The world of work is in a constant state of flux, facing recurring challenges that include the perennial issue of optimising the workforce. Companies often find themselves in the position of needing to reduce their workforce, placing managers in the difficult position of deciding whom to retain and whom to let go. Jeff Bezos's Amazon, much like other companies, encountered this challenge, and that's when an innovative solution was introduced: the Pay-to-Quit program.

What is the Pay-to-Quit program?

In the decision-making process regarding employee retention, motivation is a frequently overlooked factor. The equation is straightforward: all other things being equal, highly motivated employees hold greater value. Therefore, managers should prioritise retaining these highly motivated individuals. 

However, employees are aware of the value placed on motivation by companies, which provides them with a strong incentive to appear motivated, even if their motivation is lacking. To counteract this tendency, managers need to create incentives that encourage employees to honestly express their true levels of motivation. One such strategy is the Pay-to-Quit program.

Who pioneered the Pay-to-Quit program?

According to a report by Harvard Business Review, Zappos, the online shoe and clothing retailer, was the first to implement this strategy. They introduced what became known as the offer: a bonus for new hires to voluntarily resign after a four-week training period if they felt their job wasn't a good fit for them. 

Zappos initiated the bonus at $100. When almost no trainees accepted the offer during training, they gradually increased it up to $4,000, and still, almost no one accepted it. This indicated the highly motivated nature of the company's workforce. Amazon, which acquired Zappos in 2009, adopted a variation of this strategy.

Jeff Bezos elaborated on the program in his 2014 letter to shareholders, the first year Amazon introduced it:

"Pay to Quit is pretty simple. Once a year, we offer to pay our associates to quit. The first year, the offer is for $2,000, and it increases by $1,000 each year until it reaches $5,000. The headline on the offer is 'Please Don't Take This Offer.' We hope they don't take the offer; we want them to stay. Why do we make this offer? The goal is to encourage folks to take a moment and think about what they really want. In the long run, an employee staying where they don't want to be isn't healthy for the employee or the company,” said Bezos, according to the same report by Harvard Business Review. 

Benefits of Pay to Quit

Uri Gneezy, a behavioural economist at the Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego, noted the remarkable effectiveness of the Pay-to-Quit strategy. In many organisations, dissatisfied employees have no incentive to express their true feelings, but offering money as an incentive for them to resign makes it costly for them to be dishonest. 

The result is that those who choose to stay are more motivated. Furthermore, those who decide to remain feel compelled to justify their choice by working harder toward longer-term goals. By declining the Pay-to-Quit offer, they effectively invest in their future with the company, enhancing their productivity and commitment.

This strategy benefits everyone involved. It enables managers to distinguish genuinely motivated employees from those who are not, it allows disengaged employees to depart amicably with financial compensation, and it empowers motivated employees to prove their dedication. In cases where no one accepts the offer, as recently happened at Trainual, a company specialising in automated training and onboarding processes, it is still a positive outcome. The company gains valuable insights into its new hires and provides them with a motivational boost, all at no cost.