Ruth Douglas, president of News Canada, describes the financial incentives and other perks at her organization.
Describe your compensation program.
The way we compensate people here is very much based on what they do. We lay out the important things to do, and, as you do them, you get paid. I guess a good way to describe it is, they get paid on piecework. Of course, they have a base salary and benefits, but if they are a [productive] person and accomplish what they set out to do, they’re going to exceed their income.
What type of financial incentives do you offer?
If we make our profit target [for the year], everyone gets a bonus—and they all get the same bonus, whether they’re a receptionist or a vice-president. Obviously, everyone’s compensation is reflective of what they do, but this extra incentive is so [that] everybody will pull together and understand the importance of making a profit. It’s not an easy thing to do. We’ve had years where we’ve thought, There’s no way we’re going to make it, but we always have.
What results do you see from implementing these bonuses?
We have virtually no turnover. In the 16 years I’ve been with the company, only five or six people have quit, and it’s because they were going back to school or starting their own business. People don’t leave here, and I think it’s because we’re very much a training-oriented organization. When we discover people have certain gifts but they’re not trained in them, then we invest in the training.
What extras do employees enjoy the most?
We have a shiatsu massage [therapist] who comes in at the end of each month, because we work on deadlines. That’s when everyone is pretty tense, so she comes and loosens everybody up. I hear the employees talking about it and asking when she’s coming in.
Liz Brown is a freelance writer based in Toronto. lizbrown17@hotmail.com
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