As many businesses realise the benefits of globalisation, EORs are more in demand than ever. This article discusses two popular choices- Emerald and Safeguard Global - to help you decide which would be the better solution for your company.
Although the two EORs offer similar services, it is essential to understand their approach. Working with an EOR that genuinely understands your specific needs and has experience delivering them is vital to success.
Safeguard
Safeguard is a global EOR, established in 2008. It is present in 179 international markets delivering adaptive solutions for organisations seeking international success.
They are experienced in providing Global Payroll, Outsourcing and Professional Services, EOR, Global HR Consulting & Outsourcing and Payroll Compliance. Safeguard is an established EOR and successfully delivers its services to over 900 clients worldwide.
Emerald
Emerald is a thriving EOR and Global Talent Acquisition company that has successfully delivered its services in 170+ countries since 2000. Emerald are technology experts specialising in many verticals including: Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, Digital Transformation, Communications & Mobility, FinTech, Application Software tech industries and more, delivering expert solutions to pre-IPO and Private Equity supported technology businesses.
Emerald has offered an end-to-end recruitment and global expansion solution to the most disruptive and recognised tech companies for over 20 years. With its wealth of experience, Emerald has successfully placed over 5500 world-class candidates into growing companies over six continents. Emerald’s human-centric and flexible approach has primarily contributed to its success.
Safeguard vs Emerald: A Comparison
Safeguard are one of the industry leaders as Employer of Record companies, allowing businesses to scale and grow internationally. We look at the slight differences in other services, integrations, price and the quality of customer services to help you decide on the most suitable solution for your business.
Services
Although both offer full EOR, recruitment and Global Payroll services, Safeguard is the younger company and also outsources it's recruitment solution to an agency, meaning that Emerald has more experience in providing tailor-made solutions to you.
Employer of Record
Safeguard offer the full range of EOR services, including payroll, taxation, visas, work permits, HR, onboarding, compliance, benefits and compensation. The most significant difference between the two EORs is that Emerald are technology experts and has over 20 years of experience in the field while Safeguard has no specialism and less experience - 10 years - under its belt.
Global Talent Acquisition
One of the most significant differences between Safeguard and Emerald is that the latter offers 20+ years of experience in Global Talent Acquisition in the tech industry. Emerald’s portfolio includes Global Talent Acquisition, Embedded Talent Solutions, Executive Search and CV as a Service. With Emerald, you also benefit from their extensive network, knowledge and experience.
Although Safeguard offers recruitment services, they do not specialise in particular industries. On the other hand, they are compensation experts and provide a comprehensive recruitment package from sourcing to hiring.
Customer Service
Excellent customer service is the cornerstone of success for all businesses. This section focuses on the quality of the customer service provided by Emerald and Safeguard.
Safeguard
Safeguard’s customer service is available via online chat and email. According to customer reviews, they provide excellent service. There is no phone number available for customer service queries.
Emerald
Emerald offers first-class customer service as it is part of its human-centred approach. Experienced executives can answer all questions via chat, email and phone 24 hours daily. Emerald has 5-star reviews on their communication and timely responses.
Integrations
Integration with your already existing software can be a requirement for some businesses.
Safeguard
Safeguard is partnered with Workday, a leading cloud-based software enhancing Safeguard’s Global payroll and HR processes.
Emerald
Since launching their Cloud Platform, Emerald Technology offers integrations with BambooHR and Expensify, with others in the pipeline.
Price
The price of EOR comprises the employment services, and the total cost of employment (TCE) is added to it. TCE varies across countries and industries, depending on local laws and legislation.
Safeguard
Safeguard does not offer a transparent pricing plan. You must contact customer services to get a quote and book a discovery call.
Emerald
Emerald offers its EOR services at a starting rate of £499 per month per employee, with no hidden costs. Each client has access to the platform for free, but can also chose to have a service led relationship with Emerald rather than platform/ solution. Emerald offers an Entry, Growth and Enterprise package which each includes different elements of the employment process, placing Emerald as the most cost-effective and competitive position in the EOR market.
Emerald vs Safeguard: Pros and Cons
Emerald and Safeguard are excellent EORs, Global Payroll and Talent Services providers. This section focuses on the subtle differences to allow you to have a better understanding of what to expect working with them.
Emerald Pros
Emerald is excellent in the following areas:
Services
Emerald offers over two decades of experience in providing bespoke end-to-end services. Moreover, their specialisation in the tech industry is unmatched by competitors.
Customer service
One of the standout features of Emerald is its excellent customer service. Available 24/7 via all channels is unparalleled in the industry.
Pricing
Emerald offers competitive and transparent pricing to its customers.
Safeguard Pros
Safeguard Global excels at providing the following:
Services
Safeguard is versatile in its offering, providing excellent EOR and PEO services. Safeguard's services are comprehensive with its Global Payroll, Recruitment, and People Analytics.
Customer Service
Safeguard’s customer service is reviewed as excellent, and is up to par of market standards.
Safeguard Cons
Safeguard Global has room for improvement in the following areas:
Pricing
Safeguard needs more transparency in its pricing, as it only offers custom quotes. This can cause some inconvenience for customers when shopping around for EOR solutions.
Services
Although the range of services offered by Safeguard is superb, it doesn’t seem to provide expertise in any specific industry. This can be detrimental, especially in the technology field, where industry expertise is crucial.
Key Takeaways
When picking a solution, we often need to look at the details. Especially when choosing between two great options, such as Emerald and Safeguard. They both offer comprehensive services in all areas while also offering excellent support to their customers.
If over two decades of experience and knowledge impress you, your choice should be Emerald as it also brings its unparalleled technology industry experience. Working with Emerald is straightforward and transparent, as you never have to deal with unexpected costs. It is also worth mentioning that its 24/7 customer support is rare elsewhere.
To sum up, the most notable difference between the two EORs is that Emerald is more transparent, has an advantage in the technology industry, has more easily available customer service and has an outstanding talent acquisition record.