MAXIMIZING THE VALUE OF YOUR NAPEO MEMBERSHIP

In a complex and highly regulated industry, no PEO should have to navigate every challenge alone. Changes in employment law, tax administration, benefits, workers’ compensation and state licensing can quickly affect a PEO’s operations and its ability to serve clients. At the same time, PEO leaders must develop employees, enter new markets, evaluate emerging technology and respond to clients who expect timely, informed guidance.

That is where membership in NAPEO becomes more than a list of benefits. NAPEO membership provides your PEO with access to resources, tools, information and education to help you support your PEO. Three PEO leaders spoke with PEO Insider to share how their active participation in NAPEO has created a real return on their membership investment.

For Hank Johnson of Nextep, Kris Tanner of Row Partners and Darryl Wagner of BBSI, the value is both strategic and personal. Their experiences demonstrate how engagement with NAPEO can protect a PEO’s business, improve decision-making, develop leaders and create relationships that strengthen the entire industry.

A Collective Voice that Protects the Industry

One of NAPEO’s most important roles is advocating for the PEO industry before federal and state policymakers. Individual PEOs, particularly startup and growing organizations, may not have the time, staff or tools to monitor every legislative and regulatory development. Through NAPEO, members contribute to a collective voice representing an industry that serves more than 230,000 businesses and 5.4 million workers.

Johnson describes that collective influence as the “power of many.” Small businesses are the backbone of the economy, he notes, but they often lack the budget, resources and lobbying power to make their voices heard in Washington. PEOs are uniquely positioned to represent those businesses, and NAPEO brings those perspectives together in a coordinated and credible way.

This work directly affects a PEO’s core services. Laws and regulations related to payroll, tax administration, employee benefits, workers’ compensation, HR and the co-employment model can either strengthen or limit a PEO’s ability to serve clients. NAPEO’s government affairs team helps members stay ahead of policy changes, understand their implications and take part in shaping better outcomes.

“If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” - Hank Johnson, Nextep

Johnson saw that value firsthand through Nextep’s work with NAPEO on the Employee Retention Tax Credit. Like many PEOs, Nextep faced significant IRS processing delays that affected clients waiting for funds. NAPEO helped company representatives meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to explain why the backlog remained a serious issue for PEOs and the small businesses they serve.

NAPEO helped prepare the team with focused talking points and facilitated productive conversations with Oklahoma’s delegation and other influential congressional offices. Those connections helped Nextep identify resources and move client claims through the process. For Johnson, the experience illustrated the practical value of having an association that not only monitors an issue but also helps members engage effectively when their businesses and clients are affected.

NAPEO’s federal and state government affairs professionals also provide ongoing support and information through committees, working groups, legislative updates, emails and website resources. That support saves members time and gives them trusted advocates who can translate complex issues into information their organizations can use.

A Community that Turns Competitors into Resources

For Tanner, one conference interaction transformed the way she viewed NAPEO. After years of primarily attending PEO Capitol Summit, she attended the Annual Conference & Marketplace and heard a presentation by another member on post-pandemic unemployment. Tanner followed up after the session to ask additional questions.

Although their organizations were technically competitors, the member was generous with her time, shared information and encouraged Tanner to reach out again. The experience led Tanner to an important realization: she had spent too much time trying to solve industry challenges on her own when a collaborative community was available through NAPEO.

Since then, Tanner has contacted HR professionals and other NAPEO members on a variety of issues. She has found peers willing to share ideas, processes, templates and lessons learned. Those interactions have helped her avoid duplicating effort, find practical solutions and build relationships that benefit both her career and her organization.

“There’s an easier way and it’s called NAPEO.” - Kris Tanner, Row Partners

Those interactions have also led to the NAPEO Community Conversations forming, which offer peer learning throughout the year. Participants can openly ask how others are addressing an issue, compare approaches and learn from people who have encountered similar circumstances. These connections made through NAPEO can lead to mentors, vendor introductions, referral relationships, partnerships and trusted sounding boards. Over time, professional contacts often become friends who are genuinely invested in one another’s success.

Wagner experienced that same openness after BBSI became more involved with NAPEO. What began through a personal connection to the NAPEO Gives Back Committee and its nonprofit partner, Give Kids The World, became a pathway to deeper engagement. Professionally, Wagner says NAPEO broadened his view beyond his own corner of the PEO world and helped him understand how issues affect organizations across the country. Personally, the experience brought meaningful friendships and mentors and showed him that the relationships within NAPEO can transcend competition.

Developing People and Building for Growth Across All Roles

NAPEO membership extends across the organization, creating opportunities to build a more knowledgeable workforce and invest in long-term employee success. Conferences, webinars, committees and communities allow employees in HR, payroll, operations, finance, benefits, risk management, marketing and other functions to deepen their industry expertise and develop professional networks.

Committee service and volunteer roles give employees visibility, experience and relationships that can contribute to professional growth. Tanner notes that her committee participation expanded her network and increased her exposure to people and ideas that have been valuable in her role and career.

Membership can also support growth by helping PEOs make better-informed decisions. NAPEO research provides insight into the industry, its clients and market opportunities. Marketing resources can strengthen a company’s presence and help communicate the value of the PEO model. Education and peer intelligence can improve decisions about new markets, technology, service delivery and operational processes.

Wagner’s path from committee involvement to the NAPEO Board of Directors also illustrates how participation develops industry leaders. He believes members have a responsibility not only to receive the association’s benefits but also to contribute their own time and perspective. That exchange strengthens the individual, the member company and NAPEO’s ability to serve the industry.

Membership Opens the Door. Participation Creates the Return.

NAPEO membership is not a passive transaction. The association provides expertise, advocacy, research, education and opportunities to connect, but members create the greatest value when they engage with those resources and with one another.

“Start wherever you can, even if that means attending one committee meeting to see where it leads. There is no downside, it’s all upside.” – Darryl Wagner, BBSI

Tanner also encourages members to begin with one manageable step: attend the Annual Conference & Marketplace with the intention of making one or two connections, join a Community Conversation and listen or contact a peer who has faced a similar challenge. Johnson emphasizes the broader responsibility to participate in the advocacy and initiatives that protect the PEO model and strengthen the industry.

All three perspectives lead to the same conclusion. A rising tide lifts all boats. When PEOs share knowledge, develop their people, contribute their experiences and speak with a unified voice, individual organizations become stronger and so does the industry they represent.

The companies most likely to shape the future of the PEO industry are the ones that choose to participate in it.