Fractional HR · Editorial · Canada-wide
Senior HR judgment, scoped by the project. For owner-operated businesses and not-for-profits across Canada.
As published in
01 · What we do
Fractional HR and editorial services for owner-operated Canadian businesses and not-for-profits. One partner on every file. No retainers required. No junior staff.
In many organizations, performance reviews are a ritual dance: a lot of movement and no progress. Meanwhile, your exposure grows.
Evert Akkerman
Founder · CHRL · LL.M.
02 · Who we serve
Persona
Growing past 30 employees with no HR lead
The pain
Hiring is chaos. The handbook hasn't been touched since 2019. You just made a termination call your gut said was right, but your paper trail can't defend.
How XNL fits
Handbook rewrites, hiring support, defensible termination prep, op-ed drafting when you want to publish. Pay per project, no retainer.
Persona
Board governance and HR overlap, limited budget
The pain
Complaints land in your inbox. The board treats HR as a line item rather than a strategic risk. You need a senior voice on call without the cost of hiring one.
How XNL fits
Day-to-day HR work, board memos, escalation support when files turn serious. One partner who learns your file.
Persona
You have HR staff, but you need depth for senior matters
The pain
Your HR generalist is great at the day-to-day. They're out of their depth on the executive termination or the policy overhaul that's overdue.
How XNL fits
Senior backstop on the hard matters, plus ongoing capacity for the work your team can't get to.
Company stage fit
Engagement model
Under 5
One-off project work
Handbook drafts, single-policy reviews, hiring support, termination prep. Pay per matter. We'll refer you to an employment lawyer when the work is purely legal.
Sweet spot
5–100
Sweet spot · fractional partner
Owner-operated SMBs and not-for-profits without a senior HR lead. Day-to-day HR support, hard files when they land, ongoing project work. One senior partner who learns your file.
Engagement model
100+
Senior advisor on specific projects
You typically have an HR team and want a senior advisor on specific projects: executive search support, board-level HR advisory, interim leadership during turnover.
Where we work
Most fractional HR engagements are Ontario-based since that’s where the legal frameworks (ESA, OHSA, AODA) sit and where Evert is licensed. Editorial work travels anywhere. Out-of-province and federally regulated work, case by case.
03 · What we don’t do
We don't run payroll. That's ADP, Wagepoint, or Ceridian.
We won't configure your applicant tracking system. That's Greenhouse or Lever support.
We're not your employer of record. That's Justworks, Borderless, or Deel.
04 · The honest comparison
We’re not the right call for every business. Here’s the honest comparison.
Option A
Partner you signed with, work done by analysts.
Pricing model
Monthly retainer, often $5k to $15k
Who's on the file
Junior staff, partner reviews
Time to start
Two to six weeks (RFP, onboarding)
Specialty depth
Broad but generic
Lock-in
Six- to twelve-month contracts
Option B
One generalist, permanent overhead, ramps in months.
Pricing model
$90k to $160k salary + benefits
Who's on the file
One generalist
Time to start
Three to six months (hire, ramp)
Specialty depth
Day-to-day only
Lock-in
Permanent overhead
The XNL way
The person you hired is the person on your file.
Pricing model
Fixed-fee project or capped hourly
Who's on the file
Senior partner directly
Time to start
Under two weeks
Specialty depth
25 years, published
Lock-in
Project-by-project
05 · In their words
Doing the reviews together was so productive. The whole process has been a very positive one for me personally and helped me more clearly understand what my expectations are and what a reasonable expectation from an HR lens is. I appreciate your clear thinking and your insights. I am so relieved; you are very skilled at what you do, and I am so grateful that Jim recommended you. The Partners are all pleased with your professionalism, efficiency, and the results of this project.
Ruthie Burd
Founder & President, The Lunch Lady Group
Markham, Ontario
Your approach is cognitively ergonomic. You take one or two words out without changing the meaning of the sentence, making it quicker to grasp. Each of those steps adds up throughout a document, and now it takes fewer steps to grasp the meaning.
Dr. Adam Lodzinski
Author, The Four Essentials of Conflict Resolution
You exceeded expectations with a high-quality execution of delivery. Very much appreciated.
Chris Emanuel
Outgoing President & CEO, Central York Chamber of Commerce
The record
0
Years in Canadian HR
Practice founded 2012. Built on two decades prior.
0+
Bylines in Canadian press
Canadian HR Reporter, Municipal World, Talent Canada and more.
0×
Top-25 HR Professionals
Named to Canada's Top-25 in 2016 and 2017. Randstad Innovation Award, 2015.
06 · The founder
“The cheapest HR mistake is the one you spot before it becomes a wrongful dismissal claim.”
Evert Akkerman
Founder · CHRL · LL.M. (NL)
07 · Recent thinking
Conducting a job interview is always more art than science, but there are some guardrails that can be put in place to ensure HR and the hiring manager get the information they need to make the best decision.
Sooner or later, every business owner and service provider runs into this issue: people who buy their product or use their services, and then don't pay. While it's typically a small percentage, the few you have to chase for payment tend to soak up a disproportionate share of your attention.
Across Canada, employers are required by law to ensure that their workplace is free of discrimination and harassment. While putting a Violence and Harassment Policy in place is mandatory, it cannot be a standalone measure. When organizations don't enforce policies, harassment cases tend to result in higher compensatory awards.
08 · Common questions
Pricing, timing, fit, what we won’t take on. Everything we get asked on the intake call.
Ask your own questionPublished in
Next step
30 minutes, no cost, no obligation. We’ll tell you whether XNL is the right fit, or refer you to someone who is.
