Crystal Lay
CEOGBS Worldwide
Crystal Miller Lay is the Chief Executive of GBS Worldwide, an end-to-end Talent Attraction Firm specializing in employer branding, recruitment marketing, and organizational talent transformation. With over more than years of experience in marketing strategy, behavioral psychology, and award-winning digital marketing, she has worked with clients ranging from startups to Fortune 10 companies, earning over 13 Webby, Davey, and Communicator Awards in 2023–2024 alone.
Crystal recently led a study into the impact of AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) on job seekers, job search activities and outcomes with the University of Wolverhampton. In 2023, she completed the largest study on neurodivergence with the University of Wales, focusing on the Employer Value Proposition (EVP) development gap for individuals with disabilities and the neurodiverse. This research highlights the disconnect between employer branding and inclusive employment practices. In addition to her academic contributions, she runs the Autistic Teen Program for the Freddie Ford Foundation and serves as a Board Member, where her anti-bullying initiative has earned global recognition for its social innovation and inclusion impact.
A lifelong advocate for education and neurodiversity, Crystal holds an MBA in Leadership and Organisational Innovation from the University of Wales and is a candidate for MSc in Industrial Organisational Psychology. She is also working toward a third Master’s degree in Psychology of Mental Health and Wellbeing at the University of Wolverhampton, and is pursuing her doctorate.
When she's not working (and often even when she is), you're likely to find Crystal either traveling or with her family. She's also fond of (badly) patio gardening, an occasional glass of red wine, and is completely hooked on writing. She recently finished her first book, and is working on the outline for her second.
11:20 –11:50 AM PDT —
For years, recruitment marketeers and employment branders have struggled with the fuzziness of the traditional "Employer Value Proposition" (EVP) model. The measurement of effectiveness has been, at best, muddy as the outputs of EVP work have largely been focused on the employer, not the worker. However, in recent years a more effective shift in EVP development to include Person-Environment (P-E) alignment has emerged. Using grounded research and "real world" examples, participants of this session will learn:
1:50 –2:20 PM PDT —
Inclusion Matters, but many workers struggle to feel it throughout the employment lifecycle. For nearly 40% of working respondents in a 2020 McKinsey survey, the struggle begins before the hire; causing them to not pursue jobs due to perceived lack of organizational inclusion. So what are we to do? We start with job ads, which when well-written, have been shown to actually help create more inclusive workplaces. In this session, participants will learn: