A Bonus… to give or not to give that is the question?

I had a situation recently where a candidate was offered a job with a good basic salary then enhanced by a bonus scheme.

What’s wrong with that I hear you ask?

Well in all honesty nothing really. However, a discussion with the candidate got me thinking.

A bonus is all well and good but it only achieves its desired effect if it is actually achievable. The incentive it offers mean nothing if the person it is designed for feels it becomes a bigger issue than just doing the job they are employed to do properly. Thus the bonus only becomes worthwhile when it is not such a big issue.

On starting a new job there is a great deal to focus on and in some respects depending on what the issues have been prior to the new person starting. Making a bonus part of the package can be come a big negative.

Perhaps the solution should be to make the bonus something that kicks in a bit further down the line once the person has settled and then really make it something they can achieve.

I guess anything above and beyond a basic salary is not to be mocked but there is a strong case to perhaps question the validity of a bonus scheme from day one.