Benchmarking and Best Practices

Benchmarking Reports

2011 Benefits Survey - Sponsored by Fox Lawson & Associates, a division of Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc. - Survey results reveal that public sector employers are taking a variety of steps to address the poor economy. While members have taken steps to control costs in a variety of ways, they are also seeking ways to attract and retain talent using creative solutions. The report features five case studies.

2010 HR Metrics Survey - Sponsored by the Washington Department of Labor and Industries - Nearly 600 members responded to the survey asking about metrics and how they are used.  More than two-thirds of respondents collect metrics; those related to hiring are the most important, according to survey participants. Read the report and the nine case studies by clicking on the link above.

2009 Workforce and Succession Planning Survey- Sponsored by CPS Human Resource Services-More than 300 members completed the survey which describes how workforce and succession plans are created and implemented. New this year: the report includes ten case studies from various agencies with workforce plans. 

2008 Benchmarking Report-Performance Management - Sponsored by Fox Lawson & Associates - More than 600 IPMA-HR members answered questions about designing, implementing and measuring the results of their performance management systems.

2007 IPMA-HR Variable Pay Benchmarking Survey – Sponsored by Fox Lawson & Associates -Six hundred and forty IPMA-HR members responded to questions about compensation systems including variable pay, pay for performance and skill-based pay.

2006 - Recruitment and Selection- Sponsorsed by NEOGOV- This survey focused on measuring results - cost per hire, turnover, internet use, and HR staffing.

2005 IPMA-HR Benchmarking Committee Report - Healthcare Benefits Cost Management (members only, please log in)

2004 IPMA-HR Workforce Planning Results

2000/2001 benchmarking reports on Total Compensation, Recruitment & Selection and Training

Best Practices

2008 Best Practices

• Results Oriented Pay Program (ROPP)
• Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
• Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

2007 Best Practices (members only, please log in)

• University of Colorado at Boulder – Pay for Performance
• Metro Regional Government – Pay for Performance
• Tualatin Valley Water District – Pay for Performance
• Virginia Retirement System - Gainsharing

(Click here for archived information)

What is Benchmarking

IPMA-HR developed the following definition for benchmarking: A comparison of similar processes across public and private organization to identify best practices to improve organizational performance. The characteristics and attributes of benchmarking include measuring performance, systematically identifying best practices, learning from leading organizations, and adapting best practices as appropriate.

IPMA-HR's benchmarking goals: identify, measure and share the best practices of leading HR organization. Information will be available so organizations can compare their practices to the benchmark HR organizations and identify opportunities to improve their own organizations.

The primary purpose of the benchmarking project is to provide human resource practitioners with tools, models, skills, methods, and data to improve the effectiveness of their human resource programs for their customers. This is not an awards program, but a chance for everyone to learn and share information.

In addition to providing summary HR information, a key goal of the benchmarking project is to identify "best practices" in HR, to enable users to learn from leading organizations and adapt and adopt the most successful approaches. The HR Benchmarking Committee analyzes the respective survey data to identify the best practice organizations in the different subject areas surveyed. Rarely can a program or solution seamlessly transfer to every other organization and identifying best practices can be somewhat subjective. What distinguishes the IPMA benchmarking project, however, is the identification of successful HR models that HR professionals can learn from and perhaps adopt in their organizations.

IPMA-HR Benchmarking Committee's criteria for selecting best practices

1. Successful over time

2. Quantitative and/or qualitative results

3. Recognized or recognizable positive outcomes

• customer satisfaction
• positive impact

4. Innovative

5. Replicable

• transferable with modifications
• portable
• adds value by improving service, quality and/or productivity

6. Meaningful to Users of the Benchmarking Site