As businesses navigate economic uncertainty, skills shortages, change programmes and the need for specialist expertise, many are turning to a growing solution – fractional services.
At Realise HR, we’ve expanded our offering to include fractional services because we’re seeing more businesses needing senior-level expertise without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. Yet many business leaders still aren’t familiar with the concept or how it could benefit their organisation.
But what exactly does “fractional” mean?
Let’s break it down.
A fractional service gives a business access to an experienced specialist on a part-time, flexible or project basis. Rather than employing someone full-time, you essentially “share” their expertise with other organisations and only pay for the time and support you need.
Think of it as having access to a senior leader, strategic advisor or specialist professional without the salary, benefits, recruitment costs and long-term commitment associated with a permanent hire.
For example, instead of hiring a full-time HR Director, Finance Director or Marketing Director, a business may engage a fractional professional for one day per week, a few days per month or to support a specific project on a more focused basis.
At Realise HR, we understand that every business is different.
Some organisations need ongoing strategic support. Others need expertise for a specific project, period of growth or organisational challenge.
Our fractional services are designed to provide the right level of support, at the right time, helping businesses access experienced professionals without the commitment of a permanent appointment.
Here’s how some of our clients are using Fractional services
- Example 1: A large national charity going through a period of change with a full Organisational Design change programme. Our fractional HR executive is leading the project in partnership with the full executive team
- Example 2: A global tech software business decided to take up our fractional services to lead the global HR team during a period of maternity leave.
- Example 3: A national further education provider is on a technology transformation journey and have engaged a fractional IT Business Systems specialist to support with this project over the coming 12 months.
While fractional HR support is becoming increasingly common, the model extends across many business disciplines.
When should you consider a Fractional Service?
You may benefit from fractional support if:
- You’re growing rapidly
- You’re going through Merger & Acquisition activity
- You’ve recently attracted investment into the business
- A senior leader has left and you’re not sure if a full time replacement is required
- You need specialist expertise for a particular project.
- You need strategic guidance but have limited budget and don’t want to add to your fixed overheads
- You want to strengthen leadership capability without increasing headcount.
Fractional services are no longer just a trend. They are becoming a smart, practical solution for businesses that want access to specialist expertise without the overheads of a full-time hire.
Whether it’s HR, finance, marketing, operations, sales or technology, fractional support allows organisations to access the right skills, at the right level, at the right time.
For many businesses, it is the perfect balance between flexibility, affordability and expertise.
Interested in exploring how fractional support could help your organisation? Claire would love to chat – claire.mclean@realisehr.co.uk to discuss your business goals and discover the right solution for your next stage of growth.
