CareerJournal.com has a long article entitled Get the Most Pay Out of Your Job. The article follows a typical format of 10 tips for employees and there are some solid suggestions. In the list, point #2 hit on a topic dear to my own belief:
2. Bet on yourself
Having a bonus tied to performance goals and hitting them can get you more money annually…The key to receiving more bonus money is superior performance. If you meet your goals, you should receive your target bonus amount. But at some companies, if you exceed the targets set for you, you may receive an award that exceeds your target bonus. At Biogen Idec, for instance, high-performing employees can receive as much as 200% of their target bonus amount, says Mr. Schneier.
Amen to that approach. I love the confident heading – Bet On Yourself. I have always believed that every employee should be incented with a bonus/commission plan based upon performance. Whether it is corporate or individual performance, some plan should be in place to have every member of the company working towards similar goals.
When sourcing sales candidates, we always pay close attention to their compensation questions and requests. Personally, I prefer to see sales candidates who want to discuss the commission plan as opposed to the salary. The salary range should be addressed in the ad and there is no problem in negotiating on that topic. However, I am always leery of salespeople who drive hard on a higher salary and seem indifferent regarding the commission plan. That, in our world, is a big red flag.