“How does our mobility policy compare to everyone else’s?”

It is one of the most common questions mobility teams ask — and for good reason. Benchmarking can provide valuable context, highlight where a program sits relative to the market, and give leaders greater confidence when making changes.

But as Sheri Gaster and Mike Wincott discuss in this Bite-Sized Advice conversation, benchmarking only tells part of the story.

Two companies can look at exactly the same market data and make completely different policy decisions — and both can be right. Their mobility programs may be at different stages of maturity, they may move employees for different reasons, operate in different industries, or have very different business objectives and cultures.

The real value of benchmarking, then, is not in simply following the market. It is in understanding what the data means for your organization.

In this conversation, Sheri and Mike explore how mobility teams can use benchmarking as a source of context and evidence without allowing it to become the driving force behind policy design — and why looking forward can be just as important as looking at what everyone else is doing today.

'Market Practice’ vs. ‘Right Practice'

Is Benchmarking the Right Question?

Benchmarking is useful because it gives organizations a view of what the market is doing. It can show where your program is broadly aligned, where you may be an outlier, and where there are areas worth exploring further. But asking “What is everyone else doing?” should not automatically lead to “That is what we should do too.”

A benchmark gives you context. It does not tell you what is right for your business. The stronger question is: What does this data mean for us?

Why Can Two Companies Use the Same Data Differently?

Two organizations can review the same benchmark data and come to different conclusions. One may have a mature mobility program, while another is still evolving its approach. One may primarily use mobility to support leadership development, while another may be focused on project delivery, skills transfer, or business expansion.

Industry, culture, employee population, business strategy, and mobility objectives can all influence what “good” looks like. That means being different from the market is not necessarily a problem.

The important thing is understanding why you are different and whether that difference supports what the organization is trying to achieve.

What Happens If You Follow the Market Too Closely?

There is a certain safety in aligning with common market practice. If a policy looks like what peers are doing, it can be easier to explain internally and can provide reassurance that the organization is not moving too far away from established practice.

But there is also a risk.

Following benchmark data too closely can result in a policy that is safe, but generic — one that reflects the market more than it reflects the organization. A mobility policy needs to account for the nuances of the business it is supporting. If those nuances are lost, the result can be a policy that looks competitive on paper but does not necessarily help the organization achieve its goals.

Is Benchmarking Too Backward-Looking?

Benchmarking, by its nature, reflects what organizations are already doing. That makes it very useful for understanding where the market sits today, but less useful on its own for determining where your program should go next.

If an organization wants to be more forward-looking or dynamic, it needs to add another layer of interpretation. What trends are emerging? How are employee expectations changing? Where is the business heading? What will the mobility program need to support in the future?

Thinking about the direction of travel helps organizations avoid designing policy purely by looking in the rear view mirror.

How Can Benchmarking Help Build Internal Buy-In?

One area where benchmarking can be particularly powerful is internal decision-making. Mobility teams may have a strong rationale for introducing a new approach or changing an existing policy, but leadership often wants evidence that the proposed direction is grounded in the market.

Benchmark data can provide that reassurance. It can show that a proposal is informed by external practice, identify where the organization is making a deliberate choice to differ, and provide an evidence base for conversations with senior stakeholders.

That can be especially valuable when an organization is considering something new and leadership wants confidence that the business is not moving completely out on its own.

What Role Should Benchmarking Play?

Benchmarking absolutely has a role in mobility policy design. But it works best as a supporting input, rather than the driving force behind the policy.

The data can help establish context, test assumptions, identify outliers, and build confidence around decisions. What it cannot do is determine the right answer without considering the organization itself.

The interpretation and application of the data are what make the difference.

The Takeaway

Benchmarking is most valuable when it helps organizations make more informed decisions — not when it makes the decisions for them. Use it to understand the market, identify where your program differs, and provide evidence for internal conversations.

Then layer in the factors that matter most to your organization: your culture, business objectives, mobility strategy, program maturity, and future direction. Because the goal should not be to create a policy that looks like everyone else’s.

It should be to create the policy that is right for your business and where it wants to go.