Benchmarking Reimagined: Why Real-Time Data Beats Static Pay Studies

For decades, compensation studies have been the standard way for public agencies to assess pay. Every few years, HR leaders hire a consultant, gather job descriptions, survey peer agencies, and wait months for a report that’s supposed to answer a simple question: Are we paying fairly and competitively?

But in today’s labor market, “every few years” isn’t nearly timely enough. Wages shift quarter to quarter, benefits evolve, and agencies can’t afford to wait months for answers that might already be outdated by the time they are delivered.

The result? Leaders are making high stakes pay decisions on hiring, retention, and union negotiations based on stale information. It’s not that traditional studies don’t work; it’s that they no longer work fast enough.

The Challenge with Traditional Compensation Studies

Traditional compensation studies capture a single moment in time, and that’s the problem. They quickly lose relevance in today’s fast-moving public sector, where job postings, inflation, and competition from neighboring jurisdictions can shift pay rates almost overnight.

That lack of timely data creates real challenges:

• Recruitment stalls. Agencies can’t show that their pay is competitive, shrinking applicant pools and lengthening vacancies
• Retention suffers. Employees see higher salaries posted nearby and start looking elsewhere
• Negotiations drag on. Without shared, trusted numbers, HR and unions struggle to find common ground — slowing progress and increasing frustration

Every day spent waiting on outdated data adds cost and uncertainty. Budgets tighten, trust erodes, and HR teams are left reacting to problems instead of staying ahead of them.

The Data Gap Is Growing

Many agencies are recognizing this gap and moving away from traditional approaches altogether.

According to the MissionSquare Research Institute’s 2025 Workforce Survey, only 54% of agencies conducted a compensation or classification study this year—down from 65% in 2023.

That drop signals two realities: Agencies know they need better, faster ways to analyze compensation, yet many agencies lack the tools or resources to do it consistently.

Without up-to-date insight, leaders are left making critical workforce decisions on incomplete data. They’re asked to justify pay strategies, defend equity, and negotiate contracts without current, defensible benchmarks.

A Better Way: Real-Time Benchmarking

That’s where real-time benchmarking comes in. TrueComp replaces slow, manual comp studies with a continuously updated database of verified salary and benefits data across hundreds of public agencies. Instead of waiting months for an external report, HR and finance teams can instantly see how their pay stacks by title, department, or region.

With that visibility, agencies see a living, evolving view of the market and can:

• Identify pay inequities before they grow into retention risks
• Validate wage adjustments during negotiations with hard data
• Communicate compensation value clearly to boards, unions, and employees

Simply put, with TrueComp Benchmarking, agencies now have compensation transparency that moves as fast as the market does.

Proof in Practice

Across the country, agencies are seeing how real-time benchmarking changes the game.

In Wayne County, North Carolina, leaders modernized their compensation structure to reflect actual market rates, helping them retain skilled employees and stay competitive. And in Columbus, Ohio, HR teams leverage TrueComp insights to demonstrate pay equity and attract stronger candidates faster.

Different locations, same outcome: when agencies have current data, they make faster, more confident decisions that strengthen workforce stability and trust.

Why This Matters Now

Compensation is a workforce strategy issue. Public agencies already spend more than 60% of their budgets on labor. Even small misalignments in pay can compound quickly across departments and fiscal years.

That’s why accurate, real-time data has become table stakes for agencies of all sizes. It allows HR and finance to operate from the same source of truth, eliminate guesswork, and bring confidence back to compensation planning.

As wage transparency laws expand and employees gain more access to market information, public employers can’t afford to lag behind. They need to show that their pay structures are fair, competitive, and backed by data, not assumptions.

From Static Studies to Smart Strategy

Relying on months-long, manual compensation studies no longer works in a market that changes week to week. Real-time benchmarking gives agencies the speed and clarity to make informed pay decisions before problems arise.

With TrueComp, HR and finance teams can instantly compare, model, and communicate compensation data across their workforce—all from one trusted source. It’s how agencies stay ahead of change and lead with confidence.

Tired of waiting months for compensation data? See how TrueComp delivers real-time insight when it matters most. Book a quick demo with a product expert today.