TriNet PEO Review
Learn more about TriNet - the Professional Employer Organization.
The Snapshot
Founded: 1988
Health Insurers: Aetna, BCBS, UHC, and Kaiser
Great for: firms wanting the most hands-off experience possible at a good price
TriNet is probably the most well-known PEO and is easily the most prevalent name in the industry. One of the "cornerstone" PEOs that rocketed the concept of co-employment into public awareness, TriNet is a publicly traded and reputable organization, giving a reliably solid yet personalized experience to each of its 15,000+ clients.
TriNet could be considered an "Amazon" — highly focused on customer satisfaction in the PEO industry. With one of the largest customer bases, they can consistently deliver great price points for new clients regarding benefits and worker's comp rates. Additionally, they have outstanding HR infrastructure support and even offer a hiring program that could replace costly in-house or 3rd-party recruiters. That's access to a full HR department for a fraction of the per-head price.
We evaluated TriNet from the viewpoint of a firm wanting to take full advantage of its services — HR, benefits, and the whole works. TriNet can stand in for 99% of an HR department, giving you access to great benefits and price points. If you want to "pick and choose" services and do some things yourself or in-house, better options may be available, and we're happy to discuss them.
Offering
TriNet leads with a promise of "Full-service HR," and in our review, we found they weren't kidding. From payroll to risk/compliance, a digital management platform to benefits administration, it wouldn't be far from the truth to say that TriNet does nearly everything for you. The great thing about HR through a PEO like TriNet is that it's like turning on a fully-developed HR department from day 1 — no hiring of an HR head and waiting for the team to come together.
TriNet doesn't disappoint when it comes to benefits. They give you access to outrageously good plans that are usually well outside the grasp of small firms. Pricing for these plans is comparable to what you'd expect to pay for plans half as good on the open market — but savings aren't restricted to platinum-level benefits. Firms covering a lot of couples or family plans will also see great savings.
TriNet offers a vast catalog from dental to vision that employees can pick and choose from — all national coverage through insurers like Aetna or Blue Cross/Blue Shield with huge networks. And if you wander out of network (hard to do, even abroad, with TriNet), their out-of-network rates are better than what you'll get on the market.
TriNet services a variety of industries and can customize your package uniquely to your employee's work, company size, risk factors, and more. There are no "one-size-fits-all" plans, which is a relief when you're entrusting your company's internal infrastructure to a third party.
Service
Our review of TriNet found what our experience indicated: they offer knowledgeable and reliable customer service before and after you've started working with them. While not "white glove," each interaction is reliably helpful and knowledgeable; like any large organization, there are excellent and okay reps. Dinsmore/Steele maintains contact with the ones we feel best represent TriNet's offerings and work with them to ensure you have the best conversation possible, and that's a relationship that can help you down the line.
Pricing
PEOs' services tend to be paid for on a per-head basis (often called "administration fees"), and TriNet is no different. Your eventual price point will depend on how much you use their services and your number of employees. TriNet offers several price points based on your company'’ size — and if you anticipate expanding soon, we may be willing to discuss offering you better rates in advance. Being one of the larger PEOs, their per-head costs are always competitive and tend to define those of other companies.
Conclusion
Reviewing TriNet is a bit like reviewing the restaurant in town that everyone's always liked — it's a reliably good service with excellent price points, plus a good support staff that is the industry standards. However, the company doesn't rest on its laurels; it is always adding new features and finding ways to reduce administrative fees. If you go with them to virtually replace an HR staff, you'll find them a great teammate who's always available and on top of HR admin tasks — getting you great benefits and insurance rates.
The best way to know you're getting the best deal possible — and save hours spent filling out forms — is to work with a professional PEO broker like Dinsmore/Steele.
We fill the role of knowledgeable partner in one of the business's most confusing fields, knowing the difference between when you're getting good rates and when someone is padding their profit margins at your expense. Get your quote from TriNet now.