Current worker shortages have created a job market perk previously reserved for top executives, professional athletes or special workers: the signing bonus. Christian Hetrick reported about the incentive for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Signing bonuses are now commonly being offered to dishwashers, day care teachers, and gas station attendants.

Even your neighborhood Wawa is giving $500 new-hire bonuses to customer service team members, gas attendants, and night supervisors.

“Our goal with these incentives is to encourage new associates to give us a try, get to know us, and experience our culture and realize the growth and development opportunities we have available,” said Wawa spokesperson Lori Bruce.

And the tactic works. The prospect of extra cash lured 9,800 applicants to the convenience store staple in the past few months. Wawa targeted the program to net about 5,000.

“With this job market, a sign-on bonus is something that is certainly an easy ask for the employee and is something that more and more employers are ready to do, because they’re desperate,” said Brian Clapp, president of CCI Consulting in Blue Bell.

But some industries aren’t seeing much response.  Only 21 percent of local restaurant workers felt signing bonuses were important.  More attractive were health benefits and paid time off, according to 81 percent of those same workers.

Read more at The Philadelphia Inquirer about signing bonuses.