Financial thoughts

Three of every four chief financial officers are willing to offer pay raises, improve benefits or even approve bonuses to keep high-performing and much-coveted employees – when the economy recovers, according to a just-released report.

Almost half of CFOs say they would approve pay raises and promote top performers when the economy is humming. About three of five would enhance benefits – such as health care insurance or retirement plans – and one of every four would offer bonuses, according to Accountemps, a division of Robert Half International.

About 1,400 CFOs participated in the survey. Many business experts and economists say companies need to address compensation-related issues with top employees now, otherwise those workers will leave when the economy improves.

“Indispensable workers who helped businesses stay afloat during tough times will have new career options as conditions improve,” said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of “Motivating Employees for Dummies, 2nd Edition fast payday loan.” “Employers need to make retention of top performers a high priority or risk losing these key players and, possibly, their competitive advantage. Let your top performers know they have a clear path within the organization and re-evaluate compensation levels to make sure they’re in line with what other firms in your industry are paying for similar positions.”

Of course, when the economy improves remains uncertain. Currently, about 125,000-plus Sacramento-area residents are looking for work. And the four-county region’s jobless rate is a modern-day record 13.1 percent, with about six available employees for each open position.

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