Top performers like having good managers.

According to a recent survey by the Corporate Executive Board, a little under half of the 983 finance workers surveyed said that compensation is important to them even more than work/life balance. When it came to their level of satisfaction with different job attributes, compensation was topped by company location, stability, and the quality of the product or service offered.

But when it came to what would make them keep their job despite the level of compensation, the survey revealed that manager quality came out on top, followed by future career opportunities. At the same time, manager quality ranked low when it came to job attributes.

When it came to the traits that influence workers' satisfaction with their managers, business skills ranked high, followed by placing a high priority on personal development of the staff. Low on the scale were ethical behaviour, trust, and passion.

Regarding future career opportunities, the greatest influence came from transparency of the hiring process

Salary is important, but sometimes that's not enough to retain top performers. Other factors come into play.