Fractional resourcing is not new. Companies have long realized the benefits of fractional hires, especially during times of economic uncertainty, rapid growth or workforce transitions.
What is new, however, is the fractional Chief Sustainability Officers (CSO). The CSO role is still emerging in the C-Suite compared to established positions like Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), or Chief Operating Officer (COO). Companies employing a fractional CSO gain subject matter expertise at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire. Why are many companies leaning towards a fractional CSO?
Costs: A full-time CSO might cost a company anywhere from $150 to $250k, annually, depending on experience. A fractional CSO typically starts at $60k, depending on the unique needs of the hiring company.
Flexibility: A fractional hire’s hours can be scaled up or down with a company’s business cycle, eliminating the messy offboarding of an under-utilized full-time hire.
Regulations: Compliance with sustainability-related regulations isn’t optional, even when sustainability might be out of vogue. Regulators are still implementing climate rules, extended producer responsibility (EPR) requirements, and ESG disclosures like CSRD. Companies must comply or risk reputational and financial harm.
Specialized Expertise: Without an in-house sustainability expert, the burden of meeting customer, investor or regulatory sustainability requirements falls on teams lacking the knowledge or bandwidth to do the work. This creates unnecessary risks.
Value Creation: Looking at your business through the lens of sustainability unlocks opportunities for cost savings, energy efficiency, improved risk management, product innovation, and enhanced customer/supplier relationships. This includes reporting on and working side by side with Health and Safety teams, developing safety engagement strategies, and reducing injuries in partnership with internal stakeholders.
Technology: A CSO will bring in the tools and resources to help streamline the ESG data collection and reporting process. For example, Parsepoint is an OCR facilities, energy and lease management platform will pull energy consumption and energy s pend by location, along with streamlining your GHG data collection processes.
About Full Scope Insights
Full Scope Insights, is a leader in fractional resourcing solutions and fit for purpose strategies for the middle market. Learn how we help companies unlock value, reduce costs and deliver expertise to companies without breaking the bank at www.fullscopeinsights.com
Lee Ballin,
Partner & Head of Sustainability
Full Scope Insights