Human Resource Management - Compensation, Benefits, Incentives - Essay Example

INITIAL RESPONSE AND THOUGHTS ON THE TOPIC: I believe that at first, baseline pay is what grabs an individual’s attention when first looking at possible employment. However, if the baseline pay is “slightly lower” than expected, as is stated in the posting, or even more than “slightly lower”, depending on the benefits and incentives, people will still weigh the latter. They will consider benefits and incentives and if they find them justifiable with the lower baseline, they will see that these benefits and incentives actually add to the baseline pay.

Therefore, I believe do NOT believe that incentives and benefits do very little to persuade a candidate to accept an organizations employment offer if baseline compensation is slightly below the candidates expectations. IN RESPONSE TO THE POSTING BY MARIA Re: Unit 4 Compensation (DB) by Maria.Ford on 12/4/2005 2:15:18 PM:Of course, each person will try to get a salary that is higher. However, even young candidates will consider benefits and incentives. For instance, a person may be offered an hourly rate that is lower than he/she wishes.

However, with free or discounted lunches, longer breaks, a kind manager, flexible hours, accessibility to work (distance), whom he/she will be working with (age group, environment), what he/she will be doing (perhaps working in an area or subject that he/she enjoys), etc. even the younger person will focus on these things and will realize that the benefits/incentives add to their quality of life. IF the younger person does seek the higher salary, eventually the extrinsic values of a job such as money will not be the overriding factor.

He/she will eventually want more out of life if he/she is not happy with who they are working for, does not get discounts, enjoyable working atmosphere, etc. and will seek those things in a job. He/she will eventually quit the job and seek the intrinsic values. That is why younger people do not usually stay with a job for an extended amount of time. They move on. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rules but we humans will seek intrinsic values more even if it’s only internally.

Look at the very wealthy people; i.e. movie stars. They have all the money in the world and yet file bankruptcy, have broken relationships, do drugs, get in trouble with the law, etc. They want more.IN RESPONSE TO THE POSTING BY ANGELAAMontiDB4 by Angela.Monti on 12/4/2005 7:29:59 PM:It is true, younger people will look at baseline pay first. However, if the baseline pay is “slightly lower” as the very opening post stated, they will also look at the incentives/benefits even if the benefits aren’t so great.

As stated in my earlier posting, if the pay is good but the other factors, which are called intrinsic values (working relationships, environment, working hazards, coworkers, time off, discounts, etc.) aren’t there, even young people will move on. And if they don’t move on, they will seek to fill their voids and seek those intrinsic values in spending their money on things that will justify why they need to buy this or that because they aren’t happy with the overall things at work. IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSTINGRe: Re: Unit 4 Compensation (DB) by Angela.

Monti on 12/4/2005 7:31:27 PM:As younger people grow and experience life, including life in the workforce, they do move on, looking for not only a higher base pay but incentives/benefits. Extrinsic and intrinsic values. It’s what we humans do. We have to seek that balance. Hence, your very statement, they are searching for what they want to do for the rest of their lives…”IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSTINGby Georgec.Orr on 12/5/2005 2:38:46 PM I don’t truly believe that only older people look at benefits/incentives.

I think that yes, they do focus on it more but I also think that the terms benefits and incentives are very broad and general. These can include insurance, 401K and retirement, holiday time, sick leave, free or discounted food and items, working atmosphere and coworkers, the line of work you are in, what you will be doing, etc. I do agree that it motivation and the goal of each person does play a role regarding this topic. As people grow and experience life, their goals and motivations usually change.

IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSTINGUnit 4 DB by Ana.Jones on 12/5/2005 9:24:10 PMPeople will grab a job for the money and the experience. Hence, they will seek for not only the extrinsic value (external things) but eventually, they will seek the intrinsic value (internal things) that bring more fulfillment than just a job that brings home the bacon. If they are unhappy even if the money is good, they will eventually move on or stick it out yet seek happiness in other avenues. But most people will move on and go to a lower paying job if the benefits/incentives are better.

Remember that the terms benefits and incentives cover a wide range of things.IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSTINGRe: by Ana.Jones on 12/5/2005 9:30:04 PMAnd I repeat my last posting as I truly agree with you and your father’s reason for switching jobs: People will grab a job for the money and the experience. Hence, they will seek for not only the extrinsic value (external things) but eventually, they will seek the intrinsic value (internal things) that bring more fulfillment than just a job that brings home the bacon.

If they are unhappy even if the money is good, they will eventually move on or stick it out yet seek happiness in other avenues. But most people will move on and go to a lower paying job if the benefits/incentives are better. Remember that the terms benefits and incentives cover a wide range of things.IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSTINGRe: Unit 4 Compensation (DB) by Michael.Dottaviano on 12/5/2005 10:05:23 PMI agree with you wholeheartedly. In today’s society and dog-eat-dog world where companies come and go at the drop of a hat, a higher salary usually equals more responsibility and stress.

This leads to less quality of life. When one is off work, he/she is still thinking about his/her job whether they are thinking about what a problem he/she has to resolve, a coworker or manager that he/she cannot deal with easily, or how much he/she dreads going to work, it does affect quality of life. The higher salary does come with a price…no pun intended. All in all, people will look at all factors when making a job decision whether it be a part-time job for a younger person or an executive position for someone who is more established in their career.

IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSTINGRe: Re: Unit 4 Compensation (DB) by Michael.Dottaviano on 12/5/2005 10:10:28 PM People will consider all factors-great or small-into their decision when selecting a job. If the money is good but everything else isn’t, they will eventually move on and vice versa. Yes, age plays a big role and so does everything else: upbringing, debt, lifestyle, likes and dislikes, working environment, job responsibilities, etc.IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSTINGRe: by Michael.Dottaviano on 12/5/2005 10:13:54 PM I fully agree with your post, George.

IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSTINGRe: Unit 4 DB by Michael.Dottaviano on 12/5/2005 10:23:46 PMThat is the beauty of individuality and freedom. We are all looking for what will be best for our lives and the circumstances, needs, and wants at the current phase that we are in in our lives. Salary is not just one determining factor. Neither are benefits.IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSTINGRe: Re: Unit 4 Compensation (DB) by Lanette.Black on 12/6/2005 7:17:18 AMAll factors, I believe, play a role. Every bit and part of your past, present, future, experiences, needs, wants, etc.

make up to be one whole YOU so it’s hard to take a part one thing/factor and pinpoint it in our decision-making process. If we do, eventually, the other factors (extrinsic and intrinsic) will tug at us.IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSTINGRe: AMontiDB4 by Maria.Ford on 12/6/2005 7:24:54 AM Yes, people such as students and stay-at-home moms who are entering the workforce will consider baseline pay but they will also focus on incentives like how flexible are the hours, how demanding is the workload, will it work around the children’s needs and schedules, will it be compatible with the college hours, etc.

IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSTINGRe: by Maria.Ford on 12/6/2005 7:26:51 AMThis is a true statement. All factors come into play and without quality of life and enjoyment for what you do, people will eventually move on or seek it elsewhere even if they have to stick at a job for the money.IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSTINGRe: Unit 4 DB by Maria.Ford on 12/6/2005 7:27:48 AMI still believe all factors come into play and if someone is offered a job where the salary is lower but they get a percentage of the merchandise sold, then this is a factor that will be considered since this does add to or augment the baseline salary.

IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSTINGRe: Re: by Georgec.Orr on 12/6/2005 11:11:19 AMLess money not only can mean better benefits but it can mean less responsibility and stress. For every good there is a bad. There are always pros and cons; tradeoffs.IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSTINGRe: Re: by Georgec.Orr on 12/6/2005 11:11:19 AM Reply to Message | Reply to ForumSalaries are never as high as we would like so looking at benefits/incentives is very crucial.IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSTINGby Lanette.Black on 12/7/2005 6:43:08 AMIt is true that stability is something to consider.

Benefits, incentives, and other factors that will benefit and are advantageous to the employee does actually add to the baseline salary in an indirect way.IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSTINGRe: Re: Re: Unit 4 Compensation (DB) by Maria.Ford on 12/7/2005 7:16:47 AM“Some income with benefits is better than nothing.” Very well stated.Final thoughts and argument: I believe that as individuals, we are all looking to meet our individual needs and wants and this goes for our jobs/careers. I believe that the higher baseline salary is the initial eye-catcher.

However, eventually if the extrinsic values (external things) are the only things that the job offers or that you look for in a job, eventually you will desire the intrinsic values (internal things) and you will seek them in the job or seek another job all together. If you continue to remain at the current job for its extrinsic values (money, position, etc.) then you will seek the intrinsic values elsewhere (happiness, less stress, quality of life, pride in what you do, love for what you do, etc.), you will end up spending time, money, and effort finding these things.

Therefore, the extrinsic and intrinsic values do directly and indirectly tie to each other. In other words, if you are sticking with a job just because of the higher salary, you will spend more money on the things that make you happy since you really don’t enjoy your work.