Introduction: The Workforce Is Changing

By 2030, as much as 50% of the workforce could operate fractionally. This is not a fringe movement but a fundamental shift in how people work and how companies build teams.

Companies, especially startups and SMEs, face rising costs, talent shortages, and pressure to scale faster with less risk. At the same time, professionals want more flexibility, more control over their careers, and the ability to work across multiple projects instead of committing to one employer.

This guide explains what fractional roles are, how they fit within the broader category of flexible work, why they are growing so quickly, and how both professionals and founders can take advantage of this model.

At Versa, we’re building the infrastructure for fractional and flexible work. This guide is part of our mission to educate and support the next generation of professionals and businesses.

What Is a Fractional Role?

A fractional role is an ongoing, part-time leadership or specialist position within a company.

Instead of hiring a full-time Chief Marketing Officer, a startup might bring on a fractional CMO for 12 hours per week. That person is embedded in the team, responsible for strategy and delivery, but their time (and cost) is shared across multiple companies.

Examples of common fractional roles:

• Fractional CFO (financial strategy, fundraising prep, cashflow forecasting)
• Fractional CMO (marketing strategy, brand building, growth channels)
• Fractional COO (operations, scaling processes, efficiency)
• Fractional Head of People (recruitment, culture, HR systems)
• Fractional CTO (tech roadmap, engineering management)

Typical scope:

• 8–15 hours/week
• Ongoing (months or years) rather than a short project
• Strategic outcomes (not just tactical tasks)

Case study: One SME hired a fractional CFO for 12 hrs/week. Within three months, the company had cleaner investor reporting, fewer surprise cash gaps, and more confident fundraising conversations — without committing to a £200k full-time salary.

What Is Flexible Work?

Flexible work is the broader category that includes fractional roles but also covers other adaptive working arrangements, such as:

• Part-time contracts
• Reduced or compressed hours
• Remote and hybrid schedules
• Portfolio careers (multiple part-time roles)

In short:

• Fractional work = leadership or specialist roles, embedded part-time.
• Flexible work = all models that adapt hours, location, and commitments.

Professionals use flexible work to create careers that fit around their lives. Companies use it to attract talent that might otherwise be unavailable.

Fractional vs Freelance vs Consulting

There’s often confusion between these models. Here’s a clear comparison:

ModelScopeDurationExampleBest Fit For

Freelance

Project-based

Weeks/months

Build a website

Tactical tasks

Consulting

Advisory, short-term advice

Days/weeks

Strategy workshop

Expert opinion

Fractional

Embedded, recurring leadership

Months/years

CFO 12 hrs/wk, ongoing

Strategic leadership

Flexible

Broad category covering all

Varies

Part-time + hybrid arrangements

SMEs & professionals

Key point: Fractional roles are not the same as freelancing. They are ongoing, embedded, and leadership-focused.

Why Fractional and Flexible Roles Are Growing

Several trends are driving this shift:

1. Affordability for SMEs and startups. Many companies can’t justify full-time executive salaries but still need senior expertise.
2. Professional demand for flexibility. Post-pandemic, professionals want control over hours, projects, and lifestyle.
3. Remote work normalisation. Distributed work makes it easier for one person to contribute to multiple companies.
4. Technology and platforms. Matching companies and professionals is becoming easier through purpose-built platforms.
5. AI automation. As AI handles more routine tasks, human value shifts to creativity, leadership, and strategy — exactly what fractional roles deliver.

Projection: UK startups alone are expected to make 154,000 new fractional hires in the next five years.

How Professionals Can Find Fractional Roles

Breaking into fractional work requires some preparation.

Steps to get started:

1. Define your offer. Write a one-page “Fractional Resume” that outlines: role, outcomes, hours/week.
2. Start with one role. Test fractional alongside consulting or freelance projects before going all-in.
3. Price confidently. Charge senior-level rates that reflect strategic value, not junior contractor prices.
4. Network actively. Many early roles come through personal connections.
5. Use the right platforms. General freelance sites rarely work. Niche platforms like Versa are built specifically for fractional and flexible roles.

Tip: Protect your time. Use strict time-blocking to stop one role from creeping into another.

How Founders Can Hire Fractional Talent

For startups and SMEs, fractional hiring can unlock senior capability at a fraction of the cost.

Steps to hire effectively:

1. Scope outcomes, not hours. Define the actual results needed (e.g., cash forecasts, growth strategy).
2. Translate into time. Often 8–15 hrs/week is enough for a senior leader.
3. Interview for fit. Prioritise experience with startups or SMEs.
4. Start with a 90-day plan. Set clear deliverables and review progress.
5. Integrate properly. Fractional hires still need onboarding, access to tools, and inclusion in leadership conversations.

Case study: A startup founder needed a CFO but couldn’t pay a £200k salary. By hiring fractionally, they secured senior expertise, extended runway, and improved investor readiness.

FAQs

Is fractional work legitimate?
Yes. It’s a recognised model in consulting circles for years, now moving mainstream as SMEs adopt it.

What’s the difference between fractional and flexible?

• Fractional = ongoing, part-time leadership roles.
• Flexible = broader term for any adaptable work model (part-time, hybrid, fractional).

Which roles are best fractional?
Finance (CFO), Marketing (CMO), Operations (COO), People/HR, Technology (CTO).

How do you scope a fractional role?

• List outcomes.
• Estimate weekly hours.
• Document in a one-page scope.
• Agree on a 90-day plan.

How are fractional professionals paid?
Usually on a retainer or day-rate basis, aligned to senior expertise.

About Versa

Versa is building the infrastructure for fractional and flexible work.

Since launching in April, Versa has:

• Attracted over 3,000 B2C users.
• Run early B2B pilots with LADbible, MEWS, ZOE, and Here We Flo.
• Partnered with Pip & Nut.

We created this guide to help professionals and founders understand the landscape of flexible and fractional work, and to share the playbooks that are shaping the future of work.