Few tools in HR are as trusted or as contested as benchmarking. Some leaders rely on benchmarks to validate priorities, justify investments, and guide decision-making, while others warn that benchmarks can oversimplify complexity, create false confidence, or pull HR away from what actually matters in their organization. This moderated debate puts both perspectives head-to-head, challenging leaders to examine when benchmarking sharpens strategy and when it gets in the way of our better judgment. Rather than landing on a simple “for or against” conclusion, the session highlights how to think about benchmarks: when to trust them, when to push back on them, and how to use them as one input rather than the final answer.
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
- Evaluate when benchmarking provides valuable insight vs. when it risks obscuring context or priorities.
- Compare differing perspectives on how benchmarks influence HR decision‑making and credibility.
- Clarify how to use benchmarking as an input to judgment, not a substitute for it.
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Cara Danielson, Executive Advisor, McLean & Company |
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Nadia Bifolchi, Director, Analytics, McLean & Company |
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Kate McKenzie, Director, Learning Solutions Delivery, McLean & Company |