Hire a
Fractional CHRO
Complete guide to finding, vetting, and hiring the perfect fractional Chief HR Officer for your business.
Industry Resources
Where to Find Fractional CHROs
Six proven channels for finding pre-vetted, experienced fractional HR leaders.
Fractional Job Boards
Platforms like Fractional.Quest with pre-vetted HR executives.
LinkedIn Search
Search for CHROs using hashtags #FractionalCHRO, #FractionalHR, or "People Director".
CIPD Networks
CIPD communities and certified HR professionals seeking fractional work.
HR Consultancies
Interim HR networks and boutique HR consultancies.
VC & Founder Referrals
Ask your investors or founder network who they've used for HR leadership.
People & Culture Communities
Slack groups like People Geeks, HR Open Source, or industry HR forums.
What to Look For in a Fractional CHRO
Not all experienced HR leaders make good fractional CHROs. Here's what separates the best from the rest.
1. Scale Experience
Have they scaled teams from 50 to 200+ employees? A CHRO who's only worked in enterprises won't know the challenges of high-growth scaling.
Experience at companies 50-500 employees, built HR from scratch
Only worked at large corporates or very early stage
2. Culture & Engagement Expertise
Can they build and maintain culture as you scale? Look for evidence of engagement programs, values work, and retention improvements.
Measurable engagement scores, retention improvements, values implementation
No culture transformation experience or only compliance-focused
3. Employment Law Knowledge
Do they understand UK employment law deeply? TUPE, redundancy, tribunal experience are valuable.
CIPD qualified, tribunal experience, TUPE/M&A experience
Limited UK employment law knowledge or no CIPD qualification
4. Performance Management
Can they implement performance systems that actually work? Review cycles, feedback culture, career frameworks.
Built performance systems, OKR/goal frameworks, career ladder design
Only knows one approach or hasn't built systems from scratch
5. Hiring & TA Experience
Have they built recruitment processes and employer brands? Look for volume hiring and quality bar maintenance.
Built TA functions, employer brand work, hiring process design
No hands-on recruitment experience or only agency background
6. Fractional Working Model
Do they know how to work fractionally? Clear communication, async updates, prioritisation.
Works with 2-4 companies, clear systems, communication cadence
First fractional role or working with 6+ companies
Interview Questions to Ask
These questions separate strategic HR leaders from administrators. Use them to assess expertise, results, and fit.
👥 People & Culture Questions
- "Walk me through how you've built culture at a scaling company. What worked and what didn't?"
Listen for: Specific initiatives, measurable engagement results, lessons learned - "How do you approach employee retention during rapid growth?"
Listen for: Data-driven approach, proactive vs reactive, career development focus - "Tell me about a difficult employee relations situation you handled."
Listen for: Employment law knowledge, fairness, clear process, outcome - "How do you balance business needs with employee advocacy?"
Listen for: Understanding of both perspectives, examples of navigating tension
📋 HR Operations Questions
- "What HR systems and processes would you prioritize for a company at our stage?"
Listen for: Stage-appropriate thinking, not over-engineering, pragmatic priorities - "How do you approach performance management? Walk me through a system you've built."
Listen for: Modern approaches, clear frameworks, continuous vs annual review - "Tell me about your experience with compensation and benefits strategy."
Listen for: Benchmarking methodology, equity vs cash trade-offs, market awareness - "How do you ensure HR compliance without slowing down the business?"
Listen for: Balance of risk vs speed, practical compliance, prioritization
🚀 Talent & Growth Questions
- "How would you structure our talent acquisition function?"
Listen for: In-house vs agency, employer branding, process design - "Tell me about a time you had to rapidly scale a team. What was your approach?"
Listen for: Hiring process, quality vs speed balance, onboarding - "How do you approach leadership development and succession planning?"
Listen for: Long-term thinking, practical programs, manager training - "How do you stay effective working 2 days/week vs embedded full-time?"
Listen for: Async communication, clear frameworks, delegation
The Fractional CHRO Hiring Process
From first conversation to start date in 2-4 weeks.
Brief
Tell us about your needs, company stage, and what you're looking for in a fractional executive.
Match
We curate a shortlist of pre-vetted fractional executives who match your specific requirements.
Meet
Interview your top candidates. We handle scheduling and provide interview frameworks.
Start
Your fractional executive begins within days. We support onboarding and ongoing success.
Brief
Tell us about your needs, company stage, and what you're looking for in a fractional executive.
Match
We curate a shortlist of pre-vetted fractional executives who match your specific requirements.
Meet
Interview your top candidates. We handle scheduling and provide interview frameworks.
Start
Your fractional executive begins within days. We support onboarding and ongoing success.
Timeline Breakdown
Week 1: Define & Source
- • Define HR requirements (Day 1-2)
- • Post on job boards, ask for referrals (Day 2-3)
- • Review candidates, shortlist 5-10 (Day 4-7)
Week 2-3: Interview & Select
- • First-round interviews (45-min calls)
- • Second round: case study or scenario
- • Reference checks (2-3 calls)
- • Make offer and negotiate terms
Week 4: Onboard & Start
- • Contract signing and admin setup
- • Share HR systems access and docs
- • First week: stakeholder interviews
- • Begin HR audit and strategy work
First 90 Days: Deliver
- • Month 1: HR audit, quick wins
- • Month 2: Process improvements, systems
- • Month 3: Scale, hire, measure results
- • Decide to extend or part ways
Contract Terms & Structure
Standard terms for fractional CHRO engagements.
Standard Contract Template
Engagement Model
- Day rate: £600-£1,100 per day (based on experience)
- Commitment: 1-3 days per week (specify exact days)
- Monthly retainer option: £2,400-£4,400 for predictable billing
Term & Notice
- Initial term: 3-month trial period
- Renewal: Auto-renew to 12-month rolling contract after trial
- Notice period: 30 days either side (standard)
Scope of Work
- Responsibilities: HR strategy, people operations, culture development, employment law compliance
- Deliverables: HR audit, people strategy, process documentation, team development
- Exclusions: Day-to-day HR admin (unless scoped), individual contributor work
IP & Confidentiality
- IP ownership: Company owns all HR documentation and systems
- Confidentiality: Standard NDA terms, survives termination (employee data critical)
- Non-compete: Usually not applicable (fractional works with multiple companies)
Optional: Equity
- Advisory shares: 0.1-0.25% for long-term engagements (12+ months)
- Vesting: Quarterly or annual vesting
- Cash reduction: If equity included, day rate may reduce 10-15%
Cost Comparison: Fractional vs Full-Time vs HR Consultancy
Understand the total cost of each CHRO hiring option for your business.
| Cost Factor | Fractional CHRO | Full-Time CHRO | HR Consultancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Cost | £50k - £100k | £120k - £200k | £80k - £250k |
| Days per Week | 1-3 days | 5 days | Project-based |
| Notice Period | 30 days | 3-6 months | Contract end |
| Employer NI/Benefits | None | £25k - £40k | None |
| Equity Required | Optional (0.1-0.25%) | 0.3-1% | None |
| Time to Hire | 2-4 weeks | 3-6 months | 2-4 weeks |
| Cross-Industry Experience | High (multiple clients) | Limited | High |
| Best For | Scale-ups needing strategic HR leadership | Large orgs with 200+ employees | One-off HR projects |
Sources: Glassdoor UK, CIPD Salary Survey, Market research
Browse CHRO Candidates
Connect with experienced fractional CHROs seeking new opportunities
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Hire?
Browse pre-vetted fractional CHRO candidates on Fractional.Quest. Post your role and start interviews this week.
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