Item: TriNet
Rating: 9
Author: Linda Ashfield

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use TriNet across the entire organization to assist in managing our human resources. A major business problem it addresses is giving our employees a good choice of benefits, which was difficult for us to provide as a small company without going to a PEO. Also, TriNet enables us to use them as our HR department, rather than hiring additional staff to manage HR.

Pros and Cons

The reports module provides excellent payroll reports for accountants to track costs in a number of ways.
The hiring process is simple and quick to use to bring a new employee on board.
The payroll submission process is straightforward and not time-consuming.

At one point, enrolling employees in the company retirement savings plan was a functionality that was not working properly. I would receive confirmation of enrollment but, in fact, the enrollment had not gone through. I believe that functionality has been repaired.
Occasionally, windows have frozen while I've been in the process of inputting data, and I've had to start over. That can be frustrating.
Getting information on employee benefits for analysis has not been particularly straightforward to access.
I had some trouble setting up a leave of absence for an employee; the questions were not clear, and I had to engage help over the phone.

Support Rating

I've had interaction with client service representatives who have been spectacular, and sometimes with ones I would not rate so highly. Generally, my opinion is that the support has been strong, and when I've had an issue with support, I've been able to request and receive further support up the line. We have had support in dealing with many difficult employee situations, such as terminations and leaves of absences.

Usability

I can't compare it with other PEO's usability, as I've only used TriNet. I recommend it because I've been generally satisfied with the usability. There are glitches now and then, but overall my experience has been very positive. When there have been issues, I've either been able to figure out how to get what I need, or I've asked for and received support. Sometimes, though, the timeliness of the support services could have been better.

Return on Investment

We used TriNet to upgrade the benefits we could provide employees.
We used TriNet to improve our HR compliance; there are too many pitfalls for small companies without an HR dept.
We believe employee satisfaction is higher than if we were trying to manage HR and benefits on our own. Before TriNet, complaints about unaffordable benefits were a major issue.

Alternatives Considered

Gusto

I use Gusto for a non-profit client. It's fine as a payroll service, but is not as comprehensive as a PEO in the HR management arena.

Likelihood to Recommend

TriNet is excellent for small companies for whom having their own HR department is not cost-effective, and for whom accessing good benefits for their employees is difficult. TriNet's fees are high, however, and could be a burden for some small organizations. In addition to the company in which I currently use TriNet, in a prior position in a non-profit it was a good solution for them, because it provided a professional level of services difficult for non-profits to obtain elsewhere.

TirNet: A Sound PEO Choice

Overall Satisfaction with TriNet