ClearlyRated
Number of Employees: 16
Internal HR: No
Xenium Service: HR Integrated
The Background
Clearlyrated is a market research organization founded in 2006 by Eric Gregg. The firm creates and analyzes the results from satisfaction surveys completed by over half a million employees at professional service companies every year.
“Do we spend more than others on benefits, and some of those things? Absolutely, we do. Do we have less risk than other small companies because of our relationship with Xenium? Absolutely. Do we have a better stand on where we are relative to competition for talent because of Xenium? Absolutely. Finally, do we have a more competitive benefits package because of Xenium? Absolutely. We couldn’t get what we get through Xenium on our own.”
The Impact
Culture
Focus
The Employer Challenge
As a small company just starting out with initially with just 4 employees, Clearlyrated was eager to attract and retain talented employees to grow the company. Clearlyrated set a company goal of becoming a company of choice. “We wanted to succeed, but we wanted to succeed in a way that we felt was sustainable for the people who really helped us to succeed,” said CEO and founder Eric Gregg.
However, Clearlyrated was competing with large companies in the market that had more resources to offer prospective employees. “As a small firm we really couldn’t get there without having some of these larger firm type benefits—really good health care, really strong employee handbooks, benefits that really reach out to the type of talent that would be attracted to a smaller firm,” said Gregg.
The Solution
Eric Gregg was new to the Professional Employer Organization (PEO) concept, and was initially wary of what his employees’ reaction to the model might be. However, Clearlyrated employees were very receptive to the program. “They can trust our company and Xenium…as long as they understand that that relationship with them is the reason that we have the benefits and packages that we do,” Gregg said. He found that working with Xenium “was seen as a benefit and has never been seen as a drawback over the course of the entire time that we have worked together.”
Clearlyrated receives payroll, workers compensation, and benefits services from Xenium. Without the resources to hire experts in each of these areas, partnering with Xenium and having a business partner experienced in all three was seen as most helpful to the firm. Additionally, Clearlyrated is now able to offer fuller benefits packages than they would have otherwise been able to affordably provide. “For us it was about leveling the playing field with the large firms that can maybe give more on salary. We can compete on the full package based on what we get from Xenium,” said Gregg.
Over time, the leadership at Clearlyrated has recognized that as their team grows in numbers, the needs of their employees expand, change, and diversify. In response to the growth and ever-changing employee needs, the company’s use of Xenium’s services has also changed as Clearlyrated has. Clearlyrated now receives payroll, consulting and preventative legal support, and compensation benchmarking recommendations from Xenium.
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Complete HR + Payroll
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Most of our clients choose this path. Just as the name implies, we manage all of your critical HR + Payroll functions while increasing efficiency with our exclusive payroll software solution.
OR
Custom HR
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For businesses who want to continue using their existing payroll vendor, we create a custom package of HR services that provides expertise and support wherever it’s needed.
Here’s How it Works
1. Discovery
Share your concerns and get an expert evaluation of the steps needed to conquer your challenges with HR and payroll.
2. Implementation
Gain all of the guidance and support you need to conquer your HR challenges with proven, efficient systems and processes.
3. Growth
Earn the confidence, trust, and loyalty of your people and feel the positive impact on productivity as you focus on growing your business.
“During 2008, when Rich and I had to take a hard look at our business expenses and see how we could trim things, we didn’t even discuss taking Xenium out of the picture. It did not even cross our mind, there is just way too much value there.”
– Stevens Integrated Solutions
“When you are smaller, especially around 30 or 40 employees, you can’t really afford to hire a qualified full-time HR person. When you get into the black swan events – the random occurrences that lead to uncertainty – of employer liability, it’s unclear where potential lawsuits and responsibility exist, so that’s where having an outsourced HR company comes in really handy.”
– WET Labs