Claude: both observations

I’d approach a small number of firms rather than a wide panel, because every extra firm you brief increases the risk of a leak. Here is how I’d tier the options, based on what I found on their own sites and directory listings. Check current details with each firm directly.

Specialist payroll and HR search firms (first calls)

• Frazer Jones. Its payroll practice is led by John O’Brien, who recruits executive payroll and benefits professionals with UK, EMEA and global remits. The firm also offers executive search, contingent and interim recruitment. It is probably the most obvious first conversation for a role at this level. [frazerjones](https://frazerjones.com/consultants/john-obrien) [frazerjones](https://frazerjones.com/?p=140035)

• Oakleaf Partnership. It describes itself as a large independent provider of executive recruitment and search for the HR, Payroll and Human Capital Services professions, on both contingent and retained bases. It has run searches for global payroll head roles in London. [turtl](https://trial.turtl.co/story/5cdbd1c68accb63519b77c51/page/2)

• Middlemore. It is listed in the Global Payroll Association directory as a specialist executive search firm covering Global Payroll, HR, HRIS, Finance and Reward. It also offers talent mapping, salary benchmarking and market intelligence, which can help you scope the market quietly before committing to a search. [gpa](https://gpa.net/blogs/directory/middlemore) [gpa](https://gpa.net/blogs/directory/middlemore)

• James Gray Associates (JGA). It specialises in Payroll, HR and Reward recruitment across the UK, Europe and Asia. It also runs payroll-specific executive search and coaching services. [flippingbook](https://online.flippingbook.com/view/777126713/51/)

Broader firms with executive search arms (alternatives)

• Morgan McKinley has a dedicated executive search offering alongside its general recruitment.

• Hays has a payroll practice, though it is more volume-oriented, so I would only use it if you want a larger-scale option.

• Large generalist search houses such as Heidrick & Struggles, Korn Ferry, Spencer Stuart or Russell Reynolds would be heavier and more expensive than a payroll role usually warrants. They make sense if the role is board-visible or sits within a wider leadership change.

Keeping the search confidential

• Choose retained search. Retained firms approach candidates directly and don’t post adverts or circulate CVs. Contingent firms may share your brief more widely to find candidates fast.

• Use an NDA and a confidential brief. Brief the firm under an NDA, and ask them to describe the client anonymously (“a global business in [sector]”) until a candidate is interested and signs their own NDA.

• Keep the candidate list tight. Ask who will see the brief internally at the firm and how they handle approaches to people who may know your current director or team.

• Check for conflicts. Ask whether the firm has placed people into your business recently or has a relationship with the current director. Payroll is a small community, and many consultants know each other’s networks well.

• Control the timing. Agree a clear process for when and how the current director is told, so the news doesn’t leak mid-search.

• Consider a mapping exercise first. Several of these firms offer market mapping before a full search, which tests the talent pool without any public activity.

Questions to ask any shortlisted firm

1. How many global payroll director or head-level searches have you completed in the last two years?

2. Can you run this as a retained search with a named lead consultant?

3. What is your process for anonymised candidate approaches?

4. Do you have any current or recent relationship with our business or competitors?

5. Do you have a guarantee or replacement period?

I’d suggest a short call with two or three of the specialists above, then choose based on how they handle confidentiality and how well they know your sector. The directory listings and websites I found describe each firm’s own positioning, so ask for client references before deciding. I can draft a confidential brief or an approach email to the firms if that would help.

Most of this comes from my own knowledge of the UK market, with a few firms confirmed by search. Treat it as a shortlist to vet, not a ranking.

Payroll-specialist search firms

These know the small global payroll community best, which cuts both ways for confidentiality.

• Middlemore describes itself as a specialist executive search and recruitment firm covering Global Payroll, HR, HRIS, Finance and Reward, and offers talent mapping and succession planning. It is active in the global payroll community through events and roundtables, so ask how it keeps client work walled off. [gpa](https://gpa.net/blogs/directory/middlemore)

• Olympus Talent presents itself as a global retained executive search firm covering Director to C-suite payroll roles, with global payroll leadership as its founding specialism. I only found a marketplace listing, and the award and reach claims are self-reported, so check references independently. [usemultiplier](https://www.usemultiplier.com/?p=199754)

HR and finance specialists with executive search arms

• Frazer Jones (part of SR Group) is headquartered in the City of London and offers executive search for leadership and board-level specialists. It also places a lot of global payroll roles. [frazerjones](https://www.frazerjones.com/job-region/uk/)

• Oakleaf Partnership calls itself the UK’s largest independent HR recruitment consultancy and handles global payroll leadership roles. Its public postings tend to sit below Director level, so confirm it runs genuine retained searches at your seniority. [personneltoday](https://jobs.personneltoday.com/job/1401574274/head-of-global-payroll/)

Generalist retained executive search firms

These are the safest bet for a truly confidential search, particularly if the role reports to the CFO or CHRO:

• Korn Ferry

• Spencer Stuart

• Russell Reynolds Associates

• Heidrick & Struggles

• Odgers Berndtson

• Egon Zehnder

• Michael Page Executive Search

Check which of them has a real HR, finance or reward practice in London. Few have a dedicated payroll partner, but they can map the market discreetly and approach candidates directly.

Keeping it confidential

• Retained, not contingent. Contingent agencies are paid per placement and tend to circulate “a client is looking” blurbs widely. Retained search is built around direct, off-the-record approaches.

• No advertising. Ask for a purely research-led, direct-approach search. Have the firm use a blind profile with no company name until a candidate has signed an NDA.

• Ask about conflicts and leakage. Does the firm currently place candidates into your payroll team, or have a relationship with your current Director? Ask for an off-limits agreement and a named, small team on the search.

• Limit the internal circle. Keep it to the CFO, CHRO and one legal or HR lead. Don’t discuss it over shared channels or calendars.

• Get employment law advice first. Notice, contract terms and the exit process affect timing and the risk of a leak. I’m not a lawyer, so take UK employment advice before you start.

I can draft a brief or a selection questionnaire to send to two or three firms.