One job? That’s old news.
Candidates are increasingly building careers across multiple roles, contracts, and projects – a shift that’s reshaping the way employers think about talent.
Welcome to the era of the portfolio career. Instead of committing to a single employer for the long haul, professionals are diversifying their work lives with freelance contracts, consulting gigs, side hustles, and part-time positions. And if your business finds itself hiring more often to keep up with these shifts, you need to make sure you have a trusted partner by your side to help you attract the right talent.
For employers, this isn’t just a passing trend. It’s a new reality that requires flexibility, clear contracts, and fresh expectations.
What Is a Portfolio Career?
A portfolio career is when an individual combines multiple income streams instead of holding down one full-time job. This might include:
Freelancing and consulting
Short-term contracting
Running a side business or startup
Holding part-time roles across industries
Unlike the gig economy, which is often about low-cost, short-term work, portfolio careers are intentional, skills-based, and increasingly attractive to highly qualified professionals.
Where Do Fractional Roles Fit In?
A growing part of the portfolio career trend is fractional work.
A fractional professional is someone who works for a company on a part-time, contract, or project basis, often in senior or specialist roles.
For example:
A fractional CMO who manages marketing for several businesses.
A fractional CFO who provides financial oversight a few days per month.
A fractional HR manager who supports multiple SMEs.
Fractional hiring allows employers to access top talent without committing to a full-time salary, making it especially attractive to small and medium-sized businesses that need expertise but can’t justify a permanent role.
Related reading: Should You Hire Directly Through a Recruiter or Use a Marketplace?
Why Portfolio Careers Are on the Rise
Several forces are driving the popularity of portfolio and fractional careers:
Technology & remote work – Professionals can collaborate globally without being tied to one office.
Flexibility & lifestyle goals – Workers want to design careers around their lives, not the other way around.
Economic realities – With rising living costs, multiple income streams provide security.
Career growth – Many see portfolio careers as a way to upskill and diversify.
According to Harvard Business Review, portfolio careers are no longer fringe, they’re becoming mainstream.
What This Means for Employers
Employers must rethink how they attract, engage, and retain candidates who may not want traditional full-time roles.
1. New Definitions of Commitment
Portfolio professionals may split their time, but they’re often deeply invested in delivering outcomes.
2. Clearer Contracts
Define deliverables, time commitments, and intellectual property upfront to avoid friction.
3. Flexible Hiring Options
Offering project-based contracts, fractional roles, or part-time options will help attract a wider talent pool.
4. Employer Reputation Matters More
Portfolio workers compare employers. Pay, culture, and respect influence whether they choose to work with you.
Related reading: The True Cost of a Bad Hire
Why Employers Should Embrace Portfolio and Fractional Careers
Instead of worrying about divided attention, employers can see portfolio and fractional careers as a source of advantage:
Diverse skillsets: Candidates bring cross-industry experience.
Fresh insights: Exposure to different businesses sparks innovation.
Agility: Used to switching between projects, they adapt quickly.
Access to senior talent: Fractional hiring lets SMEs benefit from executives who’d otherwise be out of reach.
In short, these professionals may not be in your office five days a week, but the value they deliver can be far greater.
How TalentVine Helps Employers Adapt
At TalentVine, we’ve seen this shift first-hand. Employers are increasingly asking recruiters to find talent for flexible and non-traditional roles, whether that’s a fractional executive, a part-time specialist, or a short-term contractor.
With TalentVine, you can:
Compare recruiters based on proven performance.
Access specialists who understand flexible hiring.
Save time by matching with recruiters who know how to source portfolio professionals.
Whether you’re hiring a contractor, a fractional leader, or a specialist who works across multiple clients, TalentVine helps you find the right fit faster.
Final Thought
The idea of a “job for life” is fading fast.
For employers, embracing portfolio careers and fractional roles means access to top talent, innovative perspectives, and agile workers. Those who resist may struggle to fill roles as candidate expectations evolve.
TalentVine connects you with recruiters who specialise in this new way of working.
More insights: Check out our thoughts on what the future of recruitment might look like.
Sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date
Do you have a recruitment question?
Call or email our friendly customer service team to get an answer to your recruitment questions.
Do you have a recruitment question?
Call or email our friendly customer service team to get an answer to your recruitment questions.
