Whilst it has been around for a few years now, fractional working is now increasingly in demand. In large part, this can be attributed to the elevation of the role of the HR professional during the COVID-19 pandemic, as we navigated unpredictable external markets and a new world of work. HR professionals have spent the last few years helping others become agile, and now it is our time to do the same.
Fractional HR professionals provide expert HR services on a part time, freelance or project basis – for a fraction of the cost of a full time HR leader that you may not need or be able to afford. They can augment existing HR teams by focusing on critical challenges or implementing new systems, and extending their expertise to multiple organisations across locations and industries.
A fractional HR professional is someone with broad and deep expertise who can support companies – typically SMEs and start-ups – that need HR help on a part-time or interim consulting capacity. They should be experienced enough to credibly interact with the founders/CEO and bring a toolkit that creates value as the business grows and evolves.
Some of the roles that fractional HR professionals can be engaged for are short-term HR projects, with defined timelines and outcomes, such as culture initiatives or compensation reviews.
Fractional HR professionals are also a great resource during periods of transition, such as mergers and downsizing, to minimise disruptions and ensure continuity. Evaluating and improving existing HR practices is also a key role of fractional HR professionals, who can be brought in to identify gaps and provide strategies to address them.
Benefits of fractional HR
A fractional HR consultant acts as a readily available, flexible, and seamless part of a leadership team, a driving force to the success of a business who is promptly available for employees. It is not a typical full-time HR resource that the business feels the need to own under the old social contract construct, nor is it a one-off external change agent who delivers a bespoke workshop, then leaves before sustainable change happens. Fractional HR professionals deliver ongoing support for change, helping firms navigate the unbundling of work, four-day week lobby and liquid workforce – and all the other changes and challenges that modern companies are facing.
