Item: TriNet
Rating: 5
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

TriNet is being used across the US. We have 87 employees currently utilizing TriNet. Because we only have 87 US employees, TriNet allows us to manage payroll and benefits for this region. Additionally, we can use TriNet services to gain additional insight or support, when necessary, on obscure HR issues that come up from time to time.

Pros and Cons

Account Management- Nicole P. is absolutely amazing and so supportive! Helps us tackle any hurdles that come our way!
Employee Experience on the App- TriNet's app is very user friendly and has a great layout to provide a good UX.
Operations- Alecia J. is full of knowledge to help us and is very quick to follow up and execute requests, which is always appreciated!

Benefits- TriNet benefits are a bit tough. The site used to create and compare models in preparation to select a funding strategy is severely outdated and not user friendly. Additionally, for two years running, we have seen increases in our plan rates of 15%+ which is unmanageable in the long term for a smaller company like us.
HR Support- In the last year, we have had 3 different HR Partners assigned to us. Two of the three created more problems than they solved and proved to be quite disorganized, unreliable, and lacked the knowledge to support our business effectively. That being said, Whitney M. is supporting us currently and she has been great to work with!
Resources for Employees- TriNet has many resources for Employers on how things work, but I've noticed that many times when we request promotional materials for employees, they don't exist (i.e. a flyer for the EAP or tips on utilizing benefits properly, etc.).

Support Rating

Account Management- Nicole P. is awesome and we have zero complaints! She is exactly what we would look for in an account manager within our company. She is supportive, to the point, quick to respond, and is great at anticipating what we may need on top of what we've asked for.
HR Support- Not good.
HR Processes- The administration side of benefits and payroll is adequate and helps us maintain compliance, which is huge. That being said, TriNet's internal processes sometimes get in the way of executing on or improving our own processes, which can be a problem. In the last year, there have been 2-3 instances of miscommunications within TriNet due to their own processes that have exposed us to risk when they shouldn't have.
Technology- The main website is good. The app is extremely user friendly. The benefits modeling site NEEDS to be revamped to provide a better user experience.

Usability

TriNet's site is good. The app is great. Benefits Modeling site needs work. From a reporting standpoint, TriNet released a new interface which is okay, but the rollout of that could have come with more instruction or user guides. Going back to that site after the initial rollout call with our TriNet team felt like I'd never seen it before and I didn't really have the resources to refer back to in order to independently navigate it.

Return on Investment

Positive- Compliant practices surrounding payroll and benefits
Negative- No enhancement of how we operate outside of payroll and benefits

Alternatives Considered

Justworks, Insperity PerformSmart and Sage People

Justworks is very competitive with its administrative fees and benefits pricing. Insperity has some really strong HR support but is much too expensive. Sage People need s better user interface, but generally has some good features. We selected TriNet because TriNet provided the majority of what we were looking for at the time.

Likelihood to Recommend

TriNet was great when we started out with them 6 years ago. Our HR support was awesome, they solved the issues we had with payroll and benefits administration, and we had a great relationship. Now, we have a good relationship with our Account Manager which has really been part of the reason we've stayed with TriNet, but also we were seeing a decline in the quality of HR support. (This does not include our CURRENT HR Support, Whitney.) The main issue we have with TriNet at this point is the significant increases we are seeing to benefits two years in a row that are based on TriNet's internal "tier system" that is in place. That increase on top of increased administration costs starts to be too much for a smaller business that is essentially a start-up. So, long story short, if a colleague were to ask me if I recommend TriNet, I would say yes, but only if they have a really strong HR Team internally and as long as they recognize that they would have big plan rate increases year over year. (This is especially true for companies with smaller employee populations.)

TriNet is great in theory, with a good interface for employee experience.

Overall Satisfaction with TriNet