Specialist Markets Update, Reward, Payroll, and HRIS Enter a New Era of Transformation
By Victoria Terrington, Director – Specialist Markets.
The overarching theme across these specialisms is clear, this is a candidate led, highly competitive, and transformation focused market. Demand is rising, expectations are higher than ever, and the best candidates are often involved in multiple processes simultaneously.
Key Trends in Reward
Hiring in Reward is currently being shaped by three major developments:
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A sharp focus on pay transparency, fairness, and alignment with evolving regulations
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A shift toward data driven frameworks, including job architecture, grading models, and predictive analytics
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The growing need for globally scalable reward strategies across EMEA, the US, and APAC
We are seeing increasing movement among Reward professionals who want to step away from business as usual or siloed roles, and instead move into strategic positions where they can drive visible impact.
Some key statistics:
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82% of large UK employers say pay transparency legislation is shaping their reward strategy for 2025
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62% of Reward hires this year have been newly created roles, rather than replacements, pointing to real transformation in the space
Payroll Market Shifts
Payroll demand is being driven by:
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Large scale system upgrades and vendor transitions, particularly involving Workday, ADP, SAP, and SD Worx
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Heightened focus on compliance, governance, and multi country oversight
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Growing interest in automation, earned wage access, and advanced dashboards to minimise risk and improve accuracy
Talented payroll professionals are choosing to leave roles where they feel overstretched or undervalued, and instead join organisations actively investing in modernisation.
Payroll statistics:
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77% of payroll leaders report involvement in transformation or vendor selection projects this year
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Payroll managers are receiving an average of 2.4 job offers when actively on the market
HRIS, The Connector Across Reward and Payroll
HRIS is playing an increasingly pivotal role, acting as a bridge between Reward and Payroll.
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Companies are actively hiring professionals to support or lead Workday, Oracle, and SuccessFactors implementations
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There is rising demand for candidates with reporting, configuration, and data governance capabilities
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HR technology transformation is no longer just an IT issue, it is a people and reward challenge too
We are seeing a significant increase in hybrid roles that merge HRIS and Reward responsibilities.
HRIS statistics:
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HRIS transformation roles are up 38% year on year, largely driven by Workday and Oracle rollouts
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Over 50% of Reward functions now require HRIS reporting or configuration skills in new hires
Sector Insights, Where We Are Seeing the Most Activity
From a hiring perspective, our most active sectors include:
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Financial Services, with a strong focus on EU pay transparency projects
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Professional Services
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Private Equity
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Retail and Consumer, where hybrid roles are increasingly common
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Technology and Digital, with ongoing demand for platform literate talent
Overall, demand has surged compared to previous years. We have seen:
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A clear rise in the volume and complexity of job briefs
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Increased competition for hybrid skill sets, particularly in financial services and large global corporates
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A sharp uptick in fixed term and interim hiring to support Reward, Payroll, and HRIS transformation programmes
Candidate Movement, What We Are Seeing
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Reward Managers and Analysts are typically moving after 2 to 3 years, and increasingly after just 1 to 2, in search of broader scope, visibility, or international experience
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Heads of Reward are exiting businesses with little investment in systems or transformation
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Payroll Leaders are drawn to firms where they can drive strategic change
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HRIS specialists are frequently being headhunted for transformation work and are often counter offered
Top Tips for Securing This Talent
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Simplify your hiring process, aim for two stages, completed in under three weeks
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Lead with the story, candidates want to understand the culture, the transformation goals, and visibility of leadership
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Be flexible, especially for reward professionals with strong data skills, systems knowledge, or international experience, these individuals are often designing the very packages you need to attract them
In Summary
2025 is shaping up to be a defining year for Reward, Payroll, and HRIS. It is an exciting time for these markets. The best talent is moving, but only towards employers who show purpose, speed, and clarity in their hiring processes. With continued advances in AI and systems integration, demand for specialist skills in these areas will only increase in the months ahead.
Click here to see the results from our HR Hiring Survey 2025