The Questions Clients Ask Us

A room of nonprofit leaders spent an hour with our CEO Kevin in September to learn about the fractional work model, and never once asked whether the model works. They asked mechanics: what it's called, how many clients a SeasonedPro works with, who does the vetting, who pays, and how much.

Those are the questions that decide whether an organization moves forward with adopting a flexible work model. Here is how they were answered.

"What's the difference between fractional and part-time?"

Not much, except the baggage.

Part-time was a retail-era word. It carries an assumption about level, and that assumption is wrong for most of this work. Fractional applies the same arrangement at any level: someone working part of a week in a senior seat. Kevin's phrase for the ongoing version is "fractional permanent", one to three days a week with no end date attached.

Clients who lead with the term “part-time” are usually picturing something junior and temporary, which is worth correcting early in the conversation rather than after the scope is written.

"How many organizations would a Pro work for?"

One or two. Sometimes three.

That comes out of arithmetic, not policy. Engagements run from one day a week up to three, so a Pro at three days a week has room for one client, maybe two. Pros state their availability when they join the network, and most name a number in that range.

"How are Pros vetted?"

Two stages, and only the second one is intensive.

The platform is tech-enabled and there is AI in it, but the vetting is human. Joining the network involves an automated step and then a quick manual review before a Pro is approved. We can call that the broad pass. The real work starts when a client brings a role: the client services team searches the network, builds a list of potentials, and narrows to two to four candidates through one-on-one conversations. Then the client takes over with full interviews.

It can be equally important to recognize what the process does not cover. No outsourced placement firm can vet properly for culture fit, and culture fit is the most common reason a match fails. When an engagement goes sideways, it usually shows inside the first month. This is why the final step in selection - client/candidate interviews - run both ways: the client is assessing fit, and so is the Pro.

"How are Pros paid?"

Roughly 70 to 80 percent of placements are contractor engagements. The rest become employees. Which one applies depends on the relationship the client wants, also taking into account the SeasonedPros’ preference. It is worth settling early, because the two differ on benefits, vacation, and invoicing.

The client pays the Pro directly. SeasonedPros charges the client a one-time flat matchmaking fee. That is a structural difference from a staffing firm, where the firm bills the client a daily or hourly rate and passes a portion along.

Joining the network costs a Pro nothing.

"How much are Pros paid?"

There is no single number, because the number moves with the role and the organization. There is a method.

Start from what the equivalent full-time role pays in the market. Most clients can estimate that quickly. Then work down by commitment. One day a week lands around one-fifth of that annualized figure at the high end, which means the day rate carries a premium rather than a straight pro-rated slice.

Every one of these questions came from a leader working out whether this fits their organization, not whether it works in general. Those are answerable in a conversation, and the answers are specific to the role, the budget, and the week. They are worth asking before the plan is written rather than after.