Who we are
We’re The Fractional HR Department - your flexible HR partner for when things get busy, people challenges crop up, or it’s time to scale.
You’ve built a brilliant business by being hands-on and doing what you do best. But HR? That’s not where you want to spend your time. That’s where we come in.
We work as your HR team - without the full-time cost - giving you access to experienced, practical support that’s built for small businesses. From handling the day-to-day to tackling more strategic challenges, we help you build and manage a team that will help your business grow.
We’ve supported founders launching new ventures, growing agencies, and international businesses building UK teams. Our focus is always the same: make sure people get the right support, and the business does too.
We believe small businesses deserve great HR - the kind that helps you make confident decisions, keeps things on track, and gives your team what they need to thrive.
Our story
The Fractional HR Department has evolved from the belief that small businesses deserve HR support that works for them – not generic advice, overcomplicated processes or corporate models that don’t fit.
After more than a decade working in large organisations, our founder Sarah Ropek saw how often good HR got buried under bureaucracy. She also saw how much faster, clearer and more effective it could be when you strip that away and focus on the fundamentals.
Sarah left corporate HR to build something different: a practical, high-impact approach that puts leaders at the centre of culture and performance. The aim was never to create more HR, but to lay the right foundations so businesses need less of it over time.
Established in 2015 as People Management Partners, we have since supported hundreds of small businesses across a wide range of sectors. Along the way, one approach consistently proved its value – fractional HR support that flexes around what each business actually needs, rather than forcing them into a fixed model.
So in 2025, we made it official and began trading as The Fractional HR Department – a reflection of how we’ve always worked: proportionate, founder-led and built to support growing businesses at every stage.
Our approach
We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all. Every business is different, and your HR support should reflect that.
We start with what’s urgent — resolving issues that need attention now — and build from there. Whether that’s a team restructure, a new starter who needs onboarding, or a difficult situation that’s been bubbling for a while, we help you deal with it confidently and calmly.
Once the basics are in place, we work with you to build the kind of HR processes that grow with your business — simple, clear and people-first. We focus on what really makes a difference: hiring the right people, helping them do their best work, and supporting you to lead well.
Most small businesses sit in a tricky middle ground - too complex for basic employment law advice, but not ready for a full-time HR hire.
Our fractional model gives you the support you need, when you need it - whether that’s a few hours a month, help with a specific project, or someone to lean on when people challenges arise.
You get access to experienced professionals who care about people and understand the pressures of running a business. We’re here to make HR easier, smarter, and more aligned with what your business actually needs.