JGA STUDY · SAVED-TEXT EVIDENCE EXPORT Original answer wording and recorded date preserved. Answer ID: S07-C-perplexity-r1 Recorded UTC: 2026-10-19T21:20:16.655Z Product: Perplexity Observation: 1 Collection country: UK Access: Dedicated signed-in / Free Model label: Search; automatic/default Model Mode: Free plan Search; native Incognito; underlying model not disclosed EXACT QUESTION We need to replace our Payroll Manager at a medium-sized UK company. Which recruitment agencies would you shortlist for this permanent UK payroll role, and what public evidence supports their relevant experience? FULL SAVED ANSWER 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/) SOURCES S07-C-perplexity-r1-C1 | supporting_citation | https://hays.co.uk/jobs/accountancy-finance/payroll S07-C-perplexity-r1-C2 | supporting_citation | https://oakleafpartnership.com/business-areas/payroll/payroll-capabilities S07-C-perplexity-r1-C3 | supporting_citation | https://cvscreen.co.uk/payroll-recruitment/ S07-C-perplexity-r1-C4 | supporting_citation | https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/hire-with-portfolio-payroll/ S07-C-perplexity-r1-R1 | retrieved_result | https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/ S07-C-perplexity-r1-R2 | retrieved_result | https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/recruitment-services/ S07-C-perplexity-r1-R3 | retrieved_result | https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/hire-with-portfolio-payroll/ S07-C-perplexity-r1-R4 | retrieved_result | https://hays.co.uk/jobs/accountancy-finance/payroll S07-C-perplexity-r1-R5 | retrieved_result | https://oakleafpartnership.com/business-areas/payroll/payroll-capabilities S07-C-perplexity-r1-R6 | retrieved_result | https://cvscreen.co.uk/payroll-recruitment/ S07-C-perplexity-r1-R7 | retrieved_result | https://tiger-recruitment.com/looking-to-recruit/hr/ S07-C-perplexity-r1-R8 | retrieved_result | https://alliancerecruitmentagency.com/recruitment-agency-uk/ S07-C-perplexity-r1-R9 | retrieved_result | https://ins-globalconsulting.com/news-post/recruitment-agencies-in-the-uk/ S07-C-perplexity-r1-R10 | retrieved_result | https://avomind.com/post/top-recruitment-agencies-in-the-uk S07-C-perplexity-r1-G1 | supporting_citation | https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/ S07-C-perplexity-r1-G2 | supporting_citation | https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/recruitment-services/ S07-C-perplexity-r1-G3 | supporting_citation | https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/hire-with-portfolio-payroll/