Question 1

What is fractional recruiting?

Accepted Answer

Fractional recruiting is when a company brings in an experienced recruiter on a part-time, short-term, or flexible basis to support hiring. Instead of hiring a full-time recruiter or relying only on a traditional recruitment agency, companies can use fractional recruiting to get hands-on help with sourcing, screening, process management, and hiring strategy.

Question 2

What does a fractional recruiter actually do?

Accepted Answer

A fractional recruiter can support many parts of the hiring process, including role intake, job description writing, passive candidate sourcing, applicant screening, interview coordination, candidate communication, hiring manager alignment, salary guidance, and recruiting process improvements. The exact scope depends on what your team needs.

Question 3

Can a fractional recruiter help with passive candidate sourcing?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A strong fractional recruiter can help identify and engage passive candidates who are not actively applying to jobs. This is especially valuable for hard-to-fill, specialized, or competitive roles where job postings are not producing enough qualified applicants. If your main challenge is building a stronger candidate pipeline before you start interviewing, Talent IQ also offers dedicated candidate sourcing services that may be a better fit.

Question 4

How does fractional recruiting work?

Accepted Answer

Fractional recruiting is usually structured around your company’s hiring needs. A fractional recruiter may work with you for a set number of hours per week, a defined project, or a specific hiring period. They can help with intake meetings, job descriptions, candidate sourcing, screening, interview coordination, hiring manager support, and process improvements.

Question 5

Is fractional recruiting only for startups?

Accepted Answer

No. Fractional recruiting can work for startups, growing companies, lean HR teams, mid-sized businesses, and established firms that need flexible recruiting support. It is especially useful for companies that are hiring in bursts or do not yet have a dedicated internal recruiting function.

Question 6

When should a company use a fractional recruiter?

Accepted Answer

A company should consider fractional recruiting when it needs hiring support but does not have enough consistent volume to justify a full-time recruiter. It is also useful when a team is hiring multiple roles, scaling quickly, struggling with candidate quality, or spending too much internal time managing the recruiting process.

Question 7

How do I know if fractional recruiting is right for my company?

Accepted Answer

Fractional recruiting may be a good fit if your company needs recruiting support but is not ready to hire a full-time recruiter. It can also be a strong option if your hiring managers are stretched, your process needs structure, your applicant pool is weak, or you need help filling several roles without committing to a permanent recruiting hire.

Question 8

Is fractional recruiting better than hiring a full-time recruiter?

Accepted Answer

Fractional recruiting is not always better, but it can be a better fit when hiring needs are uneven, temporary, or project-based. A full-time recruiter makes sense when your company has ongoing hiring volume. Fractional recruiting works well when you need experienced support now, but do not want the cost or long-term commitment of adding a permanent recruiter to your team.

Question 9

How much does fractional recruiting cost?

Accepted Answer

The cost of fractional recruiting depends on the scope of support, number of hours, complexity of the roles, and length of the engagement. It is often more flexible than hiring a full-time recruiter and can be more cost-efficient than using traditional search firms for every role.

Question 10

How is fractional recruiting different from contingency recruiting?

Accepted Answer

Contingency recruiting is typically based on a success fee that is paid when a candidate is hired. Fractional recruiting is usually based on time, scope, or project support. With fractional recruiting, the recruiter often works more closely with your internal team and can support the hiring process, not just candidate placement.

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