Strategic Partner is Jigsaw HR’s outsourced HR manager service. You get a senior HR consultant who knows your business, your people and your award, on a monthly retainer. Lite starts at $1,500 a month. The full Strategic Partner service is scoped to your business. Both are month to month.
What a fractional HR manager is
A fractional HR manager is an experienced HR professional who works for your business part of the time, for a fixed monthly fee, instead of a full-time salary. You get the judgement of someone who has run HR for large teams, applied to a business of 5 to 100 people, for a fraction of the cost of hiring one.
For most of our clients, the person handling HR right now is the owner, the office manager or the finance lead. They’re doing it on top of their real job, and they’re doing it without backup. Strategic Partner gives them the backup.
What changes when you have one:
- Someone answers the phone when a performance issue, a complaint or a resignation lands
- Contracts, policies and award rates get checked and kept current, before they become a problem
- Decisions about people get made with clarity, not guesswork
- The owner stops being the HR department
Two ways to do it
Strategic Partner Lite: from $1,500 a month
Your own HR consultant, by phone and email, month to month. Lite covers the day-to-day HR a business of 5 to 100 staff runs into.
- Employment law and Fair Work compliance advice when you need it
- Performance and conduct support, from the first conversation to the written outcome
- Employment contracts, policies and letters kept current
- Regular advisory sessions to stay ahead of issues
- Priority response within four business hours
- Advisory Hub Pro included (templates, Member Clinic, Huddle replays)
Best for: businesses that need HR handled properly, without an HR person on the payroll.
Strategic Partner: by agreement
Everything in Lite, plus an HR manager in the room for the bigger decisions. Scoped and priced to your business after the first call, because a 12-person practice and a 45-person construction business need different things.
- People strategy and org design as the business grows
- Onsite workshops and culture work with your leadership team
- HR case management from start to finish, including the hard ones
- Recruitment support for key hires
- New Zealand employment law support where you need it
Best for: growing businesses where the people side has outrun the systems, and the owner needs a senior HR partner, not a helpline.
What it’s like to work with us
We start with a free 30-minute call. We listen, ask questions and get a feel for the business. Then we tell you honestly which tier fits, and whether you need a retainer at all. Some businesses are better off with Advisory Hub Pro and a one-off project. We’ll say so.
Once you’re on, you have one consultant who knows your business. Not a ticket queue. Not a different person every call. Allaina leads every engagement, and the team around her has run HR in aviation, defence, animal welfare and professional services before bringing it to small business.
Fractional HR manager or a full-time hire?
A full-time HR manager makes sense once the business is big enough to keep one busy and can carry the salary. At 5 to 100 staff, most businesses need senior HR judgement a few hours a week, not 38. Strategic Partner gives you the judgement without the headcount, and you can scale it up or down as the business changes.
If you’re weighing it up, the free call is the place to work it through. We’ve told plenty of businesses they’re ready for a full-time hire, and helped them recruit one. If you’re wondering what HR support costs in general, read how much an HR consultant costs in Australia.
Who it’s for
Australian businesses with 5 to 100 staff, across professional services, construction, manufacturing, health, retail and hospitality. Sunshine Coast based, working Australia wide, with clients in New Zealand too. Usually the owner, a director or a general manager who is growing and feeling the HR pressure.
Questions people ask
What does a fractional HR manager cost in Australia?
At Jigsaw HR, Strategic Partner Lite starts at $1,500 a month and the full Strategic Partner service is scoped to your business. Both are month to month with no lock-in.
Is there a minimum term?
No. Every retainer is month to month.
How quickly do you respond?
Lite includes a priority response within four business hours. Strategic Partner clients have their consultant’s direct line.
Do you come onsite?
Yes, for Strategic Partner clients, and for Strategy Days and workshops. Most day-to-day support is by phone and video.
What if we just need a contract or a policy?
That’s a project, not a retainer. Ask us on the free call, or start with the templates in Advisory Hub Pro.
Do you work with New Zealand businesses?
Yes. We have experience with NZ employment law, including the Employment Relations Act, and support clients on both sides of the Tasman.
37 five-star Google reviews · 20+ years HR experience · AU and NZ clients · Month to month
Book a free 30-minute call
We’ll tell you which tier fits, or whether you need one at all. See all Jigsaw HR services or contact us.