“The football transfer window is possibly the most high profile instance of employees changing jobs, as footballers take on positions at new clubs. There are strong parallels for salespeople changing companies. Footballers are expected to continue to perform at their best for their new employees, despite the change in manager, team and even company culture. However, there are well-known examples of footballers making high priced transfers and losing their form entirely, such as Fernando Torres’ infamous move from Liverpool to Chelsea. Similarly, salespeople are employed on the basis of their past-performance and expected to do as well immediately. In fact, it’s crucial that businesses plan how they can best engage their new starters and ensure they maintain their previous excellent performance.
“Businesses like football clubs must monitor the performance of their employees using empirical tools. Using data, businesses can quickly spot and address gaps in performance. It’s also crucial that incentives are in place to engage employees on an ongoing basis. In the world of football, this is being seen more and more, as in the example last season of Leicester City’s whole squad being promised bonuses depending on their final position in the league. Variable pay is a key tool for businesses and clubs to incentivise great performances in the long term and ultimately justify the employment of the new recruit.”
