In a labour market where talent expectations are shifting and compliance demands are mounting, relying on last year’s salary survey just doesn’t cut it.

JGA Recruitment has launched a new HR & Payroll Salary Benchmarking Tool designed to give employers and professionals real-time, role-specific pay insights without the guesswork. We sat down with Natalie Lloyd from the team to find out how it works, why it’s different, and how it can transform pay and reward strategies.


Can you tell us a bit about why you developed this new benchmarking tool? What gap in the market were you aiming to fill?

We developed the JGA HR & Payroll Salary Benchmarking Tool to address a recurring frustration we were hearing from our clients: too many were relying on outdated, generic, or anecdotal salary data to make critical reward decisions – not to mention the time and cost of benchmarking exercises. In a market as dynamic as HR and payroll, where demand for specialist talent is rising and roles are evolving fast, static reports simply aren’t good enough.

So, we built something more agile, more specific, and more useful. The salary tool is built by our team of specialist recruiters who live and breathe this space, and who understand the nuances of role structures, sector variation, and regional benchmarks.

What makes this tool different from existing salary benchmarking platforms on the market?

Unlike traditional salary surveys or aggregated platforms, our tool delivers:

• Live, role-specific benchmarking based on current hiring activity, not just historic data
• Granular filters (location, seniority, industry, contract type, benefits) to reflect real-world complexity
• Side-by-side comparisons for teams, helping businesses assess internal equity and external competitiveness
• Dual access – tailored for both employers and individual professionals seeking personalised benchmarks

Plus, it’s backed by the insight of our specialist consultants, who provide context and interpretation.

Can you explain how the tool uses real-time data? Where is the data sourced from and how often is it updated?

The data comes directly from live placements, job offers, market activity, and verified candidate submissions within our network and from over 100 other sources. We continuously capture and refine this information to reflect shifting trends in base pay, bonuses, benefits, and total reward.

Unlike static annual reports, our tool is updated in real time, reflecting actual pay trends as they happen, not six months after the fact. It also factors in changes in minimum wage, national insurance and more in real time. 

Salary benchmarking is crucial for retention and reward strategy – how does this tool help businesses stay competitive and compliant?

JGA’s Payroll HR Salary Tool is built for businesses to:

• Spot misalignments in current pay structures
• Identify risk areas for attrition or underpayment
• Benchmark against current market norms, not guesswork
• Support fair, data-led reward decisions that improve retention and engagement
• Maintain compliance with minimum wage legislation, pay equity requirements, and internal governance

It’s an essential tool for strategic workforce planning and responsible reward leadership. Can it be used to support conversations around pay transparency, equity, or DEI within organisations?

Absolutely. The tool helps HR and Reward teams’ surface and confront potential pay gaps across gender, ethnicity, or role type by providing transparent, consistent data.
When combined with internal analytics, it’s a powerful lever for driving equity audits, informing inclusive pay bands and supporting transparent pay progression conversations.

It’s not just looking at numbers. Using the tool alongside internal analytics surrounding DEI can help move the conversation on, from instinct to evidence to action.

How do you see this tool fitting into broader pay and reward strategies? Is it something that can be used during annual reviews, restructuring, or recruitment planning?

The great thing about the Payroll HR Salary Tool, is that iIt’s designed to slot into every major pay decision point:

• Annual salary reviews – providing market-backed rationale for adjustments
• Organisational restructuring – helping align new roles with external benchmarks
• Recruitment planning – ensuring salary bands attract the right talent without overspending
• Retention risk analysis – identifying where you may be vulnerable to losing key talent
• Board reporting – providing robust data for C-suite and RemCo discussions

How can Reward Strategy readers access the tool?

Access is simple – visit payrollhrsalary.com or contact a JGA consultant directly. You can request a team-wide benchmarking consultation, an individual salary report or a strategic session to integrate the tool into your planning process.

It’s free to access for JGA clients and available by request for others.
 

And Reward Strategy readers can get 5 free credits by using the code REWARD5FREE

What’s next in the pipeline for the tool? Are there any new features or updates you’re working on?

We’re currently developing:

• Custom dashboards for HR teams to track internal vs market pay trends over time
• Benchmarking alerts – notifications when market pay shifts significantly for key roles
• A DEI pay audit tool, aligned with upcoming reporting legislation

Our goal is to keep the tool as responsive and strategic as the roles we recruit for.

Finally, what would you say to senior reward, payroll and HR leaders who are still relying on outdated or anecdotal salary data?

You wouldn’t build a business case on guesswork – so why build your reward strategy on it?

Markets are shifting… fast. Talent expectations are rapidly evolving. Pay equity matters more than ever and relying on outdated data risks overpaying the wrong roles, underpaying top performers, and failing to meet compliance or inclusion targets.

JGA’s Payroll HR Salary Tool gives you clarity, credibility, and confidence – the three things every reward leader needs in today’s market.