From Search to Strategy: Redefining Talent Through Intelligence

June 16, 2025 – Talent intelligence is a custom tool for this age of uncertainty. Its power lies in being driven by data, not in hunches. Mattson & Company/GMiQ’s engagements with clients invariably immerse the firm in their strategic ambitions—often in great detail. “A traditional search engagement, for instance, is more than just a process of finding talent; it involves a comprehensive discussion about an organization’s trajectory, the obstacles it faces, the talent it needs, its competitive advantages, and internal resistance factors,” said Richard Stein, founder and co-head of Mattson And Company/GMiQ, in a recent report. “Search as a term has long been inadequate to capture the full scope of this process. A prime example of this is GMiQ’s talent intelligence capability—a tool designed for an age characterized by uncertainty, where simply being better is no longer enough.”

Talent intelligence represents an evolving discipline focused on tracking the movement of top talent, understanding their motivations, and aligning them with an organization’s strategic objectives, according to the Mattson & Company report. “However, its scope extends far beyond these elements,” it said. “This capability not only identifies gaps in an organization’s human capital but also alerts them to potential risks associated with current employees. It enables companies to contextualize their talent strategies with industry-specific intelligence. The power of talent intelligence lies in its data-driven approach, distinguishing it from mere intuition.”

The most tactical description Mr. Stein can give of talent intelligence is that it is the augmentation of both internal data already owned by a client (though perhaps not yet harvested); and of external data developed with external expertise. “These data are explored with the application of technology to create hard facts about people, skills, jobs, functions, competitors, geographies—effectively any dimension that can be addressed to de-risk strategic decisions and increase their odds of success,” he said. “When we discuss talent intelligence with clients, we refer to it as “forensic insight.” This term captures the investigative nature of analyzing changes in a client’s competitive environment. The data-driven insights from this investigation empower companies to make informed decisions regarding recruitment, retention, and the development of human capital.”

Data-Driven Deliverables

Talent intelligence outputs, if presented as mere data dumps, would lack value. Insight is what transforms data into actionable guidance, according to the Mattson & Company report. “Take talent identification, for example, a core component of any talent-intelligence engagement,” the firm said. “At its most basic, it involves monitoring external labor markets to help clients adjust their human-capital strategies. This deliverable highlights an organization’s competitive advantages in attracting top talent.”

Richard Stein is founder and co-head of Mattson & Company/GMiQ, with a distinguished career focused on supporting C-Suite executives in global corporations and financial services organizations. He is a top advisor in talent acquisition, development, and retention across the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East. His expertise spans all segments within financial services and has been an acknowledged leader across banking, wealth management, risk, and capital markets. Throughout his career, Mr. Stein has led search and competitive intelligence assignments for major corporations, investment banks, hedge funds, asset managers, and alternative investment firms worldwide.  

The Mattson & Company report explained that by identifying these advantages equips clients to respond swiftly to opportunities, such as when a competitor experiences layoffs, creating a rare moment of increased labor availability. Knowledge of one’s own hiring and retention strengths allows for rapid and effective action.

“Consider also the diversity snapshots commonly included in talent-intelligence engagements,” Mr. Stein said. “These snapshots go beyond merely describing an organization’s demographics. They capture the benefits of diverse talent in relation to the existing culture and assess the culture’s ability to support and integrate new competencies. Effective talent intelligence work should be collaborative and fact-based, avoiding personal agendas and ensuring that all perspectives are considered objectively.”

A related application is the development of internal talent marketplaces, or worker-data platforms, according to the Mattson & Company report. “When implemented correctly, these sophisticated systems enhance team efficiency by matching current staff with projects based on a rigorous definition of knowledge and skills that an organization may not even be fully aware it possesses,” it said.

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For instance, Mattson & Company points to Google’s Project Aristotle examined internal teams to understand how interpersonal issues, mismatched skills, and unclear goals impact productivity. Applying such an approach to post-merger or acquisition talent integration is both logical and beneficial.

Getting Ahead of the Curve

“While data collection can sometimes seem retrospective, talent intelligence is inherently forward-looking,” the Mattson & Company report said. “In today’s volatile world, rapid change is the norm, and yesterday’s strategies may quickly become obsolete. For example, the leadership strategies employed by Jack Welch at GE, which were revolutionary in the 1990s, might now appear short-sighted in a 21st-century context. A rigorous talent-intelligence audit could provide valuable insights into what GE might look like today.”

“Even amidst volatility, decisiveness is crucial,” Mr. Stein said. “Talent intelligence enables organizations to make deliberate and informed choices across the talent spectrum without delay. Strategic agility, particularly in talent management, is essential for success.”

For example, McKinsey’s 2022 research highlighted that perceived lack of career development was a primary reason for job turnover. Talent intelligence can map retention strategy gaps and highlight areas where key talent is at risk, guiding proactive measures to address these issues.

Talent intelligence can also be instrumental in performance evaluation and promotion, making data central to career development and enhancing the management of star performers, according to the Mattson & Company report. “During economic downturns, when cost-cutting pressures mount, talent intelligence can reveal areas ripe for cost-saving by grouping and analyzing relevant data,” the study said. “It can also provide insights into competitor actions, helping organizations understand market conditions and identify opportunities or threats.”

“Predicting the post-pandemic future is speculative at best,” the report concluded. “Talent intelligence, however, offers a solid foundation for decision-making based on data rather than guesswork. Organizations that leverage talent intelligence discover a newfound capability that empowers every level of talent to make data-driven decisions. This capability fosters a collaborative culture, often leading to unexpected yet valuable outcomes.”

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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor  – Hunt Scanlon Media