Perplexity
JGA not recommended.

For a permanent UK Payroll Manager, I would shortlist Portfolio Payroll, Hays, Oakleaf Partnership, and CV Screen . The strongest first choice is likely Portfolio Payroll because it is a dedicated payroll recruiter with explicit permanent-payroll-manager capability and published candidate-vetting processes.

Shortlist and evidence

| Agency | Why shortlist | Public evidence of payroll relevance |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Portfolio Payroll | Best specialist option for a permanent Payroll Manager; likely strongest access to payroll-specific candidates and market knowledge. | Describes itself as the UK’s largest specialist payroll recruiter, operating since 1988; recruits permanent roles from entry level to executive talent, including payroll managers. It says candidates are interviewed, briefed, referenced, CIPP knowledge-tested, and checked for right to work and qualifications. theportfoliogroup +2 |

| Hays | Strong choice if you want national reach, a large candidate network, and a well-established finance/accountancy recruitment brand. | Hays advertises dedicated payroll recruitment consultants, nearly 70 UK offices, and explicitly recruits permanent roles including Payroll Manager and Head of Payroll. [Trusted domain hays.co](https://hays.co.uk/jobs/accountancy-finance/payroll) |

| Oakleaf Partnership | Strong for a more consultative, specialist search, particularly if the role includes HR/payroll overlap, complex benefits, or senior stakeholder management. | Its payroll division is described as a dedicated payroll consultancy handling permanent and interim assignments from Payroll Clerk through Payroll Manager, Global Payroll Implementation Manager and Payroll Director; it also says many consultants have payroll/accounts backgrounds. [oakleafpartnership](https://oakleafpartnership.com/business-areas/payroll/payroll-capabilities) |

| CV Screen | Good value option for a focused permanent UK search, especially if you want a smaller specialist agency rather than a large multi-discipline firm. | States it has recruited payroll professionals since January 2000, for hundreds of organisations, including Payroll Manager and Head of Payroll roles; it says it interviews candidates against the brief and submits only relevant shortlists. [cvscreen.co](https://cvscreen.co.uk/payroll-recruitment/) |

How I would run the shortlist

• Primary: Portfolio Payroll — use for a dedicated payroll-market search and salary benchmarking.

• Secondary: Hays — useful for wider reach and speed, particularly if the role is outside London or needs a broad candidate pool.

• Contingency / specialist alternative: Oakleaf Partnership — particularly strong if the manager must own payroll transformation, global payroll, auto-enrolment, or close HR partnership.

• Additional boutique option: CV Screen — worth including if you want a more targeted, lower-overhead search.

What to test before appointing

Ask each agency for:

• Three recent, anonymised examples of permanent UK Payroll Manager placements , including company size, payroll headcount, pay frequency, and payroll system.

• Evidence of candidates experienced in your specific requirements: UK PAYE/RTI, pensions/auto-enrolment, statutory payments, P11Ds, year-end, payroll software, and team leadership.

• Their process for verifying CIPP status or equivalent payroll knowledge, references, right to work, and salary expectations.

• Fee structure, replacement guarantee, exclusivity terms, and expected time to shortlist.

Portfolio’s published claims of CIPP-tested candidates, references, and a shortlist within one business day are useful differentiators, but you should validate them with recent client references before granting exclusivity.

[theportfoliogroup](https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/hire-with-portfolio-payroll/)