Bonuses, benefits, cookies. What besides salary motivates people in game dev

What the talk is about

Tanja Loktionova, co-founder of the In-Game Job portal, uses data from a five-year game industry salary survey to show which bonuses and benefits actually motivate people in game development in 2021. She compares them through employee Net Promoter Score and willingness to change jobs. Shares, options, profit share and project bonuses work best for loyalty and retention, while a monthly bonus is seen as part of salary and barely motivates. Among non-financial perks, good equipment, paid training and conferences rank high, while health insurance and sports matter less. Juniors lean toward money, seniors toward the project and growth. She advises studying competitors, asking employees what they value, having a clear overtime policy, and rewarding people when company-wide financial goals are met. Useful for recruiters, HR and team leads.