2025 Culture and Talent Index Study

Don't just follow the trend, lead it.

Join the Culture and Talent Index (CTI) Study with Red Castle Human Capital and The University of Tennessee to quantify and benchmark the effectiveness of your company culture and talent programs.

Purpose

The Culture and Talent Index (CTI) Study provides organizations with actionable insights to target and maximize human capital. Using tools like the Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) and Trajectories™ for tracking training impact, the CTI Study empowers organizations to make data-driven decisions that directly support business goals.

Partnering with the University of Tennessee, the study also cultivates future experts in workforce analytics, ensuring innovation and excellence in the competitive talent landscape.

Either craft the culture you want or the culture is created without your input. Organizations that build strong cultures see measurably better business results, unlocking both market opportunities and employee satisfaction.

When organizations align their internal culture with their customer base, they gain critical advantages: teams with varied perspectives spot untapped opportunities, develop innovative solutions, and forge authentic client connections that drive loyalty. This translates directly to improved performance and competitive edge in today’s diverse markets.

In response, Red Castle Human Capital, Hinton & Company, and The University of Tennessee are launching a benchmarking study to:

  • Quantify how culture-building programs drive market success
  • Measure the direct impact on business performance and innovation
  • Provide actionable data for building market-responsive cultures

This research will help organizations establish cultures that effectively capture opportunities across diverse market segments while remaining competitive in today’s dynamic environment.

Diverse companies earn 2.5x higher cash flow per employee and inclusive teams are 35% more productive.

Human Resources Initiative

As a human resource, people and culture, or talent professional, you will be asked to provide input on your organization’s policies, programs, and practices rather than distributing the survey to employees. This streamlined approach ensures quick and efficient participation, allowing HR leaders to offer valuable, informed insights that illustrate their cultural and talent identification practice.

Lead, Don't Follow...

Substantial budget allocation alone does not determine success. Many organizations have seen significant financial losses from poorly executed CTI initiatives. Ensure your CTI programs are driving measurable impact, saving both time and money, and avoiding costly inefficiencies.

CTI Spending ≠ CTI Success

Texas A&M

Texas A&M University allocated $11 million annually to culture and talent initiatives, but...
Texas A&M University allocated $11 million annually to culture and talent initiatives, but feelings of belonging among Black students dropped dramatically, from 82% to 55% between 2015 and 2020.

UC Berkley

University of California, Berkeley allocated $36 million annually to culture and talent initiatives, but...
University of California, Berkeley allocated $36 million annually to culture and talent initiatives, but Black undergraduate enrollment fell from 3% in 2010 to 2% in 2021.

FAQs

Participation in the benchmarking study is free, with an option for organizations to receive workforce assessments tailored to their size. These assessments will directly measure CTI climate, engagement, and performance metrics, with results available in customized reports for easy visualization.

Ideal participants are director-level or higher personnel involved in human resource/management practices. Organizations of all industries and sectors are welcome to participate.

The information you provide will remain confidential and only accessible to authorized parties, including UT, Hinton & Co., and Red Castle. Answers provided on the survey can be edited at a later date to ensure relevance and accuracy.

All data collected are confidential, ensuring no identifiable information about your organization or its employees appears in the final reports. This allows you to gain valuable insights while maintaining complete privacy.

Data collection begins in January 2025, with results prepared for Spring Leadership Conferences in collaboration with SHRM chapters.

For profit and philanthropic organizations can sponsor or partner with the study. By doing so, you will gain visibility by showcasing their commitment to CTI. Opportunities include logo placement, study participation, and access to findings. We welcome collaborations with SHRM, Chambers of Commerce, and similar organizations. Contact us to learn more.

Study Partners

Picture of Dr. Timothy Munyon, Ph.D.

Dr. Timothy Munyon, Ph.D.

The University of Tennessee
See full bio at utk.edu
Picture of Dr. Debbie Mackey, Ph.D.

Dr. Debbie Mackey, Ph.D.

The University of Tennessee
See full bio at utk.edu
Picture of Brady Teter

Brady Teter

Co-Founder
Red Castle Human Capital
Picture of Kent Vaughn

Kent Vaughn

Senior Consultant
Red Castle Human Capital
See bio and details at blazeperformance.io
Picture of Wade Hinton

Wade Hinton

CEO
Hinton & Company
See bio and details at hintonandco.com
Picture of Melanie Silva

Melanie Silva

COO
Hinton & Company
See bio and details at hintonandco.com
Picture of Gabe Rieke

Gabe Rieke

Research Assistant
Red Castle Human Capital
Picture of Connor Capley

Connor Capley

Research Assistant
Red Castle Human Capital

Have questions?

Use the form below to get in touch, or email brady@redcastlehc.com with your questions and comments.

Reserve Your Spot!

Name(Required)

Red Castle Human Capital
t. (865) 300-9500
e. info@redcastlehc.com