The foundation of a strong talent pool is properly benchmarked jobs, since accurately measuring performance in a specific job is only possible after a standard for performance has been established.
Ideally every position in a business is benchmarked, assuring that uniform, unbiased criteria define the accountabilities, skills, attitudes, motivators, behavioral style and experience that each job calls for.
It’s best to let the job speak for itself, rather than having one or two people write a job description that will unavoidably reflect their own idiosyncrasies.
An effective benchmarking process will call for assembling a team of subject matter experts to collaborate on voicing the job.
The expert team should include the top three performers currently occupying the position, top-performers who have occupied the position within the last six months, the position supervisor, the manager, and one or two people in roles that interact with the job being benchmarked.
The team should not include every person occupying the position, since that would lower the bar, resulting in hiring for and accepting diminished performance expectations.
The benchmarking process is a logical opportunity for re-aligning each position with the most up-to-date strategic business initiatives.
The team will clarify why the job exists and how it fits into the company’s strategy going forward.
As they define, weigh and prioritize key accountabilities, a clear picture emerges.
The behaviors, values, personal skills and task preferences required for success in the position can now be used to screen a suitable candidate.
A bonus is that the benchmarking process may also close past accountability gaps between positions
that gave rise to recurring deficiencies in communication or productivity.
Planning for upcoming leadership needs starts with identifying priority management and executive positions for benchmarking.
These would be the ones generally considered most at risk for vacancies and those with a known likelihood of someone leaving, followed by future positions planned to anticipate growth.
It’s important to assess the existing team against the benchmarks produced so that any gaps in the current team can be accounted for when planning for new positions, training, or succession.
The benchmark produced will provide unbiased marching orders for HR’s hiring efforts, making it an invaluable tool for selecting superior performers safely under the law.
Once jobs have been benchmarked, the critical competencies and attributes required for each job are used as guidelines both for hiring and for training high potentials to excel.
