Being a fractional HR consultant brings a lot of responsibility. But mention your job title to friends, family – even prospective clients – and you’re sometimes met with confusion. That’s when we’re reminded that many people still don’t know what fractional HR actually involves.
So, what better way to explain than to share a snapshot? A week in the life of fractional HR consulting, if you will. Of course, as cliché as it may sound, no two days (let alone weeks) are ever the same in our world. But with a simulated overview, we’re excited to show you the kinds of activities, challenges, and opportunities we face – and the benefits we bring to our clients.
Day one: helping companies scale
It’s Monday, and today we’re on site at a creative agency close to home. It has around 100 employees and is growing fast. Every day we’re here is about client wins, new roles, and fresh talent. But the team needs its HR practices to catch up with the rest of the business.
That’s why, today, we’re focusing on performance reviews. In particular, we’re working directly with department heads to create a performance framework that really reflects the company’s culture. It doesn’t want anything rigid or corporate – just something that works for the business now and grows alongside it. By the end of the day, we’ve got a plan in place and management training booked in.
Day two: the nitty gritty of HR strategy
The next day, we’re with a larger SME we’ve partnered with for a few years. It currently boasts 230 employees and is really well run. More importantly, the business is all about looking after its people.
We’re off site for board planning at a local conference centre – a special nod to the coffee, which was strong and plentiful. Our role is to give strategic HR input, especially in culture development and workforce forecasting. We talk about the company’s hiring needs and how to make sure leadership behaviours are applied more consistently. It’s rewarding to see some of the groundwork we laid years ago still paying off for the team today.
Day three: bringing the ‘human’ to human resources
We’re still with the SME today – retained for two days per week – but the tone is different. We’ve been asked to step in and help with a conflict between two quite senior team members. It’s a complex, sensitive issue, and they’d like high-level advice to resolve it effectively.
This is often where being a fractional HR consultant makes a real difference. We’re a true extension of this team and have been here long enough to know the people well. However, we’re still independent enough to stay neutral and cut through internal politics.
In the afternoon, we meet with both employees individually to understand the situation in detail. It might not be the most glamorous day, but it’s vital work for them and their teams – important steps towards creating a more positive and productive working environment for everyone.
Day four: admin and staying ahead
Today is a refreshing change of pace. It’s a home-working day for the team (we’d be lying if we said the snooze button wasn’t tempting), with many catching up on planning and admin. There’s a new upcoming project to review, as well as a virtual meeting with an ongoing client.
Across the company, it’s important to block out a couple of hours to brush up on employment law changes whenever we can – staying ahead of compliance on behalf of our clients is non-negotiable. Today’s that kind of day, ripe for filtering through updates in between other tasks. We’ll then catch up about anything we’ve spotted internally, to make sure we’re supporting our clients in the best way possible.
Day five: impactful sessions
To finish the week, we’re on site with a local charitable organisation. It does brilliant work, but doesn’t have the budget for a full-time hire. Instead, with three days of fractional HR consulting per month, the team leverages hoomph to cover the key ground. And we genuinely get through a lot in that time.
Today, we’re reviewing job descriptions. Then, we’re looking at safer recruitment practices and planning out an onboarding process for new volunteers. At 3pm, we run a DEIB workshop – that stands for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging – with the full team. It’s informal and interactive, and a really nice way to round off a great week.
The value of fractional HR consulting
So, there you have it. A typical (if you can call it that) week in the life of a fractional HR consultant. While no two weeks are ever the same, they have a poignant underlying theme: we support good companies and brilliant people providing the extra oomph they need to scale successfully.