Benefits Administration Software for Mid-Sized Companies

Mid-sized companies use benefits administration software to make their HR processes run more smoothly and efficiently.

When your HR team uses a great benefits administration program to support their work, everything works better.

However, you have to find the software program or suite of programs that works well for your business, industry, and budget. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular programs available to help you determine which one is the best fit for your mid-sized business.

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Why Do You Need Good Benefits Administration Software?

These software programs help you with so many workplace tasks that used to be both time-consuming and expensive. These are just some of the things that your benefits admin program should do for you:

Eliminate traditional paperwork, saving you time and energy
Drastically reduce your dependence on paper, which lowers costs and helps your sustainability
Improve your overall efficiency
Automate processes like benefits eligibility and enrollment
Manage special workplace needs like elections
Easily adjust employees’ benefits packages as needed
Make it easy for employees or HR to quickly update personal information
Analyze benefits data to determine how employees are using those benefits
Maintain compliance with local, regional, and national regulations
Illuminate essential insights into gross and net pay
Helps with planning future company strategies such as HR insights for the 2025 workplace

Advantages of choosing the right benefits administration software

When you choose the right software package, work gets easier.

Mid-sized companies have special considerations when choosing a platform. For example, you now have enough team members that you need a robust administration system that will prevent you from overlooking minor details.

After all, making minor mistakes can lead to major problems, including fines, missed deadlines, missing benefits for your employees, and more. .

How Does Benefits Administration Work with HRIS?

HRIS stands for Human resources Information Systems.

HRIS is a software solution for the maintenance and management of human resources tasks, policies, and procedures. It typically houses the data related to employees’ personal information, too.

Your HRIS can all be associated with one software company, or it may be composed of multiple software platforms that are linked together. (Or, in more frustrating situations, not linked!)

Some of the typical functions of HRIS include payroll management, recruitment, training, insurance and benefits administration, performance management, policies, employee suggestion management, newsletters and announcements, and employee and manager self-service.

Benefits administration is just one of those potential functions of HRIS.

What Should Benefits Administration Software Include?

Although the specifications will vary from one software platform to the next, there are some things that are consistent across most software systems.

These basics are:

A centralized administrator dashboard: where employees can view the status of their benefits, all in one place
Access to a benefits marketplace, including benefits vendors
Benefits portal where employees can access, update, review, and enroll in benefits and insurance programs
Facilitation of open enrollment
A way to create compensation statements
Compliance reporting
Other reporting and analytics tools for monitoring your HR metrics, such as enrollments, costs, FMLA statuses, and more.

When evaluating benefits administration software, you will want to consider factors beyond the basic specs. You’ll also need to consider things like your budget, whether or not the software offers a free trial, the size of your company, your projected growth over the next few years, and who will be implementing the software.

5 of the Top Benefits Administration Software Platforms

Although this list is not comprehensive, it will give an overview of some of the most popular benefits administration software programs available to mid-sized companies like yours.

You can visit each website for more information –or reach out to us at Europe HR Solutions for additional insights into what will work best for you.

Rippling

Rippling combines HR, IT, and Finance for small and mid-sized businesses. It is well reviewed by users, especially with regards to how easy it is to use. Rippling does a great job of integrating third-party apps and all of your HRIS tasks, including benefits administration. It also automates several processes.

Paychex Flex

Paychex Flex is a subdivision of Paychex, a major payroll company. Paychex Flex has an all-in-one approach with 24/7 live support. The majority of Paychex Flex users are small business owners and mid-sized companies. They also emphasize their ability to scale up quickly as your business grows.

Paycom

Paycom has been around for 25 years. They provide an app that employees use to self-select their benefits and update their personal information. An add-on is a coordinator who facilitates third-party apps and helps you to plan your payroll and benefits strategy.

ADP Workforce Now

ADP Workforce Now focuses on employee navigation and benefits self-selection. It is easy to integrate into other applications, including payroll, financial systems, and most Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platforms. ADP is one of the most widely used payroll and benefits platforms available.

Gusto

Gusto has an easy-to-use app and is especially good for companies who work with independent contractors as well as traditional employees.In addition to payroll management and benefits administration, Gusto offers bonus features like charitable donations management.

Benefits Administration Is Complicated. Europe HR Solutions Can Make It Easy

You’ve got a lot of decisions to make regarding benefits administration. As your company grows, so do your benefits administration needs.

The team of HR professionals at Europe HR Solutions has extensive experience with the top benefits administration software programs in the world, especially in Europe.

We can assist with or manage your HR needs, including benefits administration. Instead of wondering if you’re getting it right while you try to make the best choice, talk to us! We know what works for mid-sized businesses just like yours.

Our multilingual team does more than just benefits administration, though. We also assist with (or completely manage!) your onboarding, recruitment, training, professional development, compensation research, HRIS implementation, and payroll.

Contact us for a free consultation! We look forward to helping you provide your employees with the benefits that keep them happy and satisfied at work.

Business owner surrounded by paperwork, indicating the need for HR outsourcing

How outsourcing HR can save money

If you own a small or mid-sized business, you understand how frustrating it can be to spend time and money on tasks that don’t generate revenue. The costs of building an HR department from the ground up can prove astronomical.

When you’re launching your small business in a foreign country, especially, you’ll need HR solutions before you open your doors for daily operation. Europe HR Solutions can help.

The right outsourced HR team can reduce your ongoing costs in the following ways:

Payroll administration:

By outsourcing your HR, you can bring in vetted professionals to set up and administer your payroll system. This team can train you to ensure a seamless transition after their service contract is completed.

You won’t have to stress over hiring long-term employees to take care of payroll, or training payroll administrators.

Benefits implementation:

Your outsourced HR team can help you to select the right benefits software package and enroll the employees of your small business.

Human resources management:

Outsourcing your HR can prove to be a game changer for your overall human resources management, too. HR consultants contribute through a wealth of experience in compliance, employee relations, and recruitment.

This saves valuable time for small business owners, mitigates the risk of legal issues and delays in operations, and provides access to the latest industry best practices and trends.

When it makes sense to outsource HR for small businesses

International companies with fewer than 50 employees are considered small businesses, and rarely expand to Europe with an inhouse HR team already in place.

For US and UK-based small businesses that launch European operations, there’s usually a CFO who oversees broad HR tasks.

However, the CFO or other executives managing HR for a small business launch in Europe often lacks the country-specific legal and HR expertise necessary to ensure innovative solutions that reflect the country’s best HR practices and legal compliance.

It’s important to consider the following when determining whether or not you should outsource your HR:

What specific HR services and support does your business require?
Do you have anyone on your team who’s well-versed in country-specific employee regulations and labor laws?
Will you need management compliance training and support?
Will your current employment handbook, policies, and procedures translate to adhere to the needs of employees in different countries?
Do you have a small HR department in place that may need help implementing payroll, benefits, training, and development?

Time is money. Outsourcing HR saves time, letting you focus on what matters.

What to expect with Europe HR Solutions

By outsourcing your HR, you may find it’s easier to take care of your daily operations and to strategize and prepare for the launch of your small business in Europe. Europe HR Solutions has supported countless small, mid, and large-sized businesses in their international HR needs.

Whether you need our team to manage your HR and implement solutions, or you need us to help guide the HR professionals you have on staff, we can sweat the small stuff to ensure your big picture remains intact.

You can expect Europe HR Solutions to do the following:

Act as your representatives:

We’ll act as an extension of your small business. This means we will collaborate with you and ensure we’re promoting your vision and standards in any HR matters we handle for you.

Ad hoc requests:

We understand that you may have ad hoc requests. We’re used to fast-paced, high pressure situations, and will ensure your needs are met in a timely manner.

Assist with HR strategies:

We’re committed to providing HR services that help your business grow and succeed. We’ll make certain that the innovative solutions we offer adhere to your overall business and HR strategies.

Create and implement policies and procedures:

We’ll strategize with you to create and implement your company’s policies and procedures and ensure details are in place that will help your employees thrive and create a positive work environment.

Handle employee contract needs:

We’ll help to create and manage your employee hiring processes (including talent acquisition, interviews, and onboarding checklists), employee complaint procedures, performance reviews, and off-boarding processes.

Legal compliance:

Europe HR Solutions will use our thorough knowledge of the various nuances in employment regulations and labor laws to keep your operations, policies, and procedures within legal compliance. This will help reduce your liability risk should issues with employees arise.

Manage employee and management training and development:

We can cover government-mandated and specific position training programs to support your employees to work with excellence and grow in their positions. This includes compliance training for managers.

Recruitment:

We can utilize the latest in talent acquisition trends and industry best practices to make sure you attract the talent you deserve to fill your staffing needs. We want to help you to build the best team possible to create a positive work culture and a productive team.

The cost of outsourced HR services for small businesses

When to outsource your small business’s HR could be determined by your available budget. The cost of outsourcing your HR may be an upfront expense, but in the long run, it can save you significant money and protect your revenue.

The services offered by Europe HR Solutions can vary in cost, and are dependent on the extent of service you require. We can determine the cost based on the scope of the project.

For example, you may need us to manage a specific, well-defined project that allows us to estimate the cost involved. However, you may require our services on a daily basis, for an extended period of time, or find you need support in an immediate HR emergency. This may mean we will need a retainer payment or charge for an hourly rate.

How to determine your HR outsourcing needs

Before you decide to outsource your HR, it’s vital to determine what type of services you require. It can be overwhelming to discern your needs, but reflecting on and strategizing about specifics can be beneficial.

Answering the following questions may help you to understand what services you require:

Do you need an outsourced HR professional who takes the time to know and understand your business, staff, and culture?
Do you need HR professionals who are available on a daily basis?
Are you in dire need of help with critical talent acquisition?
Do you require flexibility and a large scope of HR tasks?
Are your needs limited to legal compliance and knowledge?
Do you need help developing your workplace culture?
Do you need to overcome language barriers?
What are your long-term HR needs?

Other benefits of outsourcing your HR

Once you’ve determined when to outsource HR for your small business, you may find that it allows you to streamline your operations and focus on your overall business strategy.

This strategic move reduces your administrative burdens of managing payroll, benefits, and other HR tasks in-house. The cost-effectiveness of outsourcing becomes evident as it eliminates the need for investing in HR infrastructure and ongoing training.

This newfound flexibility can enable your small business to adapt quickly to market changes and allocate resources more efficiently. Ultimately, an outsourced HR team becomes a strategic partner, and empowers you to prioritize your employees, enhance organizational efficiency, and thrive in the competitive European business landscape.

Contact Europe HR Solutions

Europe HR Solutions understands how crucial HR is to the foundation of any successful business. We can consult with you to determine when it’s best to outsource HR for your small business, and customize innovative solutions with you.

Your HR needs remain our greatest priority, and we want to support you in ways that promote legal compliance and allow you to see your small business dreams come to fruition.

Connect with Europe HR Solutions today for a free consultation and be sure to check out our blog for the latest HR insights, tips, and trends. The road to success for your small business is just an HR step away.

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Author

Inez Vermeulen

Inez Vermeulen is the Founder and CEO of Europe HR Solutions, with over 25 years of successful corporate and entrepreneurial experience in various global industries. She has helped grow and expand the European divisions of global companies such as Coca-Cola Company, Regus, DHL, American Medical Systems, etc. Inez has received several company awards for her entrepreneurial spirit and success.

She owns a Bachelor’s degree in French, History and Latin, several HR global expert certifications, a Master’s degree in Metaphysical Sciences, ICF Coach Certification and has completed her Doctorate on Transformational Leadership. Inez is fluent in Dutch, English, French, Italian and German. She works in partnership with an extensive international network of independent & professional companies and resides in Belgium near Brussels with her husband Jan.

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