What is PeopleAnalyst?

PeopleAnalyst is the front door for people-analytics research: 205+ works indexed and profiled, 40+ citation-grade findings extracted, and peer-reviewed behavioral science translated from academic to actionable — the missing manual for the people analytics you always meant to do.

What is people analytics?

People analytics is not a dashboard. It is behavioral science and statistical inference applied to workforce decisions — a discipline with its own methodology, spanning measurement, organizational design, talent, leadership, and analytics craft.

Why does AI in HR need measurement science?

AI is being deployed in high-stakes people decisions — hiring, performance, attrition — without the measurement science to evaluate whether it works or whom it harms. Construct validity, effect sizes, and criterion validity are the vocabulary for asking an AI vendor the right questions.

How is the research made accessible?

The evidence is indexed and searchable: 205+ works, 40+ citation-grade insight cards, and 8 research arcs, so the right finding reaches the right decision at the right time.

What separates good people measurement from assertion?

Good measurement has a method: construct validity, reliability, and effect-size interpretation are not optional — they are what separates evidence from assertion.

library / lib2cae7f2ce16c26ed

Professional Services Marketing Handbook

In a sentence

A practitioner-led handbook arguing that marketing and business development professionals in professional services firms should become 'client champions' who understand, represent and deliver client needs to drive growth, deepen relationships and elevate the influence of the marketing function.

Professional Services Marketing Handbook is a curated collection of expert essays from marketing and business development leaders at leading global firms (Allen & Overy, Baker & McKenzie, PwC, White & Case and others). Cast around five leadership themes—Growth, Understanding, Connecting, Relationships and Managing—it addresses not the 'why' and 'what' of marketing theory but the practical 'how' of marketing practice in law, accountancy, engineering, property and consulting firms. Its central thesis is that clients now demand full-service, commercial solutions and relationships, not just technical excellence, and that marketers can and must step up from being 'discipline specialists' to becoming 'client champions'—the voice of the client inside the firm. Rich with case studies, lessons and frameworks, it equips both marketers and technical practitioners to grow their firms, listen to and understand clients, connect through thought leadership, build lasting relationships, and manage the marketing organization with measurable impact.

The four lenses

Science
Statistics
Systems
Strategy

The model

A framework linking design levers (growth strategy, brand, thought leadership content, client listening, CRM programmes, marketing measurement, marketer positioning as client champion) and contextual conditions (partnership culture, client sophistication) to psychological and behavioural states (client understanding, trust, engagement, whole-firm client focus, internal buy-in) that in turn drive outcomes (client relationship strength/loyalty, revenue and profit growth, marketing influence). The model expresses the book's core argument that seeing the world 'outside in' and championing the client produces sustainable competitive advantage.

Client Champion Positioning of Marketersdesign lever

The degree to which marketing/business development professionals are positioned and act as the internal voice of the client—thinking 'outside in' first, shaping firm decisions around client needs rather than acting as a support-function communications team.

Growth and Market Selection Strategy Claritydesign lever

The clarity and appropriateness of the firm's growth strategy including reasons for growth, market and client selection, pace, risk profile, and choice of business/globalization model to match client ambitions.

Brand Strength and Claritydesign lever

The strength, clarity and authenticity of the firm's brand—what it stands for and how it differs—acting as a promise and expectation that reflects culture, justifies premium pricing and eases entry into new markets and relationships.

Structured Client Listening and Feedbackdesign lever

The presence and quality of a systematic, independent client listening/feedback programme (qualitative and quantitative) designed to capture client needs, perceptions and expectations, and feed them into management information and strategy.

Thought Leadership and Content Qualitydesign lever

The extent to which the firm produces research-based, well-written, multi-channel, visually strong content with a clear point of view that is relevant, trusted and shareable, and tied to business development conversations.

Client Relationship Management Programmedesign lever

A structured, methodical programme (account selection, teams, plans, meetings, measurement, feedback) to develop and manage priority client relationships toward long-term partnership, supported by but not dependent on CRM software.

Marketing Measurement and KPIsdesign lever

The use of tailored, balanced, actionable and accurate key performance indicators to plan, track and demonstrate the value and impact of marketing and business development activity.

Partnership Culture and Structurecontextual condition

The organizational context of the firm—partnership vs corporate ownership, fee-earner/non-fee-earner divide, consensus decision-making, professional pyramid—that conditions how easily marketing change and client focus can be adopted.

Client Sophistication and Demandscontextual condition

The degree to which clients are commercially savvy, procurement-driven and demanding of value, partnership and business understanding—raising the bar for what advisers must deliver.

Client and Business Understandingpsychological state

The depth of the firm's understanding of clients' needs, business context, sector, economics and people—the psychological/knowledge state that enables commercial, relevant advice.

Trust (Client and Internal)psychological state

The level of trust between the firm and its clients and among internal teams—built on credibility, reliability, intimacy and low self-orientation—enabling relationship development, cross-selling and honest collaboration.

Client Engagement and Conversationbehavioral pattern

The extent to which clients actively engage with the firm—consuming content, entering two-way conversations and initiating next steps—rather than passively receiving broadcast messages.

Whole-Firm Client Focus and Internal Buy-inbehavioral pattern

The degree to which client relationship development is a shared, firm-wide obsession embraced by partners, fee-earners and support functions, with internal buy-in to marketing/change initiatives.

Client Relationship Strength and Loyaltyoutcome metric

The strength, breadth and longevity of client relationships—loyalty, share of spend, recommendation, and progression from service provider to trusted partner.

Revenue and Profit Growthoutcome metric

The firm's commercial outcomes—top-line revenue growth, profitability, share of spend and market position—resulting from effective client-focused marketing and relationship development.

Marketing Function Influence and Statusoutcome metric

The degree of influence, credibility and status the marketing/business development function and its leaders hold within the firm, including a voice at the top table.

How they connect

client champion positioning → influences client understanding
client champion positioning → predicts marketing influence
growth strategy clarity → predicts revenue profit growth
brand strength → influences client engagement
brand strength → influences revenue profit growth
client listening → predicts client understanding
client understanding → mediates relationship strength
thought leadership content → predicts client engagement
client engagement → influences revenue profit growth
crm programme → predicts relationship strength
trust → predicts relationship strength
trust → influences revenue profit growth
relationship strength → predicts revenue profit growth
whole firm client focus → influences relationship strength
marketing measurement kpis → predicts marketing influence
marketing measurement kpis → influences revenue profit growth
partnership culture − moderates whole firm client focus
client sophistication → moderates client understanding
client champion positioning → influences whole firm client focus
growth strategy clarity → correlates whole firm client focus

A candidate measure

Professional Services Marketing Handbook — derived measurement candidates

Client Champion Positioning of Marketers

Reporting line to managing partner/CEO; Board/executive membership of MBD leader; Frequency of marketer-led client interactions