Fractional HR Services and Fractional CHRO Leadership

Most small businesses don't need a full-time HR executive. They need someone senior in the room when the big people decisions get made, who then helps make those decisions stick. That's what fractional HR looks like at HRish: practical, people-first HR leadership that grows with your business and makes the people side of running a company feel less overwhelming.

Who do I hire next? Will this structure hold up as the team grows? Why does every change feel like pushing a boulder uphill?

The traditional answer is a big HR hire or a cookie-cutter package. I'd rather start with what you actually need. You get an HR department you can actually rely on, without having to hire one internally.

Who's behind HRish

I'm Allisha McCartney, Founder & HR Consultant at HRish Solutions, based in Colorado Springs. I bring over 16 years in HR and a bachelor's degree in business management, with a concentration in HR management. You can read more about me on the About page.

What fractional HR looks like

A strategy slide deck that looks sharp at the leadership retreat and is forgotten by March doesn't help anyone. Fractional HR with me is steady, part-time HR leadership from someone who knows your business and keeps showing up to help the plan happen.

• In the room: I take part in your leadership meetings. Most of them happen by video, and I'm open to the occasional in-person meeting; I have one client I usually meet in person once a month.
• Planning: I help you map the roles you'll need before you're short-handed.
• Culture and change: I help shape the culture you want and bring your team along through big changes.
• Follow-through: I turn your HR roadmap into steps your managers can actually take.

What a month can look like

A month of fractional HR is built around the hours you choose. Right now I have three options, 15, 25 or 40 hours a month, and I'm flexible when I need to be.

Usually I work side by side with your leadership to determine what is most important at that time and what will give you the best return on investment while lightening your load. Sometimes the plan pivots within the month if something more pressing comes up.

Between meetings, you can reach me however suits you. Email usually gets a reply within 1 to 2 hours, a phone call is usually answered right away unless I'm in a meeting, and Google Chat and text work too. Who contacts me is up to you: most clients have a select group of people who reach me directly, and front-line team members go through their manager.

Fractional HR services

My fractional HR services cover the leadership side of HR: strategy, workforce planning, culture and change, and the advice that goes with them. The sweet spot for HRish, where I find owners see the value, is between 25 and 100 team members. I also love working with owners who are just starting out or have fewer than 15 people, and I work with nonprofits as well.

There are three ways to work with me: Project-based, Hourly or Monthly partnership. For ongoing fractional work, a Monthly partnership is the best and most ideal fit. Usually it starts with one project and clients move into more work from there, which is how fractional HR for startups often begins too.

Fractional HR works best when you're willing to be involved in the process. I'm not the right fit for businesses looking for a quick fix, a stack of policies, or someone to simply check compliance boxes.

Fractional HR has a natural ceiling, too. Typically, once a business gets past about 150 team members, it needs to start looking at a full-time HR person, although that can also depend on the industry. I can still provide strategic services at that point, along with training for the HR hire you make. If headcount and structure are the big questions right now, my workforce strategy support goes deeper on that.

Fractional CHRO and HR director

A fractional CHRO is a senior HR leader who works with your leadership team part-time instead of full-time. On a smaller team, the same role is often called a fractional HR director, and either way the work matters more than the title.

In practice, I help you set HR strategy, weigh in on structure and roles before you commit to them, and make sure people decisions line up with where the business is headed. I'm also honest with you when the right answer is a smaller step, because what you need are things that fit you now and for the next 1 to 3 years, rather than an org chart built for a company twice your size.

Interim HR leadership

Sometimes the gap shows up overnight. Your HR manager gives notice, or you've outgrown the person who handled HR on the side, and finding the right replacement is going to take a while.

That's where an interim HR manager helps. I can step in as your interim HR lead and hold things steady while you hire. The work is really about stepping in and doing whatever is needed to fill the gaps your HR person was handling. Sometimes that means doing interviews, answering day-to-day HR questions, joining meetings, handling benefits enrollment or managing the new hire process. How long the cover lasts and how many hours it takes can vary by company and needs, and the work is remote, with time in person here and there if it's needed.

The gap is also a chance to get the next hire right. While the role is open, I can help you shape what the permanent job should look like, design the hiring process and sit in on or conduct interviews through my hiring and onboarding support. I'm not a recruiting or staffing agency, though on a Monthly partnership I may help with your recruiting on a short-term basis. Once your new hire starts, I'll even help train them, so they have support while they settle into the role.

Leadership advisory

Part of this work is being a sounding board. My leadership advisory support is for owners and managers who carry the people decisions and want an experienced HR voice before they act. Depending on what you're facing, that can include:

• Coaching: one-on-one leadership coaching for owners, senior leaders and managers.
• Hard calls: talking through a restructure, a tough hire or a difficult conversation before it happens.
• Alignment: getting your leadership team on the same page about people priorities.

I can also do standalone leadership advisory. Most of it happens by phone and video. Coaching with a length and cadence agreed up front is on my Training & Development page.

Fractional HR vs. a full-time HR hire

A full-time HR hire makes sense when there's enough HR work to fill the week and you're ready to build an HR function inside the business. Many small businesses aren't there yet. They need senior judgment a few times a month, not a full desk of HR tasks.

• Fractional HR: senior HR leadership, part-time, scaled up or down as your needs change.
• Full-time HR hire: someone inside the business every day, which pays off once the workload justifies it.

It doesn't have to be one or the other forever. I can help you spot when it's time to hire internally, and what that role should look like.

I work with businesses across Colorado, including Colorado Springs, Denver, Pueblo, Fort Collins & Loveland. See all the areas I serve.