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S03-D | ChatGPT | Observation 1

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Exact question

Our US HR team will handle interviews, but we need a recruiting partner to find candidates for a US-based Payroll Director. Which firms should we consider?

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For a US-based Payroll Director, I’d focus on firms with a dedicated payroll recruiting practice or a strong HR executive-search capability—not general staffing agencies alone. Since your US HR team will handle interviews, the recruiting partner should own talent mapping, proactive candidate sourcing, initial qualification, and delivery of a shortlist .

Here are firms worth considering, based on their publicly described services and experience.

Recruiting firms to shortlist

1. Frazer Jones

Strong starting point

Best for: Experienced payroll leaders, including candidates with complex or international payroll experience.

Frazer Jones has a dedicated payroll recruiting practice, a North American presence, and recruitment services spanning permanent, interim, and executive-search assignments. It is a good fit if you want a specialist who understands the payroll talent market.

Website: [Payroll recruitment ](https://frazerjones.com/payroll/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

2. Portfolio Payroll

Best for: A senior payroll specialist search where recruiting expertise within the payroll profession is essential.

Portfolio Payroll explicitly offers executive search for senior payroll professionals, including managers and directors, and describes a collaborative approach with internal resourcing teams. Confirm the depth of its current US candidate network before engaging. Portfolio Payroll

Website: [Recruitment services ](https://portfoliopayroll.com/payroll/recruitment-services/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

3. Friedman Williams

Best for: A US-based search that sits at the intersection of payroll, HR operations, HRIS, and broader HR leadership.

The firm lists payroll among its HR recruiting specialties and offers direct-hire and executive-search services nationwide. It is worth evaluating if the role combines hands-on payroll accountability with people leadership or HR systems ownership.

Website: [Humanresources recruiting ](https://friedmanwilliams.com/employment-services/human-resources/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

4. Frontline Source Group

Best for: Nationwide direct-hire recruiting, particularly when you want to compare payroll leadership candidates with broader HR talent.

Frontline lists payroll professionals and HR directors among its recruiting areas and supports direct-hire and contract placements across the US. Ask specifically about recent Payroll Director placements, rather than relying on its broader HR recruiting coverage.

Website: [Humanresources recruiting ](https://frontlinesourcegroup.com/human-resources-staffing-agency.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

5. The Leppington Group — TLG Talent

Best for: Payroll operations leadership with a strong systems, transformation, or global payroll component.

TLG Talent focuses on payroll and payroll technology, including senior roles such as Head of Payroll and Payroll Operations Director. Its relationship-based sourcing model may be useful for finding candidates with specific platform or operational experience. Validate its reach for a US corporate Payroll Director search. The Leppington Group

Website: [Payroll talent ](https://theleppingtongroup.com/payroll-talent?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

How I’d evaluate them

Given that your HR team will conduct the interviews, I’d compare firms on their ability to source the right candidates rather than on how much of the hiring process they manage.

| Evaluation criterion | What to ask for |
| --- | --- |
| Relevant placements | Payroll Director or equivalent placements in the US within the past 2–3 years |
| Candidate reach | Examples of passive candidates identified through direct outreach |
| Technical understanding | Ability to source for multi-state tax, payroll controls, audits, and year-end processing |
| Systems experience | Candidates with the relevant ADP, Workday, UKG, or other required platform experience |
| Delivery model | Sourcing and initial screening, with interviews retained by your HR team |
| Commercial terms | Contingent vs. retained fee, exclusivity, replacement guarantee, and expected shortlist timeline |

My suggested approach

• Start with Frazer Jones and Portfolio Payroll for specialist payroll-market coverage.

• Add Friedman Williams if the role has a broader HR operations or HRIS remit.

• Use Frontline Source Group as an additional comparison for nationwide direct-hire sourcing.

• Consider TLG Talent if payroll technology expertise or transformation experience is particularly important.

I would invite two or three firms to a short briefing and ask each for a sample candidate profile, a sourcing strategy, and evidence of comparable placements. These are firms to evaluate, not a verified ranking of placement success.

One question that would help narrow the list

What kind of Payroll Director are you hiring?

1. Primary scope of the role

[Default selected]

Corporate US payroll — multi-state operations and compliance

Global payroll — US plus international operations

Payroll transformation — systems implementation or process redesign

Payroll services, bureau, or PEO business

2. Approximate employee population

Under 1,000

[Default selected]

1,000–10,000

10,000+

3. Desired hiring timeline

Within 4 weeks

[Default selected]

Within 6–8 weeks

Flexible / prioritize candidate quality

Refine shortlist

With those details, the shortlist can be tailored to the actual seniority, technical requirements, and likely candidate pool for your search.

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