People Data & Analytics • 8 MIN READ
HR Benchmarking: How to Compare Your People Metrics to the Market
JUN 2, 2026
HR metrics only tell the full story when you can compare them to relevant benchmarks. Here is how to benchmark effectively and what to do with what you find.
Why benchmarking matters
A voluntary turnover rate of 18% means different things in different contexts. In retail, it might be exceptional performance. In a professional services firm, it might be a significant problem. Without relevant benchmarks, HR leaders cannot tell their leadership team whether their people metrics represent a competitive advantage or a business risk. Benchmarking against companies of similar size, industry, and geography transforms internal metrics from isolated numbers into strategic intelligence.
Sources of benchmark data
The most widely used sources of HR benchmark data include: the CIPD's annual HR Outlook and Employee Outlook surveys, the Chartered Management Institute's management and leadership data, SHRM's benchmarking reports for US-comparable data, Korn Ferry's workforce and pay survey data, and industry-specific surveys published by sector bodies. Many HR software vendors also publish anonymised, aggregated benchmark data drawn from their customer base, which can be highly relevant because it is already filtered by organisation type. Use at least two sources for any metric you are benchmarking to reduce the risk of relying on a non-representative sample.
