The Total Economic Impact™ of TriNet PEO
Investment return and business benefits enabled by TriNet PEO
A Forrester Total Economic Impact™ study commissioned by TriNet (January 2026)
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Top-level takeaways for outsourcing your HR to TriNet PEO
According to a Forrester Consulting Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study commissioned by TriNet, organizations that were engaged for this study and using TriNet PEO experienced measurable financial benefits over three years, including a 66% positive return on investment over three years and less than 6 months’ payback period.
The study found TriNet PEO helps SMBs move HR from a daily operational burden to a scalable business function. By getting support from TriNet for payroll, benefits, and compliance, TriNet customers could free internal teams to focus on strategic priorities while maintaining confidence in regulatory compliance and employee experience.
Key economic benefits (three-year, risk-adjusted)
Forrester found that by using TriNet PEO the composite organization helped reallocate time spent on HR to more important work, allowed these organizations to gain access to better benefit options at less cost than they were paying prior, providing a more efficient employee experience of HR tools, and unified the complexity of HR technology. Let’s dive in.
95% of time spent on HR reallocated to core business activities
Interviewed organizations using TriNet PEO for payroll, benefits administration, and compliance support found to reduce manual work and reliance on internal staff for tactical HR tasks, saving $234,000 over three years and 95% of time.
Greater access to better benefits options, and potential cost savings
Before TriNet, organizations interviewed by Forrester struggled to negotiate competitive rates and often settled for limited options at inflated costs. By leveraging TriNet’s scale and pre-negotiated plans, customers gained access to comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and retirement offerings comparable to — if not exceeding — those of larger employers.
15% improved HR employee efficiency
Before TriNet, employees often relied on internal HR or managers for routine questions about benefits, payroll, and leave, which disrupted their work and consumed additional time. With TriNet’s self-service platform and chat assistant, employees gained direct access to information and support, enabling them to resolve issues quickly and independently.
Thousands of $$ saved by HR tech consolidation
$17,000 saved by consolidating payroll and HR systems
Before TriNet, organizations relied on standalone payroll software, spreadsheets, and separate systems for benefits and compliance. By consolidating HR functions and data into a single solution, organizations avoided the cost of maintaining multiple systems and reduced the need for external consultants or additional headcount. The financial controller at a software company shared that managing 401(k) outside TriNet was “a lot more stressful,” requiring manual calculations and updates, whereas TriNet enabled employees to make changes themselves through the platform.
Total economic impact summary
Three-year, risk-adjusted results for the composite organization:
Beyond the numbers: Additional Benefits noted by interviewees
Beyond the quantified cost savings, Forrester analysts found that TriNet PEO delivers meaningful benefits that are difficult to quantify but consistently valued by customers. These include:
How our customers describe value
Access to Benefits
“With 40 employees, if I go out to the marketplace to source benefits, I have no power. I’d get the worst rate ever. With TriNet, they offer us a much better rate.”
HR Business Partner
at a Healthcare Company
Access to HR Experts
“If you’ve got any questions, you have a TriNet person who is responsible for your payroll — your go-to person. I can contact them at any time, and they are super knowledgeable. And what they don’t know, they go and find for me.”
HR Business Partner
at a Healthcare Company
Access to HR Support
“TriNet was very good at holding my hand and telling me, ‘OK, do this, submit this, do it this way,’ so I never worry about compliance and payroll. I know that TriNet has my back, and I trust them wholeheartedly.”
HR Business Partner
at a Healthcare Company
TriNet as a PEO Provider
“I struggle to think that there would be a better option than TriNet.”
HR Business Partner
at a Healthcare Company
Payroll Processing
“Payroll is super easy to do with TriNet. It’s very intuitive. …Someone who’s already super busy can still complete everything.
CFO
at a Financial Services Company
“TriNet’s platform has clearly improved the speed and the accuracy of our payroll. We have an integration with a time and attendance tool for our hourly workforce. All of that data is uploaded into TriNet so that we can manage everything through a central resource. It’s improved our ability to look at the organization more holistically from a payroll perspective. It’s been a good time-saver for us. and we’re comfortable with the accuracy that is provided and that it’s compliant.”
VP of HR
at a Manufacturing Company
“If we were to hire a payroll person, I would have the budget to pay a junior person because I don’t need a lot of person hours, yet I need the knowledge of a senior person to keep in compliance. And TriNet gives me that.
HR Business Partner
at a Healthcare Company
See if TriNet PEO makes sense for your business.
Forrester’s ROI calculator turns the Total Economic Impact™ research into results tailored to your business. Enter a few details to explore TriNet’s potential return on investment.
Forrester’s Methodology
The Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) methodology, developed by Forrester, is designed to help organizations evaluate the business value of technology investments and make more informed decisions. It also provides a structured way for solution providers to clearly communicate value to senior leaders and key stakeholders.
Using insights from interviews, Forrester built a TEI framework to evaluate the potential impact of using TriNet PEO. The framework examines four key factors that influence engagement decisions: costs, benefits, flexibility, and risk.
To develop this analysis, Forrester followed a multi-step process:
- Due diligence: Reviewed information from TriNet stakeholders and Forrester analysts.
- Customer interviews: Spoke with four decision-makers at organizations using TriNet PEO to understand realized costs, benefits, and risks.
- Composite organization: Created a representative organization based on shared characteristics of the interviewed customers.
- Financial modeling: Built a risk-adjusted financial model using the TEI methodology.
The resulting case study applies the four core TEI elements—benefits, costs, flexibility, and risk—to provide a holistic view of the total economic impact of TriNet PEO.
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This communication is for informational purposes only, is not legal, tax or accounting advice, and is not an offer to sell, buy or procure insurance. It may contain links to third-party sites or information for reference only. Inclusion does not imply TriNet’s endorsement of or responsibility for third-party content. TriNet is the single-employer sponsor of all its benefit plans, which does not include Enrich products and voluntary benefits that are not ERISA-covered group health insurance plans. Official plan documents govern, and TriNet may amend benefit plans or change offerings and deadlines.
The study cited is a third‑party study. Please refer to the cited source for methodology details. Findings are based on interviews with TriNet clients and may not be representative; results may vary.
