What is the most common, and least common, fractional role?
The most common fractional roles today are for finance leadership (e.g. Fractional CFOs), marketing leadership (e.g. Fractional CMOs), and engineering leadership (Fractional CTOs). However, just about any senior role you can think of is being done fractionally.
Some of the roles rising in popularity include the Fractional Head of Sales, Fractional Head of People / CHRO, and the Fractional COO.
What the Data Shows
Fractional Jobs recently analyzed 647 fractional job postings, and the breakdown is below.
Most Popular:
- Finance (22%)
- Engineering (18%)
- Marketing (18%)
Rising in popularity:
- Sales (9%)
- Operations (8%)
- People / HR (5%)
Least Common:
- Analytics (3%)
- Product (3%)
- Legal (2%)
If you’re doing fractional work, or looking to hire fractional, in one of the less common areas, DO NOT PANIC. There are countless successful Fractional Chief Data Officers, Fractional General Counsels, and Fractional Heads of Product. In fact, Fractional Jobs’ founder Taylor Crane was a Fractional Head of Product for a year before starting Fractional Jobs.
Why Some Roles Are More Popular Than Others
What makes some fractional roles more popular than others has to do with how companies think about solving needs within their org.
If a company has a burning Finance need, their first instinct is almost certainly to bring in an expert vs. trying to do it themselves.
Conversely, if a company has messy operations, the first instinct is likely to be to try to improve it with existing resources instead of hiring someone new.
Fractional Jobs calls this Level 1 Fractional Hiring (e.g. Fractional CFOs), vs. Level 2 Fractional Hiring (e.g. Fractional COOs). There’s even a Level 3.
As fractional work gains adoption, companies will naturally graduate from Level 1 to Level 2, to Level 3, etc., paving the way for more and more fractional opportunities.
To read more about the different levels, check out “Why Don’t I See Any Fractional Jobs in My Function Area?”
Related FAQs
What is fractional work?
Fractional work is part-time work, typically paid on a monthly retainer, and performed by experts in their field.
The part-time work part is obvious. This means that fractional jobs involve a smaller time commitment than a full-time job (typically 40 hrs / week). Fractional jobs are often for 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 hrs / week.
A monthly retainer is the most popular form of compensation for fractional work, though a simple hourly rate is common too. This retainer reinforces the idea that a fractional job is meant to be ongoing and continuous, as opposed to a fixed project.
Fractional work is done by experts, and this is the key differentiator compared to other forms of part-time work like freelance work. Fractional leaders have honed their craft over many years (usually 10+), allowing them to drop into other companies and add immense value quickly and efficiently.
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What is Fractional Jobs?
Fractional Jobs is the largest talent network for fractional leaders and the companies looking to hire them.
For fractional executives and other fractional talent, Fractional Jobs offers the Playbooks to break into fractional work successfully, the Tools to help you run your fractional business, and of course, the jobs. Every week we’re launching new jobs across 10+ function areas on our website and in our newsletter.
For startups, SMBs, and other companies that want to hire fractional talent, Fractional Jobs will help you find the perfect fractional for your need. You’ll tell us who you’re looking for, we’ll connect you to the best candidates, and you can hire them directly (we are not a middleman or an agency, and we don’t charge % markups).
Learn more about the benefits of letting Fractional Jobs help you hire fractional.
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Why is fractional work becoming more popular?
Fractional work has exploded in recent years, because it gives companies access to high-caliber talent without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire.
Remote work has made it easier than ever to plug in strategic talent from anywhere in the world. Combine that with economic pressure, hiring hesitancy, and the rise of flexible work models, fractional has become a no-brainer for companies that want senior impact without the overhead.
Most importantly, here at Fractional Jobs we’ve been supercharging this transition by making the fractional hiring process as frictionless as possible. What used to require expensive agency searches or tapping into your personal network can now be handled by our dedicated talent marketplace which operates the largest network of fractional talent in the U.S. and beyond.
Read more about the market shifts that have driven the surge in fractional work.
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Who Wrote This Guide?
I’ve helped 100+ companies hire fractional execs and other fractional talent. I also spent a year as a Fractional Head of Product.
I intimately understand how fractional work works from both sides of the table. And this guide is meant to help everyone get up to speed on the fractional world, quickly.
What to read next
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