media managed as one performance system.
Fix What’s Broken.
Build What Works.
custom research & talent intelligence.
Fix What’s Broken. Build What Works.
Better decisions start with better questions.
Most organizations are still guessing.
In talent strategy, poor decisions rarely come from a lack of data.
They come from
misleading data, shallow insight, or research that isn’t designed to be used.
GBS delivers custom research and talent intelligence for organizations that need clarity they can trust—and insight that stands up in the boardroom, not just on a slide.
This isn’t research for reporting’s sake.
It’s research built to inform strategy, reduce risk, and drive action.
Why most talent research falls short
Most employer brand builds don’t underperform because they lack creativity. They fail because they’re built before alignment exists.
Common issues we see:
- Benchmark studies that don’t reflect real hiring conditions
- Surveys designed for scale, not nuance
- Data that confirms assumptions instead of testing them
- Insights disconnected from EVP, brand, or hiring strategy
- Findings that look credible—but aren’t operational
The result is familiar: decks that get shared, discussed, and quietly ignored.
Research only creates value when it’s designed to answer the right questions—with methodological rigor and strategic intent.
This is research you can defend—and actually use.
How GBS approaches research
differently
Research built on psychology, ethics, and real-world application
Our research work is grounded in validated I/O psychology, behavioral science, and principles such as Person–Environment (P–E) fit—the alignment between people, roles, culture, and systems that drives performance, engagement, and retention.
We don’t just ask what people say.
We examinewhy they respond the way they do—and how those responses should shape decisions.
Every research engagement is:
01
Custom-designed around your strategic objectives
02
Methodologically sound and bias-aware
03
Built to inform action, not just observation
what we research
Our groundwork often
begins here
01
How their employer brand is perceived—internally and externally
02
Where EVP promises align or break down
03
Why certain talent segments opt in—or out
04
How brand signals influence attraction, trust, and decision-making
what we research
What we research:
01
How their employer brand is perceived—internally and externally
02
Where EVP promises align or break down
03
Why certain talent segments opt in—or out
04
How brand signals influence attraction, trust, and decision-making
This insight becomes the foundation for strategy, activation, and measurement.
This insight becomes the foundation for strategy, activation, and measurement.
Candidate Experience & Hiring System Research
We examine how candidates actually experience:
- Career sites and job content
- Application and assessment processes
- Recruiter and hiring manager interactions
This allows us to identify friction points, false signals, and misalignment that undermine conversion and trust.
Custom Research for Platforms & Vendors
GBS partners with HR tech platforms, vendors, and solution providers who need independent, credible research to support:
Product positioning & messaging
Market understanding & buyer insight
Thought leadership grounded in evidence—not opinion
Our role is not to validate assumptions—but to pressure-test them.
AI-Aware, Ethically Grounded Research
As AI increasingly shapes hiring systems and decision-making, research has to evolve with it.
GBS brings in-house AI expertise to ensure research is:
Designed with awareness of algorithmic influence and bias
Interpreted responsibly—without overstating conclusions
Used to inform ethical, human-centered system design
We don’t treat AI as a shortcut.
We treat it as a variable that must be understood—and handled with care.
what clients gain from this work
Organizations that engage GBS for custom research gain:
- Clear, defensible insight tied directly to real decisions
- Reduced risk from assumption-based strategy
- Stronger alignment between brand, hiring, and candidate experience
- Research that informs action, not just discussion
This work often becomes the backbone for:
- Employer brand and EVP consulting
- Employer brand builds and career site strategy
- Recruitment media and performance optimization
- Vendor partners who want to better inform, and better serve, their clients
Because when insight is sound, execution gets sharper.
Who this research is for
GBS’s custom research works best for organizations that:
01
Need clarity before making high-impact talent decisions
02
Are tired of generic benchmarks and shallow insight
03
Want research that integrates psychology, brand, and systems
04
Require credibility—with leadership, boards, or the market
If you need fast data to confirm a narrative, this isn’t it.
If you need insight that holds up under scrutiny, it is.
Let’s ask better questions, and use the answers
If you’re making decisions about employer brand, hiring systems, candidate experience, or product strategy, research should help—not confuse—the process.
FAQs
What is Talent Intelligence in the context of hiring and employer brand?
Talent intelligence is the systematic collection and analysis of data about candidates, employees, competitors, and labor markets to inform hiring and workforce decisions.
Unlike surface metrics, it focuses on understanding motivations, perceptions, and behaviors that influence whether the right people choose to join and stay with an organization.
How is custom research different from standard industry benchmarks?
Benchmarks show how you compare to averages. Custom research explains what is actually happening in your specific context and why.
Generic benchmarks may not reflect your industry, geography, workforce needs, or employer brand positioning. Custom research generates insight tailored to your organization so leaders can make informed, defensible decisions.
When should an organization invest in custom talent research?
Organizations typically benefit from custom research when facing high-stakes decisions such as redefining an EVP, entering new markets, addressing hiring challenges, evaluating brand perception, or planning major transformation initiatives.
It is especially valuable when existing data is incomplete, conflicting, or insufficient to guide action.
What kinds of questions can this research answer?
Custom research can explore areas such as candidate motivations, employer reputation, decision drivers, competitive positioning, experience gaps, and barriers to application or acceptance.
The objective is to move beyond assumptions and identify the factors that truly influence talent behavior.
How does this research support executive decision-making?
Evidence-based insight reduces uncertainty and provides a credible foundation for strategy.
Leaders can use research findings to justify investments, prioritize initiatives, align stakeholders, and communicate decisions with confidence. The results are designed to withstand scrutiny in both operational and board-level discussions.
Do you only work with large enterprises?
No. While large organizations often commission custom research due to scale and complexity, any organization facing important talent decisions can benefit.
Scope and methodology are tailored to the size, needs, and resources of the organization.
Can this work be used by vendors as well as employers?
Yes. Vendors, platforms, and service providers often use custom research to understand market perceptions, refine positioning, evaluate product-market fit, or inform go-to-market strategy.
Independent research can provide credibility that internal data alone cannot.
How is your approach different from traditional research firms?
Traditional research often emphasizes data collection and reporting.
GBS focuses on generating insight that leads directly to action. Findings are interpreted through the lens of hiring systems, employer brand strategy, and real-world implementation so organizations can translate information into meaningful change.
How do you ensure the research reflects real behavior, not just stated opinions?
Methodologies grounded in behavioral science help distinguish between what people say and what actually drives decisions.
By combining qualitative and quantitative approaches, it is possible to identify patterns that more accurately predict real-world actions.
What outcomes can organizations expect from this work?
Organizations typically gain clearer positioning, stronger alignment across stakeholders, improved hiring efficiency, and greater confidence in strategic choices.
The ultimate goal is not more data, but better decisions and measurable impact.
