Item: TriNet
Rating: 10
Author: Robert Beach

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

TriNet is our complete payroll, HR and benefits solution for AppWright. It provides a one-stop shop for managing and reporting all payroll and payroll-related tax information, a complete benefits solution with broad features and competitive insurance plans, and access to HR functions if needed.

Pros and Cons

TriNet is very proactive with regard to notification of important deadlines and changes. We are never blindsided by last-minute updates or changes.
The payroll is processed in a timely manner, faster than we could do it manually/locally and is direct-deposited to our employees every pay period without fail.
The insurance, 401K, and other benefits are comprehensive and offer a very broad array of features that no small employer could hope to match on their own. It gives our employees all the perks of working for a Fortune-500 company at an affordable price. It has been great for employee retention and satisfaction.

I can't really think of anything that needs drastic improvement. The annual benefits open-enrollment/plan change process can be a bit intimidating the first time you go through it but it's not too bad once you understand how many options are being managed. Benefit management is complicated ; I think TriNet does a good job with helping us manage it.

Support Rating

TriNet staff has always been responsive, but to be honest we haven't had to resort to much interaction with them because the online portal and associated tools have been easy to use and generally error-free.

Usability

Easy online access to everything we need. No major problems with using their online portals, and it is generally well thought-out and logical.

Return on Investment

We are a small professional services (software consulting) company that needs to hire and retain highly skilled staff who could work anywhere else - they are in great demand. TriNet lets us offer a competitive benefits package at an affordable price that lets us compete with companies that dwarf us in size.

Alternatives Considered

TriNet is our first PEO experience. Prior to TriNet we used Intuit Assisted Payroll to just manage our payroll and tax reporting and we managed our own insurance plan. We had no 401K or other benefits to speak of. TriNet has addressed all of that for us.

Likelihood to Recommend

For the small employer who wants to offer their staff the same kind of broad benefit packages that a much larger company would have access to, TriNet can't be beat. You can find a payroll service to just run payroll and pay the taxes for you, but if you want a complete benefit package that is attractive to new talent and can keep your valuable staff members satisfied, then TriNet is a great solution.

Great bang-for-the-buck for a small company looking to compete with much bigger fish

Overall Satisfaction with TriNet