The primary advantage of a balanced scorecard approach to variable pay is that it communicates organizational priorities (D). At the SPHR level, compensation systems are used as strategic tools to signal what matters most to the organization.
A balanced scorecard links variable pay to multiple dimensions of performance—financial results, customer outcomes, internal processes, and learning or growth. By tying incentives to these measures, organizations clearly communicate desired behaviors and outcomes across the enterprise. Employees understand not only what is rewarded, but why.
Promoting productivity (A) may occur, but it is not the defining advantage. Tax deferrals (B) are unrelated to balanced scorecards. Enhancing team-based compensation (C) may be a design feature, but the strategic strength of the scorecard lies in alignment and communication.
SPHR exam content emphasizes that variable pay should reinforce strategy execution, and balanced scorecards ensure incentives do not drive narrow or short-term behavior at the expense of broader organizational goals.
References :
HRCI SPHR Exam Content Outline — Functional Area: Total Rewards (incentive design; performance alignment).
HRCI SPHR Study Guide — Balanced scorecard applications in compensation.
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