A Different Way to Build Your People Function
When building your People function, most Leaders are balancing budget, timelines, and investor expectations while weighing internal hires against recruiting firms, fractional leaders, and PEOs.
Here’s How LaunchWell Compares
Cost Model

Fractional, flexible support
Recruiting Agencies
-30% of base salary per hire
Fractional CHRO
Monthly Retainer for one leader
PEO
Per Employee
+ admin fees
Founder Led / Internal
Internal time
+ opportunity cost
Scope

Leadership, recruiting, and HR across the full People function
Recruiting Agencies
Hiring only
Fractional CHRO
Strategic leadership
PEO
HR admin,
payroll,
benefits
Founder Led / Internal
Everything handles across founders or leadership
Depth of Support

Full team: People leaders, recruiters, HR experts
Recruiting Agencies
Single recruiter
Fractional CHRO
One individual
PEO
Generalist support model
Founder Led / Internal
Limited internal bandwidth
Continuity and Coverage

Team-based support with built-in coverage
Recruiting Agencies
Transactional per hire
Fractional CHRO
No backfill or PTO coverage
PEO
Vendor-dependent support
Founder Led / Internal
Dependent on founder/leadership availability
Approach

Tailored to your team, systems and goals
Recruiting Agencies
Focused on filling roles
Fractional CHRO
Depends on individual
PEO
Pre-built systems and benefit structures
Founder Led / Internal
Reactive, built as you go
Speed to Impact

Immediate support across needs
Recruiting Agencies
Dependent on reqs and search timelines
Fractional CHRO
Slower ramp depending on hire
PEO
Structured onboarding timelines
Founder Led / Internal
Often delayed due to competing priorities
Long-Term Impact

Builds internal capability, systems, and structure
Recruiting Agencies
No retained infrastructure
Fractional CHRO
Limited execution depth
PEO
Standardized approach across clients
Founder Led / Internal
Inconsistent, hard to scale