UK Businesses Should Embrace Fractional Advisors for Growth News about the accounting firm EY's plans to lay off dozens of senior partners made the rounds earlier this month, the latest in the corporate shedding of jobs. Businesses must prove their capacity for automation now, not headcount.

In this climate, 'fractional work' is emerging as a viable model of work for both businesses and professionals. To navigate this transition and future-proof the next generation of workers, UK policymakers, companies and the workforce itself must rethink traditional employment models and consider embracing the rise of fractional talent.

The Case for the Fractional
Fractional and advisory talent—professionals who work with multiple businesses in part-time or advisory capacities—offer companies the strategic expertise they need, precisely when the growth stage calls for it, without the rigidity of full-time hires. The shift toward fractional leadership isn't just about reducing costs for startups; it's about enabling businesses to scale smarter while giving senior professionals more autonomy in their careers.

People's perception of work has been in constant flux in the last five years. The disruptions to office life brought on by the pandemic prompted many professionals to rethink how they monetise their time. AI automation has supercharged this trend by allowing those who leverage it well to boost their productivity to rival that of multiple human peers. 2 in 5 (39%) Brits earn additional income from a side hustle in 2025, and the younger you are, the more likely it is that you have multiple sources of income. Whether employers are aware of it or not, fractional work is already embedded in the DNA of the future workforce. Insisting on the historic model of work–full-time employment at one company–will soon render them obsolete.

Unlocking a New Talent Pipeline
As attractive as fractional work is for workers, companies stand to gain the most from this change. There is a growing recognition that early-stage companies' success depends on the quality of high-level strategic leadership. However, with only one in ten startups conventionally expected to survive, the ability to stay lean and flexible in personnel can make or break a company, which is why early-stage companies have traditionally relied on informal advisors and mentors. Now, a growing pool of fractional advisors offers companies a chance to get targeted advisory services when they need it most. In 2022, the average startup on the Connectd platform was looking to hire two fractional hires; today, that number has doubled to four. The most sought-after skillset for these hires? Out of 2,412 skills listed in job placement postings, 'Strategy and Leadership' dominates with 605 entries, followed by 'Growth'.

Challenges Ahead
The rise in fractional working is, in large part, a response to how the lingering effects of the pandemic and AI have upended working life. Layoffs at Meta, Microsoft, Klarna, and now EY show that the appetite for scaling by talent is completely gone. As traditional career paths evolve, many will find that working fractionally with young companies is the most strategic way to maximise their impact.

As with any disruption, it is a transition not everyone will feel comfortable with. The most attractive candidates will increasingly be polymaths—individuals with a hybrid skillset and an AI-native approach to work. Rather than specialising in one niche, they will demonstrate fluency across disciplines and a readiness to engage with emerging technologies. In lieu of acting as a polymath for a single employer, those who value their working autonomy and flexibility will use their expertise as a defensible moat and move on to a fractional career.

But despite the momentum, barriers remain. For many experienced professionals, fractional work still lacks structure and visibility. The path into this kind of work isn't always clear, and the title "fractional" is often confused with freelance or consulting. Fractional workers must learn to present themselves as entrepreneurial and strategic, rather than just performing transitory, transactional support.

On the company side, a mindset shift is also needed. Many businesses still default to full-time hires, even when their needs are more fluid. Leadership models need to evolve to build in an advisory capability from the outset as part of a startup's architecture, not just as an afterthought.

Building on UK Talent
Fractional leadership isn't a stopgap. It's a scalable, sustainable model for the future of work that enables smaller companies to grow smarter, ensuring that expertise is deployed where it creates the most value. As automation continues to transform business operations, the real advantage will lie in how well companies access and deploy human intelligence.

The UK has long been a global stronghold for talent, with its world-class universities and the wealth of experienced professionals across tech, finance, and professional services. Empowering this talent pool to take on portfolio-style roles through fractional work presents a huge economic opportunity. The UK has the people and the expertise. Now it's time for its companies—and mindset—to catch up.