Making Your Organization Attractive for Top Payroll Talents

The payroll profession is currently facing a significant talent crisis, an industry expert said May 13. The growing talent gap is not just local but affects the global payroll market as well, said Nick Day, CEO at JGA recruitment.

Many top payroll talents are leaving payroll to pursue opportunities in other fields, Day continued, amplifying the difficulties employers face in attracting, recruiting, and retaining top payroll talent.

Day spoke at the 2025 Payroll Congress in Kissimmee, Florida.

“Payroll powers the world,” Day said. The work payroll professionals do is integral to every part of an organization, from employees to executives, he continued.

Despite the important role payroll professionals play, they are still underrecognized and undercelebrated, leading to a declining interest in the profession and a shortage of top talent, Day said.

“One of the biggest challenges for the payroll profession today is how to attract, recruit, and retain top payroll talent,” he added.

To future-proof the payroll profession and attract top talent, employers must reevaluate their employee value propositions, Day said. Payroll professionals want to be recognized and celebrated, not as mere payroll processors but as strategic contributors to their organization, he said.

Payroll professionals are seeking value, and employers must recognize that top payroll talent is more likely to remain with organizations that make them feel valued and appreciated than those that offer the highest salaries, Day said.

“Payroll is not just transactional, but transformational,” he said. Top payroll talents are looking to join organizations that value payroll professionals, he added. To attract and retain top payroll talents, employers must prioritize their branding, Day said.

Employers that focus their EVP on salary alone are selling themselves short, he continued. The preferences and priorities of payroll professionals have evolved beyond competitive salaries, he added.

An effective EVP aimed at attracting top payroll talent should entail key elements like a purpose-driven vision, career development opportunities, a positive work culture, flexibility, work-life balance, and a commitment to technology and innovation, Day explained.

An employee-focused and purpose-driven EVP will not only attract top payroll talent but will also increase talent retention and employee engagement, Day said. This, in turn, will lead to enhanced business growth for employers, he added.

Recruiting top payroll talent is now more about engagement, he said. “Stop writing job ads like legal contracts. Start storytelling,” Day said. Employers should make payroll job ads more inviting by highlighting the growth opportunities and value offerings for payroll professionals, he added.

The onboarding experience plays a crucial role in shaping payroll professionals’ perceptions of their new employer, Day said. A great onboarding experience can significantly influence whether payroll professionals choose to stay long-term with an employer or seek opportunities elsewhere, he said. “Great payroll starts with great onboarding,” Day said.

To effectively attract, recruit, and retain top payroll talents, employers should actively listen to the needs of their payroll professionals and ask thoughtful questions about their experiences within the organization, Day continued.

“Don’t wait to be surprised by resignation. Ask what makes them stay,” Day concluded.