Fractional HR
Senior HR leadership embedded in your organization—without the full-time cost or complexity.
Nine22 Solutions provides fractional HR leadership
Senior HR leadership embedded in your organization—without the full-time cost or complexity.
There is a stage of growth where organizations need more than an HR generalist but are not ready—or do not want—to build a full-time HR executive role. This inflection point often appears as hiring accelerates, compliance risk increases, and leadership finds itself spending more time managing people issues than running the business.
This is especially common for startups and early-stage organizations building their first intentional HR function, as well as growing businesses that have outgrown informal practices and patchwork solutions. At this stage, organizations don’t need task-based HR support. They need strategic judgment, continuity, and leadership-level decision-making—without unnecessary overhead.
That is where Nine22 Solutions’ fractional HR services come in.
As your fractional HR consultant, I operate as an embedded member of your leadership team. I attend key meetings, understand how your business actually runs, and align HR decisions with operational realities and business priorities. This role is designed to provide consistency, context, and senior-level perspective—so people decisions support growth rather than create friction.
Fractional HR is not outsourced HR support, and it is not occasional consulting. It is embedded leadership. I am involved enough to understand the nuances of your organization and steady enough to guide decisions over time. The result is HR systems and leadership practices that are practical, defensible, and built to support the next phase of growth. Fractional HR services are designed for organizations that want senior-level guidance, not just HR administration.
Who Fractional HR Is For
Nine22’s fractional HR services are designed for organizations at specific inflection points—moments when people-related decisions become more complex, risk increases, and leadership needs senior-level judgment without committing to a full-time HR executive.
Fractional HR is not a temporary fix or a cost-saving measure. It is a strategic engagement model for organizations that need
experienced HR leadership, continuity, and systems-building capability at critical stages of growth.
Who Fractional HR Is For
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Startups and Early-Stage CompaniesList Item 1
You are building something from the ground up. You may have made your first few hires, or you may be preparing for a growth phase that will require structure, consistency, and compliance. Early decisions around policies, pay practices, leadership expectations, and employee experience will shape your culture for years to come—whether intentionally or not.
At this stage, fractional HR provides senior expertise at exactly the moment it matters most. Instead of piecing together policies or relying on trial and error, you gain guidance on building scalable practices, establishing leadership norms, and implementing systems that won’t need to be dismantled and rebuilt as the organization grows.
The focus is on setting the foundation correctly the first time—so growth strengthens the organization rather than exposing cracks.
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Small Businesses (25-100 Employees)List Item 2
You’ve outgrown the phase where “everyone does a little HR.” HR responsibilities are often handled by an office manager, operations lead, or finance role—someone capable, but increasingly stretched thin as complexity grows.
At this stage, people issues consume more leadership time. Employee relations situations carry greater risk. Compliance questions are harder to answer confidently. Hiring and performance decisions feel heavier, with more potential downstream impact.
Fractional HR support provides access to senior-level HR leadership without requiring 40+ hours per week of work or the cost of a full-time executive. This allows organizations to introduce structure, consistency, and sound judgment—while keeping the organization lean and focused.
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Mid-Market Companies (100-500 Employees)List Item 3
You may already have HR staff in place, but strategic leadership is missing at the top. Day-to-day HR functions are handled, but when more complex issues arise—organizational changes, leadership challenges, compensation strategy, or sensitive employee matters—there is a gap in experience and perspective.
Fractional HR fills that gap by providing senior-level oversight and guidance without adding another permanent layer of management. This model allows organizations to elevate their people strategy, support internal HR teams, and navigate complex decisions with clarity and confidence—without restructuring the organization.
The result is stronger alignment between leadership, HR, and operations during periods of growth or transition.
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Founder-Led OrganizationsList Item 4
In founder-led organizations, leadership involvement is often a strength—but as the company grows, it can quietly become a constraint. When teams are small, it’s natural for founders to stay closely involved in people decisions. Over time, however, those decisions become more frequent, more complex, and higher risk.
What once worked at 10 employees starts pulling focus at 30, 50, or 75. Performance issues, compensation questions, compliance concerns, and leadership challenges begin to compete with strategic priorities. Instead of driving growth, founders find themselves spending disproportionate time navigating HR decisions they were never meant to manage alone.
Fractional HR support provides founder-led organizations with a trusted partner who can take ownership of the people function—bringing structure, consistency, and experienced judgment—while allowing founders to remain focused on vision, growth, and operations. This model preserves leadership control without forcing founders to personally manage every people-related issue.
Signs You Need Fractional HR Support
Organizations often recognize the need for fractional HR when several of the following conditions are present:
- Your team has outgrown current HR capabilities, but a six-figure HR executive is not yet practical
- Leadership is spending increasing time on people issues instead of running the business
- You need someone who can make senior-level HR decisions, not just process paperwork
- Existing HR systems were built for a smaller organization and are beginning to strain under growth
- You’re facing complex employee or leadership situations that require experience and sound judgment
- You’re a startup that needs to build HR infrastructure intentionally—but cannot justify full-time expertise
- You’re transitioning off a PEO and need experienced guidance to avoid disruption, risk, or regression
When these signals appear, fractional HR support allows organizations to stabilize, scale thoughtfully, and regain leadership focus—without overbuilding too early.
What Nine22's Fractional HR Looks Like
Fractional human resources is not a one-size-fits-all arrangement. Nine22 structures fractional HR engagements based on an organization’s stage of growth, internal capability, and the level of leadership support required. The common thread across all models is senior-level judgment, continuity, and practical execution—without committing to a full-time HR executive.
Nine22 typically works with clients through one of the following engagement models:
Ongoing Leadership
Contact UsA consistent, embedded presence—typically two to four days per month—where I function as the organization’s de facto HR leader.
In this model, I participate in leadership meetings, advise executives on people strategy, handle complex employee and compliance matters, and guide the development of HR systems over time. The focus is not on day-to-day administration, but on providing continuity, senior-level decision-making, and strategic alignment as the organization grows.
This engagement works best for organizations that:
- Are scaling and need ongoing HR leadership
- Want consistent guidance rather than reactive support
- Need someone who understands the business context and leadership dynamics over time
Ongoing fractional leadership provides stability and judgment without adding permanent overhead.
Intensive Builds
Contact UsFocused, time-bound engagements designed to build or overhaul specific HR infrastructure.
These concentrated projects address foundational needs such as establishing a complete HR framework, implementing a performance management system, designing compensation structures, or building the full HR foundation for a startup. Each engagement is scoped with clear objectives, timelines, and deliverables.
The emphasis is on creating systems your organization can own, operate, and sustain internally once the engagement concludes. This model is ideal when leadership needs experienced guidance to build something correctly the first time—without carrying long-term fractional support.
Transition Support
Contact UsInterim HR leadership during periods of change or uncertainty.
Transition support is designed for organizations that are between HR leaders, preparing to hire their first HR executive, restructuring their HR function, or transitioning off a PEO. During these periods, stability and experienced oversight are critical to prevent disruption, risk exposure, or regression.
In this model, I provide continuity, manage active HR responsibilities, and help leadership assess long-term needs—so decisions about permanent structure are made intentionally rather than under pressure.
How Fractional HR Engagements Work
Fractional HR leadership is designed to be flexible. Engagements may last a few weeks, several months, or longer, depending on the organization’s needs, internal capability, and stage of growth.
Regardless of scope or duration, Nine22 approaches each engagement with the same principles: assess first, prioritize intentionally, and build systems that fit the business—not the other way around.
Work typically begins with orientation and assessment. This includes understanding how the organization operates, how people decisions are currently made, and where risk, friction, or misalignment exists. Recommendations are grounded in context, not templates.
From there, support may take different forms. Some organizations engage Nine22 primarily for strategic advising and decision support. Others benefit from more embedded leadership to guide system development, manage complex people matters, or stabilize periods of change. In many cases, engagements evolve over time as clarity increases and internal capability grows.
Throughout the engagement, the focus remains on practical judgment, clear communication, and alignment between leadership, people systems, and operations. The goal is not activity for activity’s sake, but steady progress that holds up as the organization continues to grow.
Nine22 Fractional HR vs. Other Options
When organizations reach an inflection point, it’s common to explore a range of HR solutions—from outsourcing arrangements to hiring internal leadership. Each option has merit, depending on the organization’s size, complexity, and priorities. The key is understanding what problem you are actually trying to solve.
Below is a comparison of common approaches and how Nine22’s fractional HR model differs.
| Option | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Full-Time HR Executive | Dedicated focus, full availability, deep organizational knowledge | $150K–$250K+ annually plus benefits; often more capacity than startups or growing organizations need |
| PEO | Handles benefits, payroll, and basic compliance; bundled pricing | Limited strategic guidance; reduced control over HR decisions; impersonal, standardized approach |
| Traditional HR Outsourcing | Manages administrative tasks; scales with transaction volume | Primarily task-focused; limited senior judgment; often offshore or disconnected from operations |
| Nine22 Fractional HR | Senior-level expertise, embedded partnership, strategic focus, flexible engagement | Not designed for high-volume transactional work; best suited for leadership, decision-making, and systems-building |
Unlike transactional outsourced HR services or human resources outsourcing providers focused on administrative execution, Nine22 provides embedded leadership and experienced judgment. The goal is not simply to take tasks off a leader’s plate—it is to strengthen decision-making, reduce risk, and build internal capability over time.
Fractional HR works best when organizations need clarity, perspective, and leadership, not just coverage.
Industries Nine22 Solutions Serves
Nine22 specializes in operations-driven environments where HR decisions have direct operational, safety, and financial consequences. This includes industries such as oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, and growth-stage, founder-led organizations.
I understand the realities of field operations, safety-sensitive roles, prevailing wage requirements, and the complexity of managing both office and operational workforces. In these environments, HR cannot function in isolation—people decisions directly affect productivity, safety, compliance, and profitability.
Whether supporting a startup with 10 employees or a mid-market organization with 300, Nine22’s fractional HR services are designed to scale intentionally—providing leadership and structure that fits the business without unnecessary overhead.
