Referral Bonus
In intense job markets, where finding a real qualified employee is a hard task, a lot of employers have to use the services of a recruiter to find candidates and to pay this recruiter 20 to 30 per cent of the new employer’s year’s income. Numerous employers choose to rather offer referral bonuses to their own workers who can recommend them their friends/relatives/acquaintances as potential workers. Since no one would recommend a person, in whom he/she does not have great confidence, the employer usually gives a generous award, and both sides remain satisfied.

Retention Bonus
This kind of bonus is given to an employee who plans to leave the company/firm or involve himself/herself in a merger or acquisition in order to make him/her stay till a certain date or complete a certain project. These bonuses allow the working process to continue without disruption, and they amount, as a rule, 10 to 15 percent of basic salary.

Sales Commissions
This bonus is given to salespeople for selling products and is calculated out of the amount of products sold. Often the increase in the sales volume brings about the increase of commissions. For those working in the sphere of selling, such bonuses are weighty sources of income. If you consider working in sales, research your sales territory and figure out beforehand whether with given commissions and salary/wages you will meet your personal payment goals.

Non-cash bonus
Such award as “employee of the month” (or the like may seem) obsequious or condescending, but it may do a great job in increasing a worker’s self-esteem and improving his/her morale. The bonus should be awarded in front of other workers and should be accompanied by certain corresponding privileges such as a gift certificate, extra day-off or something like that.