Your organization, like any, might need help in certain departments, and small businesses in particular are often burdened by HR and payroll tasks that they can’t justify keeping a full time staff member on for but are nonetheless a hindrance for you as the owner.

This is where a PEO (professional employer organization) can come in and makes things much easier, allowing your company to outsource its payroll, HR administration, and benefits to an expert organization. Yet which one is best for your business? ADP Total Source, a branch of the much larger ADP organization, might be the best solution. To know more, please read our review below:

General Overview

ADP Total Source is the PEO service of ADP, a company known for human resource services and data processing that works with over 700,000 clients in over 113 countries. Naturally, as a result of this large organizational backing, ADP can provide the very best services and stability a business can find for a reasonable cost.

They also make sure that there are options for every business, expanding services and customer service efforts while still focusing on results, excellence, and innovation. ADP focuses on different options and packages for businesses of different sizes, and also has individual services available for companies with select needs. Instead of seeing themselves as just a PEO service provider, they want to promote client success in every way.

While the service continues to grow and while ADP works with extremely high-value clients, you can expect fantastic service tailored to your needs and recommendations from a company that has seen nearly every possible HR scenario.

Features

Service and Experience

• Payroll services and options. The key word for ADP Total Source’s payroll options is “automatic.” Many tasks will require minimal input on your part after initial setup, and ADP also will handle any relevant taxes and forms such as W-2s and 1099s. ADP will work with the IRS while all you’ll need to consider is the updates given.
• Tax credit tracking and management. We particularly noticed their tax credits module, which works to notify and capture for you any relevant tax incentives and credits possible for your business. It can screen employees on your behalf for benefits and take care of a lot of the paperwork involved in the process.
• A variety of support options. However you would like to contact your representatives or support in general, there are plenty of options available to you. Clients can reach ADP through live chat, phone, and email. Additionally, FAQs pages are available to answer quick and common inquiries.
• Excellent customer service. We noticed a general trend among reviews and listed customer feedback that the customer service was top-notch, even considering the massive size of the company. They are forthright, the support infrastructure anticipates questions, and it is available most business hours by phone Monday through Friday.

Benefits and Perks

• Health insurance options. ADP Total Source allows your company to provide health benefits to your employees. Unfortunately, while ADP operates in every state, the health insurance options will vary from state to state. Nonetheless, many of the larger states in the union have a wide variety of health care options available, allowing your business to retain the best employees and bring in new talent.
• Other benefit options. ADP Total Source also has a number of other employee benefit options available, including dental insurance, vision insurance, both short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance. Your business will also likely work with a qualified benefits manager to make sure everything is well-maintained and that any questions or issues are resolved.
• Retirement and 401(k) options. A host of retirement and 401(k) options will be available for your business to offer, and information will be seamlessly be integrated into the system to make hosting and management much simpler for you and your employees. Retirement education programs are available and ADP works with non-proprietary providers.

Compliance and Risk-Management

• Full Affordable Care Act compliance. ADP has experts in place to navigate the often complicated piece of health care legislation and make sure your business stays compliant. Systems will be integrated and any regulations managed so that employees get the health care they need and you don’t have to worry about fines or other penalties.
• Tax, unemployment, and other options. ADP makes sure your business stays compliant in a host of other areas, including employment taxes, wage garnishments, employment verification, W2 management, and more. Generally every common scenario is taken care of.
• Workers’ compensation options and support. ADP helps set your company up with mandatory workers’ compensation coverage, tailoring the coverage to the needs and size of your company and ensuring payments are never higher than necessary. ADP also works to improve cash flow and reduce time spent on this need.

Information and Management Tools

• Onsite inspections and safety training. ADP has onsite training and inspections available, allowing your company to be more confident that all relevant compliance concerns are resolved and your workplaces or worksites are up-to-date. The training will allow employees to prevent injuries and incidents later down the line, preventing problems for your business.
• Real time analytics and visualizations. ADP has the ability to track a variety of useful analytics, notice trends as they happen, and deliver that data to you in methods that are easy to understand and act upon. ADP Total Source will also be willing to provide support and recommendations, and can set up such things as benchmarking to keep your business in the right lane.
• Automated time and labor tracking. ADP has automated time and labor tracking (complete with analysis), complete with attendance support through various apps and tools, shift management, scheduling support, overtime analysis, and hour monitoring for ACA compliance. You and your managers will know what is happening and why, allowing you to make better personnel and hiring decisions,
• Manager training programs and courses. ADP has a library of training programs and courses available to managers on various management and compliance topics, allowing for a better trained team and reducing issues in the long-term.

 

Main Takeaways

 

Pros

• A large, extremely stable operation. ADP Total Source and ADP in general are so large that fluctuations in personnel, their number of clients, and partnerships with providers won’t affect your services as much as they would otherwise. Regardless of what happens, you’re going to get the services you need at the cost you agreed to.
• Scalability and different options. Regardless of the size of your company, there will be a solution that can support you. There are options for 1-49 employees, 50-999 employees, and even options for 1000+ employees. This ensures that your PEO option can grow along with your company, and ADP will absolutely have the resources you need.
• Full compliance and safety support. ADP provides a full host of safety options and compliance support that we look for, including onsite training and support for every major regulation and law your company might deal with.
• Great analytics and information gathering. ADP does a great job of getting the information you and your managers need and presenting it in an easily understandable format. The advice given is a great resource for owners not used to rapid growth, logistical issues, or HR compliance.
• Great tax and payroll services. ADP Total Source has a wonderful set of payroll management and tax compliance services, allowing your business to easily notice incentives and keep your business on track when it comes to finances. You won’t miss a payment and you won’t miss any information coming in.
• No employee minimum. If you have one or two employees but still need a PEO solution, so long as your business hits the salary minimum there will be no issues. This makes it a better option than most where small businesses are concerned.

Cons

• A salary minimum. While there are no heavy contracts required and no employee minimums, there is a salary minimum that might preclude your business from being able to work with ADP Total Source.
• A lot to take in. ADP doesn’t handle things in a small manner. Even looking at the website is a lot to take in and their options are a lot to consider. Those who just need the simplest of payroll solutions might be better served by a smaller, more personalized PEO service.
• Health insurance state limitations. While the group health insurance options ADP provides are competitive, they aren’t available in all states (only 17 states). If your business is in one of these states you have nothing to worry about, but otherwise you might need to look elsewhere.
• Regional variations. On a similar note to the health insurance concerns, the benefits packages available to you and their costs might vary from state to state. While for the most part you should receive an even experience regardless of your location, you will need to ask questions and do research to determine what you’ll be getting from ADP.
• Bugs and inefficiencies in programs. A common trend among client reviews is that the technology often has bugs involved which can hinder the entire experience. Others complained about inefficiencies in the system and a lack of intuitive design. While you should be able to get all of the information you need, it might not be the best experience.

What Businesses Is ADP Total Source Best For?

Businesses looking for stable benefits and services: ADP is a service that is large enough that it can provide stable benefit offerings and prices year after year. The service they provide isn’t likely to change, and you will be able to better plan your business and more confidently promise top talent the best benefits you can offer.

Businesses looking for more information: ADP has great information resources and collection tools available, and many businesses which are looking to receive more information regularly should seriously look into the service provider for the reports and tools offered.

Businesses looking for a centralized, total solution: ADP Total Source works to keep everything in one place and provide every service you could need, making sure that you are able to move forward.

Adaptive and changing businesses: As there are easily scalable options and few minimums for businesses, ADP is a great service for adaptive businesses that are growing or happen to go through business cycles. ADP can be the stability when business itself is unstable.

Businesses looking for great customer service: Whether you might have had a bad experience with another PEO service in the past or whether you simply prefer to have a clear line of effective communication open, ADP’s customer service will not leave you disappointed, and owners that place quality service as a priority will be very pleased with ADP Total Source as their PEO.

ADP Total Source Competitors

 

• Insperity

 

• Oasis Outsourcing

• TriNet

• JustWorks

• CoAdvantage

• Engage PEO

 

 

Conclusion

ADP Total Source is an organization trained and prepared to help you with your human resource and payroll needs. Alongside great customer service you can expect accessibility, scalability, and every benefit one would expect from a solid PEO service provider.

If you’ve worked with them before, what has your experience with ADP Total Source been like? Has your experience been positive, or would you like to list a few additional complaints not seen here? Regardless, please leave a comment below and tell us your thoughts, as we would love to hear them.