For the second year running, tml Partners has conducted research amongst senior marketing professionals to see how bonuses affect motivation, longevity in a role and to highlight any year-on-year changes in remuneration packages.

Bonuses are an emotive subject. Within the marketing sector, specifically, as more and more marketing professionals reach board-level positions, and with marketing strategies feeding directly into bottom lines, we are seeing bonuses become a pivotal part of not only attracting the best marketing talent, but also playing a key role in motivating marketing leaders within their roles.

Simon Bassett, Managing Director of tml Partners, comments on the findings “these results firm up what we see in the market and it’s very clear that today’s marketers expect to be well remunerated with an annual bonus now becoming the norm. Certainly, employees that are paying below 15% for a performance related bonus of basic salary must realise they are less competitive than the wider market and may compromise on the calibre of marketers they attract. For Director and C-Suite level 20-50%+ is not uncommon.”

2018 Results

Results remained consistent year-on-year among respondents when asked about the percentage of salary that amounted to their 2017 bonus, two thirds saying it would be 20% or less. More positively, however, there was a sharp increase in the number of people who expected their bonus and their salary to increase in 2018. 50% of respondents expect their bonus to increase, compared to 15% in 2017 and 64% expect their salary to increase, compared to 23% in 2017. This points at a return to confidence that we are also seeing within the market in the wake of Brexit. It remains to be seen how this will play out next year, but this is a positive indication.

Respondents were consistent year-on-year in the level of impact that a bonus has on staying in their current role and being attracted to new roles. 72% of respondents see their bonus as having an influence on their decision to stay at their current role, and 69% said the bonus package plays an important part in the decision-making process when looking for a new role.In terms of motivation, bonuses do impact performance, according to our respondents, with 60% confirming this to be the case.