Human capital management company Paycor inked a multi-year stadium deal with the Cincinnati Bengals after a historic football season and Paycor’s IPO in 2021. Paycor has been headquartered here for more than 30 years, serving mostly regional clients with human resource and workforce management software solutions. Under CEO Raul Villar Jr., growth goals include becoming a nationally recognized and utilized company—and the Bengals deal provides that kind of visibility.
Paycor has been the Bengals’ official and exclusive human resources software provider since 2018, and the naming rights deal made sense for both sides. Aligned on mission and values, the two businesses empower organizations to build winning teams and maintain healthy competition—putting high-performing teams with the right players on the field. Paycor’s local roots inspired the idea to expand its partnership to include exclusive naming rights to the stadium, a 16-year deal that renames Paul Brown Stadium to Paycor Stadium.
“If you think about the Bengals story and the Paycor story, they’re similar,” says Paaras Parker, chief people officer at Paycor. “We’re both locally founded and over the last few years have expanded with a hometown following and expanded outside the regional area. Both have the culture of engagement and ties to empowering teams and empowering leaders.”
New Paycor signs on the stadium mean brand recognition nationwide, not only for partnership opportunities but for recruiting purposes, says Parker. She notes that Google searches and job inquiries have dramatically increased since the announcement of the stadium’s new name. Although Paycor’s headquarters are in Cincinnati, it’s now a remote-first company with employees spread throughout the country. The stadium name increases visibility and helps recruitment on a national level, especially in a time when remote work opportunities offer a competitive advantage to secure the best talent.
“Given the power and viewership of the NFL, we can now showcase the Paycor brand on a national scale like never before,” says Parker. “It’s a beneficial and strategic partnership for our organizations and also for the community that we work and live in.” She says that, when prospective employees know a company’s brand and mission, it can be easier for recruiters to attract talent.
Beyond recruiting, Paycor plans to celebrate existing employees through the partnership. Employees will be rewarded with incentives such as seats at Bengals games and other exclusive opportunities. For example, a group of 100 Paycor employees attended a Bengals preseason scrimmage with the Los Angeles Rams at the team’s practice facility. “Our employees are the heartbeat of our organization, helping lead to our public offering last summer and now leading us to the naming rights deal with the Bengals,” says Parker. “We are so excited to give them something to be proud of in our community, while improving things for our customers and business partners.”
