A compensation survey may report high confidence in a benchmark, but does that mean the number is right for your organization? For mid-market employers, narrow geographic markets, limited sample sizes and jobs that don't fit standard survey definitions can make even highly rated benchmarks difficult to apply.

Drawing on original research comparing compensation survey estimates with actual accepted offers at organizations with 100 to 1,500 employees, this session examines where market data can fall short and how to recognize potential warning signs before making pay decisions.

Combining research findings with real-world compensation experience, you'll explore how practitioners investigate questionable benchmarks, identify outliers and validate market data before making recommendations. You'll learn a five-question diagnostic approach, examine practical triangulation techniques that don't require purchasing additional data and apply the framework to a compensation scenario.

Leave with tools for evaluating market data more critically, making defensible compensation recommendations and communicating uncertainty to leaders who want a single, definitive number.