Setting Up Seeded Benchmarks

Seeded benchmarks let you compare respondents against benchmark values that you supply, for example published industry figures or results from an earlier study, rather than against the responses collected in Brilliant Assessments. You upload the values in a CSV file.

1. Before you start

1. Confirm that Use Benchmarking is ticked on Assessment Settings > General.
2. Confirm that the All Responses Label is set on the same tab. Benchmarks do not display without it.
3. Finalize the names of your sections, subsections and themes. The benchmark file is matched to these names, so renaming them later means updating the file.

2. Decide what the benchmark is compared against

Before you create the classifier, decide which of the following you need. The answer determines where the classifier is linked.

A classifier is linked in one place only. A classifier used for Section B must not also be selected in Assessment Settings.

3. Section A. Benchmark against the entire assessment

Step 1. Create the classifier

1. Go to Site Settings > Features. If Use Classifier is not ticked, tick it and click Save.
2. Open the Classifiers tab and click Add Classifier.
3. Enter a Classifier Name, for example Industry Average. This name is used in column A of the benchmark file.
4. Note the Classifier No. You use this number in your report merge strings.
5. Tick Benchmark and set the Calculation Type to Seeded.
6. Enter a Benchmark Label, for example Industry average.
7. Enter 0 in Benchmark Minimum Values. This field is required when Benchmark is ticked.
8. Click Save.

Step 2. Link the classifier to the assessment

1. Open the assessment's Assessment Settings and go to the General tab.
2. Scroll down to Additional Benchmark and select the classifier.
3. Click Save.

Step 3. Download the template

1. Go to Site Settings > Features > Classifiers and click Edit on the classifier.
2. Click Download Template, select the assessment, and click Download.

Step 4. Fill in the benchmark file

Leave the Benchmark Answer column blank on every row. The file contains one set of rows: the assessment-level row first, followed by a row for each section, subsection or theme you want to benchmark. See Filling in the benchmark file below for what each column needs.

Step 5. Upload the file. See Uploading the file below.

4. Section B. Benchmark for each Benchmark Answer

This section uses a Years of Service example. Respondents answer "How long have you worked here?" with Less than 1 year, 1-3 years, 3-5 years or More than 5 years, and each answer has its own benchmark scores.

Step 1. Create the classifier

1. Go to Site Settings > Features. If Use Classifier is not ticked, tick it and click Save.
2. Open the Classifiers tab and click Add Classifier.
3. Enter a Classifier Name, for example Years of Service. This name is used in column A of the benchmark file.
4. Note the Classifier No. You use this number in your report merge strings.
5. Tick Benchmark and set the Calculation Type to Seeded.
6. Enter a Benchmark Label. Use {Classifier} to insert the respondent's answer, for example Staff with {Classifier} of service.
7. Enter 0 in Benchmark Minimum Values. This field is required when Benchmark is ticked.
8. Click Save.

Step 2. Link the classifier to the question

1. In the Builder, click Edit on the question whose answers are benchmarked (a single choice or drop-down list question).
2. Open the Options tab and select the classifier in the Classifier list.
3. Click Save.

Each answer to the question is now a classifier value. Do not select this classifier in Assessment Settings > Additional Benchmark.

If the group is worked out from other answers rather than chosen directly, link the classifier to a result calculation instead, on the calculation's Options tab. The text the calculation returns becomes the classifier value. See How do I benchmark respondents by a band that a calculation works out?.

To remove a classifier from a question or calculation, hold down Ctrl and click it in the Classifier list.

Step 3. Download the template

1. Go to Site Settings > Features > Classifiers and click Edit on the classifier.
2. Click Download Template, select the assessment, and click Download.

Step 4. Fill in the benchmark file

Create a set of rows for each answer. Each set starts with the assessment-level row, followed by a row for each section, subsection or theme you want to benchmark. Enter the answer in the Benchmark Answer column exactly as it appears in the question.

Step 5. Upload the file. See Uploading the file below.

5. Filling in the benchmark file

The template contains a row for the overall assessment score, and for every section, subsection and theme in the linked assessment. Once benchmark data has been uploaded, the download contains that data instead, ready for updating.

Rules for the file:

• Keep the assessment-level row. This is the row where Section, SubSection and Theme are all blank. In Section B, every Benchmark Answer needs its own assessment-level row. Do not delete it. If you do not report an overall benchmark, enter 1 in both Percentage and Answer Points as placeholders.
• Delete any rows you do not need, such as a welcome section, apart from the assessment-level rows.
• Enter a value in both Percentage and Answer Points on every row. If you only use one of them, enter 1 in the other.
• To convert a percentage to a Likert score, multiply the decimal by the number of points on your scale, for example 0.75 x 5 = 3.75 on a 5-point scale.
• Save the file as CSV (Comma delimited).

6. Uploading the file

1. Go to Site Settings > Features > Classifiers and click Edit on the classifier.
2. Click Upload Data.
3. Select the rating the benchmark will be reported against. Most sites select Base. If the chart that shows this benchmark uses an advanced rating (the RatingType= parameter), select that rating instead. See Using Advanced Ratings.
4. Choose your CSV file and click Upload.

A confirmation message appears when the upload succeeds. If it fails, the message lists the rows that could not be matched. See Why does my seeded benchmark upload fail?.

7. Reporting the benchmark

Seeded benchmark values are available as soon as the file is uploaded. They do not wait for the nightly benchmark refresh.

Add BM1= followed by your Classifier No to a chart or score merge string. For example, with Classifier No 5:

• {BarMulti[SectionNo=ALL BM1=5]} shows each section score next to the benchmark.
• {RatingScore.Score[Survey BM1=5]} returns the benchmark percentage.

In Section B, each respondent is compared against the values for their own answer. On a single-value output such as a score merge string or a gauge, the benchmark replaces the respondent's score. Use a multi chart to show both. See Setting Up Benchmarks for Reporting and Displaying Scores in Report.

8. Updating seeded benchmarks

1. Edit the classifier and click Download Template. The file contains the data currently uploaded.
2. Make your changes, keeping the assessment-level rows.
3. Save the file as CSV and upload it again with Upload Data.

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