Fundamentals of Fractional Work Models

There is irony in the fact that the word “fractional” is synonymous with the words “miniscule” or “incomplete”. When companies are looking for fractional workers, they are not looking for anything minuscule or incomplete.

Instead, they are usually looking for senior-level, highly experienced professionals with a comprehensive and exhaustive set of skills. These professionals can help their company grow, change, and evolve without the need to add a full-time salary or permanent hire to the payroll.

Common Fractional Roles

Fractional work is showing up at many levels and in different industries. Most fractional roles are typically found in large organizations and are crucial for any company. When budget concerns arise, these fractional positions offer a flexible and cost-effective alternative. Some of the most common fractional roles are:

Chief Marketing Officer

Fractional Marketing

Fractional Controller

Fractional Sales

Fractional CFO

Fractional Business Development

Fractional CTO

Fractional HR

Fractional Pilot

Fractional CIO

What are Fractional Employees?

Simply put, fractional employees are hired for a fraction of a full-time alternative and provide a specialized skill or service, often for multiple organizations.

What is the difference between fractional and freelance/consulting?

Fractional employees are considered part of the company as their agreements are usually more long-term compared to consultants or freelancers. Where consultants or freelancers are used by all sized-companies, fractional resources fill in for the small-to-mid size businesses.

What is the difference between fractional and part-time?

Part-time work usually has a traditional labor structure in which an employee is committed to a single employer who determines the schedule.

What is the difference between fractional and interim?

Interim is when a role is filled for a specific period but work in full-time engagement. Often interim support is back-fill when a full-time employee steps away or is on leave. For fractional, they are part-time and are the long-term support for the work needed.

Fractional consulting is not just about providing solutions; it’s about empowering small businesses to thrive as their businesses evolves and grows.

Lakeside Chat: WTF – When To Fractional

Often the next question that is asked is, when do you know you need a fractional employee? This question is discussed in our on-demand webinar  Lakeside Chat: WTF-When to Fractional, where host, Erin Hargrove, Director of Business Development and Growth Strategy discusses this and the other common objections that businesses have when it comes to hiring fractional talent.

Guests John Arms, Co-founder of Voyageur University Independent Career Community and Katie Walter, Fractional CMO of Trellis LLC add to the discussion.

Lakeside HR Group is designed to be a fractional HR partner. Our experienced professionals specialize in dynamic HR and nationwide talent acquisition services for small and mid-sized businesses, whether it is fractional recruiting resources or a long-term HR support.