Fewer than one in five Danes (17 percent) receives work-related bonuses, according to a new Epinion survey compiled on behalf of tax consultants Deloitte.

At a time when Denmark struggles to attract and retain highly-skilled workers, the result is surprising to Kim Domdal, a leadership expert at Deloitte.

“There is no doubt that a bonus at work is a signal to employees that good performance is rewarded,” Domdal said.

“A bonus motivates employees to take responsibility for the company’s results, which dictate the size of the bonus slush fund.”

While Domdal underlined that a good working climate, good leadership, the necessary development opportunities and good wages are essential to keeping employees at the company, he contended that a bonus on top of that is a strong signal to indicate that the employees’ efforts are appreciated.

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Keeping employees happy
Some 23 percent of the Danes who receive bonuses at work said they are given bonuses based on their personal efforts, while the rest said their bonuses were secured due to their department’s or organisation’s results, or a combination of both.

“We know there are pockets in the Danish labour market where specialists are needed, and we also know it can be extremely difficult to attract labour to some outer areas of Denmark,” Domdal said.

“In these situations you have to take extra care of the employees you have. These days, you can’t take it for granted that good employees will stick around at the company if they don’t continuously experience that they feel appreciated, praised and of course rewarded for their efforts.”