Fractional Head of People
Senior People Leadership, Flexibly Delivered
Most organisations at 20, 40, 60 people don't need a full-time Head of People five days a week. But they do need the thinking, the judgement and the steady hand that one brings. That's what this service is.
What a Fractional Head of People actually means
A Fractional Head of People provides senior people leadership on a part-time, retained basis — embedded in your organisation, involved in your leadership team, and accountable for the things a Head of People would normally own.
This isn't remote advisory. It's not a helpline you call when something goes wrong. It's a senior person who knows your organisation, attends your leadership meetings, and carries the people agenda properly — at a commitment level that matches where you are right now.
It covers everything a Head of People would typically lead: people strategy, leadership coaching, culture, performance, risk, organisational design, ER oversight and the day-to-day judgment calls that need someone with proper experience behind them.
What this looks like in practice
A manufacturing business came to us after promoting two managers internally who had no experience handling difficult conversations. Performance issues were being avoided. A long-running absence had no management plan. Contracts hadn't been reviewed in four years. We came in as Fractional Head of People, steadied the immediate situations, rebuilt the employment documentation, coached the managers through the cases that were already live, and within six months the MD had stopped being the de facto HR department. The foundations were in place. The managers were more capable. The risk had been significantly reduced.
That's what this service is for.
What's included
People strategy and priorities, aligned to where the business is going
Leadership team partnership and coaching
Performance, culture and engagement frameworks
ER oversight and complex case management
People reporting, metrics and governance
Hiring support, structure and organisational design
Acquisitions, integrations and scaling support
Board-level people reporting where required
Who it's for
Founder-led businesses where the people agenda is still sitting on the founder's desk
Scaling SMEs that have outgrown informal HR but aren't ready for a full-time hire
Privately backed organisations needing senior people capability ahead of growth or investment
Leadership teams that have had a people situation go wrong and need proper oversight going forward
Charities and social enterprises navigating significant change without an internal HR function
Why fractional rather than full-time
A full-time Head of People at a 50-person organisation typically costs £55,000–£75,000 in salary, plus employer NI, pension and recruitment fees. That's £70,000–£95,000 before they've done a day's work. And it's a permanent commitment with a notice period, a handover risk and an onboarding curve of three to six months before they're truly embedded.
The fractional model gives you the same seniority and the same quality of thinking at a commitment level that matches your stage. No equity. No long-term overhead. Impact from day one because we're not spending the first quarter learning what you do.
Investment
Embedded Growth Partner - From £3,500/month - 1–2 days per week, embedded delivery
Strategic Head of People - From £8,000/month - for integrated leadership or complex organisational support
Minimum six-month engagement. One month's notice to change tier or end the engagement after that.