can be done through traditional human resource responsibilities such as salary surveys and benefits programs, but can also involve creating a work environment which answers some of the different needs that today's increasingly high-technology workers have. For example, some human resources departments have worked within their organizations to create flex-time, which allows workers to come in at times which better suit their personal situation. In other instances, companies have created work environments where child care is provided on-site, or where employees are able to work from home on occasion (telecommute) so that they are not burdened with traffic and are able to spend more time with their families. These so-called "soft" benefits can have a significant effect on the ability of companies to retain employees and can help companies gain and maintain an edge over competitors who are not as proactive in this area, and who may not recognize the importance of meeting all of an employee's needs (Dutton, 1998).
Profit sharing or gain sharing programs are a way for companies to increase the remuneration received by employees without simply increasing wages across the entire organization. This approach has been particularly successful in high-technology environments as much publicity has been given to workers who have become millionaires in the so-called "dot-com" revolution. However, profit sharing and stock incentives have recently attracted criticism as many high-technology companies do not realize profits during their first years of operations, and stock programs are only valuable when the stock increases (Leiserson-Kaplan, 2000).
By implementing a profit sharing program based on the realized gains to the organization, companies are able to include all employees in the success of the organization and to provide each employee with a personal stake in the company's success. This approach differs from merely increasing wages in...