All answers / S03-D-perplexity-r2

S03-D | Perplexity | Observation 2

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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?

Complete saved answer

For a US-based  Payroll Director , prioritize firms that explicitly recruit payroll leadership—not general HR agencies. The strongest fits are specialist payroll/HCM recruiters plus a couple of national HR executive-search firms that cover director-level payroll roles.

Strong candidates to consider

| Firm | Why consider it | Best fit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Engaged Headhunters | Explicitly specializes in payroll solutions and compliance; recruits Director of Payroll and multi-state payroll leadership. [engagedheadhunters](https://www.engagedheadhunters.com/payroll-solutions) | Best first call for a specialized, compliance-heavy payroll search |
| Willory | Focuses on HCM, HR, and payroll staffing; lists Director of Payroll among its payroll roles. [willory](https://willory.com/employer-overview-old/staffing/) | Payroll/HCM-specific searches, including operational leadership |
| AccruePartners | Has a dedicated HR division and places Payroll Manager/Director, HR leadership, HRIS, and total-rewards professionals; offers direct hire and executive search. [accruepartners](https://www.accruepartners.com/divisions/human-resources) | A broader HR-partner search where payroll intersects with HR operations |
| Talent Connections | HR-only search firm placing roles from CHRO to HR business partner, including payroll-related talent; sources and vets candidates. talentconnections +1 | HR-centric leadership searches with payroll exposure |
| Trova | National HR recruiting reach across specialists through executives; covers payroll, benefits, and total-rewards leadership. [trovasearch](https://trovasearch.com/recruiting-specialties/human-resources-recruiting/) | National candidate reach and adjacent HR/total-rewards expertise |
| Talentfoot | Executive recruitment firm with Director of Payroll search activity. [talentfoot](https://talentfoot.com/jobs/director-of-payroll/) | Director-level or senior payroll-leadership searches |
| JRG Partners | National HR executive-search firm focused on senior HR leadership across major US markets. [jrgpartners](https://www.jrgpartners.com/human-resources-hr-executive-recruiters/) | Confidential, retained-style executive search |
| Scion Staffing | Nationwide direct-hire and executive-search recruiting across all 50 states; supports defining requirements, interview coordination, and permanent placement. [scionstaffing](https://scionstaffing.com/) | A flexible national partner if you want both search reach and process support |

How to structure the engagement

Since your US HR team will run interviews, ask each firm for a  sourcing-and-shortlist model : they identify, qualify, and present candidates; your team owns interviews, final assessment, and offer decisions. HR Works, for example, describes this division of labor—sourcing, screening, initial phone interviews, and candidate recommendations—while the client coordinates final interviews and offers.

[hrworks-inc](https://hrworks-inc.com/hr-services/hr-staffing-solutions/)

What to screen for

• Multi-state US payroll experience , including tax, compliance, and regulatory complexity; Engaged Headhunters specifically emphasizes high-volume, multi-state payroll operations. [engagedheadhunters](https://www.engagedheadhunters.com/payroll-solutions)

• Payroll platform depth relevant to your stack—e.g., Workday, ADP, UKG, Paylocity, Ceridian, or SAP—and payroll-implementation or transformation experience.

• Leadership scope : team size, payroll volume, countries/states supported, union or equity compensation exposure, and audit/internal-controls experience.

• Search terms and deliverables : require a calibrated profile, weekly pipeline updates, 5–8 qualified candidates, and confirmation that the firm will not represent the same candidates to competing searches.

Recommended shortlist

1. Engaged Headhunters — most directly specialized for a Payroll Director. [engagedheadhunters](https://www.engagedheadhunters.com/payroll-solutions)

2. Willory — strong payroll/HCM specialization. [willory](https://willory.com/employer-overview-old/staffing/)

3. AccruePartners — good if the role spans payroll, HR operations, and HRIS. [accruepartners](https://www.accruepartners.com/divisions/human-resources)

4. JRG Partners — better for a more senior, confidential executive search. [jrgpartners](https://www.jrgpartners.com/human-resources-hr-executive-recruiters/)

5. Scion Staffing — useful as a national backup or if you want a broad direct-hire recruiting relationship. [scionstaffing](https://scionstaffing.com/)

For a typical corporate Payroll Director, I would start with  Engaged Headhunters and Willory , then add  AccruePartners  if the mandate includes broader HR operations or HRIS ownership.

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