Permanent CHRO · hiring brief
How to Hire a CHRO
How to Hire a CHRO: brief the people problem growth is creating, decide whether a fractional CHRO is enough for now, and assess candidates on your own organisation.
Reviewed by Fractional Quest · updated 28 October 2026 · 5 sources linked below
- 3–5on every shortlist
- 5stages of vetting
- IR35set out on every brief
On the board · last 90 days
Which CHRO roles are on the board?
Permanent CHRO roles first, then the seat in any engagement and the wider function when the board runs short.
No roles on the board for this seat right now.
See every role on the board →Every fractional role in the UK is on the fractional jobs board.
In the press
- Financial TimesThe executives going ‘fractional’, not freelance
- International FinanceRenting the C-suite, and why the fractional executive era has arrived
The brief
How to Hire a CHRO: what must the role own?
Name what growth is breaking: hiring, managers, culture or structure.
- 01People problemName what growth is breaking: hiring, managers, culture or structure.
- 02PolicyList the policies and employee relations they own.
- 03RewardSay whether they own pay and equity design.
- 04BoardSet reporting to the CEO and remuneration committee.
Role reference: CIPD Profession Map. The CIPD Profession Map sets out people-profession standards, useful for judging CHRO level.
How and when
How to hire a CHRO, and when a fractional one is enough
When to hire a fractional CHRO: when the people work needs senior judgement but not a full week.
For rapid expansion, the first need is often organisation design and manager capability. A fractional CHRO can set both; a permanent CHRO follows when the organisation needs a full-time owner.
The working pattern
What changes when the CHRO is permanent?
A CHRO owns people strategy: organisation design, leadership, reward and employee relations, and answers to the CEO and board.
The illustrative brief: rapid expansion into new sites. Headcount will double in a year across new sites; managers are new and HR is one generalist.
The appointment owns: The company hires a CHRO to design the organisation, manager development and hiring plan.
Another owner retains: The CEO keeps the operating plan; the HR generalist runs administration.
The case is illustrative; it does not describe a Fractional Quest placement.
From brief to start
How do you hire a CHRO, step by step?
The first three steps are ours; the last four are what has to be true before the first day. We don’t promise a shortlist by a date.
- Day 001The 15-minute callWhat the CHRO must own, the working pattern, the start date and the budget.You and us
- Week 102Scope agreed in writingThe outcome the seat exists for, the days, and how the engagement will run for IR35.Us
- Weeks 1–303Search, references, shortlistWe approach people who aren’t looking, verify tenure, take references ourselves and return three to five.Us
- Week 404OfferConfirm authority, reporting and package.You
- Before day one · 205DataProvide structure, attrition and hiring plans.You
- Before day one · 306IntroductionsIntroduce leaders and the HR team.You
- Before day one · 407First 90 daysAgree the people plan for day 90.You
Assessment
How should you assess CHRO candidates?
Put the same work and evidence in front of each candidate before comparing answers.
- Comparable decisionAsk for an organisation they designed through growth.
- AuthorityTest a reward decision for the remuneration committee.
- TeamAsk how they developed first-time managers.
- HandoverAsk how HR ran without them on a given day.
Acas recommends a consistent, fair selection process: choosing who to interview.
Vetting
What happens before anyone reaches your shortlist?
Five stages before a candidate reaches a shortlist of three to five.
- Pedigree screenTenureWe verify prior tenure in the seat, at the scale and stage you need. No consultant presenting as an executive.
- Mandate fitFitFit to your stage, sector and the problem the seat exists to solve, not a CV keyword.
- Reference deep-diveVerifyWe take references ourselves, from recent clients and boards: what they delivered, not what they titled it.
- ShortlistShortlistThree to five candidates, each with day rate, availability and IR35 position set out.
- Kick-offStartScope, first-month outcomes and the contract agreed before day one.
The full process is on how we vet.
The right pattern
Does this hiring pattern fit the work?
Test the amount of the week, the expected end and the continuity needed before writing the contract.
Questions
How to Hire a CHRO: questions, answered
A brief to hire a CHRO begins with people problem: Name what growth is breaking: hiring, managers, culture or structure. Then a stated working pattern and the evidence you will ask every candidate to show.
A CHRO owns people strategy: organisation design, leadership, reward and employee relations, and answers to the CEO and board.
Comparable decision. Ask for an organisation they designed through growth. Authority. Test a reward decision for the remuneration committee. Team. Ask how they developed first-time managers. Handover. Ask how HR ran without them on a given day.
Offer. Confirm authority, reporting and package. Data. Provide structure, attrition and hiring plans. Introductions. Introduce leaders and the HR team. First 90 days. Agree the people plan for day 90.
Brief us on what the role must own, how it will work and when it must start. We come back with a shortlist of 3–5, each with pay or day rate, availability and IR35 position set out, after five-stage vetting.
Sources
Where does every reference on this page come from?
- cipd.org
- HMRC
- legislation.gov.uk
- 1CIPD Profession Map cipd.org
- 2Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 HMRCEmployer National Insurance at 15% above £5,000 a year.
- 3Understanding off-payroll working (IR35) HMRCStatus depends on how the engagement runs; medium and large clients make the determination.
- 4
- 5Employment Agencies Act 1973 legislation.gov.ukThe law a recruitment agency works under; no fee to a work-seeker.