Enterprise Guide for Choosing the Best Global PEO

Expanding your business globally is an exciting step for growth and brand recognition, but putting down roots in a foreign country can be fraught with challenges, ranging from cultural barriers to legal obstacles. With global business expansion on the rise, the global employment service industry is experiencing a boom in demand. Partnering with an international PEO (Professional Employer Organization) can be a great asset for getting your overseas business venture established with minimal friction.

A global PEO provides help with recruiting and hiring local employees and the placement of expats, while meeting compliance requirements of local laws and regulations. In addition, an experienced global PEO can be an invaluable ally for a variety of other issues. But not all PEOs are created equal. Services provided by international PEO companies can differ greatly from one provider to the next.

International PEO Basics

An international PEO is a global employment company that helps businesses meet their international employment needs with minimal stress and friction. A global PEO service provider paves the way for businesses to get established in foreign countries while minimizing the risk of compliance penalties and fines for violating local employment regulations.

Partnering with a global PEO company can save your business time and money by helping you navigate the social and cultural nuances of global employment that vary from one country to the next. A global PEO provider can speed up the visa application process, cut through bureaucratic red tape, and smooth over the speed bumps associated with benefits and compensation.

What to Look for In a Global PEO

When shopping for a global PEO, there are a number of things to consider:

Each company’s market experience
Which countries they cover
Their in-country expertise
The industries they serve
Which positions are onboarded
Whether their solution covers both locals and expats
Whether they provide immigration support
If they can meet urgent employment needs
If they offer additional benefits.

You should also enquire about limits on the number of project employees, since some PEOs will not take on smaller projects.

Questions to Ask Before Partnering with a Global PEO

Before your company commits to a particular global PEO, you should ask the following questions:

What issues are you struggling with that a global partner could resolve? Make a list and see if the PEO’s solutions align with your needs.
What credentials can the potential partner provide to back up their claims of expertise?
What type and scope of experience does the team who will handle your project possess?
Are there any standalone SaaS products or tools to help simplify your decision-making?

Carefully researching each global PEO company before committing to a partnership can save you time, money and headaches down the road.

The Differences Between PEO Companies

There are essentially three types of PEOs: Human Resource Outsourcing Organization (HRO), Classic PEO, and Global PEO. See how they differ by comparison:

HRO	Classic PEO	Global PEO
Not a co-employer	Functions as a co-employer	Functions as a legal employer on the client’s behalf
Does not assume liability	Assumes liability alongside a factual employer	Assumes full liability
Handles multiple HR services	Handles HR, payroll and taxes, mostly in the USA	Handles HR, payroll and taxes internationally; provides global employee benefits and additional services beyond HR
Can administer benefits and organize insurance	Can negotiate insurance and benefits with vendors	Can administer and organize insurance, benefits and additional services beyond HR

While all global PEO companies exist to help international businesses expand their markets, reinforce their talent pipelines, and grow their range of services, their business practices differ widely. Also, the needs of businesses vary, depending on the size of your company, the size and duration of your project, and the number of employees involved. Choosing the right global PEO is essential for your global business success.

Acumen International Global PEO Services

Acumen International is the world’s fastest-growing global PEO company for many reasons. Here are just a few of the features that set Acumen apart:

20 years of experience in HR
9 years of expertise in global expansion and compliance
Offers an Express Global Employment solution for expedited 72-hour employee onboarding
Offers services in over 190 international locations
Provides self-service tools for global expansion and talent acquisition with its global payroll calculator (GPC) and global HR assistant (GHRA). Both tools help your business access expert in-country hiring and firing information, and quickly calculate employer burden, empowering you to make informed business decisions
Has an in-country team of experts to collect data and make updates on changing labor laws and regulations
Acumen’s unique blended business model features a physical presence of legal entities in six countries, including the UK, Estonia, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Georgia, and leverages in-country partners (ICPs) in locations without legal entities.
Offers direct support to clients from Acumen’s client managers
Provides local worker support through local partners, and coordinating support between workers and their factual employers.
Acumen’s business model provides deep expertise for in-country market leaders, with flexible pricing based on the number of project employees.

Selecting the right global PEO for your company’s needs is a critical step in global expansion. Changing providers in mid-project can be costly and disruptive to your team’s workflow. Acumen International offers customized PEO solutions designed to meet the needs of every client.

Understanding the differences between International PEOs can help you choose the best PEO to fulfill your business needs. It is important to carefully consider your short-term and long-term business goals to make a well-informed decision. Contact the team at Acumen International today, and see how our solutions can help your business grow.