Phasing Out the
Annual Raise:
More Firms Opt for Bonuses
Millions of people are looking toward 2005 with hopes of a getting
a raise, but many employers are sending this message: You will have to earn it
as a bonus.
Increasingly, companies are moving away from the traditional
annual pay raise in favor of beefing up the amount of money earmarked for
employee bonuses. The bonuses are largely based on performance, meaning only
the most productive employees -- or those lucky enough to be in a profitable
company or division -- will reap the bounty.
Once the province of upper management and executives, bonuses are
ending up in the pockets of a much broader group of employees than they used
to. Mercer Human Resource Consulting reports in a recent survey that workers
down to the clerical level are now commonly eligible for bonus pay. At
companies that grant bonuses across the board, clerical and support staff
generally earn payments of 3% to 5% of annual salary.
Executives, of course, continue to pick up the biggest bonus
checks each year, typically from 30% to 50% of their base pay. Upper managers
generally receive 15% to 25% of their underlying pay, while middle managers are
typically eligible for bonuses of 10% to 15%.
The move toward bonuses comes as overall salary increases are
expected to be measured again this year. A recent salary survey by Hewitt
Associates, a human-resources consulting firm, shows that companies expect to
offer pay raises of about 3.4% to 3.7% for 2005, depending on an employee's
corporate rank. That comes on top of similar pay raises in 2004, which Hewitt
calls "some of the lowest increases ever recorded" in the 28 years
the consulting firm has gathered and analyzed compensation data. Moreover,
those raises will just barely keep up with inflation, which is running at about
3.6% annually, according to Economy.com. In the early 1990s, workers typically
received raises of 5% or more.
By contrast, for the 2004 bonus season, companies have committed
nearly 10% of their annual payroll to pay-for-performance bonuses. That is up
from the 8.8% allocated to bonuses in 2003, and marks a significant escalation
from 3.8% in 1991.
Allstate Corp., a Northbrook,
At Bank of America Corp.,
Varying Approaches
Some companies use egalitarian bonus-pay structures. If the
company as a whole, or a particular division, meets established production or
profit goals, then everyone benefits. Other companies operate a meritocracy in
which workers in the same job could earn different pay based on their own
quarterly or annual performance.
Many companies use a hybrid approach. At Alpharma Inc., a
To determine performance, companies often look at both objective
measures -- quantifiable goals such as sales targets or cases handled -- and
subjective ones, such as how well an employee gets along with colleagues and
clients.
Keeping Fixed Costs Low
Companies are focused on bonuses over pay raises for several
reasons. Inflation remains relatively tame, meaning companies aren't feeling
pressured by the economy to raise salaries. Job creation remains lethargic, so
there is little pressure on business to raise pay in order to attract workers.
Another issue: Companies, seeking to remain competitive globally,
want to keep their fixed costs low. Raising someone's salary, of course, is a
permanent cost that a company generally must live with in subsequent years.
Bonuses, however, are optional from year to year, allowing companies some
control over a big expense in their income statement.
Because bonus pay typically is tied to corporate profitability,
2004 bonus checks, which generally go out in the early spring, will be a mixed
bag. Employees in the telecommunications, insurance, energy, computer
manufacturing, finance and pharmaceuticals sectors will likely have reason to
celebrate; incentive-pay plans are widespread in those industries, according to
Hewitt, and their overall profitability is relatively strong. Federal, state
and county workers could benefit, too, says
Ken Abosch, business leader for Hewitt Associates' Talent
Consulting practice.
By contrast, companies in the transportation-service, education
and many manufacturing sectors are expected to be more tight-fisted with bonus
pay this year, according to many consulting firms.
Defining Job Expectations
If you are eligible for bonus pay, it is important to define the
expectations of your job for the coming year. "Ask what would mark a good
year for you, and what would mark a great year," says Steve Gross,
Mercer's compensation practice leader. Then ask, "If we have a great year,
is there any opportunity for extra reward?" This approach, Mr. Gross says,
is non-threatening and shows that instead of simply expecting more pay, you are
taking the initiative to strive harder for the incentive.
Define the metrics on which you will be measured. That way both
you and your boss are tracking the same milestones. You don't want to think you
are excelling throughout the year only to find at bonus time that your boss was
using a different yardstick.
Nail down specifics about what you can do to ensure the level of
performance necessary to earn a bonus. If your bonus depends on the results of
a larger group, there may be little you can do individually. Still,
establishing what is expected of you may help you stand out, aiding in
achieving a promotion, which is where the biggest bumps in pay still happen.
Finally, request progress reports throughout the year. A bonus,
says Hewitt's Mr. Abosch, should never come as a surprise. Ideally, you want to
meet with your supervisor every quarter -- or, at the very least, twice a year
-- to discuss your progress. The focus of this meeting shouldn't be the size of
your potential bonus. Instead, hone in on what you have done so far, how it
measures up to expectations and what you can do going forward to make sure your
name is on the bonus list next time around.
"Companies are putting more focus on the notion of
performance, and they're willing to spend that money -- or more -- on bonus pay
when the results justify it," Mr. Abosch says.
From CareerJournal Today
– January 2005