Ms. Kay Sandvik Schmitke

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  0702 - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 11/24/2003    Last Visited: 7/23/2005  

  Kay Schmitke, manager of surveys and research at Worldatwork , a compensation association in Scottsdale AZ, agrees that retention is vital in our current climate."How can you recover from this period without good people?"she asks.

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  C U E S FYI: Economy Good or Bad, Spot Bonuses Still... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 8/31/2001    Last Visited: 6/14/2002  

  "Whether the economy is seemingly unbeatable or more timid like today, the importance of rewarding quality employees and keeping them in the company's employ is always prevalent," says Kay Sandvik Schmitke, manager of surveys and research for WorldatWork, Scottsdale, Ariz. "The economy really has nothing to do with finding and keeping top performers."
  
  According to a new survey by WorldatWork, 53 percent of 332 responding companies have a spot bonus plan, up slightly from the 50 percent that reported they did in the July 2000 survey.Spot bonuses are used throughout the company as well, with everyone from clerical staff to executives eligible (see Figure 1).
  
  These bonuses are not just an extra few bucks in their paycheck; many companies regularly award $1,000-$2,500 for a job well done.And for executives and upper management, awards greater than $10,000 are not uncommon, according to the survey.

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  CUES FYI: Companies Continue to Reward Employees for... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 9/18/2001    Last Visited: 6/25/2002  

  Companies today realize how important it is to both preserve and build human capital¾ in good times and bad," says Kay Sandvik Schmitke, manager of surveys and research for WorldatWork."It's a lot less costly than bringing in a headhunter or recruitment firm."
  
  The March 2002 survey updated a similar survey conducted in July of 2001.Of note in the most recent survey is the amount of money being awarded to employees who recruit new talent.The largest group of companies reported awarding $1,000 - $4,999 for referring someone who is hired.For referring executives to the company, 10 percent of respondents indicated the bonus is commonly over $5,000. (See Figure 1).This compares to the previous survey.

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  HR Magazine Online Archive - May 2002 - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 5/1/2002    Last Visited: 5/2/2002  

  "This is a tool that can be used on a more personal level," says Kay Sandvik Schmitke, manager of surveys and research at WorldatWork."It strengthens the dedication to get continuous good work from the individual."
  
  Schmitke says she was a little surprised that the results showed an increase, but mostly she was "pleased."She adds: "Even when the economy is down, you still need to reward those quality performers that will help you when the economy turns up again.I know of an airline that was doing pay cuts but still gave out spot bonuses.The company recognized that if you lose those key employees, it would cost you an arm and a leg to get anyone back and up to the same level [of productivity]."
  
  But, like any reward program, spot bonuses have the desired effect only when they're done right.The most common mistake, respondents noted, was making the award amount too low, followed closely by managers not knowing the tool was available and by managers who didn't feel comfortable using it.
  
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  "Managers need to understand the value of spot bonuses on how they work to retain star performers," says Schmitke.
  
  One thing managers need to be aware of is timing."It is critical to provide the reward as close to the desired behavior as possible," says a storage area networking (SAN) analyst at a technology company in Phoenix, who recently received a bonus and recognition for successfully completing a project on budget and on time."The meaning is diluted the longer it takes to deliver the reward."
  
  While he adds that his award was well-timed, he says the reward-in and of itself-is not significant enough to retain him.

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  Joanna Krotz - Reward your employees for teamwork in... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 4/27/2002    Last Visited: 1/10/2003  

  But the policy has to be well thought out," says Kay Schmitke, manager of research at WorldatWork.A $50 bonus may be all you can manage, but it's too little and even offensive to teams that work overtime or full out for weeks.
  
  Go beyond cash awards
  
  So don't make cash the only award.On the line at Saturn, the car manufacturer now synonymous with team spirit, the team reward was a Hostess Twinkie.

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  OnlineLearning Magazine - 2001 Salary Survey - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 2/10/2002    Last Visited: 2/10/2002  

  But massive layoffs don't necessarily translate to lower salaries or fewer benefits, says Kay Sandvik Schmitke, a project manager who specializes in surveys and research for WorldAtWork (www.worldatwork.org) in Scottsdale, Ariz. "Many companies right now are focusing on staying alive, and to do that they need to keep their employees happy," she says."They still need to keep the good people around."
  
  In a recent survey of 2,500 U.S. companies representing 15 million employees, WorldAtWork found that the corporate world still cares about rewarding those "good people" - often in ways that go beyond salary.Forty-nine percent said they've made changes in their work environment this year to attract and retain employees, including setting up flexible work schedules, relaxing the dress code and allowing telecommuting.Last year, 48 percent were making such changes.

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  OnlineLearning Magazine - 2001 Salary Survey - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 1/3/2002    Last Visited: 1/3/2002  

  But massive layoffs don't necessarily translate to lower salaries or fewer benefits, says Kay Sandvik Schmitke, a project manager who specializes in surveys and research for WorldAtWork ( http://www.worldatwork.org/ ) in Scottsdale, Ariz. "Many companies right now are focusing on staying alive, and to do that they need to keep their employees happy," she says."They still need to keep the good people around."
  
  In a recent survey of 2,500 U.S. companies representing 15 million employees, WorldAtWork found that the corporate world still cares about rewarding those "good people" - often in ways that go beyond salary.Forty-nine percent said they've made changes in their work environment this year to attract and retain employees, including setting up flexible work schedules, relaxing the dress code and allowing telecommuting.Last year, 48 percent were making such changes.

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  The Perils of Pay - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 2/1/2003    Last Visited: 3/11/2008  

  The portion of employees receiving variable pay across all industries has increased since 1997, says Kay Sandvik Schmitke, manager of research at WorldAtWork (formerly American Compensation Association), Scottsdale, AZ, an association of HR professionals.Companies are "still looking at merit pay, but are emphasizing the performance bonus more," she says.

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  The Sacramento Bee -- sacbee.com -- Human Resources:... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/4/2002    Last Visited: 3/4/2002  

  But WorldatWork research manager Kay Sandvik Schmitke says, "The economy really has nothing to do with finding and keeping top performers."
  
  Spot bonuses are effective tools to get an employee to stay with the company, Schmitke says.
  
  In a 2001 survey of 332 companies, 53 percent said they had spot bonus plans, up from the 50 percent who had spot bonus plans in 2000.
  
  Among the companies that have spot bonus plans, however, 34 percent felt they were not effective.Some of the reasons cited were:
  
  Managers didn't know about the availability of the spot bonuses;

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  WorldatWork Staff - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 1/30/2001    Last Visited: 1/30/2001  

  Kay Schmitke480/348-7237 or kschmitke@worldatwork.orgExecutive Compensation
  ...
  Kay Schmitke480/348-7237 or kschmitke@worldatwork.org
  
  SeminarsCertification seminar content480/951-9191On-Site seminar sponsorshipGroup Partnership Network contact

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