What’s Being Used to Attract and Retain U.S. Employees

WorldatWork surveyed more than 2,700 organizations; members are employed in the HR, compensation, and benefits departments of mostly large North American companies.

Programs Used to Attract and Retain Employees in the U.S.

	2004 (n=2,308)	2005 (n=2,286)	2006 (n=2,251)	2007 (n=2,136)	2008 (n=2,288)
Sign-on/hiring bonus	61%	64%	69%	70%	70%
Employee referral bonus	63%	63%	65%	66%	69%
Market adjustments/ increase to base salary	55%	60%	64%	65%	65%
Flexible work schedules	—	—	—	62%	63%
-Flextime	—	—	—	—	51%
-Compressed work week	—	—	—	—	27%
-Telecommuting/ telework	—	—	—	30%	42%
-Job sharing	—	—	12%	14%	13%
Spot bonus (individual)	43%	43%	45%	46%	45%
Retention/stay bonus	27%	30%	35%	38%	38%
Part-time employment with benefits	—	—	28%	32%	37%
Paying above market	25%	28%	30%	29%	31%
Stock option program	27%	25%	24%	23%	22%
Stock grant programs	7%	10%	16%	21%	20%
Project milestone/ completion bonus	16%	17%	18%	21%	18%
Special cash bonus/ group incentives	17%	19%	20%	20%	19%
Separate salary structures	13%	12%	13%	15%	15%
Exempt overtime pay or time off	14%	15%	13%	14%	14%
Larger merit increase budgets	7%	9%	10%	11%	9%
Phased retirement	—	—	4%	6%	6%
Paid sabbaticals	3%	3%	2%	3%	3%