You've outgrown running HR off the side of someone's desk, but you're not ready to bring on a full-time director. Fractional HR is the answer to exactly that problem.
You bring in an experienced HR leader for part of your business rather than all of their week. They learn how you operate, handle what needs handling, and stay available as things come up.
It's the same idea as a fractional CFO. Plenty of businesses need financial expertise at a level they can't justify hiring full-time, so they buy a slice of it. HR works the same way.
The difference between this and calling a lawyer when something goes wrong is continuity. Your fractional HR partner already knows your team, your policies, and your history. There's no getting up to speed, and problems tend to get caught before they become expensive.
Engagements are scoped around what your business needs rather than a block of hours on a clock. Some months are quiet. Some months are not. The plan is built for that.
If more than two of these sound familiar, it's probably worth a conversation.
Or you don't have one. Employment law has moved since it was written, and the gap is where risk lives.
Your office manager or controller absorbed it because someone had to. They're doing their best without the training.
One remote employee in a new state brings a whole set of rules that don't match the ones you know.
A complaint, a bad termination, a resignation that caught you off guard. The kind of thing that makes you wonder what else is exposed.
Growth breaks informal processes. What worked at 15 people falls apart at 50, usually without warning.
And you're not certain the answers you're giving are right. That uncertainty is worth resolving.
An honest look at the three paths most small businesses choose between.
| Handle it yourself | Fractional HR | Full-time HR Director | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it costs you | Your own time | Scoped to your needs | A full salary plus benefits |
| Senior-level expertise | No | Yes | Yes |
| Knows your business | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| There when you need them | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-state compliance | Unlikely | Yes | Depends on the hire |
| Flexes as your needs change | Yes | Yes | No |
| Best suited to | Under 10 employees | 10 to 200 employees | 200+ employees |
A free consultation, no obligation. We'll talk through where your business is and whether fractional HR makes sense for you. If it doesn't, I'll tell you that too.