What Engage PEO does

Engage PEO (legal entity S2 HR Solutions Group 1, LLC) is a Florida-domiciled professional employer organization founded in 2011 by Jay Starkman, formerly CEO of AlphaStaff. The company delivers co-employment-based HR outsourcing to small and mid-sized businesses across all 50 U.S. states, with average client size more than three times the PEO industry average and over 100,000 worksite employees served as of 2025. Core service lines include payroll and tax administration, HR consulting backed by licensed employment attorneys, ACA-compliant employee benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401(k)), and risk solutions covering workers' compensation and EPLI. The technology stack centers on a cloud-based, integrated HR platform supporting the full employee lifecycle—payroll, benefits administration, time tracking, applicant tracking, performance management, and self-service—augmented by integrations with Swipeclock, Hiring Thing, and major carriers (Anthem, Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield, Kaiser, MetLife, Teladoc). AI is deployed in a narrow but strategic use case via the Gradient AI partnership for workers' compensation underwriting.

The go-to-market is structurally broker-led: Engage is the only PEO founded on a 100% broker-referral model, offering lifetime commissions and refusing post-sale business-of-record acceptance to protect broker economics. Distribution is reinforced by a regional direct sales organization with VPs of Sales across the Northeast, Midwest, Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, and Minnesota. Revenue is generated through recurring service fees typically based on WSE count or percentage of payroll, with additional recurring revenue from benefits administration and workers' compensation programs. The company has executed an aggressive inorganic growth strategy, completing ten-plus PEO acquisitions since 2022 (CEOHR, Innovative Employer Solutions, GenesisHR, Fusion, Zamp HR, SynchronyHR, HRi, Axios HR, Aspen HR), retaining acquired brands within an integrated platform. Engage holds elite credentials—IRS CPEO (since 2017), ESAC accreditation (since 2012, first PEO accredited from inception), and SOC 1/SOC 2 Type II certifications—and has been named to the Inc. 5000 nine times since 2016.

Name

Engage PEO

Legal name

S2 HR Solutions Group 1, LLC d/b/a Engage PEO

Website

https://engagepeo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Engage PEO is a Florida-based professional employer organization founded in 2011 that delivers co-employment HR outsourcing—payroll, benefits, HR consulting by licensed employment attorneys, and workers' compensation—to small and mid-sized businesses across all 50 U.S. states, serving over 100,000 worksite employees through an exclusive broker-referral distribution model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Employer Organization (PEO) / HR Outsourcing Services

NAICS

Professional Employer Organizations (561330), Professional Employer Organizations (56133), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional Employer Organization (PEO) / Co-Employment Services (BPACAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Onboarding, Offboarding & Employee Lifecycle Administration (BPACAHAL), Association & PEO Group Health Plans (AHP/PEO-Sponsored) (FSAIAFAH), Workers’ Compensation Insurance for Staffing/PEO & Contingent Workforce (FSAJAEAE)

Keywords

• Professional employer organization
• HR outsourcing services
• Payroll administration
• Employee benefits administration
• Workers compensation solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Hollywood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. PEO Co-Employment Services: Engage PEO operates as a professional employer organization, providing HR outsourcing through a co-employment relationship where the PEO serves as the official employer of record for tax and insurance purposes while clients retain control of operations and workforce management. Revenue is generated through service fees typically based on number of employees or a percentage of payroll.
2. HR Consulting Services: Expert HR consulting backed by licensed employment attorneys providing compliance, risk management, and strategic HR guidance
3. Payroll and Tax Administration: Full-service payroll processing including tax filings, direct deposits, and compliance support
4. Employee Benefits Administration: ACA-compliant benefits including major medical, dental, vision, 401(k) plans, and voluntary benefits
5. Workers' Compensation and Risk Solutions: Customized workers' compensation programs with access to top-tier A-rated carriers and risk management strategies

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Engage PEO is a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) that provides full-service HR outsourcing to small and mid-sized businesses through a co-employment model. Its core offering combines HR consulting delivered by licensed employment attorneys, full-service payroll and tax administration, a cloud-based integrated HR technology platform, ACA-compliant employee benefits administration, and risk solutions including workers' compensation and EPLI. Services are delivered nationwide across all 50 U.S. states and distributed exclusively through insurance brokers and referral partners.

Product overview

Engage PEO is a professional employer organization (PEO) offering a unified, full-service HR outsourcing platform that combines Human Resources Consulting (powered by licensed employment attorneys), Payroll and Tax Administration, an integrated HR Technology Platform, Employee Benefits administration, and Risk Solutions (workers' compensation and EPLI). The company operates across all 50 U.S. states and has grown significantly through acquisitions of multiple PEO brands including IES, Axios HR, Aspen HR, Zamp HR, SynchronyHR, HRi, CEOHR, GenesisHR Solutions, Fusion Employer Services, and FullStack PEO—all now unified under Engage PEO's single integrated platform with centralized manager and employee portals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Human Resources Consulting HR consulting services provided by licensed employment attorneys who help businesses navigate compliance, workforce management, and risk mitigation across federal, state, and local regulations.
• Payroll and Tax Administration Full-service payroll processing including automated calculations, tax filings, direct deposit, and compliance support for multi-state employers.
• HR Technology Platform Cloud-based integrated HR platform supporting the entire employee lifecycle including payroll, benefits, time tracking, applicant tracking, performance management, and employee self-service.
• Employee Benefits ACA-compliant benefits including major medical, dental, vision, 401(k) plans, voluntary benefits, and benefits administration with ongoing employee support and education.
• Risk Solutions Workers' compensation insurance, OSHA compliance reporting, and Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) to protect businesses from workplace-related claims.
• PEO Co-Employment Services Professional employer organization co-employment relationship in which Engage PEO serves as the official employer of record for tax and insurance purposes while clients retain control of operations and workforce management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Client satisfaction ratings and NPS among the highest in the PEO industry
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• BlueCross BlueshieldcoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor health insurance carrier providing medical coverage options as part of Engage's employee benefits offerings.
• AnthemcoreTechnology or IntegrationHealth insurance carrier partner offering medical benefits through Engage's employee benefits platform.
• AetnacoreTechnology or IntegrationHealth insurance provider partner for employee medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• Kaiser PermanentecoreTechnology or IntegrationHealthcare and insurance provider offering medical coverage options for Engage's benefits administration.
• MetLifecoreTechnology or IntegrationInsurance and financial services provider offering life insurance and retirement benefits.
• Teladoc HealthcoreTechnology or IntegrationTelehealth services provider enabling virtual healthcare access for employees.
• Slavic 401kcoreTechnology or IntegrationRetirement plan and financial services provider for 401(k) administration.
• Gradient AIstrategicTechnology or IntegrationAI-powered underwriting technology partner enhancing workers' compensation risk strategies, improving policy pricing and claim accuracy.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Insperity: Large publicly-traded PEO providing HR outsourcing, payroll, benefits, and workers' comp to SMBs and mid-market companies across the U.S. Closely comparable to Engage PEO in core co-employment service model and mid-market focus, with substantially greater scale.
• TriNet: Publicly-traded PEO offering HR solutions, payroll, benefits, and risk management, primarily to small and mid-sized businesses. Direct competitor to Engage PEO with overlapping product set and SMB/mid-market segment focus.
• CoAdvantage: PEO offering HR outsourcing, payroll, benefits administration, and risk management across multiple U.S. states, with a comparable mid-market client profile. Directly competitive with Engage PEO in the multi-state PEO category.
• G&A Partners: PEO providing HR, payroll, benefits, and risk management to SMBs and mid-market employers, with a comparable service bundling approach. Direct competitor to Engage, particularly in multi-state employer segments.
• BBSI (Barrett Business Services): PEO and staffing provider offering HR outsourcing, payroll, workers' compensation, and risk management to businesses across the western and central U.S. Comparable co-employment model and risk-management focus as Engage PEO.
• FrankCrum: PEO providing HR, payroll, benefits, and workers' compensation services to small and mid-sized U.S. businesses. Direct competitor in the SMB/mid-market PEO category with comparable co-employment and risk-solutions bundling.

Broad incumbents

• ADP TotalSource: PEO division of ADP, one of the largest U.S. PEOs by worksite employees, offering co-employment, payroll, benefits, and HR technology. Competes head-to-head with Engage but operates as part of ADP's broader HCM/payroll portfolio with substantially greater scale and direct sales motion.
• Paychex PEO (Paycor): Paychex's PEO arm provides co-employment services, payroll, benefits, and HR outsourcing to SMBs. Comparable in core offering but materially larger and broader in product portfolio than Engage PEO.

Emerging players

• Justworks: Tech-enabled PEO providing payroll, benefits, HR compliance, and workers' comp primarily to small and mid-sized U.S. businesses. Overlaps with Engage's core PEO offering but emphasizes a direct, digital-first GTM model rather than broker-referral.
• Sequoia Consulting Group (Acumen Analytics, PEO arm): PEO-adjacent provider of HR, payroll, benefits, and risk-management services for U.S. SMBs and mid-market employers. Smaller scale than Engage but directly comparable in offering mix and target customer profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/engage-peo
• Xx.com/engagepeo

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Engage PEO