Consider this scenario: As an employer you know you need someone to oversee your human resources issues but, your staff is a too small for you to need a full-time person. These days more and more companies are finding themselves in this situation and are turning to a new breed of worker – the fractional employee.

As the name suggests a fractional employee is one who devotes portions of their time to several different employers. This is an arrangement that can be highly advantageous to both employer and employee. It allows employers to save money in these difficult financial times by only making use of their fractional staff when needed but, still offers the employee a little more stability than a traditional freelancer. Unlike independent contractors fractional employees are actually on the company payroll. This also helps come tax season; a fractional employee has had all the appropriate financial deductions taken by the firms they work for, no end of year tax surprises that often face independent contractors.

Fractional employees must keep their companies informed about other commitments, to avoid any conflict of interest issues. There is for instance, no harm in providing IT services to a number of different companies in similar industries, as long as the fractional employee complies with confidentiality and the employers are aware of one another.

Business experts are predicting that outsourcing work to these employees is likely to rise, as employers seek more ways to improve their bottom line in shaky economic times. The ambitious who can forgo the traditional commitment to just one company may, reinvent themselves as a successful fractional employee.

But just how to do that? One could begin by identifying the companies that may indeed have the need for a fractional employee. Then take the plunge by presenting your idea for sharing your talent with them on an as needed basis. You might be pleasantly surprised by how receptive they are to the idea if your presentation is persuasive and you have the skills to back it up.