A Week in the life of a fractional HR director – by Rebecca Allen, HR Consultant
Ever wondered what it’s really like to work with a Fractional HR Director? Whether you’re scaling, transforming, firefighting, or future-planning, having senior HR leadership – even just a few days a week – can make all the difference.
I’m Rebecca Allen, and I work with a mix of charities and private sector organisations through vivoHR. Here’s a peek into one of my weeks to show you how I help businesses navigate people challenges and lead with confidence.
MONDAY
Today I was with my charity client, working with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) on the People Plan, focusing on how to align it with the organisation’s five-year operational strategy. I spent the morning in workshop mode – armed with a wall full of Post-it notes – facilitating a productive discussion about what the SLT needed from HR over the coming year.
In the afternoon, I worked with HR colleagues to map out how we would bring the plan to life and what resources we would need to achieve the objectives arising from the discussion. We set SMART objectives and created a detailed project plan, so everyone knew exactly who would lead on each mini-project and what the checkpoints along the way would look like. I even had enough time to quickly turn it into a presentation to deliver to the wider HR team later this week.
TUESDAY
I had a great day with my engineering client today – they use me one day a week as an extra pair of hands in the HR team, as they’re at full capacity following some team absences. With a headcount of 300, it’s nice to be able to ease the pressure a bit.
I chaired a grievance meeting with an employee who was unhappy about the behaviour of a senior leader, working alongside her Trade Union representative to fully understand her concerns. While it took several hours, it was good to demonstrate my impartiality and objectivity, which I believe reassured both her and her Rep that her grievance was being taken seriously. I might be outsourced, but in this line of work you need to build rapport quickly – so I never feel like a complete outsider. I’ve worked hard to build a relationship with the Union and, although it can get tense at times (when have HR and the Union ever been besties, eh?!), I know they trust me as a credible HR leader.
I still need to carry out an investigation before reaching my outcome decision, but it was a really productive meeting. I might not be able to give her the outcome she’s hoping for, but that’s okay – she has the right to appeal, and I can easily hand that over to another colleague at vivoHR to manage objectively. We purposely don’t discuss the details of our Employee Relations cases in our team meetings so that there’s always someone available to conduct an appeal with impartiality.
I spent the afternoon with a pregnant employee. It’s a high-risk pregnancy, so her hospital consultants asked her to meet with me – not only to understand her rights around maternity pay but also to learn about the new legislation regarding Neonatal Leave. There’s a chance her baby will need intensive care when born, so we discussed how the law has recently changed to protect her, and what that will mean for her finances and job security. When we wrapped up, she told me I’d really helped her understand what the future might hold for her employment, amid all the unknowns surrounding her baby’s health.
WEDNESDAY
Back to the charity today, as they have a three-day-a-week arrangement with us. I have my own email address in their organisation’s name, a security pass for the building, and the staff treat me like one of their own. Today was particularly interactive – I’d organised an Away Day for the HR team. They’re spread across the country, so it was great to get them all in the same room. I spent the morning presenting our new People Plan and facilitated a safe space to discuss any concerns they had about delivering it. By lunchtime, there was a real buzz in the air – the team felt motivated to smash the targets we’d collectively set.
After lunch, I delivered some HR mentorship. It’s one of my favourite parts of being an outsourced HR Director, as it allows me to give back to the HR community after almost 30 years in the field. The team had asked for training on redundancies. One of the strategic priorities from the SLT was change management, particularly because a significant threat to the organisation is potential aid cuts. If global governments make further reductions, we might need to consider launching a redundancy consultation process. Sadly, I’ve got lots of experience in this, so I designed interactive case studies and scenarios, getting the team into breakout groups to discuss tactics. It was a win–win: they’re now more confident advising SLT members strategically, and I’m reassured they can hit the ground running if redundancies are required. This is never a pleasant task in HR, but we’re often thanked because we do it properly – not just in line with legal requirements, but aligned with our values and ethics. I always tell my HR team to treat ‘at risk’ employees the way they’d want to be treated.
THURSDAY
Today I worked with my private sector IT start-up client, who I support one day a week. They’ve recently experienced significant change, as their growth strategy is based on acquisitions. I’ve been helping them with the TUPE process and the due diligence involved in taking on other organisations.
The original plan for today was to carry out some HR housekeeping with the HR Assistant, who is solely responsible for their 50 employees. When merging companies, it’s vital to review how we’ll manage any differing terms and conditions, so we’d set aside time to audit the new company’s contracts and staff handbook to ensure fair treatment of the existing team.
However, those plans were quickly shelved when the CEO saw I was in the office and asked to pick my brain about a potential acquisition in Europe. I had to draw on my international HR experience to answer a series of rapid-fire questions I wasn’t expecting. She only had limited time, so it was high pressure and high expectation – but we both enjoyed it!
It’s hard to know everything when you’re in-house, but that’s the advantage of working with a consultant – we know a little (okay, let’s brag – a lot) about a lot. And with the vivoHR team behind us, we usually have the right answer, or know where to find it. Thanks to my lengthy HR career, I have the confidence to handle these unexpected curveballs. The CEO was happy – she got immediate answers rather than having to schedule a separate meeting with an external adviser. I’ve no doubt that when I see her again next Thursday, she’ll have more updates for me!
FRIDAY
What a week – and no rest for the wicked just yet! This morning, I joined a Teams call with the SLT of my three-day-a-week charity client. They’re excellent at what they do and highly experienced in their field, but I work with them – both collectively and individually – on their leadership blind spots. I delivered a group session, then followed up with one-to-one executive coaching.
After a quick lunch at home (one of the perks of avoiding Friday traffic!), I had a lovely virtual cuppa with the Mental Health First Aiders I recently launched. As a Psychotherapist and Mental Health Educator, I’ve designed a series of deep dives into how the brain works, how it generates stress, and – most importantly – what to do about it. It’s a deeply rewarding part of my role, and I didn’t mind doing it on a Friday afternoon, knowing the positive impact it’s having on workplace wellbeing.
There was just enough time for one final virtual cuppa before the weekend chaos begins. One of the HR team members had a challenging Employee Relations case and wanted my perspective. He was on the right track but needed a second opinion – which is another benefit of having me on the team. Looking forward to putting my feet up after a very full-on week!
So, is a Fractional HR Director right for you?
If you’re a growing organisation, facing change, or simply need senior HR expertise without the cost (or commitment) of a full-time role, then fractional HR could be the answer.
It’s strategic when needed, hands-on when required, and always tailored to what your business actually needs – not just what the textbook says.
Need a sounding board? A plan? A fresh pair of experienced eyes?
Let’s have a chat. Fractional HR might just be your secret weapon.
