her role focuses on guiding businesses to the PEO that best fits their needs and budget, then ensuring a smooth transition through the DS platform. With deep experience across PEO, ASO, EOR, HRIS, benefits, payroll, workers’ compensation, compliance, and risk mitigation, Cassandra brings both breadth and depth to every engagement. She combines market knowledge with high-volume productivity and strategic insights to help organizations achieve true scalability. Known for her compassion, professionalism, and dedication, Cassandra always chooses client success above everything else—even when that means losing profit.

Barbara Pailley

Managing Partner

Meet Barbara Pailley

Barbara has been part of Dinsmore Steele since 2016, bringing with her a wealth of industry experience and a knack for building high-performing teams. An industry veteran, she quickly streamlined operations and helped shape a world-class team to better support clients, partners, and providers. What makes Barbara’s perspective especially unique is her background as a former partner in a successful PEO—giving her firsthand experience on both sides of the table and a deep understanding of what it takes to deliver real value.

 

Today, Barbara focuses on developing cost-effective PEO solutions for organizations of all sizes. She believes the key is understanding each company’s needs and vision, then researching and analyzing the best options to deliver the right fit. Beyond advising clients, Barbara also leverages her deep PEO expertise to work directly with both PEO and ASO providers, helping them expand their marketing engines and strengthen their reach.

Rodney Steele

Founder and CEO

Meet Rodney Steele

In 2010, Rodney founded Dinsmore Steele with a clear vision: to give business owners an unbiased, efficient way to shop, compare, and negotiate with Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs). As CEO, he has spent the last 16 years redefining how companies build HR infrastructure—not by selling vendors, but by engineering smarter PEO strategies that protect margins and fuel growth.

 

Rodney often says most companies don’t pick the “wrong” PEO—they pick without a strategy. That lack of strategy costs businesses time, leverage, and profitability. Through Dinsmore Steele’s Strategic PEO Advisory™, Rodney and his team compress what would normally take months of research into a few days of outcome-driven analysis. The results speak for themselves: over 6,000 companies advised, more than $592M in savings delivered, and an average of $2,016.78 saved per employee, per year. Trusted by growth-stage founders, PE operators, and portfolio teams, Rodney has built an independent, strategic, and proven model that helps businesses design infrastructure that scales—because the right PEO strategy doesn’t just save money, it powers the next stage of growth.