Have you ever found yourself staring at lines of market data, wondering how you are going to benchmark your HR/Accounting Assistant, Recruiter/Front Desk Receptionist or Medical Coder/Billing Specialist?
Many organizations employ “hybrid” jobs that encompass tasks and duties of two or more job titles. The problem is that benchmarking hybrid jobs is more complicated than simply “splitting the difference” between the market value of the two pieces of that job. Many roles encompassing hybrid duties are more than simply half of two jobs compressed together.
So, where does that leave you? With these three possibilities for benchmarking hybrid jobs:
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HIGHEST LEVEL ROLE
Benchmark a hybrid job to a title that best encompasses the highest-level responsibilities (or job function) of that role.
Example: HR Manager/Office Coordinator:
- The higher level of responsibility in this hybrid role would most likely be those tied to the HR Manager, so that would be the best title match to select in any survey.
WHY?
- Replacement Cost
- When you go to replace the incumbent in the position, you’ll probably have to pay the higher market value for the position. That may be OK; they’re probably worth more to you internally as well.
- In most hybrid scenarios, the highest-level position is going to drive the cost of filling the role. This is because you will need to hire someone with the high-level skills required, and then ask them to also cover responsibilities involved in the lower positions. The alternative – hiring someone with the lower-level skills and asking them to oversee responsibilities for a position they are not qualified for – is obviously less effective.
- This option puts the company in a position for long-term success and ensures you can recruit a qualified replacement if needed.
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FREQUENCY OF ROLE
If the different responsibilities of the hybrid role are of a similar level/value, match to the title that best represents the role the incumbent performs most often.
Example: Accounting Clerk/Customer Service Representative:
- Since both roles have a similar level of responsibility even if the responsibilities are quite different, the role that is performed most often (or the primary role) would be the best match.
- If the Customer Service Representative is what the incumbent focuses on around 70+ percent of the time, then the title match to choose would be Customer Service Representative.
WHY?
- Pay Level
- Often, two jobs at the same value/level will be in the same pay grade range – if you were setting up pay grades, would these two positions be in the same grade or pay range?
- The key here is figuring out internal functional differences within the two parts of the role vs. market value of the different functions of the role. This job may have varying functions – but the market value of those functions is very similar.
- The example above is a role that most organizations would consider hybrid in terms of functions/duties, but because they have a very similar market value you can comfortably pick one title to use as a benchmark.
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BLENDING MARKET DATA
This is often the most common go-to when considering benchmarking a hybrid job, but should be saved for unique cases when there is not a clear higher-level or majority-function role in the hybrid job.
Example: HR Director/Controller, Project Manager/Director of Services
- Depending on the company type, size and industry, it may be difficult to identify which role is higher level or being done most of the time. These roles occur most commonly in smaller or very agile organizations.
- If you cannot clearly identify which piece of a hybrid or blended job is being performed most often or is the more senior role, it is often helpful to benchmark both parts of the job and compare or blend the resulting market data.
WHY?
- Visibility
- You seek greater information on two fairly different jobs.
- In companies with greater transparency, you may have to use this hybrid approach for key roles to get approval for the pay range.
- This option can be helpful for org-specific hybrid roles, however it should be used sparingly as it can become difficult to track data and resulting pay ranges of a blended job.
Following these best practices will enable you to benchmark your hybrid jobs fairly and competitively, enabling you to attract, retain and motivate employees in your unique blended jobs!
What are your trickiest hybrid jobs? Let us know in the comments section below.
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