There are 5 components to create a successful bonus plan for managers Every bonus plan is different, but the following core components are key. In this article, I will show you how to create a simple plan that is easy to manage and provides protection to the company if financial goals are not met.This article offers items to consider specific to performancebased incentive pay. What is a Bonus Plan? A bonus plan is an agreement between the employer and employee to pay out a predetermined amount of money based on performance. A recruitment incentive payment (sometimes called a signing bonus) provides an additional lump sum payment to support the recruitment of specific positions. Want to reward or incentivize staff? Learn how to use variable pay for one-time events or as part of a compensation package. This employee bonus policy template is ready to be tailored to your company's needs and can be a starting point for setting up your employment policies.