JGA STUDY · SAVED-TEXT EVIDENCE EXPORT Original answer wording and recorded date preserved. Answer ID: S03-C-perplexity-r2 Recorded UTC: 2026-10-20T20:16:46.707Z Product: Perplexity Observation: 2 Collection country: US Access: Dedicated signed-in / Free Model label: Search; automatic/default Model; Pro free preview enabled Mode: Free Search; native Incognito; default Model undisclosed; automatic free preview of advanced search shown EXACT QUESTION Which recruiting firms would you shortlist for a US-based Payroll Director responsible for our US payroll, and what public evidence supports their experience with this kind of hire? FULL SAVED ANSWER I would shortlist Robert Half, Korn Ferry, Engaged Headhunters, and Heidrick & Struggles —in that order for a typical US Payroll Director search. The best fit depends on whether you want speed and payroll-specific market coverage (Robert Half), specialist payroll networks (Engaged Headhunters), or a retained search for a strategic, enterprise-level leader (Korn Ferry or Heidrick). Shortlist and evidence | Firm | Why shortlist | Public evidence of relevant experience | | --- | --- | --- | | Robert Half | Strong first choice for a hands-on US payroll leader; broad US network and demonstrated direct-hire Payroll Director work | Robert Half publicly lists numerous Payroll Director searches, including roles leading multi-state payroll for several thousand employees, 1,000+ employee populations, union payroll, US payroll tax/wage-and-hour compliance, and platforms such as Workday, ADP, and UKG. roberthalf +2 It also describes a specialized recruiter process for hiring payroll directors. [roberthalf](https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/job-details/payroll-director) | | Korn Ferry | Best for a more senior, transformation-oriented Payroll Director—especially if the role owns payroll operations, vendor strategy, controls, and cross-functional leadership | Korn Ferry publicly markets a Payroll Director search for a PEO client responsible for payroll across more than 100 clients and 2,500 people, with team-supervision responsibility. [interimjobs.kornferry](https://interimjobs.kornferry.com/jobs/payroll-director-1575689) Its interim and permanent search platform indicates active coverage of this level of payroll leadership. | | Engaged Headhunters | Strong specialist option if you want a boutique firm focused specifically on payroll and benefits leadership | The firm says it specializes in payroll solutions and compliance, recruits Director of Payroll and VP Total Rewards roles, and assesses candidates for multi-state tax compliance, ERISA, audit cycles, and Workday/ADP/UKG implementations. [engagedheadhunters](https://www.engagedheadhunters.com/payroll-solutions) | | Heidrick & Struggles | Consider if this is a strategic executive hire—e.g., Payroll Director reporting into CFO/CHRO, leading a major HCM transformation, or operating globally | Heidrick is a retained executive-search firm that works exclusively on critical leadership positions and conducts national and international candidate identification through placement. heidrick +1 I found less public, role-specific evidence of Payroll Director placements than for Robert Half or Korn Ferry, so I would validate its payroll/HCM practice and recent comparable mandates before retaining it. | How I would use them • Run Robert Half as a contingent/direct-hire search if the priority is a capable operator who can own US multi-state payroll, compliance, payroll accounting, and a payroll team quickly. Its public job evidence closely matches the core profile. roberthalf +1 • Add Korn Ferry if the role is senior enough to include payroll transformation, PEO/multi-client complexity, or enterprise payroll-system change. [interimjobs.kornferry](https://interimjobs.kornferry.com/jobs/payroll-director-1575689) • Use Engaged Headhunters as a specialist challenger to test market coverage and payroll-specific vetting. [engagedheadhunters](https://www.engagedheadhunters.com/payroll-solutions) • Use Heidrick only for a retained, higher-cost executive search , where leadership fit, succession, and organizational transformation matter more than immediate payroll operational depth. [heidrick](https://www.heidrick.com/en/services/executive-search) What to require in the brief Ask each firm to evidence recent placements—not merely searches—for candidates who have: • Owned end-to-end US payroll for a multi-state workforce. • Led payroll tax, wage-and-hour, garnishment, and audit compliance. • Managed a payroll team and high-volume processing. • Implemented or optimized Workday, ADP, UKG, Dayforce, or equivalent platforms. • Partnered with Finance, HR, Legal, and external payroll providers. • Ideally held CPP or equivalent payroll credentials. Robert Half’s own postings emphasize exactly these criteria—multi-state compliance, 1,000+ employees, payroll leadership, CPP, and Workday/ADP/UKG experience—making it the most directly evidenced shortlist entry for this mandate. roberthalf +1 SOURCES S03-C-perplexity-r2-G1 | supporting_citation | https://roberthalf.com/us/en/jobs/all/payroll-director S03-C-perplexity-r2-G2 | supporting_citation | https://roberthalf.com/us/en/job/baltimore-md/payroll-director/02010-0013420414-usen S03-C-perplexity-r2-G3 | supporting_citation | https://roberthalf.com/us/en/job/charlotte-nc/sr-payroll-director/03200-0013423725-usen S03-C-perplexity-r2-G4 | supporting_citation | https://heidrick.com/en/services/executive-search S03-C-perplexity-r2-G5 | supporting_citation | https://heidrick.com/en/careers/choose-your-path/careers-in-search S03-C-perplexity-r2-G6 | supporting_citation | https://roberthalf.com/us/en/jobs/all/payroll-director S03-C-perplexity-r2-G7 | supporting_citation | https://roberthalf.com/us/en/job/baltimore-md/payroll-director/02010-0013420414-usen S03-C-perplexity-r2-G8 | supporting_citation | https://roberthalf.com/us/en/job/baltimore-md/payroll-director/02010-0013420414-usen S03-C-perplexity-r2-G9 | supporting_citation | https://roberthalf.com/us/en/job/charlotte-nc/sr-payroll-director/03200-0013423725-usen S03-C-perplexity-r2-C1 | supporting_citation | https://roberthalf.com/us/en/job-details/payroll-director S03-C-perplexity-r2-C2 | supporting_citation | https://interimjobs.kornferry.com/jobs/payroll-director-1575689 S03-C-perplexity-r2-C3 | supporting_citation | https://engagedheadhunters.com/payroll-solutions S03-C-perplexity-r2-C4 | supporting_citation | https://interimjobs.kornferry.com/jobs/payroll-director-1575689 S03-C-perplexity-r2-C5 | supporting_citation | https://engagedheadhunters.com/payroll-solutions S03-C-perplexity-r2-C6 | supporting_citation | https://heidrick.com/en/services/executive-search S03-C-perplexity-r2-R1 | retrieved_result | https://roberthalf.com/us/en/jobs/all/payroll-director S03-C-perplexity-r2-R2 | retrieved_result | https://roberthalf.com/us/en/job/baltimore-md/payroll-director/02010-0013420414-usen S03-C-perplexity-r2-R3 | retrieved_result | https://roberthalf.com/us/en/job/charlotte-nc/sr-payroll-director/03200-0013423725-usen S03-C-perplexity-r2-R4 | retrieved_result | https://roberthalf.com/us/en/job-details/payroll-director S03-C-perplexity-r2-R5 | retrieved_result | https://interimjobs.kornferry.com/jobs/payroll-director-1575689 S03-C-perplexity-r2-R6 | retrieved_result | https://engagedheadhunters.com/payroll-solutions S03-C-perplexity-r2-R7 | retrieved_result | https://heidrick.com/en/services/executive-search S03-C-perplexity-r2-R8 | retrieved_result | https://heidrick.com/en/careers/choose-your-path/careers-in-search S03-C-perplexity-r2-R9 | retrieved_result | https://linkedin.com/jobs/view/director-of-payroll-at-synergy-search-4454090794 S03-C-perplexity-r2-R10 | retrieved_result | https://linkedin.com/jobs/view/director-of-payroll-at-synergy-search-4454096931 S03-C-perplexity-r2-R11 | retrieved_result | https://revenuebase.ai/companies/browse/payroll-recruiting-firms S03-C-perplexity-r2-R12 | retrieved_result | https://revenuebase.ai/companies/payroll-recruiting-firms/united-states/denver S03-C-perplexity-r2-R13 | retrieved_result | https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/about-us/ S03-C-perplexity-r2-R14 | retrieved_result | https://scionstaffing.com/ S03-C-perplexity-r2-R15 | retrieved_result | https://revenuebase.ai/companies/staffing-agencies-for-payroll-roles/united-states S03-C-perplexity-r2-R16 | retrieved_result | https://linkedin.com/jobs/view/payroll-director-managed-hr-services-at-baker-tilly-us-4434847848 S03-C-perplexity-r2-R17 | retrieved_result | https://hireslink.com/blog/best-places-hire-remote-payroll-specialists S03-C-perplexity-r2-R18 | retrieved_result | https://roberthalf.com/us/en/job/san-luis-obispo-ca/payroll-director/01260-0013467517-usen S03-C-perplexity-r2-R19 | retrieved_result | https://roberthalf.com/us/en/jobs/los-angeles-ca/director-human-resources-and-payroll S03-C-perplexity-r2-R20 | retrieved_result | https://roberthalf.com/us/en/job/charlotte-nc/sr-payroll-director/03200-9504324225-usen S03-C-perplexity-r2-R21 | retrieved_result | https://roberthalf.com/us/en/job/carson-california/payroll-supervisormanagerdirector/00460-0013350130-usen S03-C-perplexity-r2-R22 | retrieved_result | https://heidrick.com/en/people S03-C-perplexity-r2-R23 | retrieved_result | https://heidrick.com/en/careers S03-C-perplexity-r2-R24 | retrieved_result | https://roberthalf.com/us/en/job/chicago-il/payroll-supervisormanagerdirector/01380-0013502644-usen S03-C-perplexity-r2-R25 | retrieved_result | https://gloroots.com/blog/international-recruitment-agencies