If you are a UK Director asking why HR is not “more strategic”, here is the uncomfortable answer: your HR team is not short on capability, they are short on capacity.
What HR leaders are genuinely buried in right now
Most in house HR teams are doing two jobs at once. They are keeping the business safe today, while being expected to build the future at the same time. When bandwidth disappears, strategy becomes a luxury and firefighting becomes the operating model.
This is not a motivation issue. It is a volume issue.
First, administration is still consuming HR time at scale. Personio research reported that 41% of HR professionals spend the majority of their time on HR admin every week. Personio
Second, the pressure is showing up as burnout. The same research reported over half (52%) of HR professionals have suffered burnout within the past five years. Personio
Third, absence is rising and it pulls HR straight into case management, adjustments, and operational cover. CIPD and Simplyhealth research found UK employees were off sick 9.4 days on average in the last 12 months, close to two working weeks. CIPD
So when you see your HR lead “stuck in the weeds”, what you are often seeing is a function carrying the operational weight of the organisation.
The commercial impact of overloaded HR
When HR bandwidth is consumed by urgent work, the business pays elsewhere: inconsistent people decisions, slow delivery of change, stretched managers, higher attrition risk, and a growing gap between what leaders want and what the organisation can actually execute.
It is rarely visible on a single dashboard, but it always shows up in outcomes.
Where Fractional HRD support fits
Fractional HRD support gives you senior HR leadership without committing to a full time headcount. It is director level capacity brought in for a few days a week to prioritise, stabilise, and move the work that keeps getting postponed.
This is not “more hands”. This is strategic lift, governance, and decision quality, applied quickly.
What you can expect in the first 30 days
- Diagnosis and prioritisation: a clear view of risk, pain points, and the few actions that will move the dial.
- Stabilisation: tighter operating rhythm, cleaner ownership, and immediate reduction in recurring noise.
- Momentum: a practical people plan that leaders can execute, with measures that can be tracked.
You should feel progress quickly because the focus is not perfection, it is traction.
Start with one focused area
If you want pace and measurable impact, begin with one area that is currently draining the business, such as absence patterns, engagement hotspots, or leadership capability. Build success there, then scale what works.
Sometimes the smartest hire is not full time
If your HR team is strong but stretched, the most effective move is often not replacing them or adding another generalist. It is adding senior capacity that clears the bottlenecks, raises the standard of leadership decisions, and gives HR room to lead again.
If you want to explore what fractional HRD support would look like in your organisation, Lighthouse HR Consultancy can scope a focused, director level engagement designed for UK businesses that need pace, clarity, and results.
Let’s talk
If you want a clear view of what Fractional HRD support could unlock in your organisation, book your Free Consultation Call today. Let’s review your current pressures, identify the fastest wins, and agree whether a fractional approach is the right fit for your business.
Book your Free Consultation Call today via Lighthouse HR Consultancy.
