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Half of Finnish employees would now trade fixed pay for performance-linked bonuses, according to Mandatum's Reward and Compensation Survey 2026. The findings point to a broader shift in how employees view compensation, with variable pay gaining acceptance well beyond senior management and sales roles.
Some 48 percent of employees said they would accept a lower base salary in exchange for the chance to earn higher bonuses, up from 38 percent in 2024, based on the survey results published today. The rise was strongest among younger employees, men, and higher earners, although support among women also increased.
The compensation survey was conducted by Bondata on behalf of Mandatum in March–April 2026. It included telephone interviews with 101 employer representatives and panel responses from 1,003 private-sector employees in Finland.
For management teams at Finnish listed companies, CEOs, CHROs, CFOs, and the people group leads who actually own comp design, that 10-point jump is the data point worth circling. Variable pay used to be something employers had to sell. It has now started to be asked for.
Employers see the same signal. A majority view variable compensation as a core part of an ideal scheme, and growth-oriented companies in particular are leaning into both short-term bonuses and long-term incentives.
Mandatum's Business Director for Incentives, Kiisa Hulkko-Nyman, frames it as "a clear shift towards more performance- and results-driven compensation, which is welcomed by both management and staff."
There is also a perception gap that should land on every management team's agenda: 71 percent of employers rate their compensation practices as at least good, but only 47 percent of employees agree. That 24-point delta is rarely about the money itself. It is usually about communication, clarity, and perceived fairness, the soft layer around the numbers.
Mandatum's Tarja Tyni, EVP for corporate clients, flags the risk that transparency rules push employers toward flatter, more defensive pay structures: "Outstanding performance should be recognized and rewarded, and performance-based compensation is an effective way to achieve this."
Other data points worth a management team's time:
Demand for non-cash benefits is rising fast. 65 percent of employees now consider supplementary pension important (up from 50 percent in 2024), 57 percent personnel funds (up from 46), and 53 percent insurance benefits (up from 49).
A majority of employees doubt their statutory pension will maintain their standard of living. More than 60 % of employees believe employers should carry more responsibility for retirement, disability, and family financial security than they currently do.
AI's footprint on comp is still small but directional: 8 percent of companies have built AI into their compensation schemes, and 30 percent of employees see AI as an opportunity to lift their earnings.
57 percent of employees say they intend to use their new right to ask what peers earn, once the directive applies.
Taken together, the findings point to a broader reset in how employees view compensation. Salary still matters, but employees are placing more value on upside, flexibility, transparency, and long-term financial security. For listed companies competing over scarce leadership and specialist talent, compensation is becoming a sharper competitive tool — and a more visible reflection of company culture.
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