Industry News and Information
Bonuses Rising In Many Firms, Survey Shows
William FriersonSome employees could see bonuses this year. Maybe you are one of them.
Bonus checks may be a little bigger this year, a Robert Half survey suggests. Thirty percent of executives whose companies awarded bonuses last year said they plan to give higher bonuses this time around. Human resources (HR) managers were most optimistic about increasing bonus levels in 2011 (42 percent), followed by technology executives, at 25 percent. Only 14 percent of those interviewed expected smaller bonuses than last year.
Executives whose companies gave bonuses last year were asked, “Do you anticipate that year-end employee bonuses this year will be higher, lower or unchanged from those awarded last year?”
Their responses:
|
Higher |
Lower |
No Change |
Don’t Know/
No Answer |
|
| Total |
30% |
14% |
53% |
3% |
| Human Resources |
42% |
10% |
43% |
5% |
| Technology |
25% |
18% |
53% |
4% |
| Accounting & Finance |
21% |
17% |
60% |
2% |
| Advertising & Marketing |
19% |
13% |
53% |
15% |
| Legal |
12% |
4% |
73% |
11% |
“For many companies, higher bonuses are in recognition of work by employees who put in extra effort this year, often with fewer resources,” said Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International and author of Motivating Employees for Dummies® (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). “Bonuses also are tied to staff retention — professionals with high-demand skill sets may have other employment opportunities in the current job market.”
