Retained vs Project HR Support: What's the Difference?

Businesses looking for HR support usually choose between two models: project-based support for a specific, time-limited piece of work, or retained support for continuous, ongoing access to HR expertise.

Project HR support

Best suited to a defined piece of work with a clear start and end point, such as a disciplinary investigation, a restructure, or a TUPE transfer. You bring in expert support for that specific issue and the engagement ends once it's resolved.

Retained HR support

An ongoing partnership covering day-to-day HR queries, policy maintenance, compliance updates, and support as issues come up. Because your HR partner already knows your business, response times are faster and support is more proactive.

Many organisations use both: a retained relationship for ongoing support, with project-based work brought in for larger one-off initiatives like a merger or major restructure.