All answers / S11-D-perplexity-r2

S11-D | Perplexity | Observation 2

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Exact question

Our UK payroll workload has grown, so we are adding a permanent Senior Payroll Specialist to our existing small team. We need someone confident with end-to-end UK payroll and day-to-day queries. Which recruitment agencies can help?

Complete saved answer

For a permanent  Senior Payroll Specialist  with end-to-end UK payroll ownership and employee-query handling, the strongest first choices are specialist payroll recruiters—particularly  Portfolio Payroll ,  McKinnon Talent ,  Oakleaf Partnership , and  Michael Page . They can screen for PAYE/NI, statutory payments, pension auto-enrolment, payroll-system experience, and stakeholder/query-management skills. theportfoliogroup +3

Recommended agencies

| Agency | Why it fits | Best use |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Portfolio Payroll | Dedicated payroll recruiter operating since 1988; recruits permanent payroll roles from administrator to director level and covers in-house and bureau environments. It also screens candidates for technical payroll knowledge and assesses proficiency where appropriate. theportfoliogroup +1 | Strong first choice for a specialist permanent hire, especially if you want a broad national candidate pool. |
| McKinnon Talent | UK-wide specialist payroll recruiter that places roles from entry level through senior leadership across in-house, outsourced, bureau, and accountancy settings. [mckinnontalent.co](https://mckinnontalent.co.uk/) | Good for a focused, payroll-only search and for senior specialist talent. |
| Oakleaf Partnership | Has a dedicated payroll consultancy covering permanent and interim assignments, including Payroll Specialist and senior payroll/pension roles, with UK and international coverage. [oakleafpartnership](https://oakleafpartnership.com/business-areas/payroll/payroll-capabilities) | Useful if the role may later need pension, systems, or international-payroll capability. |
| Michael Page | Actively recruits permanent Senior Payroll Specialist roles involving end-to-end payroll and collaboration with HR, Finance, and business leaders. [michaelpage.co](https://michaelpage.co.uk/job-detail/senior-payroll-specialist/ref/jn-082026-7080784) | Good generalist alternative with strong permanent-hiring infrastructure. |
| Robert Half | Its Finance & Accounting division recruits permanent payroll roles and advertises roles requiring independent end-to-end UK payroll, PAYE, NI, statutory payments, and pension auto-enrolment. [Trusted domain roberthalf](https://roberthalf.com/gb/en/jobs/london-london/payroll) | Worth including for comparison, particularly if you want a finance-led candidate profile. |

What to brief them on

Ask each agency to target candidates who can demonstrate:

• Independent end-to-end processing of monthly UK payroll, including BACS/Faster Payments and pension submissions. [Trusted domain roberthalf](https://roberthalf.com/gb/en/jobs/london-london/payroll)

• Working knowledge of PAYE, National Insurance, statutory payments, and auto-enrolment. [Trusted domain roberthalf](https://roberthalf.com/gb/en/jobs/london-london/payroll)

• Experience resolving employee and manager payroll queries confidently and accurately. [theportfoliogroup](https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/)

• Familiarity with your payroll platform, plus strong Excel and reconciliation skills. [Trusted domain roberthalf](https://roberthalf.com/gb/en/jobs/london-london/payroll)

• Ability to work within a small team, handle variable pay such as bonuses or commission, and maintain controls and documentation. [Trusted domain roberthalf](https://roberthalf.com/gb/en/jobs/london-london/payroll)

Practical approach

1. Start with Portfolio Payroll and McKinnon Talent for specialist shortlists; both focus specifically on payroll recruitment. theportfoliogroup +1

2. Add Oakleaf and Michael Page in parallel to widen coverage without relying on a single recruiter. oakleafpartnership +1

3. Use a short, structured brief : headcount, pay frequency, payroll system, complexity of benefits/variable pay, hybrid/office expectations, salary band, and the split between processing and query resolution.

4. Test capability directly : include a short scenario on a payroll correction, statutory payment, pension enrolment issue, and an employee query escalation.

5. Consider interim cover only if needed : Portfolio and Oakleaf also provide temporary/contract payroll specialists if the permanent hire takes longer than expected. oakleafpartnership +1

For this specific role, I would prioritise  Portfolio Payroll  and  McKinnon Talent , then run  Oakleaf  and  Michael Page  as secondary searches.

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