Bonus Programs & Practices

WorldatWork's Bonus Programs & Practices study has been conducted at intervals beginning in 2001. The current report, published in September 2024, includes trends in the rising use of various bonus types, such as sign-on, performance, retention, referral, and spot bonuses. It examines pre-pandemic bonus trends reemerging, the integration of bonuses into marketing strategies for talent attraction, and the limited evaluation of bonus program effectiveness. The report also highlights changes in bonus budgeting, eligibility, and payout structures, including the prevalence of sign-on, retention, referral, performance, and spot bonuses. Finally, it touches on updates to the survey methodology, such as expanded tracking of performance bonuses and refined questions for clearer data collection.