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“From the inception of the relationship from every Insperity team that we work with — from benefits, payroll, and compliance, to now training, mission, vision, and values — the Insperity representative reaches out and initiates these conversations, as opposed to having to be sought out. They’re really helping build CoreRx’s future.”

Kevin Rierson
Executive Director of HR
CoreRx

Just a few years ago, CoreRx, a pharmaceutical developer and manufacturer based in Clearwater, Florida, had an HR “strategy” that consisted of random employees within the organization trying to reactively solve the constant HR-related challenges.

Then, in 2017, Kevin Rierson, now executive director of HR at CoreRx, joined the company. He made it his mission to focus on employee relations and building out the HR program. After a bump in the road with another professional employer organization (PEO), he called Insperity and the rest is history.

Since January 2022, Insperity and Rierson have worked together to build a robust people strategy from the ground up. Rierson says the biggest plus is the Insperity Premier platform, a “one-stop shop” for employees to see their pay, 401(k) details, performance management and more. But ultimately, CoreRx’s decision hinged on not only the caliber of the technology and the sure-to-be-welcome relief from a heavy load related to operational HR, but much more. The shift to Insperity also arose from Rierson’s conclusion that he wanted and needed a PEO capable of providing a much higher level of care, one addressing business leaders’ vision.

Read the full story about CoreRx’s experience working with Insperity here.

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“I think a lot of people might think of a PEO as a way to shift resources and perhaps reduce the size of their internal HR staff by utilizing an outside agency to assist with the HR function. Given the growth that we were going through, however, we looked at it as an investment of resources.”

Joe Getch
Chief Executive Officer
PRS

PRS, based in northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., has been a provider of behavioral health, crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for over 60 years. After winning a large amount of new and expanded business between December 2021 and April 2022, they found themselves double the size they were at the end of 2021.

With employees now in dozens of states, PRS’s primary concern was multistate compliance, as they were already bogged down internally. On top of requiring nationwide HR expertise, they needed a modern, comprehensive HR infrastructure, and fast. Insperity was there to help on both fronts, finishing implementation within two months.

Now with compliance less of a concern, PRS is thinking bigger. They are leveraging Insperity’s support on best practices in areas like workforce analytics, DE&I initiatives and recruiting. Insperity and PRS have monthly touch-point meetings to stay on top of ongoing work and initiatives within the organization. Their CEO trusts Insperity’s guidance to improve employee culture, satisfaction and retention, linking success there to overall company goals.

Read the full story about Insperity and PRS’s strong partnership here.

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From back office to the forefront: harnessing HR as a key business driver

Comprehensive HR solutions from Insperity help this workplace safety company unlock a long list of business advantages for rapid growth.

Since its launch in 2018, Thompson Safety, a full-service safety company based in Houston, Texas, has expanded to 10 cities, 100 employees and millions in revenue. A “charge ahead” spirit was critical to its early growth. But when it comes to HR, the Inc. 5000 honoree realized it was time to slow down.

“Probably like a lot of entrepreneurs, we were guilty at times of running full force ahead without always thinking about the backend processes,” says Wendy Galland, vice president of sales, Thompson Safety.

By 2021, Galland and her team reached a point where they couldn’t keep opening new offices without better HR support. They chose Insperity, a fellow Houston-based business and leading provider of scalable HR solutions, to help them.

“With Insperity, we can go as fast as we want, without the backend being the restricting factor on our growth,” she explained.

Adopting a more comprehensive approach

Prior to working with Insperity, Thompson Safety relied on multiple vendors to handle “parts and pieces” of HR, meaning separate companies for managing and administering everything from payroll to employee benefits, 401(k) plans, and more. Admittedly, an employee “moonlighting as an HR manager in her not-so-free-time” struggled to keep the siloed components running cohesively, Galland explains. 

Insperity’s optimal blend of HR service and technology provides Thompson Safety with the tools needed to lighten its administrative load, maximize productivity and manage risks. By streamlining processes related to payroll, benefits, talent management and HR compliance, the company can operate more efficiently and focus on growth, all with greater peace of mind.

Galland says Thompson Safety understands the benefits of working with a single, full-service provider. After all, that’s exactly the role Thompson Safety plays for its clients, serving as a one-stop shop for workplace safety solutions, including first aid, safety supplies and training services.

“With Insperity, we can go as fast as we want, without the backend being the restricting factor on our growth.”

Wendy Gallard
Vice President of Sales
Thompson Safety

Better benefit solutions

Galland says Thompson Safety’s success would not be possible without its employees – they are the ones providing the high-quality customer service that helps the business stand out. Insperity’s HR service and support ensure the workforce feels supported and valued.

“It’s hard to have an employee believe that they’re valued if they don’t get paid on time, the onboarding process is super long and difficult, or they can’t access their benefits,” Galland explains. “Insperity has enabled us to smooth out these processes.”

In the past, Thompson Safety’s employees did not have as many health care plan options as they do now with Insperity. The additional plans provided by Insperity allow employees to choose the plan that best fits their needs, which has led to reduced costs for both Thompson Safety and its employees. It’s a win-win situation.

“In partnering with Insperity, we were able to ensure our employees had (access to) a much broader range of benefit solutions,” Galland says. “A lot of them found they needed less coverage than they had, which saved them hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a year.”

Choose a partner that “gets you”

Galland recommends that companies planning for rapid scale partner with a PEO early on to ensure solid processes are in place, especially if they are growing across multiple states. Could you navigate different state HR regulations on your own? Maybe. But Galland cautions that doing so can be time-consuming and risky. When she has a question, she calls Insperity and gets an answer fast.

“Insperity will say, ‘Here is our recommendation, and here are all the facts to support it, so you can make the best decision based on this state’s requirements,’” she explains.

When evaluating HR partners, Galland suggests choosing one that will take the time to get to know your business and culture. Insperity provides “better advice, better coaching and better support” because it understands Thompson Safety’s job functions, services, processes, and goals, she says.

For example, Thompson Safety plans to open another three to five offices by the end of 2023, which will require at least 50 new hires. Galland credits Insperity with providing the HR infrastructure and streamlined processes the company needs to ensure a successful expansion and continue focusing on growth.

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“With Insperity by our side as a partner, I know HR is the last thing I need to worry about.”

Robin Tan
Managing Partner
Zenpack

How Insperity helps Zenpack attract and retain top talent

As part of its people-first strategy, this Inc. 5000 honoree relies on Insperity to provide HR service, support and technology – along with access to big-company benefits for its growing workforce.

One of the hardest tasks for any business owner is employee recruitment. For Zenpack, a packaging design and manufacturing agency based in San Jose, Calif., recruiting talent used to be especially challenging. Zenpack was losing candidates to larger companies that could offer stronger benefits packages. That changed when Zenpack partnered with Insperity, a leading provider of scalable HR solutions that help streamline processes related to payroll, benefits, talent management and HR compliance – bringing businesses administrative relief and reduced employer-related liabilities, and bringing their employees better benefit options.

By providing Zenpack’s U.S. employees with access to big-company employee benefits, Insperity enables Zenpack – a 2022 Inc. 5000 honoree with six locations across the U.S., China and Taiwan – to attract and retain the talent needed to support its exponential growth. In alignment with Zenpack’s employee-first culture, Insperity helps ensure HR needs are met and the team feels supported.

Starting with a solid culture

Managing Partner Robin Tan says taking care of employees has been a priority since he and three college buddies co-founded Zenpack in 2015.

“All of us had been working in big corporations, so we knew what to do and what not to do,” he explained. “We always think employee-first.”

Tan describes the culture as laid-back, family-oriented and reflective of the founders’ values. “Our culture just naturally happened,” he recalled.

Although Tan has never “over-thought culture,” it has proven critical to Zenpack’s success. Because Zenpack puts people first, employees “do everything in their power to make sure the company goes in the right direction,” he explains. There is a high level of discretionary effort because employees feel valued.

The goal: make employees’ lives easier

A capable team and strong company culture, paired with a diversified client portfolio and a variety of packaging design and manufacturing solutions, allowed Zenpack to increase revenue by 250% from 2019-2021. As the team grew, Tan realized he would need help providing employee support.

In early 2021, he began assessing professional employer organizations (PEOs) that could provide comprehensive HR services in the U.S. He knew what he wanted: ease of access to resources for the team. Insperity stood out from the other four providers he evaluated because of its people and level of service.

“I picked the solution that made my employees’ lives the easiest” Tan said. “That is what is valuable to me.”

Growing the team – and keeping them happy

As of 2023, Zenpack’s global workforce totals nearly 100 employees. The company aims to increase revenue from $18 million in 2023, to $60 million in 2026 and $100 million by 2028. Recruitment and retention will be critical to the realization of its growth goals.

In the past, Tan believes the company lost a few potential hires because it wasn’t offering competitive benefits. Through the Insperity relationship, Zenpack’s U.S. employees have access to a 401(k) plan, health care coverage and many other benefits. Whether it’s Tan himself, the office manager or any U.S. employee who has a question, Insperity makes communication easy and stands ready to help make sure employees get the most from their benefits.

“I’m competing (for talent) with companies like Google, Apple and Facebook in my region,” Tan explained. “For me to be relevant in terms of benefits and pay, we need to do something different, and that’s where Insperity really comes in – to elevate our HR and support the needs of our employees.”

Hiring across the country

Given the rise of remote work, Zenpack, like many small and midsize businesses, is increasingly considering hiring talent in other U.S. states outside of its current locations. With Insperity’s full-service solution that is designed to handle HR-related compliance in each state, Zenpack can make hires across state lines more confidently and efficiently. Additionally, Insperity’s HR technology improves the candidate experience by digitizing the application and onboarding process, saving time for applicants and Zenpack.

“Night and day” difference

Employees who started at Zenpack prior to the Insperity partnership have noticed the impact the PEO has had on workplace satisfaction. “They tell me the difference is night and day in terms of how they can ask questions, how they can reach out, and all of the benefits that come with the partnership,” Tan said. He said that Insperity has also made a positive difference in employee retention.

Moving forward, Tan will have his hands full securing additional funding, overseeing a growing client portfolio and managing the team. He is grateful to have reliable HR help so that he can focus on other priorities.

“With Insperity by our side as a partner, I know HR is the last thing I need to worry about,” he said

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From natural disaster to national growth

Founded in 1972, Liberty Bank and Trust was started specifically to provide financing, as well as products and services, for the underserved African American community in New Orleans, Louisiana. This family-owned company has grown to become the largest Black-owned bank in the country and has locations in 11 different states.

Yet, according to Todd McDonald, Liberty Bank and Trust president, that growth didn’t occur without its struggles.

“I started with the bank in 2003. One of the immediate challenges right in 2005 was Hurricane Katrina. We lost about 80% of our client base and about 90% of our staff.I sat next to my dad and the team to help rebuild the bank from scratch. It was challenging; a lot of our regulators at the time didn’t feel like we were going to survive.”

Todd McDonald
President
Liberty Bank and Trust

But not only did McDonald and team survive – they began to thrive. Liberty Bank moved outside of their local footprint and diversified by acquiring 10 other banks post-Katrina. With such diversification, they needed to quickly evolve to help customers nationwide, and they knew their existing HR strategy just wouldn’t do.

In-house HR supported with outside help

Growing state to state made it clear the team at Liberty Bank needed additional HR support and guidance. Pressure came from so many directions – insurance companies, local and federal government rules and regulations, inadequate technology – it was too much for Liberty Bank’s in-house HR team to continue tackling alone. Inefficiency was costing them.

“So, we had an in-house HR program at the bank and we quickly outgrew it. And in terms of the way that we grew, from a geographic standpoint … we had to have experts in every single state. And so that was extremely costly,” McDonald said.

In addition to needing multistate compliance help, there were so many unanswered questions surrounding increases in medical insurance costs. McDonald knew he needed to find a way to navigate all these changes more efficiently in multiple markets. Fortunately, during a conversation with the owner of one of the largest asset-management firms in the country, Liberty Bank was introduced to Insperity. “We found that Insperity can provide access to those services at a very much lower cost, which allowed us to essentially now be with the company for 12 years,” McDonald said.

Scaling to new heights with ease

Before Insperity, McDonald said there was a lot of concern and questions about branching out. But with Insperity by his team’s side, many of the issues they once faced are now a thing of the past.

“Insperity was critical in terms of allowing us to scale. We can go into new markets without being intimidated by some of the legal challenges or HR challenges, where we need to make sure we’re in compliance 100% of the time.”

Todd McDonald
President
Liberty Bank and Trust

Now, their thoughts on HR challenges have drastically changed – and even with new expansion opportunities occurring in real time, McDonald is not intimidated.

He attributes his confidence in large part to having a true HR partner. McDonald says that Liberty Bank has been with Insperity for so long that each organization operates in sync with the other. “Insperity has been an excellent team player with us in our growth,” McDonald said.

From HR processes to personal relationship

While Insperity’s comprehensive HR solution provided the support that helped Liberty Bank through quick expansion, the relationship with Insperity was more than just “business,” particularly for Ann Duplessis, senior vice president of HR operations.

“We have grown as partners. The people that are part of Insperity’s makeup, are people people. And they’re not just technical people who know HR. They know how to build relationships. Because that’s also who we are at Liberty. We have built our organization on relationships and not transactions.”

Ann Duplessis
Senior Vice President of HR Operations
Liberty Bank and Trust

Plus, because of the personal, trusting relationship that developed, Duplessis feels free to focus on more strategic activities.

“And so, this relationship with Insperity allows for me to begin to do what I do best, and that’s facilitate and organize within my organization,” Duplessis said. “Because I know I have a partner on the back end who’s watching my back.” 

Aligned with making a difference

It was no surprise to McDonald that the relationship between Insperity and Liberty Bank would be more personal than transactional. Because whether it’s in the office or in the community, for both companies, it’s all about making a difference.

McDonald reinforced how Insperity’s mission is very close to their own at Liberty Bank.

“Insperity and Liberty Bank’s alignment in terms of our passion, our mission and our vision for our companies, it’s very close,” McDonald said. “Insperity values community service – and we are a community bank. We actually pride ourselves on making less profit – so that we can be more beneficial to our client base. So, when you look at Liberty Bank and our peer groups, we are actually a little less profitable, because we want to make sure that we are charging the lowest fees … we are charging extremely competitive interest rates. And we are taking the risks that our communities need us to take.”

The importance of community was not lost on Duplessis either, and she has also experienced the value of following through on the company mission. “It has been an exciting career,” Duplessis said. “We believe very much in not only being a part of the community, but also making a difference.”

Enjoying all the perks of a true HR partner

What began as a business decision that resulted out of necessity after massive growth, has now transformed into a true partnership. According to Duplessis, there are so many benefits that Insperity offers, it’s hard to simply capture one aspect of Insperity.

“There is no one thing. If it was one thing that Insperity did, then it would be easy for me to leave. It is the total package, all of which fits nicely in the pie. At this point, I can’t pull out that one piece of pie. I have to have the whole pie,” Duplessis said.

From compliance help and people management to onboarding, benefits and everything in between, Liberty Bank has counted on Insperity.

“Before we were with Insperity, the process of onboarding new team members was a little inconsistent. The process that Insperity has been able to provide to us and overlay amongst our system is a very consistent process. Without Insperity, we would not be where we are today.”

Todd McDonald
President
Liberty Bank and Trust

Duplessis also added the many advantages she’s experienced with Insperity’s training and leadership development services. She emphasized how much it’s helped improve the talents and skills of the bank’s people – from frontline employees to key decision-makers.

“There are efficiencies that this relationship provides with the access to health care services, the benefits, and the training aspect. We have a wonderful relationship with the training area with Insperity, and they actually have provided a tremendous amount of help with having our people get to the next level in skill sets,” Duplessis said. “And the strategic consulting services have been tremendous.”

Having once viewed the relationship with Insperity as transactional herself, now Duplessis can’t imagine having HR success without Insperity.

“Listen, as organizations, companies, corporations, CEOs – you cannot do what you do and be successful from an HR standpoint, unless you have the expertise needed to move your organization forward. Insperity brings that. If you don’t have Insperity, you need Insperity.”

Ann Duplessis
Senior Vice President of HR Operations
Liberty Bank and Trust

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Tapping into the breadth and depth of Insperity’s team

BigCommerce knows a thing or two about growing companies. A leading platform for creating and enabling e-commerce for merchants worldwide, the company grew from 50 employees in to 1,500 over the course of 10 years.

With an eye on its booming growth, it stands to reason that this tech startup would seek the HR support that would allow it to grow – and grow rapidly – to serve its customer base of tens of thousands of merchants. Enter Robert Alvarez, BigCommerce CFO, who had previously put Insperity in place for three different employers.

“I knew the power of the (Insperity) model and the benefits it would provide to our employees and their families. We needed to get Insperity in place to help us scale,” Alvarez said.

Ten years and 1,500 employees later, Alvarez credits the Insperity platform and service team as being a great partner at each phase of its growth. In a highly competitive environment, Insperity provided a robust HR infrastructure and employee access to quality benefits, as well as payroll and HR compliance assistance.

“Insperity helped us a ton on the compliance front, on the systems front, on the process front,” Alvarez said. “You know, we did not have to spend time on those components because we just leveraged what Insperity brought to the table.”

“Venture firms love the (Insperity) model because it allows companies to scale quickly.”

ROBERT ALVAREZ
CFO
BigCommerce

Combining Insperity with in-house HR

As BigCommerce grew, its requirements of Insperity also changed. The company built its own HR team but enjoyed a high level of trust and partnership with Insperity that they didn’t want to end. And they didn’t want their employees to lose access to robust and competitive benefits. So, BigCommerce transitioned to a solution that allowed more flexibility and customization – but with the same payroll and HR compliance support they had come to trust.

“As we were building our strengths internally, there were still weaknesses that we needed to offset with Insperity as our partner,” Alvarez said. “That flexibility was huge in our ability to continue to grow and continue in our partnership.”

“Through small business, midmarket and enterprise, Insperity was always there in a way that made us feel competent, assured and cared for.”

SHERRI MANNING
Chief People Officer
BigCommerce

Winning over the skeptic

Although Alvarez knew Insperity’s capabilities and trusted it would be able to provide HR support through various growth phases, not everyone was fully on board. When Chief People Officer Sherri Manning joined BigCommerce in 2017, the company had 700 employees and was building out its own HR team.

“I’ll be honest, I started as a skeptic about Insperity supporting a late-stage startup that was really growing into more of your midmarket or even enterprise-size company,” Manning said.

She voiced her concerns and “every time, our Insperity team was willing to listen to my feedback, respond and, quite to my initial chagrin, were able to come back with creative solutions that really helped me learn and grow in my perspective. The partnership was even more valuable than I could have hoped for,” Manning said.

Manning relied on the Insperity team for their experience and partnership as they offered HR guidance and support.

She cites two primary ways that Insperity stood out at that time: its breadth of HR experience (knowing there were things BigCommerce wasn’t ready to take on themselves), and Insperity’s ability to “fill the gaps” in personnel when their bench wasn’t deep.

“Insperity was there to make sure that while our growth was taking off like this, we were supported from a payroll, benefits and compliance standpoint,” Manning said.

Attracting and retaining talent

As part of the tech industry, BigCommerce competes with other tech giants for some of the same talent. Insperity worked with BigCommerce to identify and provide access to the types of employee benefits that draws top-tier job candidates.

“I think one of the ways Insperity has really brought value to BigCommerce in attracting and retaining talent is making sure that we were market competitive,” Manning said. “Because of that expertise and broader market knowledge, I feel like we were better positioned to make sure that we were attracting and retaining talent during our key growth periods.”

In addition, Insperity’s ability to help with HR compliance issues and remote workers across multiple states allowed the company to expand its hiring processes.

“It used to be really difficult for us to hire people out of the states that we were based in,” Alvarez said. “We partnered with, and leveraged, Insperity in ways to where we can really hire people across the United States.”

A venture capitalist’s dream

As companies grow and enter new markets, sometimes their HR infrastructure doesn’t keep up. The focus is on the business growth – and things like onboarding new hires, employee data and HR compliance take a back seat. With Insperity, Alvarez knew that BigCommerce had the Insperity HR infrastructure in place.

“You know, when you’re growing that fast, there’s a lot of things on the worry list,” he said. “There’s a lot of things to do. You know, taking things off that list so that we can focus on all the other things that we needed to do, allowed us to grow probably even faster than had we had to do everything on our own.”

That ability to scale quickly was attractive to BigCommerce’s investors.

“For venture firms, it’s always grow and scale as fast as you possibly can,” Alvarez said. “Venture firms love the (Insperity) model because it allows companies to scale quickly.”

The value of a true HR partner

When BigCommerce started with Insperity, it was a growing company with about 50 employees. As it grew, so did the relationship and how BigCommerce relied on Insperity’s help.

“Insperity is a trusted partner,” Alvarez said. “Even as we were tiny, all the way to where we went public and post-IPO, and have become a bigger company, (Insperity’s) been a trusted partner every step of the way.”

In addition to relying on Insperity’s products and HR infrastructure, Alvarez says the company’s service component is remarkable.

“You talk to someone in Insperity, that service factor is a wow factor,” he said. “It’s like an immediate, ‘Wow, I can work with these people. Wow, they bend over backwards.’ They prioritize what I’m asking them to do. When you combine great products with great people, you can do great things.”

BigCommerce’s business life cycle has gone from startup to enterprise, and Insperity has been there to support and witness many milestones. Once a skeptic, Manning is now an Insperity cheerleader.

“Knowing you have that personal relationship, and you always have that responsiveness and attention to quality work is something that we’ve always counted on,” Manning said. “Through small business, midmarket and enterprise, Insperity was always there in a way that made us feel competent, assured and cared for.”