1. Stronger, Faster Hiring Decisions

Hiring top talent has always been competitive; in the current environment, we see several factors that have converged to make it even more challenging. Many experienced executives are staying in their current positions longer; others are choosing advisory roles over full-time operating seats. Meanwhile, growth companies are often trying to move quickly but frequently lack the recruiting infrastructure to support hiring at pace or scale.

A strong people strategy can bring structure to the recruiting process by matching business priorities with hiring frameworks, interview design and evaluation criteria. It equips managers with clear role definitions, calibrated rubrics and the training to make more objective hiring decisions, while also preparing them to clearly articulate the company’s value proposition to candidates. Across the growth companies we work with, we’ve seen improved hiring outcomes when this structure is in place: when teams define what success in the role looks like, align assessments accordingly and apply a consistent process. In our experience, these efforts often lead to more relevant candidate pools, faster decision-making and stronger performance from new hires.

Equally important is expanding access to talent. Organizations with well-designed people strategies don’t rely solely on inbound interest or external recruiters; they build and cultivate talent networks over time. That may mean investing in sourcing tools to uncover passive candidates, leveraging internal referrals more intentionally or building long-term relationships with executive search partners. The result isn’t just faster hiring; it’s a more durable, high-quality recruiting engine that supports long-term growth.

2. Better Development and Retention of Internal Talent

With today’s tight external talent market, internal talent pathways can play an important role in supporting many organizations’ long-term goals. Yet too often, we see companies default to external searches, overlooking the high-potential individuals already on their teams.

An effective people strategy brings structure to how internal talent is identified, developed and advanced. That includes consistent approaches to talent mapping and performance reviews, giving leaders a clear view into who’s ready for more responsibility and what’s needed to get them there. We’re seeing organizations increasingly use the 9 Box Grid and other high performance employee (HiPo) identification frameworks to bring more rigor and transparency to internal advancement. These tools help companies better match talented existing team members with future-ready roles and create clearer pathways for promotion and development. Moreover, internal mobility and promotion have the added benefit of strengthening morale, increasing retention and signaling opportunity.

As organizations expand, we believe this kind of internal development isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a strategic imperative. In our view, it can support retention and contribute to leadership continuity, helping create an environment where your top talent grows with the company rather than leave to grow elsewhere.

3. Improved Insight into Talent Health and Organizational Risk

Historically, the performance of a company’s people function has been measured by lagging indicators such as headcount growth, attrition rates and engagement surveys. Today, leadership teams need more. They want to understand how talent strategy contributes to business performance, and they expect real-time insights that inform action.

A well-designed people strategy delivers this visibility by moving beyond static reporting and offering predictive insights that help inform business decisions. That might mean identifying early signs of attrition risk based on performance trends or engagement data, or forecasting leadership gaps using succession metrics tied to growth plans. In our experience, companies that use predictive data to guide talent planning and track promotion readiness are better equipped to build future-focused talent pipelines, support business continuity and improve retention. This kind of data-driven approach helps leadership teams anticipate talent gaps earlier, model future needs more effectively and take targeted action to develop teams and support employee growth. When done well, people data becomes a source of strategic intelligence—not just reporting—and a driver of long-term value.

4. Smarter, More Responsible Use of AI

AI is changing how companies attract, assess and develop talent, and its influence on the people function continues to evolve. From automating candidate outreach to flagging attrition risk or helping managers deliver more timely feedback, the potential is significant. When thoughtfully applied, AI can streamline hiring and support smarter workforce planning.

But these benefits don’t happen automatically. A strong people strategy can help ensure that AI is used intentionally within the talent function, aligned with business priorities and integrated into real workflows. For example, we’re working with several Summit portfolio companies that are actively reimagining how they deliver people operations by integrating AI into their hiring processes. Teams are using these tools to optimize job postings, improve sourcing strategies and increase consistency in candidate evaluation. In some cases, AI is helping to reduce human bias in assessment and interview processes.

When guided by a well-defined people strategy, AI becomes more than a productivity tool. It can enhance decision-making and strengthen employee experience.

5. A Culture That Supports Performance at Scale

As companies scale, culture can easily become diluted or fragmented. A strong people strategy helps ensure that your organization’s values are embedded in how employees are hired, onboarded, managed and rewarded, keeping culture visible, intentional and scalable.

In our view, while culture often starts with the CEO, sustaining it over time requires shared ownership and ongoing reinforcement throughout the business. When thoughtfully defined and actively maintained, we believe culture can become more than an artifact of a company’s “early days.” It can become a retention lever, a recruiting differentiator and a daily driver of a company’s growth.