Outsourced HR: flexible, expert people leadership
For growing SMEs and startups, the HR function is a strategic lever. An outsourced HR director brings the expertise and structure you need without the cost of a full-time hire.
Iter Advisors supports your HR needs: audit and diagnosis, recruitment, onboarding, compensation, talent development, employee relations and HR digitalization.
Your strategic HR partner
Our outsourced HR offering covers the full scope of an HR department: from initial audit to employee relations, including recruitment, payroll, training and company culture.
We adapt to your HR maturity and budget, with flexible formats (fractional HR, one-off missions, add-ons) and a clear service grid so you can build the support you need.
What is an outsourced HR director?
An outsourced HR director (or fractional Chief People Officer) works within your company without being an employee. They assume the same responsibilities as an internal HR director: HR strategy, recruitment, talent management, social compliance, relations with employee representatives and HR function leadership.
This solution is for companies that need high-level HR expertise without a full-time hire. The outsourced HR director can work on a shared-time basis (e.g. a few days per week or month) or on one-off missions (audit, HR due diligence, fundraising support, etc.).
5 key benefits of outsourcing your HR
- 1
Cost reduction (up to -60%)
A full-time HR director costs between €80,000 and €150,000 including charges per year. Iter Advisors' outsourced HR starts at €2,500/month for 2 days — a 50 to 70% reduction.
- 2
Flexibility with no commitment
The volume of work adjusts every month: 2 days for an audit, 8 days for mass recruitment, 4 days in cruising mode. No permanent contract, no notice period, no employer charges.
- 3
Multi-sector expertise
With 85+ companies supported, our HR directors work across 5 sectors (SaaS, Deep-Tech, e-Commerce, Industry, Services) and bring cross-sector best practices to your organisation.
- 4
Operational from day one
Unlike an internal hire (3 to 6 months of onboarding), the outsourced HR director is productive within 1 to 2 weeks thanks to structured recruitment processes and proven playbooks.
- 5
Shared network and tools
Access to our ecosystem: partner recruitment firms, HRIS tools negotiated in volume, pre-qualified CV pools, and sector-specific compensation benchmarks.
Who is an outsourced HR director for?
| Profile | Headcount | Situation | HR need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early-stage startup | 5–20 | First fundraise, first hires | Structure recruitment process and onboarding |
| Growing SME | 20–80 | Fast growth, payroll costs exploding | Monthly HR management, social compliance, pay grid |
| Scale-up | 80–200 | Internationalisation, multi-site team | Harmonise HR practices, HRIS, company culture |
| Company in transition | 20–200 | HR director departure, merger, acquisition | HR transition management, stabilisation from day 1 |
| Lean structure | 10–50 | No HR director, CEO handles HR | Fully outsourced HR function, from recruitment to payroll |
Our HR services
Click on a category to discover the services included in each offer.
How much does an outsourced HR director cost? 2026 pricing
| Package | Days/month | Scope | Monthly fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | 2 days | HR audit, recruitment (1–2 roles/month), basic social compliance | €2,500 |
| Growth | 4 days | + Structured onboarding, talent management, compensation & benefits, employee relations | €4,500 |
| Premium | 8 days | + HRIS & digitalization, company culture, training, HR due diligence | €8,000 |
| Project | Bespoke | Flash HR audit, due diligence, fundraising support | €3,000–6,000 |
All packages include: access to compensation benchmarks, HRIS tools, network of partner recruitment firms, and a senior with 8+ years of HR experience.
Comparison: a full-time in-house HR director costs €80,000 to €150,000 including charges per year — 3 to 5 times more.
6-month minimum commitment, cancellable with 2 months' notice.
Compare with the cost of an outsourced CFO — our finance and HR packages are designed to complement each other.
Outsourced HR vs in-house HR: the comparison
| Criteria | Outsourced HR | In-house HR |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | €30,000–96,000 | €80,000–150,000 (including charges) |
| Commitment | No minimum term, adjustable monthly | Permanent contract, 3-month notice |
| Time to operational | Ready within 1 to 2 weeks | 3 to 6 months (recruitment + onboarding) |
| Sector expertise | Multi-sector, cross benchmarks | Single company |
| Network (recruitment, training) | Extensive, shared | Limited to individual track record |
| Presence | 2 to 8+ days/month, hybrid | 5 days/week, on-site |
Our outsourced HR director works hand in hand with your accountant to ensure social and fiscal compliance.
What our clients say about their outsourced HR director
“We went from 15 to 45 people in 8 months. Our Iter Advisors HR director structured our entire recruitment process, set up quality onboarding, and negotiated our group insurance contracts in volume. Without her, I would have spent 30% of my time on HR instead of driving growth.”
“We integrated 3 teams after an acquisition. The HR director harmonised pay grids, aligned cultures, and handled all IRP negotiations in 6 months. Remarkable work in a very tense context.”
“In preparation for our Series B, our HR director built the entire HR data room (org chart, payroll, recruitment plan) and reassured our investors on social compliance. It was a key point in the due diligence.”
Discover our detailed case studies to see how our HR directors have supported growing SMEs and startups.
Discover our other services
They talk about us
Discover our clients' feedback on our finance and human resources support.
Discover our clients' testimonialsFrequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between outsourced HR and shared-time HR?
Outsourced HR is the general term for external HR leadership. Shared-time HR is a format where the professional works regularly in the company (e.g. 1 to 3 days per week) over time, providing continuity and deep knowledge of the organization.
What kind of missions can an outsourced HR director cover?
The offering covers HR audit and diagnosis, recruitment and sourcing, onboarding and offboarding, compensation and benefits, talent development, employee relations, HR digitalization (HRIS) and one-off missions (flash audit, HR due diligence, fundraising support, etc.).
How is your service grid structured?
Services are organized in categories (HR Audit, Recruitment, Onboarding/Offboarding, Compensation, HR Development, Organization & Culture, Employee Relations, HRIS, One-off missions). Each service can be included in one of our tiers or offered as an add-on for one-off missions.
What is the difference between an outsourced HR director and an accountant handling payroll?
The accountant handles payroll, social declarations and fiscal compliance. The outsourced HR director goes much further: they define HR strategy, lead recruitment, manage talent, negotiate with social partners, and advise leadership on organisational decisions. Both are complementary — our HR directors work hand in hand with your accounting firm.
How much does an outsourced HR director cost?
Iter Advisors packages start at €2,500/month for 2 days (Essential) and go up to €8,000/month for 8 days (Premium). A full-time in-house HR director costs €80,000 to €150,000 including charges per year — 3 to 5 times more. Each package includes access to compensation benchmarks and HRIS tools.
When should you bring in an outsourced HR director?
The 5 most common signals: (1) you are recruiting more than 2 people per month without a structured process, (2) your payroll exceeds €500K without an internal HR director, (3) you are preparing a fundraise (HR due diligence), (4) your internal HR director has left and you cannot wait 6 months to recruit, (5) you are expanding internationally and need to harmonise HR practices.
Does the outsourced HR director handle payroll?
The outsourced HR director oversees and coordinates payroll (checking payslips, monitoring charges, arbitrating complex cases) but does not process it directly. They work with your accountant or our payroll partner to ensure compliance. This separation of roles ensures quality control without conflict of interest.
What is the difference between an outsourced HR director and a freelance HR consultant?
A freelancer brings individual expertise. A firm like Iter Advisors brings: (1) a team of several HR experts, (2) playbooks proven across 85+ companies, (3) continuity of service if your contact is unavailable, (4) shared tools and benchmarks, (5) a network of partners (recruitment, training, legal).
How do you measure the ROI of an outsourced HR director?
Our clients measure ROI on 4 axes: reduced time-to-hire (from 45 to 25 days on average), lower turnover (from 15 to 8% in 12 months), guaranteed social compliance (zero negative URSSAF audit), and founder productivity (2 to 5 hours/week recovered from HR topics). See our case studies for concrete examples.
Where do your outsourced HR directors work?
Our offices are in Barcelona, Paris and Toulouse. Our HR directors work on-site and remotely depending on your needs. We have particular expertise in cross-border France–Spain matters (collective agreement, local law, inpatriation).
Let's talk about your project
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