Why Australian Companies Are Starting with Fractional Talent Before Going Full-Time

Not every great hire starts with a job ad and a full-time offer. In fact, some of the best partnerships we’ve seen at Maestro have started with just a few days a week. Fractional talent (senior operators, creatives, strategists deliberately swooped in for a specific task) used to be seen as a stopgap. A way to fill a gap while searching for a “real” hire. But that view’s shifted. Fast.

These days, smart companies are using fractional as a way to de-risk big decisions, build with intent and figure out what they really need - before going all in.

The result? Often that fractional gig quietly becomes full time. Not by default, but because it works.

Why Start Fractional?

Let’s face it: hiring someone senior into your business; especially to lead a new vertical or function can feel like a gamble.

You’ve got questions… Is now the right time? Do we need this person full time? Will they get our culture? Are we ready to back this?

Going fractional answers those questions by doing the work, not just talking about it.

It gives both sides a chance to:

• Test the waters - Figure out the real scope of the role. Sometimes what you think you need isn’t what you actually need.
  
  
• Build trust - Chemistry matters. You can’t tell from a CV whether someone will energise your team or bring clarity in chaos, but you’ll know it after a month of working together.
  
  
• Check for readiness - Hiring someone into a role that’s not set up for success helps no one. Fractional lets you test the business’s appetite for change, not just the person’s capability.
  
  

When It’s Done Right

We’ve seen it time and again. A founder brings in a fractional head of brand to prep for Series A. Three months later, that same person is running brand full time because they’ve shown they get it, they’ve brought others on the journey and they’ve proven the value of the function.

We’ve also seen senior talent say yes to full time only after they’ve had a real look under the hood; after they know the mission’s solid, the team’s in and the business is actually ready to go there. This isn’t hedging. It’s choosing alignment over assumption.

The Big Takeaway - Fractional is a Smart Way to Build

Fractional isn’t a halfway step. It’s a thoughtful one. It’s how you figure out whether the ambition matches the reality, on both sides. When that answer is yes, you’ve already hit the ground running. No long onboarding, no surprises. Just clarity, momentum and mutual commitment.

In a world where speed matters but mis-hires are costly, starting fractional is often the smartest way to build something that lasts. Because sometimes, the best way to go full time… is to start part-time.