Bench Depth
Bench depth is the maximum number of pros from your bench that will be contacted when a new job comes in. It controls how many candidates receive offers before the system triggers your overflow logic.
Understanding Bench Depth
When a job arrives, Trusted Bench doesn't contact your entire bench at once. Instead, it selects a limited number of pros based on your bench depth setting and offers the job to them one at a time.
- Default: 3 pros
- Range: 1 to 10 pros
- Trade-off: Lower depth means faster resolution but less coverage. Higher depth means more chances to fill from your bench but longer wait times.
How It Works
When a job comes in, Trusted Bench follows this process:
- Filter your bench - Only pros who match the job's trade and are within 50 miles of the job location are considered
- Apply your strategy - Eligible pros are sorted based on your distribution strategy
- Limit to bench depth - Only the top N pros (based on your bench depth) are included in the routing plan
- Sequential offers - Each pro receives the job offer one at a time, waiting for a response based on your hop duration setting
- Overflow - If all selected pros decline or don't respond, your overflow logic kicks in
Choosing the Right Depth
| If you want to... | Set bench depth to... |
|---|---|
| Get jobs assigned quickly | Lower (1-3 pros) |
| Maximize chances of filling from your bench | Higher (7-10 pros) |
| Balance speed and coverage | Medium (4-6 pros) |
| Ensure only your top pro gets first crack | 1 pro |
Example Scenarios
Bench Depth = 3 (Default)
With a 60-minute hop duration:
- Hour 0: Pro #1 receives the job offer
- Hour 1: Pro #1 didn't respond → Pro #2 receives the offer
- Hour 2: Pro #2 declined → Pro #3 receives the offer
- Hour 3: Pro #3 didn't respond → Overflow logic triggers
Total time before overflow: Up to 3 hours
Bench Depth = 5
With a 60-minute hop duration:
- Pros #1 through #5 are contacted sequentially
- Each has up to 60 minutes to respond
- Total time before overflow: Up to 5 hours
Bench Depth = 1
- Only your top-ranked pro (based on distribution strategy) receives the offer
- If they decline or don't respond within the hop duration, overflow triggers immediately
- Best for: When you have one go-to pro for certain jobs
Configuring Bench Depth
You can adjust your bench depth at any time in Settings > Matching Workflow. Use the slider to set a value between 1 and 10 pros.
The setting applies to all future jobs. Jobs already in progress will continue with the bench depth that was set when they started routing.
Related Settings
Bench depth works together with other workflow settings:
- Distribution Strategy - How pros are prioritized when selecting who to contact
- Hop Duration - How long to wait for each pro to respond before moving to the next
- Overflow Logic - What happens if no one in your bench depth accepts the job
FAQ
Does changing my bench depth affect jobs already in progress?
No. Each job snapshots your workflow settings when it starts routing. Changing your bench depth only affects new jobs.
What if I have fewer eligible pros than my bench depth?
The system will use all available eligible pros. If you set bench depth to 10 but only 4 pros match the job's trade and location, only those 4 will be contacted.
Can I set different bench depths for different trades?
Not currently. Your bench depth applies to all job types. This feature may be added in the future.
Should I set my bench depth higher or lower?
It depends on your priorities. Lower bench depth (1-3) gets jobs resolved faster but increases the chance of hitting overflow. Higher bench depth (7-10) maximizes the chance of filling from your trusted network but takes longer before overflow triggers. Most users find the default of 3 strikes a good balance.
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