People audit culture assessment and strategy roadmap.

Hiring Guide

Hire a Fractional CPO

Complete guide to hiring fractional people leadership

£800-2,000

Day Rate

2-6 weeks

Time to Hire

50-70%

Cost Savings

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Key Takeaways

1Fractional CPOs work 1-3 days per week, providing senior expertise without full-time costs
2UK day rates range from £850 to £1450, depending on experience and sector
3Typical engagements save 50-70% compared to full-time executive hires
4Ideal for startups, scale-ups, and SMEs needing strategic leadership
5No employment overhead: no pension, NI, benefits, or notice periods

Latest Fractional Jobs

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Location

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When to Hire

Quick Definition

Hire a fractional CPO when building people capabilities without full-time overhead. Ideal for scaling companies needing HR transformation or building culture.

What to Look For

Look for candidates with HR leadership at similar-stage companies. Key qualities include talent strategy culture building HRIS expertise and executive coaching experience.

Evaluation Criteria

Criteria	Assess	Red Flags
Culture	Built great cultures	Policy focused only
Talent	Attraction retention	Admin HR only
Strategy	People to business	Transactional
Tech	HRIS expertise	Manual processes

Interview Questions

Key questions: What cultures have you built? How do you approach talent strategy? What HRIS platforms do you recommend? How do you measure people success?

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Cost Comparison

Fractional vs Full-Time Executive

Full-Time Executive£286k/year

Salary + Benefits + Overhead

Fractional Executive£106k/year

1-2 days/week average

Your Potential Savings

£180k+

63%

saved

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Time Allocation

How fractional executives spend their time

Strategy30%

Operations25%

Leadership20%

Governance15%

Technology10%

Hire a Fractional CPO (Chief People Officer)

A fractional Chief People Officer provides senior HR and people leadership to drive culture, talent strategy, and organisational development without the £200-300k cost of a permanent people executive.

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Why Hire a Fractional CPO?

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People strategy: Align talent plans with business growth objectives

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Culture building: Design and embed values-driven workplace culture

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Scaling expertise: Navigate the people challenges of rapid growth (50-500+)

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Cost efficiency: Senior people leadership at 40-60% of full-time cost

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What a Fractional CPO Delivers

Deliverable	Timeline
People strategy and organisational audit	Weeks 1-4
Talent acquisition and employer brand	Weeks 4-8
Performance, development, and engagement frameworks	Weeks 8-12
Ongoing people leadership and culture development	Ongoing

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Typical Engagement Models

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Strategic: 1-2 days/week for people strategy and governance

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Scaling: 2-3 days/week during rapid headcount growth

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Transformation: 3-4 days/week for culture change programmes

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CPO Salary Guide

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Fractional CHRO Jobs UK

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Fractional HR Director Jobs

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UK Fractional Jobs

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Fractional Recruitment Agency

UK Fractional Executive Day Rates

Compare day rates across C-suite roles

CFO£800 - £1500/day

£1100

CTO£900 - £1600/day

£1200

CMO£750 - £1400/day

£1000

COO£800 - £1400/day

£1050

CDO£900 - £1450/day

£1150

CISO£900 - £1550/day

£1200

Rate Range

Average

Source: UK Market Data 2025

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Fractional vs Interim vs Full-Time

Choose the right engagement model

Aspect	Fractional	Interim	Full-Time
Time Commitment	1-3 days/week	4-5 days/week	5 days/week
Duration	Ongoing/flexible	3-12 months	Permanent
Annual Cost	£50-150k	£150-300k	£200-400k+
Best For	SMEs, startups, scale-ups	Crisis, transitions	Large enterprises
Flexibility	★★★ High	★★☆ Medium	★☆☆ Low

Costs are indicative UK market rates. Actual costs vary by role, experience, and sector.

Calculate Your Day Rate

Fractional CPO Earnings

Calculate Your Potential Income

Your Day Rate

£950

£800Avg: £950£1400

Days Per Client/Week

2.5 days

1 day5 days

Number of Clients

2 clients

Weekly

£4,750

Monthly

£20,568

Annual

£228,000

Based on 2.5 days/week x 2 clients x 48 working weeks. CPO UK average day rate: £950.

BetaThis calculator provides rough estimates for illustration only. Actual rates and salaries vary based on location, experience, industry, and market conditions.

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