Business leaders often find themselves in two minds. There are times when you know you need support. You find yourself stretched thin across multiple areas of your business, juggling time-consuming tasks like compliance, recruitment, marketing, and sales, leaving crucial HR tasks to slip through the net. Other times, you might genuinely believe you can do it all. The reality is, no matter how expert you are, everyone needs an extra pair of hands sometimes.
This is one of the most important benefits of fractional HR. It provides bolt-on HR expertise on a flexible basis, exactly when and where you need it most. It also comes without the overheads of a permanent hire or the separation and delays of an outsourced provider.
So, how do you know when the time is right for fractional HR help? Here are five telltale signs you could benefit from working with fractional HR experts.
Five signs fractional HR is the right choice for you
1. HR bottlenecks are costing you time, money, and talent
It’s a familiar story for many owners of growing SMEs. A great opportunity comes in, with multiple projects signed off at the same time. It’s brilliant news for business, but you can’t hire fast – or effectively – enough to meet the surge in demand. You might struggle to find the time to sift through CVs and interview quality candidates. And in the meantime, your existing team gets stretched, deadlines pass, and talented candidates move on.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. HR bottlenecks are one of the most obvious signs you could benefit from extra support. If you don’t have time or enough in-house help, fractional HR experts can slot in to handle your hiring process – helping you set up policies, address business needs, and get the right people in to help you grow.
2. Your leadership team is stretched too thin
Have you noticed your leadership team is busy doing everything but leading? If your directors, or even senior managers, are spending too much time dealing with employee-related issues, managing contracts, or writing up policies, your HR work may be spread too thin.
Put bluntly, you don’t want your leaders stuck with admin tasks or staff issues. If HR responsibilities are falling on your leadership team, a fractional HR expert can take the pressure off, all while contributing to board-level strategies. This will free you (and your top talent) to focus on truly impactful tasks, while giving people-focused growth the attention it deserves.
3. Compliance concerns are causing delays and difficulties
Compliance is complex, and it’s constantly evolving. From outdated contracts and employee grievances to worries about GDPR, everything brings legal and reputational risks. Think about how you currently manage compliance. Is it done by an expert, or is it more of an afterthought?
If you’re yet to take compliance seriously, it could be time to bring in some external support. Fractional HR experts are up to date on all major regulations, employment law, best practices, and risk management. They’ll help you put the right processes in place so you can scale, knowing everything’s being done properly in the background.
4. Your company is scaling, but your HR isn’t
Next, think about how your company is currently expanding. While growth is exciting, it can come with the associated growing pains. Scaling your HR might be the last thing on your mind right now, but if you’re onboarding, launching new products, or expanding into new markets, your HR strategy needs to grow along with you.
Left unaddressed, neglecting HR can lead to problems down the road with essential components such as company culture, operational structure, and internal communication. Instead, working with a fractional HR expert can set solid foundations for the future. From defining new frameworks to setting performance benchmarks, they can bring the structure your business needs to scale sustainably.
More importantly, at hoomph, we do it through a truly pragmatic lens. No finger-in-the-air theories or catch-all strategies. As a trusted partner, we get under the skin of your business' challenges and tailor HR solutions to your real-world needs – because every business is different, on different days, and HR can’t be solved with a formula.
5.You need HR expertise, but don’t have a full-time budget
Last but not least, you might know you need more HR help, but hiring full-time is beyond your current budget. You may not even need someone there all day, every day. You simply need someone who can step in and get vital jobs done, without tying you down to any long-term obligations.
Fractional HR gives you that expertise on a flexible basis. And, once the job’s done, there’s no ongoing contract. This means you get the benefit of years of HR experience, without the full-time salary or long-term commitments.
The benefits of working with fractional HR experts
To summarise, here’s how fractional HR can help you solve crucial business challenges:
Accelerates recruitment and reduces HR bottlenecks
Frees leadership to focus on revenue-generating tasks
Addresses regulatory compliance and reduces legal risks
Sets quality HR foundations for sustainable growth
Delivers expert support without full-time commitments
Unlocks pragmatic solutions tailored to real-world contexts
At hoomph, we help businesses of all shapes and sizes find the right HR fit. We’ll look at where you are right now – and where you want to be – to bring pragmatic fractional HR support that contributes to your success.