To judge your organisation"s performance on anything from productivity to absence management you need to know where you currently stand with regards to others performance in your industry. By identifying what passes for acceptable performance in your industry, and what marks out the stars, you can set your own company targets or benchmarks. This introduction to benchmarking helps HR professionals understand the concept of benchmarking, establish benchmarks for your business and manage the change required to reach those targets. It also sets out the strategic role that HR plays in benchmarking initiatives.