Bonus influence on productivity

Nowadays IT businesses grow rapidly and employers with Human Resources need to jump in or better be in the front with innovation how to attract new employees with good skills or desire to learn.

Digitalization is so fast that the employer might need to hire an employee who is willing to learn because in the market there aren’t enough specialists. This is where Magebit thinks forward and invests a lot in young specialists who we can train in our field.

Looking at job offers in the IT field, it seems like food, games and extra bonuses are an obligation. We have learned from our mistakes and are providing a package of goods to all employees. Statistics show that cookies and candies motivated on the first 3 months but afterward it is cool that we have them but it is not a reason to work harder and be more attentive. We saw a problem and asked each and everyone what they as an individual would like to have. We were a little surprised about answers.

As a result, we offered individual bonuses such as gym membership, help with moving closer to work, festival tickets and much more. Now we have a few surprise events like pancake Monday, in flu season we have a lot of vitamins (oranges, lemon, kiwi etc.) and various kind of nuts. Some of the co-workers will go to intellectual evening, all Magebit ladies went to brunch, some go to enjoy Friday night together. Now it looks like a motivated team that knows that someone cares about them and their needs.

Not so often Human Resources can hear that employees are motivated more because of the attention to their specific needs. Sometimes colleagues come to work to see a small gift and thank you note on the table because they have done something good or they went the extra mile. They come on rainy Monday to work to smell freshly made pancakes with strawberries and 16 more toppings.

A huge bonus and a motivator is the option to have paid courses or opportunity to get a certificate. Magebit supports individual growth and it reflects on productivity.

When we look at employees who seem to not care, we don’t condemn them, we look for a cause and solutions. There hasn’t been a situation where everything was fine but the employee was demotivated. There is always a reason! One of the hardest Human Resources jobs is to see when something goes wrong and to find background. It takes trust to get a co-worker to open up about problems, more likely if the problem is with management or personal life. And it doesn’t stop there. It is a project to solve the cause of demotivation without letting down the one who opened about it.

One colleague said that cookies can attract new employees, ping-pong can seem really cool for another 3 months, but what happens afterward? Mostly millennials want more attention to them as individuals, they want a different kind of bonuses. For them, health care is nice but gym membership or festival tickets make them smile and be more passionate.

Work in IT has grown 4,4 times from 2015 in Latvia and the bonuses are way different than in other fields. God knows what bonuses will be required in five years.