JGA STUDY · SAVED-TEXT EVIDENCE EXPORT Original answer wording and recorded date preserved. Answer ID: S11-C-claude-r1 Recorded UTC: 2026-10-20T02:34:40.803Z Product: Claude Observation: 1 Collection country: UK Access: Dedicated signed-in / Free Model label: Sonnet 5.5 Medium Mode: Incognito; Manual; default Medium EXACT QUESTION Which recruitment agencies would you shortlist for a permanent Senior Payroll Specialist joining a small, growing UK payroll team, and what public evidence supports their experience with hands-on payroll hires? FULL SAVED ANSWER 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. SOURCES S11-C-claude-r1-C1 | supporting_citation | https://a-leads.co/company/1310115_db8aecdb S11-C-claude-r1-C2 | supporting_citation | https://online.flippingbook.com/view/478805754/64/ S11-C-claude-r1-C3 | supporting_citation | https://a-leads.co/company/1310115_db8aecdb S11-C-claude-r1-C4 | supporting_citation | https://online.flippingbook.com/view/465974652/54/ S11-C-claude-r1-C5 | supporting_citation | https://online.flippingbook.com/view/293357402/51/ S11-C-claude-r1-C6 | supporting_citation | https://online.flippingbook.com/view/465974652/54/ S11-C-claude-r1-C7 | supporting_citation | https://online.flippingbook.com/view/478805754/67/ S11-C-claude-r1-C8 | supporting_citation | https://online.flippingbook.com/view/478805754/67/ S11-C-claude-r1-C9 | supporting_citation | https://online.flippingbook.com/view/478805754/67/ S11-C-claude-r1-C10 | supporting_citation | https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/details/17306735 S11-C-claude-r1-C11 | supporting_citation | https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/details/16598973?lang_code=cy S11-C-claude-r1-C12 | supporting_citation | https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/details/17936904 S11-C-claude-r1-C13 | supporting_citation | https://online.flippingbook.com/view/293357402/51/ S11-C-claude-r1-C14 | supporting_citation | https://frazerjones.com/job/payroll-specialist-101791/ S11-C-claude-r1-C15 | supporting_citation | https://jobs.personneltoday.com/job/1401603356/payroll-specialist-/