Why Private Equity Invests in People for Growth

PE Firms
Human Capital
Value Creation

Human capital is a driving force for growth in private equity. A recent BluWave-hosted webinar delved into three leading trends in this service area:

  1. The rise in human capital investments
  2. The importance of specialized recruiters
  3. The value of interim executives

Here are some insights into these topics from Account Executive Evan Garoutte and Research and Operations Consultant Taylor Lee.

Human Capital Emphasis

The trend of investing in people for growth continues to gain traction.

READ MORE: Why Hire an Interim CFO

“Human capital activity has been steadily growing and reached an all-time high in Q3 of this year, accounting for 49 percent of all activity coming through the BluWave network,” Garoutte said. “It’s the number one trend in the industry.”

This reflects a 20 percent increase year-over-year, underscoring the importance of investing in talent for organizational growth and value creation.

Using Specialized Recruiters

Engaging specialized recruiters is crucial for efficiently filling both executive and non-executive positions, particularly during growth phases.

“They stay up to date on market trends, salary range and emerging skill sets, which is extremely valuable. The knowledge allows them to identify and attract top talent who possess the right qualifications and of course, and most important would be a cultural fit to the organization.”

READ MORE: Why Hire an Interim Chief Executive Officer

Value of Interim Executives

Interim executives, especially in pivotal roles like CFOs, CEOs and CHROs, provide stability and continuity during transition periods, crisis management and special projects.

“PE firms have found value in being able to try before they buy. And we’ve seen interims convert to full-time employees about a third of the time internally,” Lee said. “There’s just value in confirming that this person can positively see our portfolio companies in the right direction as well as confirm that they’re a culture fit.”

READ MORE: Why Hire an Interim CTO


The discussion underscored the critical role of human capital in driving growth, indicating the various strategies that private equity firms and their portfolio companies can employ.

BluWave’s invite-only network of human capital resources works with PE firms daily to fill needs related to human capital, as well as a wide array of other service areas.

Contact our research and operations team for your next project and they’ll provide a short list of exact-fit service providers within 24 hours.

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