These surveys of WorldatWork members are to gather information about trends in compensation programs and practices. Some areas of focus in the surveys include focuses on the prevalence of base and variable pay programs as well as common practices used to administer and communicate these programs in today’s workplace.
In this survey, more than 9 in 10 companies have a compensation philosophy. Sixty-two percent have a written policy and 31% have an unwritten policy. For the purposes of this survey, compensation philosophy is defined as a statement explaining an organization’s beliefs about how people should be paid, as well as how that pay should support the business strategy and fit within organizational culture. A key component is how the organization intends to pay its people relative to its competitors (i.e., the desired market position). While the majority of all organizations have a compensation philosophy, 53% indicate that most or all employees do not understand it.
