Claude: both observations

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.

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.