SEQUOIA ONE: CELEBRATING CLIENTS’ GROWTH

Venture-backed companies run on the passion, energy and brilliance of the company’s founder. Investors bet on a unique idea, creative solution or an innovative product to succeed in the marketplace. Yet, the back-office hurdles and tasks of operating a business can distract smaller companies from achieving their goals. That’s where Sequoia One helps.

The PEO first began serving clients in 2014 as a division of Sequoia. Based in Silicon Valley, Sequoia had worked with many start-up companies, especially in the technology space and recognized the added value that a full suite of PEO services would bring to these companies. Over the last 11 years, the team has been deeply committed to developing and enhancing its service and products in this space to serve the tech and life-sciences industries.

Underpinning this growth is a strong culture and commitment to honoring the trust that clients place in the Sequoia One team.

“Everyone who joins [Sequoia One] lives and breathes a service mindset to come through for our clients. We have an extraordinary service-focused culture in how we treat our clients, our team members, or our community partners,” says Sequoia’s Chief Client Officer, Christina Sullivan. “Our people truly are our differentiated advantage.”

Collaboration is a hallmark of the Sequoia One culture, she adds. Their clients’ energy and creativity can be infectious. Simply put, it’s fun working with such companies. Many of today’s most recognizable tech companies are Sequoia One clients who grew from startup to IPO with the support of Sequoia’s expertise and guidance.

The team enjoys being around one another and understands that everyone works toward the same mission, which has contributed to high employee loyalty and retention. In fact, Sequoia’s mission hasn’t changed in 24 years, even after expanding its services to add a compensation advisory and a proprietary platform. Sequoia still embraces its core values, team member attributes, and the company’s service commandments which have remained consistent over the decades. Several of Sequoia One’s first employees still work for the PEO, including Sullivan who was instrumental in building the business.

This strong workplace culture has certainly contributed to Sequoia One’s success with much of the company’s growth fueled from client referrals. In the venture capital and start-up industries, there are many repeat players. The fact that many of Sequoia One’s partners continue to work with the PEO as they move to new companies speaks to the level of service and expertise the team provides, which is only possible because of the commitment of the Sequoia One team.

Kathy Ross, CEO, Sequoia One & Christina Sullivan, Chief Client Officer, Sequoia.

TRUSTED PARTNERS

Sequoia One’s specialization in venture-backed start-ups really differentiates the company from other PEOs. Since 2014, the team has leaned into this specialization to cultivate a reputation as experts in the unique HR challenges of such companies. The Sequoia One team has learned to operate nimbly to keep up with the fast pace of its clients. The company’s service model relies on teams understanding each client intimately to provide expertise, resources and guidance whenever needed.

“Because of our expertise, we can be trusted partners. We’ve focused on the tech industry since day one and understand its unique structures and challenges,” explains Sequoia One CEO, Kathy Ross.

One of a startup’s biggest challenges is recruiting and retaining the right talent that it needs to execute on its mission.

“We designed everything to support these types of companies, and our platform allows them to manage their people function to get the most out of their team and optimize their total investment in people,” says Ross.

As these start-ups compete with large, established technology companies for talent, Sequoia One’s ability to offer a robust and competitive benefits package is critical. The company continues to enhance and bolster its total benefits package to meet the needs and expectations of today’s global workforce.

From a compliance perspective, Sequoia One offers clients the peace of mind that nothing will slip through the cracks. Its deeply knowledgeable compliance team guides startups with distributed workforces through challenging employment laws that vary by state.

Sequoia One takes pride in providing the resources and expertise to help these start-ups grow and realize their vision. Over the years, the company has worked with small startups that have grown into world-class, publicly traded brands. Many eventually reach a point where they outgrow the PEO solution, but they can still remain with Sequoia and realize the benefits of continuing with the same trusted partner.

“We have a path for the company to move on if they outgrow the PEO,” Ross says, “We advise them on what is best for the evolution of their business and can provide services on benefits and compensation practices that continue to support their growth.”

“I think it’s unique to Sequoia One that we actually help companies scale, and not just scale with them,” Sullivan says.

Since Sequoia One focuses on growth companies, the team celebrates when clients hit major milestones and achieve goals. It’s part of the fun and rewarding experience of working with such innovative and dynamic clients.

Looking ahead, the Sequoia One team sees plenty of opportunity on the horizon. The reality is that no matter how advanced or sophisticated technology becomes, there will always be a need for a human component. Employment rules and regulations are likely to grow more complex. Employers will continue to depend on trusted advisors and experts to navigate workforce demands and challenges.

Sequoia One is ready to help.