The Road Less Travelled
The journey to fractional work is not a common one, and few professionals start out with this career in mind. In fact, I am not sure I have met a fractional who landed in the role by design. My fractional compatriots appear to have evolved into this relatively new role too, one that is very different to a typical freelance or consulting gig.
Like many others in this role I transitioned into fractional work organically, drawn by the unique combination of flexibility, challenge, and direct impact. I set up as a fractional after nearly thirty as a full-time employee starting in fashion merchandising back in the days of big-book mail order in the mid-90’s. As TV shopping, infomercials and e-commerce evolved I found myself at the forefront working for some of the biggest names, but always as an employee.
Meeting the Needs of Modern Business
I’ve worked with plenty of consultants over the years, and I was always quite enamoured with their professional life: parachuting into a business for a short burst of energy and transformation before moving on. Many were brilliant minds but few had ever done anything other than be a consultant and were practising well-trodden, theoretical approaches. I on the other hand was being hired as a senior leader employee, because I had been through business change and had come out the other side, having experienced the aftermath and learned the lessons that could be applied next time.
Fractional work is becoming increasingly popular.. Companies I work with recognise that bringing on full-time senior leaders can be both costly and unnecessary for their stage of growth. Instead, they are opting for fractional executives who can bring deep industry knowledge and leadership skills on a part-time basis.
Organisations get to tap into high-calibre talent that helps drive strategy and transformation without the commitment of a full-time hire, providing a cost-efficient way to access specialism and expertise for specific projects or current business challenges.
At the same time, fractional work offers significant benefits to experienced professionals. Like me, senior leaders, after years in the corporate world, are choosing fractional roles to regain control over our schedules and focus on the work that excites us most. Fractional work allows me to engage with multiple companies, diversifying my professional experiences while still delivering meaningful impact.
Fractional or Consultant?
Although relatively new, our fledgling community has a range of professionals each with our specific niches. Not everyone is a C-level; some of our group are consultants who have transitioned into a more fractional role. We are not always fractional either, sometimes taking on a short project that will take all our time. None of the rules are not set in stone.
However, this does bring with it some challenges and misconceptions associated with fractional work. One common misconception is that a fractional executive is simply a consultant by another name. While both roles involve bringing in outside expertise, fractional executives are often more embedded in the day-to-day operations of the business, taking on responsibilities akin to a traditional senior leader.
Initial client conversations start with managing expectations. You need to be clear about scope, availability, and the extent to which you may be involved in the company. It’s important to have clear boundaries, whether in the UK or in many US states where varying rules around employment must be considered. Of course, that can lead to you not being as fully integrated as a full-time hire, in which case both sides must bridge the gaps in communication and availability.
Inside the Infraction community, we have had long debates about the distinction between fractionals and traditional consultants. While there isn’t necessarily a clear line in the sand, we agree that consultants are often brought in to provide analysis, recommendations, and strategic advice, but they typically do not take on operational roles within the company. By contracts, fractionals are more hands-on, we can be responsible for executing strategies and directing projects with teams.
My specific role is helping businesses that are stuck. I use Category Design principles and practice to extract them from where they are and build a strategic plan with the leadership team that gets them into a new and unique product category. 8CURVE teams can also work as fractionals to drive a project implementation both in operations and marketing. This work requires a level of embedding into a business, if only for a short period. Therefore this fractional work goes beyond what most consultants offer and brings a different level of accountability and ownership which is important for long-term transformations and more complex business challenges.
What Seasoned Professionals Should Know
I see this only going one way - the rise of the gig economy, advancements in remote working technology, and the increasing acceptance of non-traditional employment arrangements have all contributed to this shift, expanding opportunities for the modern workforce to meet the demands of flexibility, expertise, and value. I can work with businesses all over the world and, for some of my fractional colleagues, it has afforded them the opportunity to become nomadic and see the world as they work.
The recent UK Government Budget (October 2024) has also created some advantages for fractionals like me, who would otherwise be deemed expensive employees – who have just recently become even more expensive with rises in National Insurance. There are risks that businesses need to wrap their heads around when hiring fractional roles.
The UK has specific laws around what clearly defines the nature of an employee, so it’s important that both parties understand this, since there are serious implications for tax. Businesses also need to be comfortable with a fractional who is very much embedded in a business having access to intellectual property, but no professional fractional would abuse this and the trade-off is that the business gains access to significant accumulated knowledge from a fractional professional.
One of the immediate drawbacks of moving from full time employment to fractional work is that it can be a lonely existence, initially. Thankfully the community at Infraction, made up of a broad church of professionals, have created a supportive space to welcome newcomers to this style of work and to bounce ideas off of. It also helps keep up with the constantly evolving state of fractional work, and can be a great place for fractional workers to access opportunities with a very active job board.
Looking Forward: The Growing Appeal of Fractional Work
With the continued shift towards remote work, the gig economy, and innovative employment arrangements, I see a strong future for fractional roles. Fractional work provides the flexibility and challenge that senior professionals crave, while delivering high-impact results for businesses. As both sides become more familiar with this model, I believe we’ll see more companies embracing fractionals, creating new paths to growth and innovation.
The world of fractional work is expanding and evolving. As a fractional professional, I’m excited to be part of this growing movement, helping to shape the future of work for companies and seasoned professionals alike.
Ultimate, fractional roles are reshaping the way we work, and offering seasoned professionals unique opportunities for growth and impact as the driving force behind it. Readyt o start your journey? Visit infraction.io to discover a supportive community, resources, and new opportunities in the expanding world of fractional leadership. Take control of your professional future today!