You know you need someone to own hiring strategy, build systems, and drive execution. Your founder is buried in recruiting instead of running the business. Your hiring managers are frustrated with inconsistent results from agencies. And every open role represents lost revenue, delayed projects, or burned-out existing staff.
The obvious answer is hiring a full-time Head of Talent. But that's a $200K+ commitment, a 3-6 month search, and no guarantee you'll find someone with the right healthcare or tech domain expertise. What if you could get the strategic leadership, systems infrastructure, and execution capacity of a Head of Talent for 40-60% of the cost, starting in two weeks instead of six months?
What Is Fractional Talent Leadership?
Fractional Talent Leadership is a part-time Head of Talent function (10-20 hours per week) embedded in your organization.
You get strategic talent planning, system design, stakeholder management, and team coaching combined with full access to your own Talent Engine (AI-powered hiring system with dedicated sourcer) and Search Sprint credits for urgent, mission-critical roles. It's leadership plus execution, strategy plus delivery, all in one package.
Unlike hiring a fractional recruiter (who just sources and screens), Fractional Talent Leadership means you get someone who:
Owns Talent Strategy
Workforce planning, hiring roadmaps, comp benchmarking, employer branding, and integration with business goals. They think like a VP.
Builds Your Talent Engine
Designs, installs, and runs your AI-powered hiring system with dedicated sourcer. You own a repeatable process, not just placements.
Manages Stakeholders
Weekly pipeline reviews with founders, training hiring managers, aligning executives, and making sure everyone follows the same process.
Delivers Candidates
Through your Talent Engine and Search Sprints, you get qualified candidates every 2-3 weeks. Strategy plus execution.
What's Included:
When to Choose Fractional Talent Leadership
Fractional Talent Leadership makes sense for specific situations. Here's when it's the right fit:
You're Scaling Fast (5-15 Hires Per Quarter)
You need consistent hiring velocity across multiple roles, but not enough to justify a $200K+ full-time Head of Talent. You're growing, but not at hypergrowth scale (50+ hires/quarter).
Sweet spot: Series A/B startups, mid-market healthcare orgs, tech companies going from 30 to 100 employees
Founder Is Stuck in Recruiting
The founder or CEO is spending 10-20 hours per week on hiring (sourcing, screening, coordinating interviews) instead of running the business. You need someone to own the entire function.
Common scenario: 20-50 person companies without dedicated talent function
You Want to Replace Multiple Agencies
You're working with 3-5 different contingent agencies, fees are unpredictable, quality is inconsistent, and nobody is thinking strategically about your talent pipeline.
Cost comparison: 3-4 agency placements per quarter = $80K-$120K. Fractional leadership = $50K-$70K with better results.
You Need Domain Expertise (Healthcare or Tech)
Generic recruiters don't understand your market. You need someone with deep healthcare or technology recruiting experience who speaks the language and knows the talent pools.
Examples: Hiring clinical staff, specialized engineers, healthcare executives, or tech roles requiring domain knowledge
You're Not Ready for Full-Time Yet
You know you'll need a full-time Head of Talent eventually, but you're 6-12 months away. Fractional leadership bridges the gap and can transition to helping you hire your permanent talent leader when ready.
Strategic approach: Use fractional for 6-12 months, build the foundation, then hire full-time talent leader into a working system
When NOT to Choose Fractional Leadership:
- →Hiring 1-2 people per year: A Talent Engine or Search Sprints alone are more cost-effective
- →Hypergrowth (50+ hires/quarter): You need full-time talent leadership and a team
- →Only entry-level roles: Simple job board posting and basic ATS are sufficient
How Fractional Talent Leadership Works: Month by Month
Here's what the first six months look like when you engage Fractional Talent Leadership:
Month 1: Assessment & Foundation
Audit current state and design your system
Key Activities:
- Week 1: Current State Audit - Review open roles, existing processes, past agency relationships, team capacity, and pain points.
- Week 2: 90-Day Hiring Roadmap - Prioritize roles, define candidate profiles, identify sourcing channels, and align with business goals.
- Week 3: Talent Engine Design - Design your AI-powered hiring system, configure workflows, create scorecards, and set up reporting.
- Week 4: Launch Campaigns - Activate Talent Engine with dedicated sourcer, launch first Search Sprint if needed, establish weekly review cadence.
Deliverables: 90-day talent roadmap, complete Talent Engine design, first active sourcing campaigns, weekly meeting schedule established.
Months 2-3: Execution & Optimization
Deliver candidates and refine the system
Key Activities:
- Weekly Pipeline Reviews - 30-minute call covering candidates sourced, screened, qualified, and interviewing. Clear metrics on conversion rates.
- Candidate Delivery - Interview-ready shortlists every 2-3 weeks from Talent Engine. Search Sprint candidates in 21-30 days for urgent roles.
- Hiring Manager Training - Coach your team on effective interviewing, candidate assessment, feedback, and offer negotiation.
- System Optimization - Refine messaging, adjust targeting, improve conversion rates based on feedback and data.
Typical Results: 2-4 hires made, 8-12 candidates in active interview process, clear pipeline visibility, hiring managers trained and aligned.
Months 4-6: Scaling & Strategic Planning
Mature the system and plan ahead
Key Activities:
- Consistent Delivery - Predictable pipeline flow with qualified candidates delivered every 2-3 weeks. System is now self-sustaining.
- Employer Branding - Develop careers page, refine candidate experience, build talent community, improve conversion rates.
- Compensation Strategy - Benchmark roles, design offer frameworks, build comp bands, and ensure competitive positioning.
- Forward Planning - Next 90-day roadmap, anticipated hiring needs, team expansion planning, and full-time talent leader transition if needed.
Maturity Indicators: 6-10 hires completed, consistent 21-30 day time-to-shortlist, low hiring manager friction, clear talent brand, predictable costs.
Strategic Leadership Responsibilities
Beyond running your Talent Engine and Search Sprints, your Fractional Talent Leader handles the strategic work that founders and hiring managers shouldn't be doing:
Workforce Planning
- • Align hiring roadmap with business goals
- • Forecast hiring needs 3-6 months ahead
- • Prioritize roles based on impact
- • Build job families and career ladders
Metrics & Reporting
- • Weekly pipeline reports with clear KPIs
- • Time-to-shortlist, time-to-offer, acceptance rates
- • Cost per hire and agency fee tracking
- • Monthly executive talent reviews
Stakeholder Management
- • Weekly syncs with founders/executives
- • Train and coach hiring managers
- • Align interview process across teams
- • Manage expectations and timelines
Compensation Strategy
- • Benchmark roles against market data
- • Design offer frameworks and comp bands
- • Advise on equity, bonuses, benefits
- • Negotiate offers with candidates
Employer Branding
- • Develop EVP and positioning
- • Optimize careers page and job posts
- • Improve candidate experience
- • Build talent community
Process & Compliance
- • Standardize interview processes
- • Ensure EEOC and compliance best practices
- • Document hiring decisions
- • Build scalable systems
Real Results from Fractional Talent Leadership
These are actual outcomes from organizations that implemented Fractional Talent Leadership:
HealthTech Series A Startup
12 Hires in 6 MonthsStarting Point: Founder spending 15 hrs/week on recruiting, 3 open roles for 90+ days, no hiring process, working with 4 different agencies.
Solution: Fractional Talent Leader designed Talent Engine for engineering and clinical roles, launched Search Sprint for VP of Product, trained hiring managers.
Results: 12 roles filled in 6 months (6 engineers, 4 clinical, 2 leadership). Founder now spends 2 hrs/week on final interviews only. $95K saved vs. agency fees. 91% retention at 12 months.
Multi-Site Healthcare Organization
18 Hires in 9 MonthsStarting Point: Regional healthcare org with 5 locations, inconsistent recruiting across sites, no talent leadership, random agency relationships.
Solution: Fractional Talent Leader centralized recruiting, built Talent Engine for clinical and administrative roles, standardized interview process across all sites.
Results: 18 roles filled in 9 months (8 RNs, 5 allied health, 3 administrative, 2 leadership). Average time-to-fill dropped from 112 days to 39 days. Predictable monthly recruiting cost replaced agency fee chaos.
SaaS Company (40 Employees)
9 Hires in 6 MonthsStarting Point: Fast-growing SaaS company, hiring across engineering, sales, and customer success. No formal recruiting process or talent leadership.
Solution: Fractional Talent Leader implemented Talent Engine for each function, launched Search Sprint for VP of Sales, built comp bands and offer frameworks.
Results: 9 roles filled in 6 months (4 engineers, 3 sales, 2 CS). After 12 months, transitioned to hiring full-time Head of Talent who inherited a working system. Company scaled to 80 employees with predictable hiring.
Aggregate Results Across Clients:
Average Time to Shortlist
Average Annual Savings vs. Agencies
12-Month Retention Rate
Investment and Pricing
Fractional Talent Leadership pricing depends on time commitment (10-20 hrs/week), hiring volume, and strategic complexity:
Typical Monthly Investment
Most clients invest $5K-$6K/month depending on scope and hiring volume. Minimum 6-month engagement.
Includes part-time leader, Talent Engine operation, Search Sprint credits, and all strategic services.
Compare to Full-Time
Full-time Head of Talent salary + benefits, plus 3-6 month search to hire, with no delivery team or AI tools included.
Fractional = 60-70% cost savings with immediate start.
What's Included:
ROI Calculation Example:
Traditional Approach: 3 agency placements/quarter × $30K avg fee = $90K/year
Fractional Leadership: $5K/month × 12 = $60K/year
Annual Savings: $30K+
Plus faster hiring (21-30 days vs. 60-90 days), better retention (88% vs. 70%), predictable costs, and strategic leadership included.
How to Get Started
If you're ready for strategic talent leadership without the $200K full-time commitment, here's the process:
Book a 30-Minute Strategy Call
Discuss your hiring goals, current challenges, team structure, and open roles. We'll assess whether Fractional Leadership is the right fit and outline a preliminary plan.
Detailed Scoping Session
If we're aligned, schedule a 90-minute discovery call to map your talent needs, hiring roadmap, and desired outcomes. Receive a detailed proposal with scope, timeline, and pricing.
Launch in 2 Weeks
Sign agreement, assign your Fractional Talent Leader, conduct kickoff, and begin Month 1 audit and planning. Active sourcing campaigns launch by Week 3.
First Candidates by Week 4-5
Interview-ready candidates typically arrive in Weeks 4-5, with ongoing delivery every 2-3 weeks thereafter. Monthly talent reviews track progress against goals.
Ready for Strategic Talent Leadership?
If you're hiring 5-15 people per quarter, the founder is stuck in recruiting, or you're tired of unpredictable agency costs, book a call to discuss whether Fractional Talent Leadership is right for you.
Book a 30-Minute Strategy CallFrequently Asked Questions
How is this different from hiring a fractional recruiter?
Fractional recruiters just source and screen. Fractional Talent Leadership includes strategic planning, system design, stakeholder management, hiring manager training, and executive reporting. You get both strategy and execution.
What happens after 6 months?
Most clients continue month-to-month or transition to hiring a full-time Head of Talent who inherits a working system. Some scale down if hiring slows, others scale up by adding more Search Sprint capacity.
Who will be my Fractional Talent Leader?
You'll be assigned a senior talent leader with 10+ years of experience in healthcare or technology recruiting. They're not junior coordinators. they're former Heads of Talent from companies like yours.
Can we pause if hiring slows down?
After the initial 6-month commitment, you can adjust scope or pause month-to-month. The Talent Engine can be scaled down to maintenance mode, and Search Sprints are only used when you have urgent roles.
Do you work with companies outside healthcare and tech?
Our core expertise is healthcare and technology, but we've worked with fintech, professional services, and other sectors. If your roles require domain-specific knowledge we don't have, we'll be transparent about fit during the strategy call.
Get Strategic Talent Leadership Without the $200K Hire
If you're ready to stop doing recruiting yourself, replace inconsistent agencies with a system, and scale hiring predictably, Fractional Talent Leadership gives you the expertise, infrastructure, and execution you need. Book a call to discuss your specific situation.
Schedule Your Strategy Call