What JGA Recruitment Group does

JGA Recruitment Group Ltd (trading as JGA Recruitment, JGA Payroll, JGA HR, and historically James Gray Associates) is a privately held UK specialist recruitment agency registered in England and Wales, headquartered in Harpenden. The company provides permanent, temporary and contract recruitment exclusively within the payroll and HR functions, with sub-vertical coverage including global payroll, HRIS, reward, accountancy and bureau, contract, professional services, and HR-tech (Dayforce, Workday, UKG, SAP, Oracle, ADP). Engagement models span contingent (no win no fee), exclusive search, retained search and contract recruitment.

Beyond core recruitment, JGA operates a portfolio of adjacent revenue lines delivered through a partnership ecosystem: coaching and ILM qualifications (Coaching Focus), leadership diagnostics and the Habit programme for private equity firms (Meta Team), HR transformation and global payroll/WFM consulting (WH People), AI-powered payroll maturity assessments and health checks (Inference Group), and a planet-positive recruitment solution that offsets carbon via carbon credits and tree planting (Greenify/WeGreenify). Underlying platform assets include three podcasts (The Payroll Podcast, The HR L&D Podcast, The Mindful Paths Podcast totalling 270+ episodes), a 193-article news and views blog, a payroll and HR salary benchmarking calculator at payrollhrsalary.com, and a library of 30+ free job description templates.

The go-to-market is sales-led enterprise field sales via dedicated specialist consultants, supported by self-serve candidate and employer portals and a content-led inbound funnel driven by the podcast and blog library. Reported quality signals include 100+ five-star Google reviews, 97.6% candidate retention rate, B Corp certification (2025) with a published Carbon Reduction Plan, multiple Great Place to Work awards (UK Best Workplaces in Consulting and Professional Services, for Wellbeing, for Development, for Women, and overall in 2023-2024), and the Global Vision Award at the 42nd PayrollOrg Congress (2024). The company operates a wholly-owned US entity (JGA US) and a 17-person named team across specialist verticals, with no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, or parent company.

Name

JGA Recruitment Group

Legal name

JGA Recruitment Group Ltd

Website

https://jgarecruitment.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

JGA Recruitment Group is a UK-based specialist recruitment agency providing permanent, temporary, contract and retained search services exclusively within payroll and HR functions, serving enterprise and mid-market employers across the UK, EMEA and the US through wholly-owned JGA US, with adjacent coaching, consulting and AI payroll advisory lines delivered through partner alliances.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialist Recruitment Services (Payroll & HR)

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Executive Search Services (561312), Temporary Help Services (56132)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare) (BPACAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive & Leadership Direct Hire (BPACAFAB), General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA), Remote & Global/Multilingual Direct Hire (BPACAFAO)

Keywords

• Payroll recruitment
• HR talent acquisition
• Executive search services
• Contract recruitment solutions
• Coaching consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Harpenden

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Permanent Placement Recruitment: Contingency-based permanent recruitment where clients pay upon successful placement. Services include contingent, exclusive, and retained search models.
2. Contract and Temporary Staffing: Placement of temporary payroll and HR professionals to fill contract positions
3. Consulting Services: Global payroll and HR transformation consulting, project management, system implementation, and change management support
4. Coaching Services: Executive coaching, leadership mentoring, skills coaching, team programmes, and ILM qualifications delivered through Coaching Focus partnership

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

JGA Recruitment Group is a specialist talent consultancy that places Payroll and HR professionals into permanent, temporary, and contract roles for employers across the UK and EMEA. Beyond candidate placement, it offers executive and skills coaching, leadership diagnostics, payroll and HR transformation consulting, AI-powered payroll assessments (via partner Inference Group), and a planet-positive (Greenify) recruitment add-on that offsets the carbon footprint of each hire.

Product overview

JGA Recruitment Group operates as a specialist recruitment agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of talent acquisition and people development services. The core offering comprises Payroll Recruitment and HR Recruitment services (both permanent and temporary), supported by multiple engagement models including Contingent, Exclusive, Retained, and Contract recruitment solutions. The company has expanded into adjacent service lines including Consulting, Coaching, and Mentoring (offered directly and through partnerships with Coaching Focus, Meta Team, and WH People), with additional AI-powered payroll assessment services through Inference Group. Content and thought leadership is delivered via three podcasts (The Payroll Podcast, The HR L&D Podcast, The Mindful Paths Podcast), while complementary resources include salary calculators, job description templates, and sustainability-focused recruitment through the Greenify Talent planet-positive solution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Payroll Recruitment (Permanent) Bespoke permanent payroll recruitment across all sectors in the UK and EMEA, sourcing payroll professionals from administrator through director level.
• Temporary Payroll Recruitment Temporary and contract payroll staffing solutions for immediate cover, project work, and specialised expertise requirements.
• HR Recruitment (Permanent) Permanent HR recruitment across generalist HR, HRIS, reward, and L&D functions, sourcing candidates from the top 15% of the HR talent pool across the UK and globally.
• Temporary HR Recruitment Temporary HR staffing providing flexibility and swift talent acquisition for HR teams needing interim or contract cover.
• Contingent Recruitment No Win, No Fee contingent recruitment producing high-quality end-to-end candidate shortlists for employers.
• Exclusive Recruitment Exclusivity-arrangement recruitment with in-depth talent search and the highest-calibre candidates.
• Retained Search Full-service retained search managing end-to-end sourcing, screening, interview coordination, and onboarding for senior payroll and HR hires.
• Contract Recruitment Contract and temporary recruitment placing immediately available payroll and HR professionals into organisations needing quick onboarding.
• Greenify Talent (Planet-Positive Recruitment) Planet-positive recruitment add-on that offsets 3 tonnes of carbon emissions per hire and neutralises one employee's eco-footprint for one year through natural climate solutions (nature-based carbon credits, plastic recovery, tree planting).
• Payroll & HR Consulting Services Global payroll and HR transformation consulting including project management, system implementation, data expertise, and change management support.
• Executive Coaching (Direct) ILM Level 7 qualified executive coaching designed to unlock potential with insights, tools, and perspectives for personal and professional growth.
• Leadership Mentoring ILM Level 7 qualified mentorship for payroll and HR professionals including CV coaching, interview practice, business mentoring, and career coaching.
• Coaching Focus Skills Coaching Virtual and in-person skills coaching programmes including virtual day (£2,250), full day in person (£2,500), half day in person (£1,750) or virtual (£1,500), and virtual masterclass (£750).
• Coaching Focus Team Coaching Programmes Structured team coaching programmes including Leader as Coach (£6,750, up to 12 people), Coaching Fundamentals (£1,250, up to 15 people), Coachee Readiness (£1,500), and Master the Art of Coaching (£1,500).
• Coaching Focus Executive Coaching One-to-one executive coaching programme of six 90-minute sessions delivered via dedicated coaching hub and tailored to role and goals, priced by seniority from £2,500 (Manager) to £7,500 (CEO).
• Digital Coaching Hub On-demand coaching platform with templates, toolkits, video content, and self-paced learning modules, offered for individuals (£120/year) and full team access (from £10,000).
• META Diagnostic Leadership team diagnostic measuring trust, clarity, alignment, execution, and behaviour via anonymous input, evidence-based insight, and optional follow-on Habit programme (£200 per person).
• The Habit Programme Structured guided programme focused on shifting one leadership behaviour, built around diagnostic insight and run over a set timeframe with clear outcomes (£9,900 full delivery including planning, facilitation and follow-up support).
• Transition Coaching Three 60-minute virtual coaching sessions delivered over the first 90 days in a new senior role, focused on clarity, confidence, and performance, priced from £1,500 (Management level) to £2,100 (Director or Executive level).
• AI Powered Payroll Maturity Assessment AI-powered assessment of payroll operations identifying areas where automation and smart tools could save time or reduce risk, with practical recommendations.
• Payroll Health Checks AI-powered auditing service uncovering compliance gaps, bad data, and potential errors before they happen to strengthen compliance and reduce rework.
• AI Integration and Team Training AI tool rollout, setup, integration, in-house team training, and ongoing support to scale or adapt AI solutions within existing payroll systems.
• WH People Process Performance Coaching People-process improvement, employee experience strategy, coaching and upskilling for People teams, and project and transformation support delivered by WH People (from £250/hour to £1,500/day plus VAT and expenses).
• WH People Technology Performance Coaching HCM, Pay, and Workforce Management technology optimisation, HRIS team coaching, and project support and upgrades delivered by WH People (from £250/hour to £1,500/day plus VAT and expenses).
• WH People Global Payroll and Workforce Management Navigation Global payroll and workforce management market navigation using the PACE methodology to identify the right strategy, partner, and model, including business case development and programme clarity (from £250/hour to £1,500/day plus VAT and expenses).
• ILM Coaching Qualifications (Levels 3, 5, 7) ILM-recognised coaching qualifications at Level 3 (£1,516 + VAT + £120 ILM registration), Level 5 (£1,836 + VAT + £201 ILM registration), and Level 7 (£2,396 + VAT + £247 ILM registration).

Quantifiable outcome

• 97.6% candidate retention rate on placements
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Coaching FocuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver comprehensive coaching services including skills coaching, team programmes, executive coaching, and ILM qualifications. Services available virtually or in person with certified coaches.
• Meta TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to help private equity firms assess leadership team performance through the META Diagnostic tool and Habit programme. Designed to uncover trust, clarity, alignment, and execution issues.
• WH PeoplecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing HR transformation consulting including process performance coaching, technology optimisation, and global payroll market navigation using the PACE methodology.
• Inference GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership to deliver practical AI tools for in-house payroll teams including AI Powered Payroll Maturity Assessment, Payroll Health Checks, and AI Integration and Team Training services.
• Greenify (WeGreenify)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanet-positive recruitment solution that offsets carbon footprint of new hires through nature-based carbon credits, plastic recovery, and tree planting for one year per hire.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Goodman Masson: London-based recruitment firm with dedicated HR, payroll, and reward practices serving UK and European mid-market and enterprise clients. Direct overlap with JGA's core service offering.
• Frazer Jones: Specialist UK and international HR recruitment firm covering HR generalist, HRIS, reward, and talent acquisition roles. Directly comparable specialist positioning to JGA's HR recruitment vertical.
• Cobalt Recruitment: International specialist recruiter with strong HR, payroll, and property recruitment practices. Overlapping mid-market client base and similar specialist vertical focus as JGA.
• Portfolio Payroll: UK-based specialist payroll recruitment agency placing payroll professionals on a permanent, contract, and temporary basis. JGA's closest head-to-head competitor in the niche payroll recruitment segment.
• Morgan McKinley: Global professional services recruitment firm with dedicated HR, payroll, and reward practices across the UK, Ireland, and APAC. Competes directly with JGA in permanent and contract payroll/HR placements.
• Wade Macdonald: UK and international specialist recruitment firm covering accountancy, payroll, HR, and reward functions. Overlaps directly with JGA's core verticals and engages similar client profiles across multiple sectors.

Broad incumbents

• Reed: UK-headquartered generalist recruitment group with dedicated HR and payroll teams. Competes with JGA for permanent and temporary placements, particularly with mid-market UK clients.
• Michael Page (PageGroup): Global professional recruitment group with HR, payroll, and reward practices. Overlaps with JGA in mid-to-senior permanent placements but operates at much greater scale across multiple geographies.
• Hays plc: FTSE 100 global recruitment group with a dedicated HR and payroll practice among many other specialisms. Competes for the same clients as JGA at the enterprise end but with vastly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Robert Half International: Global NYSE-listed staffing firm with a strong HR, payroll, and accountancy recruitment practice in the UK and US. Competes for the same enterprise permanent placement mandates as JGA but with broader generalist coverage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@jga-recruitment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1821688
• Instagraminstagram.com/jgarecruitment/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@jgarecruitmentgroup
• Xx.com/jgarecruitment
• Facebookfacebook.com/jgarecruitment

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about JGA Recruitment Group