CME Badge System
Badges recognize profile completion, identity verification, participation, and hiring behavior. Together they build your Trust Score, increase your visibility, and signal credibility to everyone on CME.
How Trust Score Works
Everyone starts at 50. Earn badges to increase your score. Your tier determines how you appear on the platform.
Jobseeker Tiers
Employer Tiers
Reputation Stars
Score above 100? You earn stars — one per complete 10 points beyond 100. First star at 110, second at 120, and so on. Stars are visible on your profile and signal elite reputation. The score is uncapped.
How trust affects visibility
Higher trust scores improve your position in SmartMatch alignment results and signal reliability to employers. All applicants remain available for review regardless of score — trust affects visibility ordering, not access.
Jobseeker Badges
17 badges — Maximum trust from badges: +120
All badges are awarded once per qualifying trigger. Participation badges (Event Networker, Reliable Candidate, Coachable) award on the first qualifying batch — attending a 4th event or completing a 4th SmartCoach milestone does not re-award the badge or additional points. Further activity contributes to your overall platform record but does not re-trigger badge points.
Complete Profile
+20 trustComplete all profile fields including CME Clip, work experience, skills, and profile photo.
Identity Verified
+5 trustComplete identity verification through CME.
Reference Provided
+5 trustUpload a reference video from a previous employer or colleague.
Amicable Transition
+5 trustReceive a verified video reference from a past employer confirming a positive departure (submitted through the CME reference link).
Interview Ready
+3 trustAttend your first interview scheduled through CME.
Reliable Candidate
+5 trustAttend 3 interviews without missing any.
Boosted Candidate
+4 trustUse a boost that leads to an interview invitation.
Successful Hire
+10 trustAccept a job offer and have the employer confirm the hire.
90-Day Retention
+10 trustStay employed for 90 days after being hired through CME.
Community Contributor
+3 trustParticipate in CME-verified volunteer or community activities (check-in confirmation required).
Connector
+5 trustGet 5 approved peer references on the platform.
Video Star
+5 trustCME Clip reaches a minimum view and completion threshold. Current thresholds are published in your dashboard under Clip performance.
Event Networker
+5 trustCheck in at 3 or more CME job fairs or events.
Coachable
+5 trustComplete 3 or more SmartCoach milestones.
Platform Supporter
+5 trustUpgrade to any paid subscription tier. Trust Score includes participation incentives alongside reliability signals.
Founding 5000
+15 trustAmong the first 5,000 users to join CME. Permanent founding recognition.
Founding Connector
+10 trustAmong the first 1,000 users to refer 5 people who sign up.
Employer Badges
13 badges — Maximum trust from badges: +110
All badges are awarded once per qualifying trigger. Completing a 4th hire does not re-award Talent Builder; completing an 11th does not re-award Hiring Champion. Ongoing activity supports your Trust Score tier but does not re-trigger badge points.
Complete Employer Profile
+20 trustComplete company profile with a job listing and company video.
Responsive Employer
+5 trustRespond to candidate boosts within the 21-hour SLA.
Active Interviewer
+5 trustConduct 3 interviews through CME.
Collaborative Hiring
+5 trustUse the team voting system for a hiring decision.
Successful Placement
+10 trustHave an employee retained for 90 days after hiring.
Talent Builder
+5 trustComplete 3 successful hires through CME.
KindHire Employer
+10 trustMaintain 90%+ response rate with no substantiated complaints for 90 days. Unreviewed submissions alone do not affect status.
Community Employer
+5 trustParticipate in verified CME community initiatives.
Hiring Champion
+10 trustComplete 10 successful hires through CME.
Swift Recruiter
+5 trustComplete a hire within 30 days of posting the job.
Platform Supporter
+5 trustUpgrade to any paid subscription tier.
Founding 500
+15 trustAmong the first 500 employers to join CME. Permanent.
Trusted Employer
+10 trustElite active credential — see full criteria below. Re-evaluated on a rolling 6-month window; shown as inactive if standards drop.
Trusted Employer — Elite Badge
Highest reputation badge for employers
Requires meeting all criteria within a rolling 6-month window:
- ✓ Maintain KindHire status
- ✓ Respond to 90%+ of applicants
- ✓ Complete at least 2 hires through CME
- ✓ Maintain 90-day retention on all qualifying hires within the 6-month window
- ✓ No substantiated candidate complaints within the window
Trusted Employer is an active credential, not a permanent achievement. If standards drop it shows as inactive and the +10 trust is suspended — the badge remains visible in history. Achievement badges (hires, milestones) are permanently visible regardless.
BIA Badges
9 badges across 3 tiers — measuring district activation and community transformation
Each badge specifies its eligible population. Measurement periods are rolling 12 months unless stated otherwise.
Foundation Tier
CME Launch Partner
9% of total BIA-registered businesses engage with CME launch activation (denominator: all businesses in the BIA directory).
Employer Ignition Partner
21% of total BIA-registered businesses create CME employer accounts (denominator: all businesses in the BIA directory).
District Engagement Challenge
12% of total BIA-registered businesses participate in a CME district challenge (denominator: all businesses in the BIA directory).
Growth Tier
CME Local Activation Partner
9% of CME-registered employers in the district actively use CME Local tools (denominator: CME-registered employers only).
Video-First Community Partner
12% of CME-registered jobseekers complete a CME Clip, OR 12% of CME-registered employers post a CME Spot — either population meeting the threshold qualifies.
Workforce Builder Partner
Verified hires reach 21% of the CME-registered jobseeker pool in the district (denominator: CME-registered jobseekers).
Legacy Tier
Economic Resilience Leader
9% year-over-year growth in CME hiring or employer activity (measured over rolling 12-month periods).
Community Equity Partner
BIA launches a CME-supported equity program with 12% participation among CME-registered users in the district.
District Transformation Leader
Sustained achievement: 21% employer activation and 21% video adoption maintained for 3 consecutive years of year-over-year growth. This is a long-term performance badge — founding recognition is tracked separately.
Penalties
Penalties reduce your Trust Score but do not remove earned badges. Escalation penalties (e.g. −20 for 3 no-shows within 90 days) are charged in addition to the individual event penalties that triggered them — three no-shows cost −10 −10 −10 −20 = −50 in total. Disputed events can be flagged for review from your dashboard. Points are recovered by earning badges — participation badges with repeatable triggers (events, SmartCoach, hires) can continue building your score over time.
Jobseeker Penalties
Employer Penalties
Badge System Principles
Start Earning Badges
Earn trust points by meeting badge criteria — profile, participation, and hiring behavior all count.
Participation informs district activity. Employer subscriptions fund community programs.