Pricing — WorkTheory Co.
Fractional People Leadership

Fractional People Strategy,
designed with you.

Four clear engagement levels — from trusted advisory to embedded executive leadership. Designed for NZ businesses ready to grow with intention.

All prices NZD excl. GST  ·  3-month minimum term (unless upgrading)  ·  30 days written notice to exit
Tier 01
Advisory
Strategic guidance and trusted input for founders or leaders without full fractional capacity.
$2,500  / month
+ GST
10 hrs/month Remote 48hr response <150 staff
What's included
  • Quarterly People pulse session
  • 1 policy review per month
  • ER guidance and access to WorkTheory's ER template library
  • Single key contact
  • Up to 6 additional hrs/month at preferred client rate
Enquire now
Tier 02
Partner
An active people strategy partner for growing organisations building consistent HR infrastructure.
$6,000  / month
+ GST
24 hrs/month Hybrid 24hr response
What's included
  • Monthly strategic people sessions
  • 2 policy reviews or document updates per month
  • ER guidance and access to WorkTheory's ER template library
  • Quarterly people strategy roadmap
  • Key contact for your leadership team
  • Preferred client hourly rate for hours above cap
Enquire now
Tier 03
Principal
Embedded people leadership for organisations scaling through growth, change, or transformation.
$8,000  / month
+ GST
32 hrs/month Hybrid 12hr priority
What's included
  • Monthly board report
  • Monthly strategic people sessions
  • Full policy and document support
  • Embedded ER partner
  • Quarterly people strategy roadmap
  • Org design and workforce planning
  • Key contact for your leadership team and board
  • Preferred client hourly rate for hours above cap
Enquire now
Tier 04 · Executive
Fractional CPO
Builds on Principal
Full people function ownership for organisations that need a named CPO at the table.
On application
Scoped to required impact
Onsite as agreed 3–6 months
What's included
  • Everything in Principal
  • Named CPO accountability across the full people function
  • C-suite and executive team integration
  • Extended board presence and strategic reporting
  • Organisational design at a whole-business level
Enquire now
Ad hoc & additional hours
Standard rate: $300 + GST / hr  ·  Minimum four hours per engagement.
Active retainer clients and qualifying not-for-profit organisations receive a preferred hourly rate for additional hours.
Why fractional
The value of getting it right
Annual investment comparison
Fractional Partner/Principal 10 month enagement $60k–$80k per annum
Full-time Chief People Officer (total rem) $255k–$370k+
Potential saving $175k – $310k+

Fully loaded CPO includes: base salary $200k–$280k, KiwiSaver 8-17k, ACC levy 2-4k, annual leave 5-6 weeks 20-35K, bonus 10-28K, other benefits $5k–$20k, plus one-off executive search fees between 15–20% of base salary (year one).

No extended notice period. No long-term employment liability. Exit with 30 days notice.

What you get instead of a full-time hire
  • Senior-level capability already operational — low onboarding lead time
  • Deep experience across people strategy, governance, workforce design, and responsible AI
  • An independent perspective that is commercially grounded and honest
  • Flexibility to scale up or step back as your organisation evolves
  • No fixed overhead, no recruitment risk, no long-term commitment beyond minimum term
When your people systems are designed well, everything else moves faster.
Avoiding one ER issue
$20,000+
Employment disputes in NZ average $15,000–$30,000 in legal fees and management time. Strong governance prevents them.
5% engagement lift
$40,000+
Gallup research shows engaged teams are 21% more productive. A 5% lift across a 50-person team adds measurable commercial value.
"The cost of getting people strategy wrong is always higher than the cost of getting it right."
— WorkTheory Co.
All prices in NZD, exclusive of GST. © WorkTheory Co. 2026

Hourly Advisory & Project Work (introductory pricing)

$285.00

For organisations seeking project work or strategic leadership on an hourly basis, minimum billing is in 4-hour blocks, with pricing provided via a proposal.

Introductory pricing is discounted from the standard $300 per hour

New

People clarity starter session

$950.00

90 Minutes in total across two sessions

A 60-minute session followed by a written people brief within 48 hours, including your 3 priorities for the next 30 days and a curated resource from the WorkTheory IP library.

A 30-minute follow-up call at two weeks post-session by phone or video to review progress and answer questions.

*Full fee credited against your first retainer month if you proceed within 30 days.

 

Book here: 90-min People clarity session

 

New

AI readiness starter session

$950.00

90-minutes in total across two sessions

A 60-minute session followed by a written AI readiness brief within 48 hours, including your 3 priorities for the next 30 days and a curated resource from the WorkTheory IP library.

A 30-minute follow-up call at two weeks post-session by phone or video to review progress and answer questions.

*Full fee credited against your first retainer month if you proceed within 30 days.

Book here: 90-min AI readiness starter session

New

Workforce change starter session

$950.00

90 minutes in total across two sessions

A 60-minute session followed by a written change brief within 48 hours, including your 3 priorities for the next 30 days and a curated resource from the WorkTheory IP library.

A 30-minute follow-up call at two weeks post-session by phone or video to review progress and answer questions.

*Full fee credited against your first retainer month if you proceed within 30 days.

 

Book here: 90-min Workforce change session