Every higher education leader asks the same question: How are we doing compared to other institutions? Whether it’s faculty engagement, staff morale, or overall retention, benchmarking provides the context needed to understand performance. Without comparison, survey results remain isolated and difficult to interpret.
That’s why benchmarking is a cornerstone of apc’s Employee Experience Grade (exg™) methodology. It not only measures engagement within your institution but also shows how you compare to peer organizations, offering leaders a roadmap for improvement.
Why Benchmarking Matters in Higher Education
Puts Data in Context
A faculty engagement score of 70 may seem encouraging—but is it strong compared to similar institutions? Benchmarking provides the answer, transforming raw numbers into meaningful insights.
Identifies Competitive Strengths
By comparing results with peers, colleges can highlight areas where they excel, such as onboarding or professional development, and use those strengths as recruiting tools.
Reveals Critical Gaps
Benchmarking highlights areas where an institution lags behind, whether it’s recognition, workload management, or leadership communication. This enables leaders to target improvements effectively.
Builds Leadership Buy-In
Data backed by peer comparisons carries more weight. When leaders see how their institution stacks up against others, they’re more likely to prioritize engagement initiatives.
The Challenges Without Benchmarking
Institutions that only measure engagement internally risk:
- Misinterpreting results: Without context, a score may seem good or bad without knowing how others perform.
- Underestimating urgency: Leadership may dismiss concerns without evidence that peers are performing better.
- Missed opportunities: Without comparisons, institutions cannot learn from practices that succeed elsewhere.
How apc’s exg™ Benchmarking Works
apc’s Employee Experience Grade (exg™) combines best-in-class engagement measurement with competitive benchmarking, giving leaders a clear picture of where they stand.
Comprehensive Comparison
exg™ allows institutions to compare engagement results against a database of peer colleges and universities.
Segmentation by Role
Benchmarking can be broken down by faculty, adjuncts, staff, and administrative roles, ensuring relevant comparisons.
Action-Oriented Insights
The benchmarking report doesn’t just show where an institution ranks—it highlights specific areas to improve, providing actionable strategies.
Longitudinal Tracking
Institutions can track their own progress over time while continuing to benchmark against peers, ensuring accountability and momentum.
Example: Benchmarking in Practice
A private university conducted engagement surveys and found its overall exg™ score was average. Without benchmarking, leadership assumed the institution was on par with peers.
However, once exg™ benchmarking was applied, it revealed that the university scored significantly below average in faculty recognition and workload balance, while excelling in onboarding. This context shifted priorities—resources were directed toward recognition programs and workload redistribution. Within two years, the university’s exg™ benchmark scores improved, and faculty retention increased.
The Benefits of Benchmarking Engagement
Informed Decision-Making
Leaders can allocate resources where they’ll make the greatest impact.
Improved Retention
By identifying gaps compared to peers, institutions can target strategies that directly reduce turnover.
Enhanced Recruitment
Highlighting engagement strengths gives colleges a competitive edge in attracting top talent.
Stronger Institutional Culture
Benchmarking provides a clear standard of excellence, motivating departments to strive for improvement.
Benchmarking as a Leadership Tool
Benchmarking data is particularly effective in boardrooms and leadership meetings. It transforms abstract concepts into hard evidence:
- “Our faculty engagement is 10 points lower than similar liberal arts colleges.”
- “Peer institutions outperform us in staff recognition, but we lead in onboarding success.”
This type of evidence not only drives urgency but also builds consensus around action plans.
Why apc’s exg™ Benchmarking Stands Out
Unlike generic benchmarking tools, apc’s exg™ is tailored to the unique context of higher education. Its advantages include:
- Higher Ed Focus: Comparisons are drawn from relevant peer groups, not generic corporate samples.
- Customizable Modules: Institutions can benchmark specific focus areas, such as adjunct inclusion or staff development.
- Actionable Recommendations: Each benchmark result comes with strategies for improvement.
- Holistic Integration: Benchmarking is one component of the broader exg™ system, ensuring alignment with hiring, onboarding, and retention insights.
Best Practices for Using Benchmarking
- Choose Relevant Peers: Compare against institutions of similar size, type, and mission.
- Focus on Key Drivers: Target areas where gaps are most likely to affect retention and morale.
- Combine with Internal Trends: Use benchmarking alongside year-over-year data for a balanced view.
- Communicate Clearly: Share results with leadership, faculty, and staff to build transparency and trust.
- Turn Insights Into Action: Benchmarking should guide real strategies, not just produce reports.
Conclusion
Benchmarking transforms engagement data from isolated numbers into powerful insights. Without it, institutions risk misinterpreting results and missing opportunities to improve. With apc’s exg™ benchmarking, leaders gain the clarity they need to measure performance, identify competitive strengths and weaknesses, and drive meaningful change.
Ready to see how your institution compares? Start benchmarking with apc’s exg™ Engagement Surveys today.
