However, you’ve just started reading up on PEOs – also known as Professional Employer Organizations – and you’re intrigued. You like the idea of having a trusted partner who can help with administrative and employment-related tasks and free up you and your team to focus on other activities.

But wait, you think. You’ve already got an HR manager and he’s great at what he does. The last thing you want is to lose him because he feels like he’s being replaced by a PEO. The good news is that PEOs can actually be a major ally for HR professionals and once they understand that they can work happily together, they’re likely to embrace the relationship.

“Most people who go into HR don’t do it because they want to process payroll or handle tax paperwork,” said Patrick Moraites, a partner and vice president of business development for Tampa-based Axis Group. “And yet those tasks often fall on them.”

Over the last several years, Moraites said, workplace issues have become more complex – and more time consuming. Not only have HR departments had to deal with ever-changing Covid requirements and challenges related managing remote employees, they’ve also been tasked with protecting their companies from legal liabilities associated with discrimination and harassment. Essentially, many HR professionals are spending all their time dealing with compliance issues and they don’t have many hours left to do what really matters to them.

This is why from an HR standpoint alone, hiring a PEO makes a lot of sense.

“When companies partner with a PEO, they can take a major weight off their HR department by removing these types of tasks from their plates,” Moraites said. “It’s a win-win situation.”

With these responsibilities outsourced to the PEO’s team of HR experts, your HR department can focus on activities that promote employee engagement such as trainings, team-building exercises and comprehensive onboarding programs – all of which are extremely important in retaining talent. And if they do opt to handle your company’s compliance activities on their own, they can reach out to the HR professionals with the PEO should they need guidance.

“You’ll always have someone you can speak to who you can bounce ideas off of,” he said. “Everyone likes to have peace of mind and a PEO can help provide that.”

If you’re considering going the PEO route, Moraites encourages you to involve your HR manager. Ask him what tasks he’d like to outsource and invite him to share his vision for what an ideal PEO partnership would look like. Then, when you’re interviewing PEOs, allow him to ask questions and solicit his feedback when it comes time to make your decision. Throughout the process, remind him that you’re not trying to replace him – you’re looking to support him in helping your organization succeed.

“Once your HR manager begins to see the benefits of what a PEO can provide, the sky’s the limit,” Moraites said. “It can be a partnership that really pays off.”

Interested in finding out how a PEO can support your company’s HR department? The team at Axis Group is here to help you find the right fit. Contact us today by clicking here.