What is a Fractional Chief People Officer (Fractional CPO)?

At a recent networking event I introduced myself as a Fractional Chief People Officer. Someone at my table asked what does 'Fractional' mean? A good question, but most important of all, what are the benefits for the organisations that hire us? 

‘Fractional’ is a term appearing in front of a number of job titles. I’m sure you’ve noticed a big rise in LinkedIn profiles and mentions of ‘fractional’ leadership. All of a sudden, many of us have become ‘Fractional’ HR consultants, marketers, finance directors and in my case - a Fractional Chief People Officer (or CPO).

In this article I'll cover how I see the Fractional CPO role, the advantages it brings, the type of projects managed and share some of my own examples.

Fractional, part-time, contract or retainer - what’s in a name?

In essence, a Fractional CPO is a bit of all of these. For the client, it’s the opportunity to work with a consultant to lead people strategy and HR transformation without the commitment or cost of a full-time hire. But isn’t this like other interim roles? Well yes, but we tend to stay around a little longer.

Unlike short-term interim managers brought in to plug gaps, fractional CPOs usually work across several months as embedded members of the leadership team, delivering strategic outcomes.

In my case, I combine hands-on senior experience with flexible delivery models to give businesses a C-suite ‘been there are done it’ capability. It’s the kind of experience that can make all the difference, especially to a start-up or SME. 

Five advantages of a Fractional CPO

1. Cost efficiency with senior expertise: You get C-suite experience and strategic leadership for a fraction of the salary and benefits cost of a full-time CPO. This is especially valuable when budgets or runway are constrained.

2. Speed and focus on outcomes: Fractional leaders are hired to solve specific problems or deliver defined programmes, so they prioritise rapid diagnosis and measurable outcomes rather than endless analysis.

3. Flexible, scalable capacity: Organisations can increase or decrease the engagement as needs change (e.g., scale-up hiring bursts, pre-sale preparation, or interim cover), avoiding long-term commitment.

4. De-risking leadership transitions: Fractional CPOs can design and deliver succession and leadership development programmes, smoothing the path to a permanent hire or preparing the organisation for post-transaction integration.

5. Strategic support for SMEs: Help to set up scalable people systems that prevent culture and process breakdown at a critical time for growth; building internal capability (e.g. coaching a Head of People or HRBP) so the business can graduate to full-time leadership when the time is right.

What kinds of projects does a Fractional CPO perform?

Typical engagements focus on high-level people challenges. Common projects include:

Designing and implementing people strategy - aligned to business goals (hiring plans, org-design, succession).

Leading culture, leadership development and change programmes - during scale-up, M&A, or restructures.

Building scalable recruitment and onboarding systems - when businesses are growing fast.

Fixing urgent people risks - (discipline, legal compliance, redundancies) and partnering with employment counsel.

Some of my fractional assignments

Through my consultancy en:Rich, I have worked on a fractional CPO basis in a number of sectors bringing experienced HR leadership. 

Here are just a few:

Conducting a culture audit: The outcomes reduced attrition over a 6 month period in this charity organisation, working with senior leadership to implement recommendations along with on-going HR operational support. Employee engagement levels rose by 10%.

Auditing HR policies, procedures and activities: Supporting this charity organisation as they implemented recommendations.

Strategic people planning: Working with a senior leadership team in financial services to plan for the next 12 months - along with on-going operational support.

HR coaching and mentoring: Supporting a number of clients at senior HR level with experienced guidance.

Culture and purpose definition: Working with the leaders of an insurance organisation to define the culture they wanted, more clarity on their purpose and a development plan for all employees.

Virtual people planning: Supporting a PR organisation to create more sense of connection in a virtual team, along with updating personal development plans.

Improving engagement post-redundancy:  Working with a utility company to create a plan to improve engagement following a redundancy programme, along with ongoing HR operational support.

Working with an SME to design and deliver their ESG approach - which received very positive feedback from employees.

In conclusion

A Fractional Chief People Officer (CPO) is a pragmatic, increasingly popular route for organisations that need senior people leadership but either don’t yet require - or cannot afford - a full-time CPO. 

SMEs in particular are finding fractional people leaders an efficient way to professionalise HR, de-risk growth, and deliver measurable people outcomes quickly. 

For businesses scaling fast, navigating change, or preparing for investment, a well-briefed fractional CPO can be the difference between chaotic people problems and a stable platform for growth.

Need a little outside help?

Take a look at my Fractional CPO page for interim or part-time support across all aspects of culture and people strategy.

If you’d like to find out more about Fractional CPO support, or have a question, why not get in touch.