> What metrics do you think the "third-party consultants" are using?

Closing their eyes, and throwing darts at the historical record of your three-point "NI/Meets/Exceeds" score, where you are on the org chart, and whether you're being paid more than your peers.

If there was any method to their madness, you wouldn't be seeing people with strong performance histories getting canned (In divisions that haven't been shut down).