Description of MERIT Benchmarks

We offer 3 types of MERIT Benchmarks: the Builder, Plus & Advanced benchmarks. They differ in the number of participants that are required to create a benchmark AND in their discriminatory (or “selection”) power. Basically, the Benchmark Builder is useful for matching the general personality & behavioral profiles of applicants with your top performers or one or two applicable trait profiles. It is suitable for positions that are staffed by relatively few employees. Benchmarks Plus & Advanced on the other hand, require greater numbers of benchmark participants (current employees) AND some additional objective performance data. The greater numbers and the performance data enable us to identify SPECIFIC CHARACTER and BEHAVIORAL COMPETENCIES that are most predictive of success in the position. If the system identifies an applicant who possesses a key competency IN GOOD MEASURE, then we can predict, with a high degree of confidence, that the applicant is ideally suited for the position.

An additional benefit of the MERIT Benchmarking System is that once you create benchmarks for various positions, you have also established an objective, (impartial) system for SUCCESSION PLANNING. Any candidates for promotion can be matched to the appropriate benchmark and you would be able to identify those with the BEST FIT instantly BEFORE making any offer of promotion.

In addition, as you use this system, you create for yourself an ACCOUNTABILITY METHOD, a means to gauge the effectiveness of your hiring decisions as well as the accuracy of our system. You also have the means to match any employee in your company with any position benchmark that you have created. If someone is not working out in sales for example, you can match his/her profile to other position benchmarks to see if there is a better fit.

Over time, you will be creating an INVALUABLE “PEOPLE” DATABASE that will provide your organization with essential information on what people, qualities or characteristics work and do not work for the various positions within your company over time. As your company evolves, so will your database. You will be able to mine for the “secrets of success” over and over again. And, as the database grows in size, so too does its power and accuracy. With greater numbers, we are able to pre-validate the accuracy of benchmarks so you can be sure that they are working, as they should. How valuable would it be to be able to quickly and easily discover the essential competencies that determine success or failure in a position and then use this information to ensure that you are hiring the very best for the position?

5 Ways to Ensure Great Hires
Performance Benchmarking
Benchmark Construction and Application (PDF)
Benchmarking System FAQ