Recently, I realized that I have been offering fractional communication support to organizations for years.
But, Sarah, you may ask – how were you offering a service that you didn’t know about? Truth is, I knew I was offering it. I just didn’t know what it was called.
I’ve been telling potential clients about how I can help them meet their communication needs while they’re going through transitional periods, like when they are bringing on a new hire, or while a staff member is out on an extended leave, such as a medical leave, family leave, or a sabbatical.
I discuss how I can serve as surge support when they get new contracts or grants, or when they’re in the midst of a major project that is eating up their current staff’s time.
I talk with them about how I can provide additional high-level and strategic communication support on a part-time basis in situations where they either don’t need or can’t afford full-time staff with my level of experience.
I just didn’t know those scenarios had a name. Until recently. The term is not new, so that’s on me. And it logically makes sense. You’re working for a fraction of the time, on a targeted project, or to meet a specific goal. You are part of the overall equation.
It sounds fancy, but it really just means that an organization can access the communication support it needs without committing to an additional full-time employee.
Fractional support is not limited to communication services – in fact, it’s widespread. Other than the communication field, I’ve seen it most frequently in accounting/finance, human resources, and administrative services. Some of its primary benefits are:
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Cost: Fractional support is less expensive than bringing on a full-time staff member at the equivalent level of experience.
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Flexibility: Fractional support is available to use in busy seasons, during a big project, or when staff transitions (vacations, leaves of absence, sabbaticals, job changes) occur.
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Quicker onboarding process: The hiring and onboarding process for fractional support goes much faster than a traditional hire because practitioners who offer fractional support are used to working with multiple clients and hitting the ground running. There’s also less angst than bringing on a full-time employee, as you aren’t investing the time and money in finding the perfect long-term fit for your organization and the role, setting up benefits, and extensive training.
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Unbiased view into your communication strategy and messages: As an outsider looking in, individuals who provide fractional support can view your communication strategies, processes, and messages without the emotional baggage or background knowledge that your internal staff may have, so you can get a clearer picture of what’s really working well and what it might be time to change.
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Access to specialized expertise: Your team is great at what they do, but it’s not communication strategy, message, and content development. It doesn’t have to be. Bringing in fractional support that focuses on the areas where your team isn’t as strong or doesn’t have background knowledge is a win-win solution.
If you’re interested in exploring fractional support for communication services in your organization, contact us today! Want more posts like this? Sign up to receive our e-newsletter!