Question 1

Is this a replacement for our employment lawyer?

Accepted Answer

This sits alongside legal advice, as a complement to it rather than a substitute. Legal counsel tells you what's compliant. A fractional HRBP tells you how it's likely to land with the people affected, and helps you say it well. Plenty of hard moments call for both.

Question 2

How fast can you start once we call?

Accepted Answer

For The Vigil, situation assessment happens within 48 hours of kickoff. This pillar is built around the reality that these situations are rarely convenient to wait on.

Question 3

Is everything discussed confidential, including from other stakeholders in the business?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Confidentiality is the load-bearing term of this entire pillar. A mutual NDA is signed before the situation assessment begins, first thing, ahead of anything else.

Question 4

What happens if the situation escalates beyond what was originally scoped?

Accepted Answer

It gets re-scoped honestly and immediately, out in the open rather than folded quietly into the original quote. You'll know as soon as the shape of the work changes, with the option to adjust or stop.

Question 5

What is a fractional HRBP, exactly?

Accepted Answer

A senior HR Business Partner who works with you part time or per engagement instead of full time. The judgement of a senior hire on restructures, employee relations and comp decisions, at a fraction of the cost and commitment.

Question 6

How is this priced, day rate or retainer?

Accepted Answer

Both exist. The Vigil is a single hard-moment engagement, scoped and priced per situation. The Resurrection is a monthly retainer with a three-month minimum, for ongoing strategic partnership rather than one fire to put out.

Question 7

What's the difference between a fractional CPO and a fractional HRBP?

Accepted Answer

A fractional CPO usually owns the whole People function and strategy end to end, often across several clients at once. A fractional HRBP, this pillar, brings judgement to specific, high-stakes calls: a restructure, a difficult exit, a comp decision that sets precedent, while the function itself stays owned in-house. Plenty of companies need the second long before they can justify or find the first.

Question 8

Can you also train our managers or sort out our pay structure?

Accepted Answer

Yes, as separate services. Manager Enablement trains a whole group of new managers with a kit, a cohort and coaching. Pay Transparency builds job levels, pay bands and the pay conversation for the EU Pay Transparency Directive. Fractional HRBP covers the individual calls in between, and the three work well together.