2025’s Best Fractional Executives: Where to Hire a Fractional Executive

What is Fractional Hiring?

Fractional hiring brings in experienced operators (such as CFOs, CMOs, product leaders, etc.) on limited hours to own core business outcomes. Unlike consulting or freelancing, fractional roles are senior, embedded, accountable, and tied to core business KPIs. Companies use them when they don’t have the need, or don’t have the budget, for a full-time hire. They’re especially valuable for start-ups with rapidly evolving operational demands and shifting strategic priorities, enabling them to access targeted expertise precisely when it is most needed.

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Why Fractional Work has Exploded in Popularity

Organizations are increasingly shifting toward fractional leadership in 2025 due to economic, operational, and talent-market dynamics.

1. Tighter budgets and hiring freezes are pushing firms to replace fixed headcount with flexible capacity. An analysis of Fractional Jobs’ own data has shown that the total cost of a fractional hire can be up to 60% lower than a full-time equivalent (and we have the largest network of fractional talent globally).
2. Remote work norms have made more companies amenable to part-time / fractional executive contracts. Fractional executives can be leveraged from anywhere in the country, increasing the supply of talent.
3. A growing talent pool of senior operators is increasingly seeking flexible arrangements. According to The Times (2025), the number of LinkedIn profiles mentioning fractional leadership has risen from just 2,000 in 2022 to 110,000 in 2024, underscoring the expansion of these cost-flexible leadership models.

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For many teams, the question is not whether to hire fractionally, but which channel to use and how to scope the mandate for measurable outcomes.

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Where can you hire fractional talent? What are your options?

Finding the right fractional executives, from a trusted source, is important. You need to know that you’re working with vetted executives who have demonstrable track records, relevant industry expertise, and proven leadership results. Most people actually find and hire fractional talent by looking within their own networks. It’s great if you have a ton of experience in the industry and have a ready-to-go list of people that you can contact. But if not, you’ll likely want to work with a trusted 3rd party who can help you find the right hire.

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Now that you know what Fractional Work is and why it’s the new future, let’s explore the most common service models that provide fractional talent services. Each comes with unique trade-offs in speed, vetting, and ongoing involvement, so understanding them will help you choose the right fit for your needs. Below is a quick comparison of the main channels companies use to source fractional executives.

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Executive Search Agencies

Time to Hire: Low (longer process)

Vetting Rigor: High

Candidate Volume: Low

Cost: Retainer or one-time fee, typically calculated as a % of payment

Ideal For: High-stakes, long-term leadership roles 

Executive search firms move slower because they’re built for rigor, not speed. Their strength is in deep diligence: multi-round interviews, reference checks, and curated shortlists. You won’t get dozens of resumes; instead, you get a handful of carefully vetted candidates. Because they offer this high-touch offering, the pro is that you’ll get strong candidates, but the con is that you may miss out on a large set of talent that they just don’t have access to. They’re best when you’re filling a critical seat where the cost of a bad hire outweighs speed. As a result, they can typically be slower and more expensive than other alternatives, which is why most clients prefer them for filling full-time roles. 

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Freelance Marketplaces

Time to Hire: High (fastest of all)

Vetting Rigor: Medium to Low

Candidate Volume: Very High

Cost: Ongoing platform markups and fees are common

Ideal For: Teams comfortable with doing their own screening for low-risk roles

Marketplaces like Upwork, TopTal, or Fiverr give you speed and volume. Post a role, and you’ll quickly see dozens (sometimes hundreds) of candidates. But the tradeoff is screening quality: marketplaces rarely go beyond light profile verification. These platforms work best when you want to save money relative to going the agency route, the role is lower-stakes, and you’re willing to put in the extra time to vet candidates yourself. It’s also common for these types of platforms to mark up the hourly rate of the actual fractional talent / freelancer.

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Dedicated Fractional Networks

Time to Hire: High (fast)

Vetting Rigor: High

Candidate Volume: High

Cost: Usually no ongoing cut, though models can vary

Ideal For: Hiring senior-level fractional talent quickly, and cost-effectively

Dedicated networks (e.g. fractional exec platforms) offer a middle ground between search firms and open marketplaces. They curate their own rosters of executives, so quality control is higher than marketplaces, but they’re built to move much faster than search firms. Candidate volume is more limited than marketplaces, but that’s because the screening is tighter - they’re designed for high-stakes, senior roles that own business outcomes. This makes them an attractive option for most companies, but especially for start-ups and growth stage companies: you avoid the slow, expensive search process while also not drowning in unvetted resumes.

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The Top 5 Best Companies to Work With to Find Fractional Executives 

If you’re looking for vetted, senior talent (not freelance or junior work), and you want a strong, and large talent pool while still getting matched quickly, and cost effectively, you’ll likely want to work with a Dedicated Fractional Network. 

What they offer: Platforms purpose-built for ongoing, embedded fractional roles. Matches are outcome-focused and senior level; vetting is much more thoughtful than with general freelance marketplaces. 

Tradeoffs: Smaller overall talent pools, but higher precision for exec and senior IC seats.

To ensure only the best fractional networks made the list, we evaluated them based on these key factors:

• Proven Results - Companies with a strong history of driving measurable growth, backed by case studies and client success stories that demonstrate their ability to deliver real marketing impact.
• Industry Expertise - Firms with experience in key sectors like SaaS, B2B, fintech, healthcare, and e-commerce, ensuring they understand the unique fractional challenges of each industry
• Client Portfolio - Networks that have worked with recognized brands, venture-backed startups, or enterprise companies, proving they can scale efforts for businesses of all sizes.
• Thought Leadership - Companies that publish valuable content, lead industry discussions, and stay ahead of fractional trends, showing they bring more than just execution, they offer insights that drive growth.
• Flexible Engagement Models - Options for businesses needing short-term campaign execution, long-term strategic support, or scalable services, allowing them to adjust efforts as needed.

• Reputation & Reviews - High third-party ratings, positive client testimonials, and industry recognition, ensuring credibility and reliability in delivering top-tier fractional executives.

Based on these factors, we’ve curated a list of the top 5 fractional executive service companies that help businesses scale efficiently without the overhead of a full-time team.

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1. Fractional Jobs

Why They Stand Out: Fractional Jobs maintains the largest network of Fractional Talent, globally. In addition to their strong platform, they offer white glove service to their clients with a highly attractive pricing model. Unlike other providers that take percent % fees on the salary of the fractional exec that you hire, Fractional Jobs only charges a 1-time referral fee. Fractional Jobs believes in allowing their clients to fully own the relationship - they just focus on finding you the perfect fit. They have a strong base of successful customer case studies, with a focus on placing senior talent and executives across industries and company sizes.

Website: fractionaljobs.io

HQ: New York City, NY

Established in: 2024

Core Services: Multi-sector executives and senior individual contributors (ICs) across all verticals.

Success Stories: Many case studies available on their blog, here. 

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2. Marketer Hire

Why They Stand Out: MarketerHire specializes in connecting businesses with pre‑vetted, freelance marketing talent, from CMOs to SEO experts. Known for fast matching times (usually under 48 hours), it offers a flexible, trial‑based model with coverage across dozens of marketing specialties.

Website: marketerhire.com

HQ: San Francisco, CA

Established in: 2018

Core Services: Fractional marketing talent 

Success Stories: Available on their site, here. 

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3. Paro

Why They Stand Out: Paro offers an AI-powered marketplace that connects businesses with on-demand finance and accounting experts, including bookkeepers, controllers, fractional CFOs, and strategic advisors, without replacing a company’s existing tech stack.

Website: paro.ai

HQ: Chicago, IL

Established in: 2015

Core Services: Accounting and bookkeeping fractional services

Success Stories: Available on their site, here.

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4. Growth Collective

Why They Stand Out: Growth strategy, full-funnel and psychology-based experimentation, paid social and search performance, conversion rate optimization, email/retention campaigns, built for startups through enterprise-level growth needs 

Website: https://www.toptal.com/marketing/growthcollective

HQ: Washington, DC

Established in: Acquired by TopTal in 2024

Core Services: Marketing and growth needs

Success Stories: Available on their site, here.

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5. Gun.io

Why They Stand Out: Gun.io connects companies with software engineers and fractional CTOs. They emphasize vetted matches, quick turnaround, and seamless contract terms, often helping clients hire engineering leaders in as little as 24 to 48 hours.

Website: gun.io

HQ: United States

Established in: 2015

Core Services: Fractional engineering

Success Stories: Available on their site, here.