Benchmarking Batman

Topics: Comp Strategy

Laleh Hassibi, PayScale HR managers dream of coming across that perfect candidate – the one who has the ideal set of experience, skills, education and other factors that make them a perfect fit for the job. They also struggle with retaining top performing employees. Kind of like Batman if the position has the job title of Superhero. According to this infographic, Batman has some significant costs associated with his job. The estimated costs to do his job have increased from $10,253 in 1939, to $134,735,100 in 2013. That’s a big change. Assuming Batman's proficiency in his job has increased similarly, what kind of corresponding raise should you give him and how would you even begin to figure it out?

July 17, 2013

Laleh Hassibi, PayScale

HR managers dream of coming across that perfect candidate – the one who has the ideal set of experience, skills, education and other factors that make them a perfect fit for the job. They also struggle with retaining top performing employees. Kind of like Batman if the position has the job title of Superhero. According to this infographic, Batman has some significant costs associated with his job. The estimated costs to do his job have increased from $10,253 in 1939, to $134,735,100 in 2013. That’s a big change. Assuming Batman’s proficiency in his job has increased similarly, what kind of corresponding raise should you give him and how would you even begin to figure it out?

Market Benchmarking. Even if the job is Batman’s, breaking down the most relevant information about the position can help you make apples-to-apples comparisons with positions in the market. If you could figure out the items on this list, even Batman’s job could be benchmarked against the market:

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His top 3-5 tasks.
What level he is.
How much experience the typical superhero-wannabe would need in order to be as good at saving the world as Batman.
The typical superhero’s top 5-7 skills.
What formal training, education and certifications are required to perform the duties of a superhero.
What the competitive market for talent is. In other words, what locations and industries do the other superheroes get hired in.

I don’t know what raise Batman should get, but I do know that the best way to figure it out is with a good benchmark comparison to the market.

What about you? What’s been your hardest to price job?