Toptal is a premium freelance platform connecting clients with fully vetted on-demand professionals. Thanks to its rigorous screening process, only the top 3% of applicants earn a spot in Toptal’s world-class talent pool. Top companies rely on Toptal to hire the best fractional COOs with the strategic planning, leadership, and management skills you need for operational management.
Key Points:
Enjoy a risk-free trial for up to 5 days.
Completed over 60,000 projects for 25K+ satisfied clients.
Trustpilot rating of 4.8 out of 5
Testimonial:
“Toptal has been an incredible key partner for Sidekick. As an early-stage start-up, we’ve leveraged both design and financial talent. The experience has been incredible, with those professionals bringing creativity, expertise, and advice to ensure Sidekick succeeds. My Toptal financial expert helped steer Sidekick’s business model, which resulted in an initial ROI of 650x! My experience with Toptal has given me great confidence in the future.” — Doug MacKay, Founder / CEO, SideKick
Go Fractional specializes in linking businesses with fractional COOs for hire. The service pairs you with a dedicated account manager who conducts a discovery call to discern your organizational needs and then provides recommendations for qualified professionals. It is a fast, nimble process that can connect you with expert talent within days. Go Fractional members work flexible schedules based on your business needs.
Key Points:
Access to part-time, experienced, executive-level talent
Go Fractional uses monthly contracts with a three-month minimum
KPI is a dedicated team of fractional COOs who work with businesses to customize executive-level management solutions. Each professional has over 20 years of business leadership experience. KPI offers several flat-fee service packages with no long-term contracts for increased flexibility. KPI is an excellent choice if you want to hire fractional COOs who can optimize business processes and set you up for ongoing success.
Key Points:
KPI provides a dedicated team of fractional business professionals
Flat-fee pricing means you will never have surprise expenses
Champion PSI is a Calgary-based business with a team approach to hiring fractional COOs. Its small and dedicated team has extensive experience in business management and leadership. You can choose to hire a fractional COO for a few hours per week or a full-time role over a short period. Champion PSI fractional COO services are ideal for small- to mid-sized businesses.
Key Points:
When you sign on with Champion PSI, you know exactly who you will be working with.
Over 30 years of experience working with businesses including Tim Hortons, California Closets Canada, and Swimco.
Fraction Force Strategies provides a bespoke approach to executive business services. Specializing in small to medium businesses, its fractional COO for hire fills operational gaps with services including process optimization, project oversight, and implementation of strategic plans. Fraction Force Strategies offers both long- and short-term arrangements.
Key Points:
A strong background in nonprofit management makes Fraction Force Strategies a great choice for that sector.
Customized services allow you to focus on a single area or arrange broad-spectrum operational support.
Next Fractional is an outsourced COO service that connects businesses with experienced and knowledgeable freelance fractional COOs. Its vast network of professionals brings extensive industry knowledge and experience to your organization at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time COO. Next Fractional starts the process with a video consultation to uncover your needs and goals then provides you with a list of hand-selected talent to choose from.
Key Points:
Offers short-term and ongoing contracts
Has a substantial portfolio of partners including DirecTV, Three Ships, and I Heart RVing
Next Level Partners offers interim executive support partners to fill short- and medium-term operational needs. Its seasoned executives can help with transitional periods and special projects or provide an unbiased external perspective to business challenges. Because Next Level Partners provides interim talent, it is not a good solution for finding long-term fractional COOs.
Key Points:
Next Level Partners bring experience in varied fields, including hospitality, retail, banking, and distribution.
Consultants have an average of 20 or more years of experience in their respective fields.
Thrive Business Operations provides fractional COOs for hire to startups, SaaS companies, manufacturing firms, and healthcare, nonprofit, and professional service organizations. Anchored by a team of experienced professionals, you gain the skills and knowledge to streamline operational efficiency and achieve strategic advancement without the need to hire a full-time COO.
Key Points:
Thrive Business Operations is a small, dedicated team of experienced executives.
Your fractional COO partners with you through every aspect of business operations.
RevPilots provides a simple and fast way to find fractional COO freelancers. The platform specializes in sales teams, so it is an excellent choice for companies within that industry. Its team continuously recruits new talent, so you have access to a large pool of operational executives looking to take on full- or part-time contract roles. RevPilots professionals have the skills to assess and monitor your finances to optimize operations.
Key Points:
RevPilots’ fractional COOs go through a full vetting process before being recommended to clients.
The RevPilots process can match you with an experienced vetted professional in as little as 48 hours.
Cast USA is a full-service management recruiting agency specializing in fractional and interim executive talent. Staff consultants have extensive experience in the industries they serve to ensure candidates are well-suited to each role. Each fractional COO for hire has the experience and skills to steer operations toward growth.
Key Points:
Get matched with pre-screened executive talent within 24 to 48 hours.
Over 70% of Cast USA's business comes from repeat clients.
Guru is a freelance platform with millions of satisfied users. It provides immediate access to a massive global talent pool for a fast and flexible hiring process. The Guru network has over 10,000 operations professionals ready to submit a proposal for your job request. You can post a job ad for free on the platform and will typically start receiving bids within hours. Use the platform’s WorkRoom dashboard to manage your freelancer fractional COO and other talent.
Key Points:
Receive bids within hours of submitting a job post
Guru does not screen talent, so you must dedicate time to reviewing each professional’s proposal and qualifications.
Upwork is another freelance platform where you can receive bids from and hire fractional COOs. Freelancers set their own rates on the platform, so you must review bids to determine which executive professionals represent the best fit and value for your business. Because of its structure and size, you can expect fractional COO bids within a few hours of posting an open position on the Upwork platform.
Key Points:
Since you can start reviewing bids within hours, you can hire a fractional COO in as little as 24 hours after posting a job.
Upwork is the world’s largest freelance marketplace
Its Enterprise Suite provides customized strategic hiring of executive talent
As its name suggests, Freelancer connects businesses with freelance talent. Simply post a description of what you are looking for in a fractional COO for hire and start receiving proposals from interested applicants. You are responsible for all screening and vetting through the platform, so be prepared to spend a considerable amount of time finding the right candidate for this crucial role.
Key Points:
The Freelancer mobile app makes it easy to manage contracts from anywhere.
Support professionals are available around the clock to help with any issues you have.
Freelancer clients rate their operations managers 4.8 out of 5
The GigX platform bills itself as a virtual handshake between qualified candidates and companies searching for fractional COOs. There is no cost to search the GigX network and you negotiate rates directly with each professional. This is an affordable and flexible tool for companies who want to hire fractional C-level talent. All job candidates have served at the director level or higher in their respective fields.
Key Points:
GigX does not charge companies to search its professional network.
You can purchase personalized recruitment services to reduce the strain on internal staff.
Testimonial:
“Using GigX’s Network and referrals, I was able to fill one primary role in a matter of days. Within a week, I built a complete fractional CxO team. I am sold on GigX and the fractional CxO model, and won’t hesitate to come back to GigX to add additional C-level roles to my team.” — Charles L., Entrepreneur and Co-founder of a new workforce SaaS company
PeoplePerHour is a global network of freelancers available for hourly or project work. You can post a project and receive bids from interested applicants or search the database to find a professional you feel might be a good fit for your company. Use the included project stream software to track projects, communicate with freelance fractional COOs, and make payments.
Key Points:
There are no upfront fees to use the PeoplePerHour platform.
You are responsible for the entire hiring process, including screening applicants.
PeoplePerHour can help you hire fractional COOs within days of posting your opening.
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Guide To Hiring Freelance Fractional COOs
One of the largest obstacles to finding an exceptional and effective fractional COO is identifying executives with the skills, knowledge, and experience to perform the job. Many of these professionals already have steady employment and are not interested in part-time work. However, a growing number of semi-retired executives and the priority younger professionals place on work-life balance has increased the talent pool for fractional roles.
In many cases, these professionals offer their services through freelance networks. Platforms such as Toptal use a comprehensive vetting process to help you quickly narrow your search to qualified applicants.
Additional challenges to hiring effective freelance fractional COOs include building a budget for this executive role and developing an accurate assessment of your business needs. These are things that must be addressed before you can begin to find fractional COOs for your company. Some hiring agencies and freelance platforms offer discovery calls where you can review this information and develop a job description to hire talent with the necessary skills to steer your business.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates an 8% decline in chief executive roles between 2022 and 2032. The agency attributes this decline to an increase in technology causing streamlined executive roles. This may increase the number of qualified executives available as freelance fractional COOs.
There are multiple challenges to hiring fractional COOs. However, you can overcome these and bring experienced, skilled operations leadership onto your team with strategic hiring practices and careful use of available resources.
Hiring a Freelance Fractional COO
Fractional COOs are typically part-time freelance positions. They may last for several months during periods of transition or growth where your business needs expert guidance. You can also hire a fractional COO for a long-term part-time role. This is common in businesses that need organizational leadership but not to the level of hiring a full-time COO.
The benefits of hiring freelance fractional COOs include instant leadership, expert guidance, and an experienced operations professional who can develop and execute strategic plans. Using freelance talent also opens the possibility of tapping a wider remote talent pool, potentially removing some of the barriers associated with sourcing local talent.
What Does a Fractional COO Do?
Fractional COOs perform all of the responsibilities of a traditional Chief Operating Officer but on a part-time or short-term basis. This usually means they execute the CEO's vision for a given organization. Their main objective is to ensure financial stability and business growth.
Chief operating officers must have exceptional business skills and multiple years of operational management experience. They must also maintain knowledge of industry trends and best practices for strategic growth.
Fractional COO Job Responsibilities
Communicating with other executives and board members
Identifying and managing operation risks
Leading existing teams in a positive and productive work environment
Providing organizational guidance, especially during times of transition or rapid growth
Undertake strategic planning efforts
You may identify other responsibilities for a fractional COO for hire based on your specific organizational needs and goals. For example, some companies bring on part-time executives for specific projects or strategic moves. In these instances, a fractional COO will likely focus on project-related activities instead of larger-scale planning.
“The fractional COO brings a wealth of diverse experiences to the table, having likely worked with multiple companies across different industries. This exposure allows them to offer specialized services and innovative solutions, drawing on best practices and lessons learned from a broad spectrum of operational challenges.” — Bhuva Shakti, Bhuva’s Impact Global
Freelancer fractional COOs can reduce strain on existing executives by taking over specific tasks. Hiring a professional with experience in a dedicated area, such as strategic planning or process improvement, is an effective way to use part-time talent to this effect. Hiring a fractional COO can be a cost-effective solution for a smaller business whose leadership is overwhelmed or unprepared to manage high-value situations.
Fractional executives serve as unbiased and impartial voices on C-level teams. They are not entangled in office politics or opinions, and so provide assessments based purely on available data. This allows them to offer clear and actionable insight for company growth and development.
Why Hire Fractional COOs?
You may decide to hire a fractional COO for several reasons. Many businesses find that using part-time freelance talent is an excellent opportunity to bring an experienced leadership voice to the table without the obligation or cost of hiring a full-time executive. It is also a great way to bring in a short-term but dedicated professional to expertly manage special projects.
How To Hire Fractional COOs?
Because a COO holds an executive role responsible for operational processes, it is best to start the hiring process with an honest assessment of organizational needs and goals. The results of this assessment will inform what skills and experience are most valuable to your company.
You must also decide how you want a fractional executive to fit into your current organizational structure. Do you need a long-term, part-time COO or would a short-term executive be a better choice? The answer will likely depend on whether you need ongoing operational support or specialized expertise to complete a short-term project goal.
Once you have established what you want a freelance fractional COO to manage and how they will fit in your organization, you can then develop a list of skills, experience, and educational requirements for the position. If your needs are relatively simple, you may be able to use a lower-level executive to fill the role. However, if you have a complex project or need expert guidance on a strategic initiative, you will likely need to find experienced fractional COOs for a successful outcome.
Although education may set the best fractional COOs apart from great ones, proven on-the-job experience will likely play a larger role in your hiring decision. Look for executives with experience leading teams and projects in similar industries. Many fractional executives prepare case studies to highlight their skills and successes, and these can help you understand how an individual works and if that is suitable for your company.
Keep in mind that you might not need a top-level COO to achieve your goals. A more junior professional who has the skills you need in a relevant industry may be just as well-suited to your company as a more experienced one.
What Skills To Look for When Hiring a Fractional COO
Many of the skills required to be an effective freelance fractional COO speak to the ability to lead diverse teams. Cultural competence and adaptability are highly desired. According to Indeed, flexibility, interpersonal skills, and strategic thinking are among the key traits of chief operating officers.
Required Skills
Business Acumen: COOs manage diverse business processes. They should be well-versed in current accepted best practices. The most desirable candidates also have extensive knowledge of industry regulations and requirements.
Leadership: Top fractional COOs are natural leaders. They provide guidance and support while nurturing the talent of others.
Strategic Planning: Well-qualified candidates are knowledgeable about and experienced in strategic planning. They will be able to identify areas for improvement, develop plans to address them, and then bring those plans to fruition.
Soft skills are vital to success in this role. An effective COO should be able to communicate with all levels of staff and stakeholders. They must be empathetic and supportive to create a positive working dynamic among teammates.
Business News Daily stresses that effective COOs have a track record of team leadership and filling various organizational roles. This type of experience allows an operations executive to identify and correct weaknesses and gaps. This can be more important in small organizations where one or two people handle all management responsibilities.
Necessary skills may vary depending on your business needs. For example, if you are in the process of acquiring another business, you may want someone to lead that effort. Your ideal fractional COO would have extensive experience and knowledge of mergers and acquisitions to plan and execute the process.
There are no educational requirements for COOs, but many have a degree in business or a related field. Top fractional COOs for hire also have an MBA or graduate degree in a specialized field, such as economics, logistics, or technology.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire Fractional COOs?
Indeed reports that COOs typically earn an average of $149,563 per year, or just over $64 per hour for full-time positions. The hiring range on the site is between $35.98 and $114 per hour. This does not include bonuses and profit sharing, which can increase earnings significantly. Payscale puts the base salary for COOs at an average of $31.13 per hour, with a range of $20 to $63 per hour plus bonuses, commission, and profit sharing.
Fractional COOs on Go Fractional typically charge between $100 and $300 per hour, with an average 20-hour work week. Freelance fractional executives typically do not benefit from bonus and profit sharing like a traditional employee, which may help explain some of the rate differences.
Tips for Writing a Fractional COO Job Description
Job descriptions should generate excitement about the role and joining your company. Opening with a paragraph or two about your business, the benefits of working there, and any accolades it has earned can help accomplish that. If you are hiring due to business growth or for a special project, include information detailing that too.
Follow this up with a description of the position that covers its responsibilities and expectations within the management structure. Be honest and paint an accurate picture of what you expect the position to look like day to day. This is a good place to add information about the level of commitment you expect from a fractional executive, such as the number of hours per week or the length of a special assignment, and information about your hiring budget.
Next, detail the minimum skills, education, and experience a candidate should have. List what you feel is important for achieving both daily tasks and overall objectives. You should also include a list of skills and prior experience that will make a candidate stand out.
Be honest about what it takes to succeed in this role, but also stress that people with most of the skills should still apply for the role. Research shows that many people, particularly women, may not apply for a job if they do not meet the minimum criteria for hire. A flexible review process can help you develop a more diverse executive staff.
Provide instructions on what candidates should do to express interest. This is especially important if you have special instructions, such as submitting a case study.
Fractional COO Job Description Layout
Company information
Size and nature of the business
Awards, affiliations, accolades
Reasons for adding a freelance fractional COO
Job Description
Executive structure
Responsibilities and expectations
Expected weekly or monthly commitment
Duration of assignment
Compensation
Required Skills
Hard skills: strategic planning, budgeting, forecasting, project management, data analysis
Soft skills: communication, leadership, time management, problem solving, adaptability
Software proficiency
Next Steps
Explain what steps a candidate should take to express interest
Consider how you will conduct interviews as applicants submit bids and proposals. Behavioral assessments can help identify candidates whose personalities most closely match your company’s style. They may also help assess desired soft skills such as communication and the ability to work in a team.
For positions of this level, reviewing case studies or discussing specific accomplishments of prior roles can provide useful information about hard skills and business acumen. Take the time to speak with references, or check platform reviews if you hire through a freelancer network.
Common Interview Questions To Ask When You Are Looking To Hire a Fractional COO
Design interview questions to get a good understanding of each job candidate’s personality and skill set. Remember that a great fit with your company culture boosts the effectiveness of this position, so prioritize that in your search.
Why are you seeking a fractional COO position?
Some candidates take on part-time roles during times of career or life transitions. However, they may not intend to continue with fractional work. Others enjoy the variety and flexibility provided by being a freelance fractional COO. This can make a big difference if you want to hire for ongoing operations support.
Can you provide highlights of your past fractional COO roles?
Qualified candidates will share the highs and lows of each position. Ask follow-up questions about specific processes and outcomes to assess working style. Look for humble answers that showcase a willingness to accept responsibility when things do not go as planned.
How many other companies are you currently working with? How does that affect your availability to our company?
Many fractionals work with multiple companies at the same time and successfully balance them all. However, look for answers that suggest your projects may not get the attention they need and deserve. Red flags would be COOs who are already scheduled for full work weeks or who frequently take on short-term projects in addition to ongoing roles.
How To Find Freelance Fractional COOs for Hire
Professional freelancer networks are excellent resources when you want to hire a fractional COO. They are flexible and many can connect you with top talent on tight schedules. Toptal is among the top sites to hire fractional COOs with strong strategic planning, leadership, and communication skills. Its vetting process ensures that you only connect with top talent.
Job boards are another good resource, although they may not attract as much freelance talent. Several outsourcing agencies, including Next Fractional, specialize in executive-level freelancers. Professional networks can also provide valuable insight and possible recommendations.
Ultimately, the methods you use to attract a fractional COO freelancer will depend on your priorities. Your hiring timeline, budget, and desired qualifications all play a role in determining a hiring approach.
Developing a strategic hiring approach is crucial to attracting and retaining qualified freelance fractional COO candidates. Take stock of your company goals, define what skills will help you achieve them, and build a budget to establish basic parameters. Creating an accurate job description and conducting effective, unbiased interviews helps to attract top fractional COOs who can achieve operational objectives.
FAQ
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