Research and Surveys

Attention CCP, CBP, GRP, WLCP, CECP and CSCP Designees!
Automatic Recertification Credit for Eligible WorldatWork Surveys

When you complete a WorldatWork survey, credit will be automatically posted to your WorldatWork recertification application. This includes the WorldatWork Salary Budget Survey, benefits surveys and many others. A maximum of two WorldatWork surveys may be used for credit in any three-year recertification cycle. For more information on this change or other questions on recertification, please contact certification@worldatworksociety.org.

Full results coming in early August, pre-order available soon
WorldatWork 2013-2014 Salary Budget Survey
Participants: You will receive the full results in August at no charge. Also, watch for your preview of top-level data in late June!

Past Salary Budget Surveys

Recent Surveys

Total Rewards Professionals’ Career Development Survey
A report by WorldatWork
April 2013

WorldatWork conducted the first‐ever Census of the Profession in 2007, a report that contained
survey data regarding the scope of work, and the knowledge, skills and abilities of the professionals who
work in the total rewards fields.

Five years later, the original Census survey instrument was modified and re‐fielded, and new data were
collected for the 2012 WorldatWork Total Rewards Professionals' Career Census. The report took the
association’s census analysis to a new level by identifying eight key differentiators of top total rewards
performers — the characteristics of those in the profession who had been promoted more frequently.
Building off of the popularity and success of that 2012 Career Census, two pieces of derivative work are
now being released simultaneously: the WorldatWork Career Excellence Model (based on the eight
differentiators) and this report, the Total Rewards Professionals’ Career Development Survey.

This survey discusses in detail the WorldatWork Career Excellence Model’s key differentiator of
“cultivate your professional development.”

View the results

Emerging Technology in Health Engagement
A report by WorldatWork and Buck Consultants
March 2013

This report summarizes the results of a survey conducted by WorldatWork and Buck Consultants in fall 2012 to research the use and effectiveness of emerging technology tools (gamification, mobile technology and social networking or social media) to engage employees in improving their health and well-being.

View the results

Podcast
Discussion of the results
WorldatWork’s Lenny Sanicola and Buck Consultants’ Ruth Hunt and Barry Hall discuss the results of this joint survey.

Video

Watch
Emerging Technology in Health Engagement | 7:53 | April 2013

Trends in 401(k) Plans and Retirement Rewards
A report by WorldatWork and the American Benefits Institute
March 2013

This report summarizes the findings from a survey to update information on 401(k) plans, conducted by WorldatWork in partnership with the American Benefits Institute, the research and education affiliate of the American Benefits Council.

View the results

Watch
Trends in 401(k) and Retirement Plans | 6:07 | April 2013

2013 Sales Compensation Trends Survey© Results
A Survey by The Alexander Group, Inc. and WorldatWork
January 2013

Now in its 11th year, the 2013 Sales Compensation Trends Survey© captured U.S. sales force performance and sales compensation data for 2012 and projections for 2013. Participants provided data in December 2012 on what occurred in 2012 and what they plan for 2013.

View the 2013 executive summary

View the 2012 full report

Promotional Guidelines
A report by WorldatWork
December 2012

This report summarizes the results of an August 2012 survey of WorldatWork members to update information about current trends in promotional guidelines. This information previously was gathered in 2006 and 2010. This survey focuses on a variety of practices and policies, including what employers consider to be promotions as well as the standard pay increases that often accompany promotions.

View the results

Research in Brief: Promotional Guidelines 2012 | 6:20

Promotional Increases: How Does Your Company Compare?
workspan, May 2013

Salary Structure Policies and Practices
A report by WorldatWork and Deloitte Consulting LLP
October 2012

This report summarizes the results of a July/August 2012 survey of WorldatWork members and nonmembers to gather information about current trends in salary structure policies and practices. The focus of this research is to better understand the types of salary structures as well as the designs and common practices in administration used by employers today.

View the results

Watch
Research in Brief: Salary Structure Policies and Practices | 7:04

Compensation Programs and Practices Survey 2012
A report by WorldatWork
October 2012

This report summarizes the results of a June 2012 survey of WorldatWork members to gather information about current trends in compensation programs and practices. This survey focuses on the prevalence of base and variable pay programs as well as common practices used to administer and communicate these programs in today’s workplace.

View the results

Watch
Research in Brief: Compensation Programs and Practices 2012 | 7:01

2012 Global Sales Compensation Practices Survey©
A report by The Alexander Group, Inc. and WorldatWork
August 2012

The survey examined four topics. The key findings include:

Annual Design Process. Many companies make changes to the sales compensation plans on an annual basis. The primary reason for these changes is to improve sales objective alignment with business strategy.
Governance. Global companies have many choices to organize and govern sales compensation practices. Generally, corporate HQ provides worldwide direction to policies affecting pay competitiveness, program approval and design principles. Local management is responsible for such decisions as quotas and local contests and spiffs. Overall, the data suggests policy decisions tend to be made globally and application decisions locally.
Sales Crediting. Generally, companies split the sales credit for sales influenced by sellers in different regions of the world. Most companies do not make any adjustments for currency fluctuations.
Annual Sales Meeting. Most sales organizations have an annual sales meeting; some are global, others are held locally. Often, sales performance recognition is part of the agenda. Less than one-third of the companies have a separate President’s Club for high achievers. These events are often held at foreign resort destinations and frequently include guests.

View the executive summary

The Evolving Compensation Function
A Report by WorldatWork
July 2012

This report summarizes the results of a January 2012 survey of WorldatWork members to gather information about the changing role of the compensation profession. The focus of this research was to better understand how the compensation profession is changing in the current business environment and how it might change in the next couple of years.

View the results

Watch
Research in Brief: The Evolving Compensation Function | 7:08

2012 Metrics and Analytics: Patterns of Use and Value
A report by WorldatWork and Mercer
July 2012

This report summarizes the results of a February 2012 survey of WorldatWork members to gather information about current trends in metrics and analytics. The focus of this research is to better understand what types of analytics are conducted and what technologies are used within organizations.

View the results

Watch
2012 Metrics and Analytics: Patterns of Use and Value | 9:37

Sales Performance and Technology
A report by WorldatWork and OpenSymmetry
June 2012

The survey results provide information on the processes, approaches and technologies used by respondents to design and administer their incentive compensation programs. This year’s survey was sponsored by OpenSymmetry and WorldatWork.

View the results

Watch
2012 Sales Performance and Technology Survey | 6:08

Retention of Key Talent and the Role of Rewards
A report by WorldatWork, Loyola University Chicago and Hay Group
June 2012

It is clear that the foremost challenge for management today is how to retain its key talent. Turnover is costly and directly impacts business performance, particularly during an economic recovery. As a result, rewards professionals will be under increased pressure to make counteroffers, increase new-hire offers, make more frequent exceptions to rewards policies and programs, and offer special deals to retain key employees. Furthermore, given the unique position that rewards professionals hold, they can offer unique insights into how organizations can retain key talent.

Watch
Retention of Key Talent and the Role of Rewards | 7:49

Consequently, we surveyed rewards professionals to learn what strategies they are using to retain key talent and to learn how effectively these strategies are working. Our findings have been framed to answer some fundamental questions:

Is retaining key talent a significant challenge in organizations today?
Do organizations make a special effort to retain key employees?
Why does key talent quit?
What is done to retain key talent and are these efforts effective?
What role do counteroffers have in retaining key talent?
Do organization differences determine how key talent retention efforts are managed?
What are the “best practices” for retaining key talent?

View the results

WorldatWork 2012 Total Rewards Professionals' Career Census
A Study by WorldatWork
May 2012

HR and total rewards professionals think often and deeply about careers. They spend considerable time on things such as job descriptions, career paths, developmental assignments and even geographic mobility of employees. Further, career evelopment is frequently a central feature in either the total rewards or employee value proposition concept promoted by many employers.

But there seems ample anecdotal evidence that many HR and rewards professionals spend far less time reflecting on their own careers. Despite all of the time, attention and effort they spend developing the careers of employees at their respective companies, many HR professionals are quick to express concerns about the development gaps of their own colleagues and subordinates, and lament the apparent depth of talent among prospective hires.

This research collects facts and perceptions from a broad swath of current practitioners in order to paint a more cohesive picture about the career development for HR and total rewards professionals. The results do not imply that there is one best path to career development among total rewards professionals. Nonetheless, this report documents relatively broad agreement on the key differentiators of top performers in the fields of practice that make up what WorldatWork refers to as total rewards.

View the results

2012 Sales Compensation Practices Survey for the High-Tech Industry
A Report by WorldatWork and ZS Associates
May 2012

The “High-Tech Incentives Practice Research” survey from WorldatWork and ZS Associates is the first survey of its kind designed specifically to investigate the central issues faced by sales compensation professionals at high-tech companies. Learn about the methods 17 global high-tech companies use to incent the salesforce, and the biggest challenges they face.

View the report

Total Rewards and Employee Well-Being Survey
A Report by WorldatWork
February 2012

Employers more and more are depending on health and wellness initiatives to build and foster a successful and productive workforce.

This survey was conducted to identify traditional wellness plans and new trends in employee well-being. The objective was to gauge how many programs and initiatives organizations offered and how those offerings are expanding to include a more integrated well-being approach beyond one that is just health-related.

Watch
Research in Brief: Trends in Employee Well-being | 7:14

View the complete report

Private Company Incentive Pay Practices
A Report by WorldatWork and Vivient Consulting
January 2012

What do short- and long-term incentive programs look like at U.S. private firms? How have competitive practices changed because of the difficult economic climate?

WorldatWork and Vivient Consulting first surveyed private companies to learn about their short- and long-term incentive practices in 2007. The survey was popular and filled a gap in competitive data for private companies relative to their public counterparts. For 2011, WorldatWork and Vivient updated this survey to assess how practices have changed over the past several years at private companies.

View the complete report

2012 Sales Compensation Trends Survey© Results
A Survey by The Alexander Group, Inc. and WorldatWork
January 2012

Now in its 10th year, the 2012 Sales Compensation Trends Survey© captured U.S. sales force performance and sales compensation data for 2011 and projections for 2012. This is the first time WorldatWork has been a partner on this project.

The data, collected from 119 corporate U.S. sales forces, representing more than 120,000 sales professionals, confirms moderate success of 2011 and the modest optimism of 2012. Data was collected in December 2011 and results were published January 2012.