Role and industry
Payroll Specialist Recruiters for Construction contractors (GCs, CMs, subcontractors)
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You interview a short list.
Financial Headhunters: Avoid prevailing wage compliance issues and payroll errors by hiring a specialist who knows how to reconcile site labor hours with project accounting data.
This is what we do all day: recruit accounting, finance, banking and insurance professionals.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- Controller
- CFO
- VP Finance
- FP&A Director
- Accounting Manager
- Director of Accounting
- Assistant Controller
- Tax Director
- Treasury Manager
- Internal Audit Director
- Senior Accountant
- Financial Analyst
- Head of Financial Reporting
- Commercial Lender
- Chief Credit Officer
- Business Systems Finance Lead
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Accounting, finance, banking and insurance
- We reach people who aren’t on job boards
- Replacement terms on standard searches
01
What does this hire really come down to?
Who tracks field labor hours against site specific tax rules? Who reconciles weekly check runs with job cost data? Who approves the adjustment when a missing wage code creates financial risk?
Your hire must handle the nuance of multi-state tax withholding for itinerant field crews. They need to manage garnishments and 401(k) deductions without manual errors that bleed into your month-end close. We look for candidates who understand that payroll in construction is the primary driver of project margin visibility.
Ask these items. Describe a labor difference between a time sheet and a site supervisor report. How do you verify state-specific certified payroll reports for public works? When was your last 941 correction for a multi-state operation?
Ask how they handle fringe benefit calculations and overlapping craft codes for union employees. Request a walk-through of their method for fixing a payroll tax error and how they reconcile multi-state accounts. Find out if they manage state filings internally. Have them explain the difference between standard gross-to-net calculations and Davis-Bacon public works requirements to see if their experience matches our specific payroll environment.
02
What do we check before you see anyone?
Before you view any candidates, we perform a deep scope audit. We define whether your project volume necessitates a high-speed data entry approach or a complex compliance focus. We examine their history with union fringe rate adjustments during mid-contract wage increases to verify they avoid overpayment. We then present a specific hiring tradeoff: choosing between a candidate who creates automated workflows for multi-state reporting versus one who prefers manual verification for error detection. We demand they provide concrete examples of when they resolved a rejected state filing. We confirm they know how to audit a job cost distribution report against the general ledger to spot labor leakage before month-end.
Before finalizing a candidate, we perform a detailed check on how they manage owner-controlled insurance program withholdings. Many applicants struggle to reconcile payroll deductions against project-specific insurance premiums. We identify whether they possess a process for tracking these credits alongside standard hourly wages. This scope distinction separates someone who performs simple data entry from one who protects the project margin. We ask for their method of reconciling insurance deductions against monthly site invoices. This review confirms they maintain accurate ledger balances while accounting for complex insurance variables that impact the final job cost.
- 01Software masteryWe confirm direct experience with construction-specific ERP systems like Sage 300 CRE, Viewpoint, or Foundation rather than general ledger software.
- 02Certified payrollWe verify the candidate has authored WH-347 reports and understands Davis-Bacon compliance requirements for public contracts.
- 03Tax filing cycleWe check for experience handling quarter-end and year-end reconciliations including state and local tax amendments.
- 04Union interfaceWe confirm they have processed union fringe benefit remittances and understand the calculation of multiple craft wage classes.
- 05Multi-state logisticsWe review their record of managing agency notices and new-state registration requirements for mobile workforces.
- 06Credentials statusWe validate current FPC or CPP standing if they claim these certifications from the American Payroll Association.
03
Where do we find them?
We recruit from established general contractors, specialty subcontractors, and civil engineering firms. These people move when their current firm migrates to a different ERP system that does not align with their processing style. We also find them when projects conclude, leaving them without the volume of work they managed previously.
We target professionals currently handling high-volume union and non-union payroll in the infrastructure sector. They move when they want more ownership over the full tax filing cycle rather than just data entry. We look for people who are tired of manual tracking and want to move into firms that use modern portal-based compliance tools.
04
Which hiring mistakes should you watch for?
- 01Hiring someone from a service industry background who lacks the specific training to calculate Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements.
- 02Ignoring the need for software-specific experience by hoping a generalist will learn complex job-costing modules on the fly.
- 03Neglecting to test their process for handling agency notices, which leaves the firm vulnerable to tax penalties and stop-work orders.
05
The search in three steps
- 01We source candidates currently embedded in construction environments who process certified reports and job-costed payroll weekly.
- 02We screen against specific software usage and tax filing history to eliminate those who only handle payroll for non-contracting entities.
- 03We present the shortlist to you for direct interviews, focusing on their ability to handle real-world field labor discrepancies.
06
Which related hiring decisions are worth comparing?
How your Payroll Specialist search runs
How does The Six-Step Search work?
One sequence, from a well-defined seat to a shortlist you can judge.
Search Calibration
We start with a call about the seat, the books, the owners and the people the hire will work with. We learn what the role must fix in the first year and what would make a candidate wrong even if the resume looks right.
You get: A written search brief: scope, must-haves, deal-breakers and the pay range, agreed with you.
Market Mapping
We map the companies and institutions where the right people already work: similar size, similar ownership, similar complexity, in your market and in others.
You get: The target list of companies and institutions we will search, reviewed with you before outreach.
Professional Contact Intelligence
We find direct ways to reach the people on the map. Most are employed and not reading job boards, so reaching them takes real research.
You get: Direct routes to people who are not on job boards, researched for your search.
Persistent Personalized Outreach
We call and write to people individually and follow up. Interest varies, so we discuss the actual opportunity rather than promising a particular response.
You get: One-to-one conversations about your actual role, followed up, never a mass email blast.
Live Candidate Qualification
We speak with every candidate before you do. We check scope, systems, reporting lines, compensation expectations, location and why they would move.
You get: Only candidates we have spoken with, checked on scope, systems, pay, location and motive.
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You receive a short written brief on each finalist covering what they have done, where they are thin and what they want. Then we help with interviews, references and the offer.
You get: A short written brief on each finalist, plus help with interviews, references, counteroffer risk and the offer.
Questions people ask
Is there a charge to start a search for someone to reconcile our labor hours?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
How does this role differ from a standard bookkeeper?
A payroll specialist in construction focuses exclusively on the labor cost cycle, prevailing wages, and union fringes. A general bookkeeper lacks the training for certified payroll and the specific tax compliance needed for construction contractors.
What software platforms are considered standard for this search?
We prioritize candidates with experience in industry-standard software such as Sage 300 CRE, Viewpoint Vista, Spectrum, Foundation, or Procore. Proficiency in these specific platforms is essential for accurate job costing and reporting.
Do you provide contract or temporary staff?
We handle permanent placements by default. We can support defined contract or temp-to-perm needs, provided we agree on the terms of the engagement before the search begins.
What is the fee for a Payroll Specialist search?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. The fee and terms are agreed in writing before we start.
How soon will I see a Payroll Specialist shortlist?
It depends on the seat, the location and the pay. We give you an honest read after the calibration call and we do not promise dates we cannot control.
What about counteroffers on a Payroll Specialist hire?
We ask every Payroll Specialist candidate early why they would move and what their employer might do to keep them. Counteroffer risk goes in the written brief before you make an offer.
What is your guarantee?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What don't you do?
We do not post your Payroll Specialist job and forward whoever applies. We do not send stacks of unscreened resumes, and we do not recruit outside accounting, finance, banking and insurance.
Start a search
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No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
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