The term 'put on the payroll' is a phrase used to describe the process of hiring an employee. The crossword solutions for this term are HIRE (4 letters), EMPLOY (6 letters), and HIRED (5 letters). To HIRE someone means to bring them into a company or organization as an employee, while to EMPLOY someone means to give them a job. When someone is hired, it means that they have been accepted into the company and are now officially on the payroll.