Employers are becoming more aggressive in their pursuit of highly talented employees. Recruiting efforts are being stepped up. Once again, bonuses are being paid to new employees, just for joining the company.
 
This incentive, pervasive in the late 1990s, is expected to return.  When confronted by a labor shortage, hiring even "warm bodies" is a daunting challenge. Executive positions can carry hiring premiums of thousands of dollars.
 
We expect this practice from the late 1990s to return. Entry-level fast-food jobs are relatively low on the scale of positions. Gasoline service station attendants? Yes, it's already happening. Are we moving into an era where most employees will receive a cash bonus just for taking a job?

This trend sets a dangerous precedent that could be extremely costly for employers, including the risk of people jumping from one hiring bonus to another. Smart employers require employees to stay for a period of time before receiving their bonus, sometimes splitting payout into two or three disbursements.
 
As this recruiting practice becomes commonplace, a hiring bonus will become almost expected in certain market niches. Look for employers to become more creative to inspire prospective workers to choose them, increasingly important as workers make more educated choices about where they want to be.