The Group Brokers Payroll Protection Plan

PREMIER HCM

California Broker in Conversation with Steve Evans, Michele Holmes, & Geoff Abbott

The Group Brokers Payroll Protection Plan Premier HCM is a broker-centric payroll and HR partner that helps group health and life brokers protect their books of business while their employer clients navigate complex compliance, HR, and benefits administration needs. The founders used their big-box payroll experience to build a nimble, customizable boutique model that does not compete with their clients’ trusted advisors.

This interview with California Broker highlights how Premier HCM’s leaders approach broker relationships, client fit, California-focused HR compliance and risk management, and the growing convergence of payroll, HR, and benefits.

Meet the Premier HCM Leadership

Steve Evans, Co-Founder

Steve began his payroll and HCM career with two of the largest payroll providers in the country before joining Ovation Payroll in 2004. Following Ovation’s acquisition by Heartland in 2013, he remained with the company, spending 12 years in sales and leadership roles and gaining firsthand insight into the challenges clients and partners often encounter within large organizations. He now champions a boutique model designed to move quickly and deliver what California brokers truly need to serve the clients who depend on them in today’s evolving HCM landscape.

Michele Holmes, Co-Founder

Michele brings more than 20 years of payroll experience, beginning with a “big blue” national provider and continuing through CompuPay, BenefitMall, and Heartland, where she developed a deep appreciation for the strength of the payroll-broker partnership. Now “still kicking in the industry,” she has worked with startups and virtually every industry, helping shape Premier HCM into a solution designed to support brokers in their role as the trusted advisor to their employer clients, serving both small groups and mid-market organizations.

Geoff Abbott, Co-Founder

Geoff entered the payroll industry right out of UC Santa Barbara, interviewing with Paychex “on the steps of my fraternity house.” After roles with smaller firms and in major market services, he spent 15 years at Heartland. After Heartland was acquired by Acrisure, a national insurance brokerage built through acquisitions, Geoff saw a clear conflict in competing against the brokers who had long trusted him. That realization ultimately helped inspire the launch of Premier HCM as a truly broker-friendly alternative.

From Big Box to Boutique Ally

All three partners began their careers at large national payroll vendors, experienced multiple acquisitions, and ultimately concluded that scale alone often fails trusted advisors and the clients they serve. Michele entered the industry when fax machines ruled and payroll companies focused strictly on payroll. Over time, she watched large providers compete more directly with the very partners who helped them grow, often leaving clients caught in the middle with disconnected systems and service challenges.

“At a lot of other companies,” Michele explains, “they start acquiring small companies and adding products, but nothing is built from the same code or the same system.”

Premier HCM instead selected a single, unified platform that can be customized for small businesses that simply want to automate payroll, as well as mid-market organizations with more complex needs. Just as importantly, the system integrates seamlessly with outside partners, reinforcing, rather than disrupting, the broker relationship.

Steve’s path reflects a similar evolution, and learning that Heartland was being acquired by Acrisure marked a turning point for him. “That’s what inspired me to launch Premier HCM,” Steve says. “I spent my whole career selling against companies that want to be the single source for everything, and the three of us have seen firsthand that employers are better served by brokers in their own communities.” That experience reinforced their belief that payroll should not compete with the trusted advisors it supports, a principle that defines Premier HCM’s broker-first model.

What Broker-Friendly Really Means

Michele defines it simply: “Number one, we’re going to help the broker protect their book of business. We’re not going to turn around and market to their clients.” Premier HCM avoids inside-sales upsells that cross into broker product lines and routes client requests for retirement or advisory services back to the referring broker first.

“We’re all, the three of us, very respectful of our partners. That’s how we’ve built our business from day one,” Michele says.

She also acknowledges the reality many brokers face. Some large payroll providers are well known for selling insurance. While a representative may initially promise to protect the relationship, turnover often leads to new contacts who begin calling on those same clients. “It happens every time,” she notes. Geoff adds that this dynamic directly impacts long-term book value and encourages brokers to carefully evaluate vendors that compete within their core product lines.

Benefits Administration That Saves Brokers Time

Geoff highlights Premier HCM’s integrated benefits administration as a key differentiator. “The benefits administration services are handled by our team,” he explains, “so brokers do not have to sit there and input all of the client information into the system. We take care of that for them.” The platform sends enrollment data directly to carriers or generates streamlined e-applications for small groups, creating a meaningful time savings for brokers and their clients.

Steve adds that the platform’s flexibility allows it to support richer, more customized benefits strategies for mid-market clients while still offering simple automation for smaller groups. The result is one scalable, reliable partner that trusted advisors can confidently grow with over time.

Evaluating Fit and Timing

Brokers do not need to become payroll experts to introduce HCM services to their clients. In fact, if they do not bring it up, someone else likely will. Michele suggests a simple post-W-2 conversation starter: “Are you open to exploring a new option for your payroll this year?” She notes that more often than not, employers are open to at least a review, particularly if it has been a couple of years since their last one. This approach allows brokers to “crack the door open” to a review that may uncover additional value for their groups.

Steve is clear that there are no forced moves. “If it’s not the right fit, I’m not going to move forward with the client, and we always make sure to let the client’s advisors know why.” That commitment keeps communication full circle and ensures transparent feedback that strengthens partner relationships. As business owners themselves, the team approaches each opportunity with a long-term perspective, focused on doing what is right rather than chasing quotas.

Geoff adds that mid-year transitions are often far more manageable than brokers assume. Premier HCM carefully evaluates each client’s size, structure, and circumstances to design a clean conversion strategy that minimizes disruption and ensures accurate year-end reporting. He reassures brokers that they will “never put a square peg through a round hole,” prioritizing education, proper planning, and alignment before any transition is made.

HR and Compliance Trends

All three partners see accelerating HR demands impacting even small California employers. When Steve began his career, HR rules and regulations didn’t seem as complex or burdensome as they do today. Now, tracking and managing employee data has become increasingly challenging.

For example, California law requires employers to provide both active and terminated employees with copies of their personnel files upon request. For businesses without an organized system in place, complying with that requirement can be difficult and time-consuming.

That is why Premier HCM provides every client with access to an HRIS platform designed to centralize documentation, support compliance, and help employers respond efficiently to employee requests.

Geoff expects the IRS, EDD, and other agencies to increasingly rely on AI to accelerate enforcement efforts. Employers with as few as five to ten employees, once thought too small to require structured HR support, are now realizing they need formal handbooks and policies in place to keep their organizations as close to “bulletproof” as possible in today’s compliance environment.

Michele is also closely monitoring retention trends. As the cost of turnover continues to rise, employers are strengthening their benefits strategies, including complying with state retirement plan mandates and offering greater workplace flexibility. These shifts present valuable opportunities for brokers backed by reliable payroll and HR systems that can support evolving compliance and benefit requirements.

The Role of AI in Payroll

One of the questions raised during our conversation was how artificial intelligence is impacting payroll today and what the next few years may hold. Michele acknowledges that AI is now part of our industry, but believes HCM remains a category where the live, knowledgeable professional cannot be fully replaced.

She adds that many clients respond with genuine relief when they learn they can speak directly with a dedicated payroll specialist in a U.S.-based office who knows their company and understands their specific needs.

Steve approaches AI with balance. He is cautious about relying on automation for complex payroll and compliance matters, yet he recognizes the practical benefits AI can bring when used appropriately. An AI-powered employee support tool that instantly provides accrual balances, for example, can save HR administrators valuable time. In his view, AI should enhance service, not replace the knowledgeable professionals behind it.

For brokers, this highlights an important reality: while AI can support administrative efficiency, the role of the trusted advisor remains rooted in judgment, context, and client advocacy.

Protecting the Book

At California Broker Magazine, we connect Premier HCM’s advisor-friendly approach to broader exit-planning pressures, including Medicare commission changes and the continued expansion of PEOs and large payroll firms into benefits sales.

Geoff agrees and often advises brokers to take a closer look at who controls their clients’ payroll relationship. A vendor that also sells health, life, or retirement products sits inside the employer’s data and operational systems, giving it a natural opportunity to expand its footprint. Choosing a non-competing partner, he notes, is a strategic move to safeguard long-term book value, not just streamline service.

Michele notes that as some brokers have expanded into the retirement plan space with 401(k) offerings, role clarity and alignment have become even more important. Growth across disciplines is understandable in today’s market, but it underscores the need for partners who respect established advisor relationships. This reinforces why brokers should choose payroll partners committed to preserving, not cannibalizing, their advisory ecosystems.

“Number one, we’re going to help the broker protect their book of business. We’re not going to turn around and market to their clients.” – Michele Holmes

Five Questions Brokers Should Be Asking Their Clients About Payroll

1. Have you reviewed your payroll provider recently? Even satisfied employers may not realize what efficiencies or protections are available. A simple review can uncover opportunities to improve service, integration, and compliance.
2. Do you have a dedicated payroll specialist? When questions arise, is there a consistent point of contact who knows your business, or are you routed through a general support queue?
3. How much time is your team spending on benefits administration? Are enrollments and carrier updates streamlined through payroll, or is your staff manually entering data across multiple systems?
4. Do you feel confident in your HR documentation and compliance processes? If an employee requested their personnel file tomorrow, would everything be organized, accessible, and ready to provide?
5. How well does your payroll system integrate with your other business tools? Are accounting, benefits, and HR systems connected, or are you managing multiple platforms and duplicate data entry?

Asking these questions positions brokers at the center of a broader strategic discussion. Payroll is not just a back-office function; it influences compliance, benefits administration, and overall client experience. Addressing it proactively helps protect the advisor relationship and uncover opportunities to add meaningful value.

How to Engage Premier HCM

California Broker and Premier HCM offer subscribers a dedicated pathway at premierhcm.com/ca-broker-magazine to explore fit for employer groups while keeping you front and center in the client relationship.

Michele recommends identifying clients who may be dissatisfied with their current payroll provider or working with vendors that compete in advisory lines, then introducing them for a no-obligation review. No payroll expertise is required. Geoff encourages brokers to reach out to discuss book protection strategies or specific client pain points and how payroll alignment can support long-term growth.

For a direct conversation about alignment, services, and book protection strategies, brokers can call 949-608-8321 or email team@premierhcm.com.