Claude
JGA recommended.

I’d shortlist four agencies, plus one reserve. The evidence below is public and mostly self-published, so treat it as a starting point for your own checks rather than proof of quality.

1. Portfolio Payroll (first call)

• It describes itself as a payroll-only recruiter, covering permanent, temporary and contract roles at all levels across the UK. [a-leads](https://a-leads.co/company/1310115_db8aecdb)

• It says it was founded in 1988 and focuses solely on payroll professionals. [flippingbook](https://online.flippingbook.com/view/478805754/64/)

• It is a CIPP corporate partner, and the partnership includes a payroll test written by the CIPP exclusively for Portfolio’s candidates. This is useful for screening a senior hire. [a-leads](https://a-leads.co/company/1310115_db8aecdb)

• Its recent CIPP directory listing claims the number one recruitment agency ranking on Trustpilot. That is self-reported, so check Trustpilot yourself. [flippingbook](https://online.flippingbook.com/view/465974652/54/)

• A 2021 CIPP directory entry called it the CIPP’s sole preferred supplier. I wouldn’t rely on that now, because the 2026 listings carry a disclaimer that the CIPP does not endorse or show preference to any provider. [flippingbook](https://online.flippingbook.com/view/293357402/51/) [flippingbook](https://online.flippingbook.com/view/465974652/54/)

2. James Gray Associates

• It specialises in payroll, HR and reward recruitment, covering permanent, contract and interim roles. [flippingbook](https://online.flippingbook.com/view/478805754/67/)

• It also offers CIPP members 20% off standard terms, so it’s worth asking if you or your team hold CIPP membership. Fees may well be negotiable anyway. [flippingbook](https://online.flippingbook.com/view/478805754/67/)

• Its CIPP listing was still running in 2025, but I found no live job adverts, so ask for recent placements.

3. Hays (Payroll Management / Accountancy & Finance)

• It has a long-running CIPP directory listing, saying it places professional experts into payroll jobs across a range of UK industries. [flippingbook](https://online.flippingbook.com/view/478805754/67/)

• It has live permanent adverts. One from October 2025 was for a permanent payroll specialist in Manchester, with a large team handling over 10,000 payslips. [dwp](https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/details/17306735)

• Hays suits larger, high-volume payroll environments better than a small team. Ask who the dedicated payroll consultant would be.

4. CMA Recruitment Group

• It has recent adverts closer to your brief: a Senior Payroll Specialist role in Havant (May 2025), and a permanent Payroll Specialist role at a growing business (February 2026). [dwp](https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/details/16598973?lang_code=cy) [dwp](https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/details/17936904)

• Neither is the same as a track record, but both show current hands-on payroll hiring.

• The Havant role was part-time and fixed-term, so ask how many of its payroll placements are permanent.

Reserve: Frazer Jones

• Its CIPP listing says it developed a payroll specialist practice. [flippingbook](https://online.flippingbook.com/view/293357402/51/)

• Its advert was for a City of London bureau role requiring CIPP part-qualified or qualified status and 3–5 years’ UK payroll experience. That is a good sign for payroll depth, but it is a bureau/professional-services role and not undated evidence of in-house senior hires. [frazerjones](https://www.frazerjones.com/job/payroll-specialist-101791/)

Probably not first choice:

Oakleaf Partnership calls itself the UK’s largest independent HR recruitment consultancy. Its payroll adverts I found date from 2019–2022, and it is a generalist HR recruiter.

[personneltoday](https://jobs.personneltoday.com/job/1401603356/payroll-specialist-/)

Before instructing anyone, ask each agency for:

• Three recent permanent payroll placements at a similar level, ideally with small or growing teams.

• The name and tenure of the consultant who would run your search.

• Fee percentage, rebate period, and whether they will work on a retained or exclusive basis.

• How they test technical skills (year-end, statutory payments, your payroll software).

Sources are agency self-descriptions, CIPP advertising pages and job listings, not independent reviews. For something more independent, check Trustpilot or Google reviews, or ask peers in your local CIPP network.