All answers / S07-A-perplexity-r2

S07-A | Perplexity | Observation 2

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Exact question

Our Payroll Manager has resigned. We are a medium-sized UK employer and need a permanent replacement to run our UK payroll. Which recruitment agencies should we speak to?

Complete saved answer

For a permanent UK Payroll Manager, start with  specialist payroll recruiters  rather than generalist agencies: they will have the strongest active candidate pool and understand PAYE, HMRC, pensions, RTI, payroll systems and compliance. The two strongest first conversations are  Portfolio Payroll  and  Frazer Jones . theportfoliogroup +1

Agencies to approach

| Agency | Why consider them | Best fit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Portfolio Payroll | Positions itself as the UK’s largest specialist payroll recruiter, with dedicated permanent, executive and interim payroll consultants; recruits from payroll administrators through Heads of Payroll and Directors. theportfoliogroup +1 | Best first choice for a dedicated UK payroll manager; useful if you also need interim cover during the notice period. |
| Frazer Jones | Specialist HR and payroll recruiter offering permanent payroll recruitment and executive search; explicitly recruits roles such as UK Payroll Manager and EMEA Payroll Manager. [frazerjones](https://www.frazerjones.com/get-in-touch/book-a-consultation/payroll/) | Strong option if the role is senior, strategic, or involves managing a payroll team and payroll transformation. |
| Ashdown Group | UK HR recruitment specialist with permanent recruitment services and payroll-specialist roles; cites a large UK HR candidate network. [ashdowngroup](https://www.ashdowngroup.com/hr-recruitment) | Good second-tier option, especially for a hands-on Payroll Manager in a medium-sized employer. |
| Tiger HR | HR-only recruiter with permanent recruitment capability and UK coverage from London, Bristol and Manchester. [tiger-recruitment](https://tiger-recruitment.com/looking-to-recruit/hr/) | Worth approaching if payroll reports into HR and cultural/leadership fit is a major priority. |
| Hays | Broad-scale recruiter with strong professional and finance/HR coverage across the UK. ins-globalconsulting +1 | Useful for wider market reach, particularly if you are outside London or need a multi-site payroll leader. |
| Robert Walters / Michael Page | Mid-to-senior specialist recruitment across finance, HR and related functions. [avomind](https://www.avomind.com/post/top-recruitment-agencies-in-the-uk) | Consider if you want competitive benchmarking and access to candidates who may move between finance and HR-led payroll roles. |

Recommended approach

1. Brief Portfolio Payroll and Frazer Jones first. Ask each for a shortlist of permanent UK Payroll Manager candidates, salary benchmarks, current availability, and their process for testing UK payroll technical knowledge. theportfoliogroup +1

2. Add one regional or generalist agency —such as Hays, Robert Walters or Ashdown—only if the specialist agencies cannot produce sufficient quality within two to three weeks. ashdowngroup +1

3. Arrange interim cover now. Portfolio Payroll and Frazer Jones both offer interim or temporary payroll recruitment, which can protect month-end, year-end and HMRC deadlines while you hire permanently. frazerjones +1

4. Screen for the right profile. For a medium-sized UK employer, prioritise end-to-end UK payroll ownership: PAYE, NI, statutory payments, pension auto-enrolment, RTI submissions, P60s/P11Ds, year-end, payroll software, HMRC queries, and managing payroll staff or outsourced providers.

Brief to give agencies

Tell them you need a  permanent Payroll Manager  who can:

• Run UK payroll end to end with minimal supervision.

• Manage the payroll calendar, month-end, year-end and compliance deadlines.

• Supervise payroll staff and/or oversee a payroll bureau.

• Handle pensions, benefits, statutory payments, HMRC correspondence and audits.

• Improve controls, documentation and payroll-system processes.

• Partner with HR and Finance on reporting, cost analysis and employee queries.

I’d begin with  Portfolio Payroll  for depth of payroll-only candidates, and  Frazer Jones  for a more senior or leadership-oriented search; use one broader agency as a parallel market test rather than your primary route. theportfoliogroup +1

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