The challenge: navigating compliance with a small team and a global footprint

When two of ISTS' U.S.-based employees relocated internationally, their HR team faced a new challenge: supporting those employees in their new locations without an internal legal team to navigate the compliance complexity.

They turned to G-P as their employer of record (EOR) — because for an organization their size, keeping great people is everything.

The solution: one trusted partner for global employment and compliance

Around the same time they onboarded with G-P EOR, Jennifer Fisher, Director of People and Culture at ISTS, discovered Gia, G-P's AI-powered global HR agent, at the 2025 SHRM AI + HI Conference. She started experimenting with it right away, and it quickly changed how she worked.

Previously, compliance research meant hours of searching government websites for answers that weren't always reliable. As the sole HR resource for a team spanning 14 U.S. states and three continents, that burden added up fast.

“
Before Gia, I would spend hours searching government websites to find what I needed. Now, I can get the information in minutes with links to the official sources. I can move forward with confidence that I have the correct information for each country or state.”

Jennifer Fisher

Director of People and Culture at ISTS

What surprised ISTS was just how broadly useful Gia turned out to be. The team initially assumed it would be most helpful for international questions — but it quickly became their go-to for everything HR-related, from comparing time-off policies across every state and country where they have employees, to creating compliant HR documents in minutes.

"I can ask virtually any employment-related question and obtain a fast, reliable, and documented response," Fisher explained. "As a small organization without an internal legal team, resources like Gia save both time and expense."

"Gia thinks like a lawyer, and I realized I could ask any question about employment compliance and get a clear answer — without the billable hours," Fisher added.

The impact: faster answers, trusted compliance, and complete peace of mind

Gia is now an everyday tool for ISTS’ HR team.

“
Gia has been a tremendous resource. I save 10 hours each week and have learned details I wouldn’t have found on my own because Gia’s responses are so thorough. It’s like having an HR legal assistant available 24/7.”

Jennifer Fisher

Director of People and Culture at ISTS

For a small organization where every hour counts, that time goes right back into supporting their team and serving the students and organizations who depend on them.

With G-P, ISTS now has:

  • An EOR solution that lets them support employees wherever life takes them
  • Accurate, expert-vetted compliance guidance across 50 countries and 50 U.S. states
  • The confidence to operate efficiently, without the overhead of an internal legal team

For ISTS, a strong HR foundation isn't just an operational priority — it's what allows them to stay focused on their mission: helping organizations invest in education and empowering students to reach their full potential.