Welcome to the Fractional Frontier

The way agencies and brands hire talent is changing, yet we aren’t talking about it enough. 

We are witnessing a departure from traditional freelance work towards a more sustainable model known as ‘fractional employment’. This emerging paradigm, which we're dubbing ‘The Fractional Frontier’, is redefining how employers engage all levels of talent and how independent contractors structure and grow their careers. This isn’t just a trend; it’s an industry-wide upheaval.

We’re seeing a soaring number of independent creative agencies as seasoned staffers strike out on their own by setting up bespoke shops. That’s a symptom of an increasingly precarious industry environment, one where the idea of a ‘job for life’ is as outdated as the 30-second commercial. 

The term ‘freelance’ has become loaded, often associated with short-term, transactional relationships that leave employers grappling with inconsistent commitment and quality. The independent contractors feel the same way, craving deeper, more meaningful, and creatively satisfying engagements.

Fractional employment is, in many ways, a sustainable response to the problem. It involves long-term agreements for a percentage of an individual’s time, allowing independent contractors to dedicate themselves to multiple agencies or brands. This balanced blend of stability and flexibility benefits both parties. Agencies can engage top tier talent without carrying the liability of full-time salaries. Meanwhile, independent contractors gain the freedom to manage their client base and gain control of their allocation.

Most important is the bespoke aspect of it all. Fractional employment embraces the fundamental truth that different tools are required for different jobs, allowing agencies and brands to match the right talent to the right task, moving beyond the limitations of who’s “on staff” or even who’s “available.”

Another troubling industry trend is agencies representing their teams with empty titles, or simply 'capabilities', or even hollow silhouettes on their ‘meet the team’ pages. This anonymity undermines the creativity and individuality behind great ideas. Whatever the future of creativity might be, this certainly isn’t it. We need to celebrate people. Hiding their identities behind fashionable models and processes won’t do that. 

A New Frontier

That’s why we’re launching this interview series delving into The Fractional Frontier. Over the course of these conversations, we’ll hear from those who are making fractional employment work for themselves and their agencies. 

We'll explore what independent contractors value in fractional engagements and how they achieve benefits normally associated with full-time roles, such as team mentality, professional growth, and being part of ground-breaking work. We'll also uncover unexpected advantages, like the empowerment to think like entrepreneurs and build strong personal brands.

As agencies transition from full-time employees to fractional roles, they will increasingly share talent with other agencies. Independent contractors should seize these fractional opportunities (and even propose them to agencies), securing long-term commitments. This will be an F1 model with only 'X' number of agency seats available at the table, which will increase accountability and follow-through on both sides. 

This shift matters to all of us. In a few years, terms like ‘freelance’ and ‘full-time’ might vanish from our lexicon, replaced by the question of which companies you choose to allocate your time to. 

The Fractional Frontier represents a profound strategic evolution towards a future where flexibility, sustainability, and quality converge to redefine the advertising industry's talent landscape.

Whether you’re an employer or an independent contractor, consider this series a valuable resource. If you'd like to participate as an interviewee, please reach out to FF@PartnersinCrime.co. Alongside the written interviews, we'll be conducting roundtable discussions too.

Fractional employment is for everyone, and so is this series. Join us.