By Tom Bradbury, Founder & CEO of Broad-Gauge

Private equity firms often cite operational efficiency and financial rigor as hallmarks of their portfolio management—but beneath these layers of traditional levers lies an overlooked asset: the workforce. For most portfolio companies, labor is not just a cost—it’s their biggest investment. Yet despite its significance, human capital data remains siloed inside traditional HRIS platforms, rarely connected to financial metrics. This blind spot leaves GPs without a comprehensive view of workforce impact on performance and value.