What’s the Incentive?

Neil Marcus– Sales Manager

Personally, I think incentives are an absolutely essential part of modern working life. When myself and my friends were graduating from college and looking to get into firms, it was a major consideration. It was right up there with wages and the possibility for career development. We work really hard and it’s great to get the recognition that someone is noticing the effort we put in. I’m totally committed to my job, but the thought that there are extras available if I give that further few percent is a great motivator.

We’re constantly being told that there’s a war for talent going on at the moment and rewards programs are a great way for companies to differentiate themselves. Qualified people like me expect to be offered good wages and respectable vacation entitlements, so a well-structured rewards program can really make you sit up and take notice. One of the deciding factors in my pursuing a position at the firm I’m currently with was friends and colleagues telling me about its incentive setup. Now I know that if I can continue to impress, I can expect cash bonuses, holidays and any other number of perks. I’ve picked up some pretty sweet rewards of late and I can tell you. I’m not planning to go looking for a new job anytime soon.

Harry Lynch – Accountant

When I started out in business, the idea that I’d get extra rewards for just doing my job properly would have seemed completely ridiculous. Sure, we got our Christmas bonuses but that was about it. I find it hard to understand why the ludicrously complicated incentives programs that everyone is rolling out nowadays are even necessary. Perhaps it’s a generational thing, but I don’t need extra motivation to do a good job. I was brought up to do an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay and that’s what I’ve done throughout my career. Every job I’ve ever had, I’ve worked hard and taken my rewards in the shape of raises and promotions.

I think it boils down to the impatience of younger workers now entering the job market. They don’t seem prepared to wait and reap the long-term benefits of a career. They require instant gratification and constant affirmation. To be honest, it all seems a little sad. Are these youngsters so unsure of their abilities that they need to be repeatedly reassured they are performing to expectations? And don’t get me started on the sense of entitlement that these incentive programs promote. Why on earth should anyone expect to get bonuses as a matter of course? When you sign a job contract, you are giving your employer a commitment that you will do your best for the company. Now it seems as though that commitment comes with a caveat. Looking at the coddled state of today’s workforce, I’m glad that retirement isn’t all that far away.