In every compensation project, whether you’re benchmarking salaries, designing pay structures, or evaluating internal equity, the accuracy of your job matching process is foundational. Good data leads to good decisions, and good decisions build trust.
Yet many organizations rush this step or treat it as administrative rather than strategic. The truth is: job matching is the intellectual backbone of high‑quality market analysis. When done with rigor, consistency, and integrity, it ensures that your compensation programs reflect real market conditions and real job expectations.
Here’s how to approach job matching with precision and why each part of the process matters.
What Makes a “Good” Job Match?
When reviewing survey job descriptions, you’re evaluating whether each survey role accurately represents at least 70% of the job performed at your company. This isn’t a checkbox exercise; it’s a thoughtful assessment of job content.
A good match means:
- The survey description captures the core responsibilities of your position
- The required knowledge, skills, and experience align
- The level—scope, complexity, decision-making—is appropriate or can be adjusted with a parity factor
- If you’d hire someone tomorrow for this position, the survey description would meaningfully reflect the role
Some jobs may be hybrid roles, blending two distinct areas of responsibility. In these situations, separate matches may be needed reflecting each portion of the job. While neither match may meet the 70% rule individually, together they represent the dual nature of the position, and that’s expected.
The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is representative accuracy.
Understanding Parity: When Level Doesn’t Quite Fit
Even when job content aligns well, the survey job’s level may be slightly off. That’s where parity adjustments come in.
If a match needs a parity adjustment, it means:
- The content is a solid match
- But the level chosen by the survey (e.g., Analyst III, Senior Manager, Specialist II) is either too junior or too senior compared to your internal role
- A level shift – “parity up” or “parity down” – may be needed to ensure apples-to-apples comparison during analysis
So be sure to identify any matches that might need a parity adjustment. These insights help ensure your market pricing is fair, calibrated, and contextually correct.
Parity is not a workaround – it’s a tool for precision and integrity.
Evaluate the Position, Not the Person
This is one of the most important guidelines and one of the easiest to unintentionally overlook.
When reviewing job matches, ask yourself: If the incumbent resigned today, and I needed to hire for this role tomorrow, what level of experience and capability would I expect from a qualified candidate?
This ensures you’re focusing on the job as it exists, not the unique strengths or tenure of the current employee.
Typical pitfalls to avoid:
- Matching based on the incumbent’s performance level rather than job expectations
- Letting individual quirks or limitations influence your judgment
- Upgrading or downgrading matches based on an employee’s personal history
Maintaining this discipline protects internal equity, pay structure integrity, and overall compensation credibility.
Why Job Matching Integrity Matters
A strong job matching process enables:
✔ Accurate market benchmarking – Survey data only works if the matches are correct.
✔ Credible pay structures – Poor matches distort pay ranges; good matches stabilize them.
✔ Fairness and transparency – Employees trust compensation decisions rooted in objective analysis.
✔ Organizational consistency – Leaders make better decisions when jobs are evaluated consistently across departments.
✔ Long-term compensation health – A solid foundation today prevents costly recalibrations later.
Consultant’s Tip: If any matches feel unclear or borderline, mark them for follow‑up.
Asking questions and flagging uncertainties is a valuable part of a thoughtful, high‑quality job‑matching process.
Final Thoughts
Job matching isn’t just a step in the process—it is the process. Ensuring that your selections are thoughtful, consistent, and rooted in the true nature of the work is the key to high-quality compensation outcomes. A survey is only as good as the matches behind it. Wilson Group can help your organization match your roles to surveys and execute a high-quality market analysis.
