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Pay -- Price of Admission
"In today's tight labor market, competitive pay is the price of admission for employers - it is not a key differentiator," says Rick Beal, a senior compensation consultant at Watson Wyatt and co-author of the study. "Our research consistently shows that intangible factors such as personal satisfaction and recognition of contributions are more effective in driving high performance."
What Motivates Top Employees?
| Motivations Percentage Responding "Very Significant" |
| Desire to maintain good work reputation |
81% |
| Importance of the work |
76% |
| Appreciation of others |
66% |
| Interesting work |
51% |
| Personal desire to please supervisor |
20% |
| Expectation of financial reward |
15% |
"It's important to keep in mind that top-performing employees are typically well paid, so we're not saying that pay doesn't matter," says Beal. "Our message to employers is not to underrate the importance of non-financial rewards in influencing behavior."