Why Fractional Marketing is the Smart Choice for Maternity Leave Cover

Hiring maternity leave cover for senior marketing roles can be tricky. It’s a delicate balance between finding someone who can step into a high-impact role quickly, without disrupting the team dynamic or derailing momentum.

At Stratcora, we believe fractional marketing is often the best solution. Here is why more businesses are turning to flexible, agency-based support instead of hiring short-term in-house contracts.

Fractional marketing support offers a flexible, low-risk, high-impact alternative to hiring directly.

1. Recruitment Can Be Slow and Uncertain

Finding the right person for a temporary contract takes time, often more time than companies can afford. And the best talent? They are often in search of long-term opportunities, not short-term stints. That mismatch can lead to drawn-out recruitment timelines and a compromise on quality.

Fractional marketing, on the other hand, allows you to bring in an experienced marketing leader or team quickly. No lengthy hiring process. No risky stopgap hires.

2. You Get More Than One B2B Marketing Skill Set

When you hire a fractional marketer or agency, you’re not relying on just one person to cover all bases. You get access to a team of specialists who can flex their support based on your needs - from strategy to execution, digital to brand, and everything in between.

This built-in versatility ensures nothing gets dropped, and you maintain momentum during the leave period.

3. Budget Efficiency Without Compromise

Hiring a full-time contractor, especially in senior roles, can be costly, not just in salary, but also in onboarding time, training, and internal resourcing. Fractional marketers deliver targeted, high-value output without the overhead, offering better return on investment (ROI) for defined-term contracts.

4. Minimise the Risk of Early Departures

A common challenge with contract hires is that they often continue looking for a permanent role, and may leave early if something comes up. That risk increases the closer you get to the end of the contract, leaving your team scrambling to fill the gap (again).

With a fractional model, you get the commitment for the full duration, with no hidden job alerts or interviews behind the scenes.

5. Built-in Exit Plan and Handover Process

Unlike short-term hires who may transition out abruptly, fractional marketing providers usually include a clear offboarding and handover process including documentation, insights, and team transition support, making the return-to-work period smoother and more organised.

6. It is Easier for Returning Staff

There is often an unspoken tension when someone steps into a role temporarily but secretly hopes it becomes permanent. It can create uncertainty for the staff member on leave, especially in senior positions. Engaging a fractional agency like Stratcora removes that tension. There’s no hidden agenda, just expert support to keep things running smoothly until the original team member returns.

For returning mothers, flexibility matters. Many don’t return to full-time hours straight away (even if they originally intend to), and having a trusted agency already embedded in the role provides invaluable peace of mind. It means there’s experienced support on standby to step in on the days they’re not working, ensuring continuity for the business and flexibility for the parent.

7. No HR Headaches or Compliance Complexities

Engaging an agency or contractor externally typically comes with less red tape. No payroll setup, no internal contracts, no performance review cycles - just a clean service agreement and a clear scope of work.

Planning Ahead

If you're planning ahead for parental leave in your marketing team, fractional support offers a flexible, low-risk, high-impact alternative to hiring a temporary replacement. At Stratcora, we can embed seamlessly into your team, maintain momentum, and hand back the reins when the time is right.

Need help covering an upcoming leave? Let’s chat about how Stratcora can support your business through the transition.

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About Stratcora

Stratcora partners with B2B technology companies to develop practical, results-focused marketing strategies that support complex sales cycles, ambitious growth plans, and the realities of today’s resource-constrained teams. We help our clients by leveraging the right mix of human expertise and digital tools to execute marketing programs that produce real results.