All answers / S11-C-claude-r2

S11-C | Claude | Observation 2

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Exact question

Which recruitment agencies would you shortlist for a permanent Senior Payroll Specialist joining a small, growing UK payroll team, and what public evidence supports their experience with hands-on payroll hires?

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Shortlist for a permanent Senior Payroll Specialist (UK)

Almost all the public evidence I found is agency self-description or live job adverts. I found no independent verification, such as placement statistics, client case studies or audited reviews. Treat this as a starting list and test each agency in conversation.

Shortlist

1. Portfolio Payroll (Portfolio Group)

 is the strongest first call.

• Its site calls it the largest specialist payroll recruiter in the UK, operating since 1988, with offices in London and Manchester. [theportfoliogroup](https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/) [theportfoliogroup](https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/)

• It says it has dedicated consultants for permanent, executive and temporary/contract roles. [portfoliopayroll](https://portfoliopayroll.com/payroll/recruitment-services/)

• It also says it understands the technical demands of each role, from PAYE and pension compliance to payroll software expertise. [theportfoliogroup](https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/)

• It advertises a permanent Senior Payroll Specialist role at a retail brand, so it is hiring at your exact level now. Its other listings include a Senior Payroll Associate role at a growing multi-site chartered accountancy firm, which is closer to a small, growing team. [cv-library](https://cv-library.co.uk/list-jobs/222864/Portfolio-Payroll-Limited) [theportfoliogroup](https://theportfoliogroup.com/)

• It claims to be the number one recruitment agency on Trustpilot. I couldn’t verify that, so check the reviews yourself. [theportfoliogroup](https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/)

2. Frazer Jones

 suits you if the role has some seniority or strategic scope.

• It says it recruits permanent, interim, temporary and executive search roles across the payroll profession. [frazerjones](https://frazerjones.com/payroll/)

• It also says it uses proactive search to reach candidates who aren’t actively looking. That is useful for a senior hire. [frazerjones](https://frazerjones.com/payroll/)

• Its examples lean towards director and head-of-payroll roles, so it may be more than you need for a team-level specialist.

3. CV Screen

 is a cost-conscious option for a small team.

• It says it has recruited payroll professionals in the UK since January 2000. [cvscreen](https://cvscreen.co.uk/payroll-recruitment/)

• It lists Payroll Specialist among the roles it covers. [cvscreen](https://cvscreen.co.uk/payroll-recruitment/)

• It publishes a 15% fee on basic salary for permanent placements. Few agencies state fees openly, and that transparency is a point in its favour. [cvscreen](https://cvscreen.co.uk/payroll-recruitment/)

4. Oakleaf Partnership

 is worth considering if you want one agency covering payroll and wider HR or reward.

• It describes itself as the largest independent HR recruitment firm, placing HR, Reward and Payroll professionals since 2005, with a team dedicated exclusively to payroll. [oakleafpartnership](https://oakleafpartnership.com/business-areas/payroll) [oakleafpartnership](https://oakleafpartnership.com/business-areas/payroll)

• It lists permanent Payroll Specialist and Senior Payroll and Pension Analyst roles in London. [oakleafpartnership](https://oakleafpartnership.com/business-areas/payroll)

• The page I found looked old, so confirm it’s still current.

5. Michael Page

 is a reasonable benchmarking option rather than a specialist.

• Its payroll job board includes a Payroll Manager role described as hands-on, managing a small team, plus Payroll Specialist roles across several salary bands. [michaelpage](https://michaelpage.co.uk/jobs/payroll)

• That shows real permanent payroll activity, but it is a generalist firm. Ask which consultant actually covers payroll.

Also seen:

 JGA Recruitment says it specialises in payroll and HR recruitment, with over 100 years of combined expertise. That is unverified marketing, and the page I saw may be dated. 

[jgarecruitment](https://jgarecruitment.com/payroll-recruitment/)

Caveats

• Job adverts show an agency is active, not that it fills roles well.

• “Largest”, “market leader” and “number one” are self-reported claims.

• Several pages I retrieved were months or years old.

Questions to ask before you commit

1. How many permanent Senior Payroll Specialist placements have you made in the last 12 months, and in which sectors?

2. Can I speak to two clients with a small team of similar size, and what is your time-to-hire and offer-to-start fallout rate?

3. What is the replacement guarantee, and what are the fee terms on a perm placement?

4. How do you assess systems experience (for example Sage, Staffology, ResourceLink or iTrent) and technical skills like RTI, pensions auto-enrolment and year-end?

I’d approach Portfolio Payroll first, then CV Screen or Oakleaf, and compare their answers. I haven’t verified Trustpilot ratings or any placement outcomes, so do that before you shortlist definitively.

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