How Do You Structure an Annual Bonus 6 Simple Steps
So you’ve decided to improve performance by rewarding your staff more. Or perhaps you’re changing the method in which you provide bonuses to the staff. But how do you structure an annual bonus? Let us explain in 6 simple steps!
As experts in implementing incentive programs in a variety of companies, and departments across numerous industries, we’re going to outline what an annual bonus is. Plus help to provide a process you can go through to structure an annual bonus for your staff.
Here’s a quick overview, then we’ll dive into some further details…
Structuring an annual bonus should involve establishing goals, and calculating how much to award to employees based on which department or industry you’re in. Set deadlines, ensure staff is fully aware of how it works and their role in the goal, and finally, develop a system to track progress.
That’s the brief overview, but there is more detail to this topic than you might think. You can create a simple and easy-to-manage incentive program by contacting us or continue reading to find out more.
How Do You Structure an Annual Bonus 6 simple steps
An annual bonus is a lump sum payment given to employees over and above their salary. It’s used as an incentive for employees to perform better in the workplace, or as recognition for a job well done.
How much of a bonus you decide to give will depend on the size of your budget, the department you’re considering for annual bonuses and the level of work that an employee has completed throughout the year which you can use as a benchmark.
Why Provide an Annual Bonus?
A bonus can be a great way to incentivize staff and recognize their efforts throughout the year.
It’s also a great way to show that you value your employees and their efforts while boosting morale in the workplace.
A study from the Harvard Business School found that bonuses do improve performance. They concluded that…
- Bonuses increase productivity.
- Quarterly bonuses increase sales force productivity more than annual bonuses.
- Salespeople tend to give up when far away from reaching a quota, but they don’t slow down once a quota is reached-especially if a firm offers commissions for overachievement.
This may be a good point to build within your structure a process of providing quarterly bonuses as well as an annual bonus for your employees.
Other staff may benefit simply from annual bonuses. You can see that bonuses can, and often should vary depending on the department, or the industry you’re based in.
To make it easier, simply contact us, so we can get a fast and optimum employee incentive program put in place for you.
Setting an annual bonus can be a great way to show appreciation for your employee’s efforts and motivate them to continue striving for excellence in their roles.
Just make sure you provide clear objectives with measurable results so everyone is held accountable and strives to achieve the best outcome possible.
So let’s read on to understand how we can achieve this…
How to Structure an Annual Bonus
It’s not a great idea to just grab a spreadsheet and start inputting numbers. You need a basic process and formula to work by which will probably vary depending on a variety of staff roles.
Below we’re going to provide you with a structure you can use to figure out what an annual bonus should be for you.
1. Establish Goals
Before you can begin setting up an annual bonus plan, first define criteria on what goals need to be achieved for someone to receive this benefit.
Additionally, consider how these goals align with your company’s values and mission statement. This will help ensure that everyone is motivated toward common goals. We suggest setting KPI’s as a team.
Here’s our guide on how to set effective Key Performance Indicators.
When setting targets to reach, be prepared to be flexible. Staff motivations – and therefore morale drops significantly when employees and teams fall too far behind their intended target.
2. Determine How Much to Award
Decide how much of a bonus should be given for each goal that is achieved, and make sure everyone on your team knows what these amounts will be so they can work toward attaining them.
How much you award is dependent on how successful your business is and how much money you can allocate to bonuses. Here’s our info on how much to allocate to employees.
Often we find companies will overextend how much they can feasibly award, so it’s important to be realistic when setting bonuses and remain within your budget limits.
As a rule of thumb, choose an amount you can increase, rather than one you will need to reduce later. Reducing bonuses only serves to reduce morale and motivation.
3. Establish How Bonuses are Paid Out
You will need to decide which type of bonus structure works best for your company, such as a one-time cash payment or an installment plan over a set period.
Also, consider if the bonus will be paid out in the form of company stock or other options. Other options include vacation days, merchandise, or services.
Find out more about how gifts can help to improve performance.
4. Promote Awareness
Spread awareness about the annual bonus program so that everyone knows what it is and why they should strive for their goals throughout the year to receive this reward.
Working harder and longer hours doesn’t necessarily equate to getting a bonus. It’s about working smarter and toward the right goals. Ensure employees understand aspects like the difference between productivity and performance.
Often, individuals and teams only work hard towards goals when they can see tangible results – meaning bonuses. Having a dashboard that tracks and communicates progress helps enormously in keeping staff informed.
Also, see our article here on how to motivate a team to improve performance.
5. Set a Deadline
Once you’ve established how much will be awarded for achieving certain goals, it’s important to set a deadline for when these need to be completed.
This will help ensure the goals are reached as quickly and efficiently as possible …and keep employees accountable.
Setting a deadline is also important when negotiating with staff – they need to know when they can expect the bonus.
6. Develop a System to Track Progress
Finally, develop a system to track progress and measure performance toward reaching these objectives throughout the year. This helps you easily monitor who is doing well and who isn’t.
This ensures that each employee is working towards their goals and that no one is falling behind.
By following these steps, you can structure an annual bonus program in your company to reward employees for their hard work and dedication.
If you’re still wondering if you need an incentive scheme for your company at all? Then check out our article on “Do I need an incentive scheme“.
How Do You Structure an Annual Bonus – Next Steps
We hope this has given you a structure to follow that answers the question – “how do you structure an annual bonus.”
If you’re still unsure or believe you might get this wrong, then we’d recommend watching our quick demonstration and even contacting us to quickly implement a proven incentive program.
