People IQ

Coming 2027

The modern PEO operating stack your clients already expect.

Coming 2027: replace decades-old payroll and HCM plumbing with one AI-native platform—so you stop losing deals, talent, and margin to operators running on modern technology.

HALO IQ / PLACEMENT MARKETPLACE

Legacy PEO technology is a growth tax.

Most PEOs still run on software from another era—monolithic databases, batch payroll windows, bolt-on portals, and “integrations” that mean your team is the integration. Buyers do not care who built it in 1998. They compare your client experience to modern HR and fintech apps—and they choose the PEO that feels current.

You lose deals you should win

Prospects ask for self-service, mobile pay, real-time census, and straight answers in the first sales cycle. When the demo is “log into three systems,” the modern competitor wins—even if your service is better.

Implementation never ends

Every new client becomes a custom wiring project: spreadsheets, shadow databases, and senior operators babysitting data sync. Margin walks out the door while you “finish go-live.”

Your best people burn out

Payroll and benefits experts did not sign up to be human APIs between aging modules. They leave for employers—or PEOs—that run on software worth showing up for.

AI demand meets bolt-on reality

Clients want automation on structured data. Legacy stacks offer chat widgets on PDFs. The gap shows up in RFPs, renewals, and broker referrals.

Legacy stack vs. People IQ

Category contrast—not a vendor list. This is how aging PEO back-office patterns compare to what HALO is building for operators who need to win the next decade.

Typical legacy patternPeople IQ
Employee recordSame worker rebuilt in payroll, benefits, time, tax, and service toolsOne workforce timeline from hire through pay, benefits, and service
Client experienceMultiple portals, batch-era UX, “call your rep” for simple answersHelm, client admin, and employee self-service on one modern surface
ImplementationCustom integration project per logo; go-live measured in quartersShared libraries and workflows—configuration over one-off wiring
Operator workSpecialists as human APIs between modules, spreadsheets, and inboxesCross-client queues, payroll comms, and compliance on structured data
AI & automationChat on PDFs; automation brittle because data is not unifiedExtraction and routing on census, tax, benefits, and pay you own
Change & APIsVendor release cycles; integrations that break when anything changesModern APIs and webhooks; extend without scraping your own UI
Sales & growthHard to demo; brokers hear “our systems are complicated”One platform story—from marketplace placement to operations in 2027

Unified People IQ operations target 2027. HALO marketplace modules (placement, CRM, underwriting, proposals) are live on the rail today on the same tenant record.

Swivel-chair operations are not a strategy.

When payroll, benefits, time, tax, and service each live in a different generation of software, the PEO becomes the middleware. Operators re-key the same employee fifty times. Clients get inconsistent answers. Risk sits in inboxes instead of on the record. That is not a staffing problem—it is an architecture problem—and it compounds every year you wait.

What the modern stack includes.

One record, one timeline

Hire, pay, insure, and service the same employee without exporting CSVs between “modules” that were never meant to talk.

Client experience that sells

Helm, ESS, and client admin that look and behave like software your buyers already use—not a portal from the batch-payroll era.

Implementation as configuration

Stand up clients on shared libraries and workflows, not bespoke integration projects for every logo.

AI on operational truth

Extraction, routing, and next-best action on census, tax, benefits, and pay data—not orphaned documents in side systems.

Operator throughput

Cross-client queues, payroll communications, and compliance visibility so specialists scale the book—not headcount.

Room to innovate

A stack you can extend: APIs, webhooks, and marketplace placement rail already live while People IQ completes the operations core.

Every module in People IQ.

The full operator map—already built inside HALO—ships as unified PEO operations in 2027. This is the replacement stack, not a sidecar.

Who it serves

Three dashboards on one tenant record—PEO operators, client admins, and employees.

  • PEO staff & ops

    Portfolio launchpad, cross-client queues, compliance counts, and drill-down into any client company.

  • Client admin

    Scoped Helm for one employer: workforce, payroll, benefits, time, and service without the full back office.

  • Employee self-service

    Pay, time, benefits, documents, and tasks from a mobile-friendly ESS home.

Core HCM modules

The IQ suite inside People IQ—each module shares the same employee and company record.

  • Workforce IQ

    Employee master, roster, departments, positions, job profiles, org chart, bulk import, certifications, and workers’ comp on the employee record.

  • Onboard IQ

    New-hire checklists, templates, I-9 and direct deposit, PEO document library, and Day One self-service onboarding.

  • Hire IQ

    Applicant tracking, requisitions, interviews, offer letters, and hiring pipeline tied to workforce create.

  • Payroll IQ

    Payroll runs, pay history, tax center, ACH and deposits, export schedules, integrations, and client payroll configuration.

  • Benefits IQ

    Plan catalog, enrollment, elections, COBRA, ACA, carrier feeds, EOI, FSA/HSA/HRA, and retirement.

  • Time IQ

    Time and attendance, schedules, PTO and leave, overtime, break compliance, team schedule, live clock, and payroll export.

  • Shift IQ

    Shift board, open shifts, swap and claim flows, coverage alerts, and scheduling alongside Time IQ.

  • Doc IQ

    Employee and company document vaults, templates, e-signatures, policy distribution, and compliance packets.

  • Perform IQ

    Goals, reviews, and performance workflows for managers and HR.

Risk, safety & intelligence

  • Safety IQ

    OSHA recordkeeping, safety programs, and incident workflows on the client account.

  • Claims IQ

    Workers’ comp claims, reserves, and carrier coordination on the same company record.

  • Intel IQ

    Portfolio analytics and exports for operators with data-access permissions.

  • Ledger IQ

    GL mapping, payroll journal logic, and finance outputs aligned to payroll runs.

Per-client workspace

What client admins and PEO staff see when working a single employer.

  • Helm

    Client command center: headcount, payroll status, compliance signals, and quick actions.

  • Compliance & I-9

    I-9, E-Verify, and workforce compliance tasks in one queue.

  • Billing

    Client billing and AR context for PEO staff on the account.

  • Contacts

    Client stakeholders and HR contacts on the company.

  • Notes

    Operator notes and account history visible to PEO staff.

  • Company profile

    Legal entity, locations, and client metadata.

PEO operations console

Cross-client tools when operators step out of a single company context.

  • Ops Dashboard

    Cross-client KPIs, alerts, and portfolio summary.

  • Payroll Queue

    Batch payroll processing across clients with operator workflows.

  • Payroll Communications

    Client payroll comms, notices, and operator messaging.

  • All client employees

    Search and manage employees across the book of business.

  • Benefits Admin

    Cross-client benefits operations and open enrollment support.

  • Compliance

    Portfolio compliance reporting and open task visibility.

  • Payroll Calendar

    Firm-wide payroll calendar and due dates.

  • Pending timesheets

    Cross-client timesheet exceptions before payroll.

  • PAGA exposure

    California PAGA exposure reporting for the portfolio.

  • Manage clients

    Client roster, switching, and implementation status.

  • Internal staff

    Workforce IQ scoped to the PEO’s own organization.

  • Manage users

    People IQ roles, invites, and client admin access.

Settings & control plane

Tenant-wide libraries and rails that configure every client on People IQ.

  • Payroll & tax

    Federal tax accounts, SUTA by state, wage bases, payroll operations, GL account mapping, GL output format, payroll calendar, PEO tax entity, and state tax reference.

  • Workers' comp

    Master WC policy, class rate tables, overrides, XMOD / EMR history, carrier roster, pay-as-you-go, loss run automation, and audit management.

  • Benefits configuration

    Health plan catalog, carrier roster, ACA, COBRA, FSA/HSA/HRA, 401(k) / retirement, and open enrollment defaults.

  • Banking & finance

    Banking and ACH config, NACHA engine, ACH returns and NOCs, client P&L defaults, billing and AR rules.

  • Compensation libraries

    Pay types, compensation structures, deduction library, and job title library.

  • Compliance & HR defaults

    Jurisdictions, minimum wage, I-9 and E-Verify, new hire reporting, HR defaults, OSHA, WOTC, EPLI, leave types, and accrual policies.

  • Integrations

    Connected systems, ConnectIQ workspace, sync health, EDI 834 carrier feeds, tax filing agency connections, and API keys.

  • Portals & communications

    Client self-service defaults, employee self-service, paystub format, and communication templates.

  • Identity & access

    Legal entity, brand and white-label, PEO documents, roles and permissions, and module entitlements.

  • Time IQ hardware

    Clock hardware and device configuration for time collection.

What changes for you.

Compete on experience, not excuses

Show up to broker meetings and renewals with one platform story instead of apologizing for “how our systems work.”

Protect margin

Stop paying senior operators to move data between dead-end products.

Keep talent

Give payroll, benefits, and implementation teams software that matches the complexity they already master.

People IQ FAQ

Migration, parallel run, and how People IQ relates to the placement marketplace.

What is People IQ?

People IQ is HALO’s full PEO operations layer—workforce, payroll, benefits, time, service, and client experience on one record. It targets unified go-live in 2027. The placement marketplace (Inbox IQ, ConnectIQ, underwriting, proposals) is live today on the same tenant.

Do we have to replace our entire back office on day one?

No. Most PEOs start on the marketplace seat for placements and keep existing payroll or HCM systems while they evaluate People IQ. Migration is a deliberate program—not a forced cutover on signup.

Can we run HALO in parallel with legacy payroll and HCM?

Yes. Use HALO for broker submissions, CRM, and proposals while legacy systems still run pay and benefits. Early-access conversations with HALO focus on which clients or modules move first so payroll continuity is never a surprise.

How is People IQ different from the marketplace seat?

The seat is the placement rail—Inbox IQ, ConnectIQ, Market IQ, and distribution. People IQ is the post-bind operating stack: payroll, benefits, workforce, and client service on one AI-native record.

All FAQs

Get off legacy before the next renewal cycle.

Talk to HALO about People IQ early access, migration posture, and running marketplace placement today while you modernize operations for 2027.