Unhappy with your bonus? You're not the only one

A recent survey by recruitment firm Robert Walters found that 80% of Irish professionals were unhappy with their bonus this year.

It's all down to poor communication about how bonuses are awarded - many Irish professionals what to know how their payout is justified, says Keith Garry, HR manager at recruitment firm Robert Walters in Dublin.

"Over the last three years we have seen a distinct shift in the marketplace as professionals change jobs just after bonus time. Many imagine that the hard work they put in over the last year will be rewarded and are then disappointed as they have not been given the chance to put forward their case as to how much they should get," he says.

If companies just took a little time to explain why bonuses are being awarded, people would be a lot happier and a lot less likely to leave, says Garry.

And if you're one of those with a meagre payout you may be able to secure a sign-on bonus if you move to another firm, going some way to compensate you for foregoing whatever you've accumulated so far this year.

But Yvonne Keily at recruiters Sigmar says most people quit for reasons other than poor pay: "To say that 80% of all professionals in Dublin are currently unhappy with their bonus is wide of the mark. A proportion of candidates searching for alternative employment will be unhappy with their bonus, but it is generally down to the basic salary or actual role itself."