The challenges of global talent acquisition are daunting, due to complex labor laws, stringent tax regulations and numerous compliance measures. These are the cases when a typical HR department rises to the occasion to steer your company clear of all the penalties and ensures you hire global talent compliantly.
However, managing a high-number of employees across the globe demands greater HR capabilities. Furthermore, paying your global employees is a completely different challenge from managing them, as you must avoid paying double taxes and release payroll on time.
Clearly, you need something more than a traditional HR set up. It is time you begin streamlining your international employee management without hiccups. This is precisely where an Employer of Record (EOR) and a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) come in to play.
Let’s explore the two concepts in order to help you find out which of these can go well with your talent acquisition objectives.
An Overview of PEO and EOR
A Professional Employer Organization (PEO) partners with various companies to provide a wide array of HR services such as payroll processing, international payments, tax filing, employee benefits, workers compensation, and compliance management. PEOs partner with a local company with a registered entity to manage their workforce. The employee will see the PEO’s name on their payment invoice and other HR communication documents.
However, if a business wants to outsource only a few HR tasks, they should collaborate with an Employer of Record (EOR) provider. A global EOR provides services similar to a PEO, however, they take upon the entire legal responsibilities of the employees. Hence, a business will be able to provide customized HR services to their international employees without worrying about various compliances. This is the best option for small-sized companies looking to tap into the global talent pool without any local entity to hire their desired candidates.
As per a survey, small and medium businesses who rely on PEOs have increased their hiring to 7%. Moreover, their hiring is 9% faster compared to other enterprises without PEOs and the business is 50% less likely to fail. Another study concludes that the EOR market will reach a valuation of USD 6,794.5 million by 2028 at a CAGR of 6.9% thanks to the solution’s secure compliance measures, no additional taxes and the opportunity to expand without a local entity.
The statistics show the real-world success of PEO and EOR. But you must identify which one is perfect for you before signing up.
What Is The Difference Between An EOR And A PEO?
HR outsourcing, payroll, benefits, onboarding – these are the common terms associated with both PEO and EOR. At the first glance both concepts might mean the same to you; however, there are a lot of differences. It is important to know these differences to better understand your needs.
From an eagle’s eye, an EOR manages everything from legal liabilities to social taxes for your full-time employees across the world so as to simplify global HR management for your company. On the other hand, a PEO shares the responsibilities of onboarding and managing your full-time employees and independent contractors.
Let’s talk about the major points that highlight the distinction between the two onboarding arrangements:
Get More Control With A PEO
The biggest difference between a Professional Employer Organization and an Employer of Record is the degree of control you get. While both of them can take care of your global HR responsibilities, a PEO can give you more control over the operations.
The PEO will provide their entire range of HR services, including faster contract generation, creating the right employee benefits package and smoother onboarding, for all your employees. They also offer valuable suggestions that will help you make informed decisions in terms of global HR management.
Better Insurance Comes With an EOR
Insurance coverage is one of the areas where a Professional Employer Organization and an Employer of Record differ greatly. If you opt for a PEO, you will have to provide the insurance for your global employees on your own.
Yes, a PEO will take care of tax regulations and insurance in some cases. If your business belongs to an industry where material damage or bodily harm during work is common, a PEO may direct you to get your own insurance. For instance, if you run a delivery service, a PEO will not come for your support in terms of insurance if a delivery executive damages the package or hurts himself during the process. On the contrary, insurance claims such as these are much smoother with an Employer of Record provider.
With an EOR, it is possible to get compensation no matter the country you are in or the country your employee belongs to. Furthermore, an EOR is the better option when it comes to risk management because they take complete liability for cases of such nature.
EOR Lets You Hire Internationally Without a Local Entity
When you opt for an Employer of Record, you do not have to take the pressure of setting up an entity in whichever country you want to onboard resources. Yes, the EOR can be your local entity in any country. This is applicable even when you want to hire more resources from ten different countries at a stretch. The number doesn’t matter at all. This is the power of an Employer of Record.
Check our article to know more about national PEO.
PEO Proves Good for Payroll Compliance
The payroll rules across the globe change constantly and it becomes difficult to keep up with them. However, a PEO has dedicated experts for each country that constantly monitor the compliance risks and ensure that you remain within the legal domain.
If you assemble an internal team for the same task, you will end up spending too much time and resources on hiring the experts, research materials, building a proper system and executing on-time payroll for your global team. Hence, it is smarter and wiser to depend on a PEO in such cases.
The table below further explains the difference between an EOR and PEO:
Employer of Record (EOR) | Professional Employer Organization (PEO) |
Acts as the legal employer | Acts as a co-employer |
Takes all the responsibilities and risks | Shares responsibilities with the employer |
Handles few HR functions | Can handle all HR functions |
Best option for onboarding contractors and temporary employees | Best for onboarding and managing the entire workforce |
Legal entity not required in hiring global talent | Legal entity is necessary to hire global talent |
What Kind of Services Does Multiplier Offer?
Multiplier can be your one-stop destination for both EOR and PEO needs. While you opt for the global HR outsourcing model that suits your business, we can be your trusted partner everywhere and in everything.
Multiplier offers both PEO and EOR solutions for your onboarding requirements. We help you expand in 150+ countries via faster contract generation, smoother onboarding, benefits allocation, and organized invoice generation so you get a breakdown of all your expenses in one bill.
By partnering with us, you don’t have to worry about the ever-changing labor laws and tax regulations across the globe. We keep a watchful eye for legal updates across the globe for you and ensure 100% statutory compliance.
On-time payroll processing is very important to avoid unnecessary fines and motivate your global resources to showcase maximum productivity. With our platform’s capabilities, you need not keep track of dates to process payroll. Furthermore, we also release global payroll in local currencies 120 countries and help you allocate ESOPs to deserving employees.
While we process payroll for your company, you are still the mega mind there. Yes, the one-click feature of Multiplier allows you to take control of your payroll and approve it in just a click.
Multiplier’s PEO and EOR solutions let you manage your entire workforce in a few clicks, easing the pressure and hassle your internal teams have to go through every month.
For more information, feel free to get in touch with us.
FAQ
Q. Do you own a legal entity in the employee’s country?
An EOR is your only choice if you do not own a legal entity in the employee’s country. The complexity behind setting up a legal entity varies within countries. Hence, you must consider the time and budget at your disposal if you still want to go with a PEO.
Q. How many employees do you want to onboard?
If you are looking to hire only a few employees in a country, regardless of owning a legal entity, an EOR is the popular choice. However, the cost usually amplifies as you begin to hire more employees from a talent-rich country. Hence, a PEO is the best option if you want to hire aggressively.
Q. Are you hiring temporary or full-time employees?
Usually, businesses choose an EOR while dealing with temporary and contractual employees. This is because EOR provides the essential HR services that are perfect for temporary working relationships. On the other hand, a PEO gives you access to its entire offerings, that elevate your experience while managing full-time employees.