In today’s investment landscape, private equity firms are under constant pressure to accelerate EBITDA across their portfolios. But while finance, operations, and sales often receive the bulk of performance improvement strategies, HR remains an underutilized lever, one that, when managed strategically, can yield significant gains.
At EmphasisHR, we believe HR should be a value creator, not a cost center. As a provider of private equity managed services, we work exclusively on the Paylocity platform, offering portfolio companies scalable HR, payroll, and benefits solutions that deliver operational efficiency and reduce risk. With the right HR partner, private equity firms can realize meaningful EBITDA improvement and set their investments up for long-term growth.
Why HR Is an Untapped Value Lever for Private Equity
When assessing EBITDA improvement opportunities, HR often flies under the radar. But this is a mistake. Disjointed HR processes, inefficient payroll operations, and compliance gaps can drag down profitability, create exposure, and stall growth post-acquisition. For scaling businesses, these issues only compound.
By centralizing and outsourcing HR functions through a private equity managed services model, PE firms can:
- Standardize HR and payroll across the portfolio
- Control labor costs and streamline compliance
- Accelerate onboarding, benefits administration, and time-to-productivity
- Mitigate regulatory and HR-related risks during due diligence and post-close
These aren’t just operational wins, they’re bottom-line drivers.
Why EmphasisHR + Paylocity = Scalable, Strategic HR
At EmphasisHR, we’ve designed our model with private equity-backed companies in mind. Our team of certified Paylocity experts works exclusively on the platform, delivering a level of consistency and focus most internal HR teams, or generic outsourcing providers, simply can’t match.
Whether your portfolio company is transitioning off a PEO, integrating HR post-acquisition, or scaling operations to support rapid growth, EmphasisHR ensures HR isn’t a blocker, but a catalyst.
Here’s what sets us apart:
1. Exclusive Paylocity Expertise
We don’t dabble, we specialize. Our entire service model is built around the Paylocity ecosystem. From implementation to first paycheck, we provide a seamless HR infrastructure for scaling businesses.
2. Full-Service HR Outsourcing
We manage everything from payroll processing to benefits administration, talent management, and compliance. Portfolio companies can offload these functions with confidence, knowing they’re in expert hands.
3. Speed to Scale
Time is everything in private equity. We accelerate HR setup and standardization, helping companies move from chaos to control, fast.
4. Cost Optimization Post-PEO
Many PE portfolio companies start with a PEO, but quickly outgrow it. We guide them through a PEO exit and onto a right-sized HR model that reduces costs while retaining compliance and quality benefits.
The Value to Private Equity Firms
By partnering with EmphasisHR, PE firms benefit in multiple ways:
- Improved EBITDA margins across the portfolio
- Faster post-close integration
- Reduced compliance and employee relations risk
- Clear reporting and visibility through Paylocity’s robust analytics tools
- A consistent, repeatable HR model across multiple investments
HR is no longer a “nice to have”, it’s a strategic lever for value creation. EmphasisHR turns what’s often a cost center into a source of operational and financial performance.
Let Us Do the Work
If you’re a private equity firm looking to optimize HR across your portfolio, or a growth-focused business preparing for acquisition, now is the time to invest in your HR infrastructure. With EmphasisHR as your partner and Paylocity as your platform, you get a reliable, scalable solution that supports performance, reduces risk, and fuels growth.
👉 Schedule a free consultation to learn how we can support your firm and drive EBITDA through smarter HR.
