Skip to content
hand-lighbulb

The Employee Engagement Glossary

A glossary for the everyday people leader.
hand-scribble
Back to List

Incentive Pay

What is Incentive Pay?

Incentive pay is a form of compensation given to employees as a reward for achieving specific performance targets or goals. This can include bonuses, commissions, or other financial rewards based on individual, team, or company performance.

Why it's Important

Incentive pay is important because it directly links compensation to performance, motivating employees to achieve specific objectives and contribute to organizational success. When employees know their efforts will be financially rewarded, they are often more motivated to work harder and more efficiently.

Incentive Pay in Practice

An example of incentive pay is when a sales team receives a bonus for exceeding quarterly sales targets. Alternatively, a company might offer a performance-based bonus for achieving specific milestones in a project.

Benefits of Incentive Pay for Organizations

  • Aligns employee efforts with company objectives.
  • Provides a clear and measurable reward for performance.
  • Encourages employees to strive for continuous improvement.

Best Practices for Incentive Pay

  • Ensure that incentive targets are realistic and achievable.
  • Regularly review and adjust incentive structures to keep them motivating.
  • Communicate the criteria for earning incentive pay clearly to all employees.