What is Pay-for-
Performance?
Links pay (base and/or variable),
in whole or in part, to
individual, group, and/or
organizational performance.
Pay-for- The World at Work Handbook
Performance of Compensation, Benefits & Total Rewards
(P4P)
P4P practices
54% gave performance-based pay
increases
Incentive-based bonuses were the
most common type of bonus
Information, Media and
Telecommunications were most likely
to give incentive bonuses (71%)
93% conduct performance reviews
Source: 2014 PayScale Compensation Best Practices Report
Why do Pay-for-
Performance?
Why Bother with P4P?
Cost-Efficiency:
Allocate talent dollars in a fair, transparent, and strategic manner
Motivate Employees:
Employees work harder when incentivized properly
Drives Results:
Aligns employee performance to organizational goals
The Principle of it:
Employees who perform better should get paid better
Main Avenues to Success
Gain Executive buy-in
Align with organizational goals & culture
Get right systems in place
Train managers properly
Communicate clearly across the organization
Generations, Compensation, and
Performance
Linking
Performance to Pay
“Employees won’t believe there is a
link between pay and performance
unless they can see it.”
Margaret O’Hanlon
re: Think Consulting
13
The Compensation Mix
Individualized rewards &
recognition
Variable or incentive pay plan
Base pay plan
Company culture,
compensation philosophy, and
compensation strategy
Strategy
Develop clear compensation strategy:
Define your market(s), determine your level of
competitiveness, decide to reward performance in base
and variable pay
Get reliable market data
Develop clear and aligned goals:
Company or organizational level, department or team
level, individual level
Variable Pay
Ensure sound plan design
• PRE-DESIGN
• DESIGN
– Connection to performance and standing
– Eligibility
– Division of org to individual performance measures
– Mix of base to variable
• IMPLEMENTATION
– When and how is the incentive calculated / paid out
– Responsibility and administration
Base Pay
Merit Matrix
Base pay increases determined by performance and
position in market-based range
Typical Increase
Source: Institute for Corporate Productivity
Immediate Actions
Elementary
• Work with senior leaders to define compensation strategy
• Build a compensation plan with reliable data
• Define SMART goals for employees
Intermediate
• Build cascading goals linking employee goals to corporate strategy
• Invest in hiring and training good managers
• Re-visit your comp budgeting process – P4P vs COLA
Advanced
• Find new and creative ways to incorporate variable pay
• Develop strong performance management system
• Build great differentiation between low and high performers