Fractional HR Leadership Case Study
Building the HR Backbone for a Fast-Scaling CPG Brand
Drumroll Snacks, a high-growth consumer brand, known for its delicious, high protein, low sugar snacks, was heading into its next state of growth. The team had more than doubled in the first half of 2026, retail was expanding, and a Series A was approaching. Meanwhile, one of the founders was still managing payroll, benefits, insurance, onboarding, and other day-to-day People Operations.
The Challenge:
One of the brand's co-founders was, in effect, doing the job of a People Operations Manager, running payroll, managing healthcare and 401(k) administration, handling copacker and business insurance, and onboarding new employees, all while focused on financials and fundraising. Drumroll needed someone experienced enough to build the People function, with a level of support that fit the business today.
The Solution:
ForceBrands recommended a fractional People Operations leader.
Finding the right fractional talent requires more than matching skills to a job description. The person needs the experience to step into an evolving business, quickly understand what is missing, build the right infrastructure, and operate effectively with a founder-led team.
ForceBrands introduced Drumroll to candidates across several experience levels, helping the founders determine what the business actually needed. They selected a senior People Operations leader who could immediately take ownership of benefits, payroll, insurance, compliance, onboarding, and the systems needed to support continued growth. ForceBrands onboarded the individual while coordinating with the founder-led team to set the new hire up for success.
The Impact:
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Senior-level People Operations expertise in place quickly, without committing to a full-time salary before the brand was ready.
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The leader has been so effective that the client has repeatedly expanded her hours and extended the initial engagement period.
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The engagement is now progressing toward a full-time conversion.
The Takeaway:
Fractional talent can give growing companies access to experienced leaders at the point when they need the expertise, with flexibility as the business evolves. The key is finding someone who fits the role, the stage of the company, and the way the team operates.
Drumrolls’ willingness to explore a flexible talent model, enabled ForceBrands to right-size the engagement to match the company’s actual stage of growth; landing on the right person at the right time.