DETROIT, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Ford Motor ( F ) CEO Jim
Farley has told employees that the automaker needs to speed
efforts to improve quality and lower costs, and that manager
bonuses, which are tied to those metrics, would be slashed to
65% of their total, according to three people familiar with the
matter.
Farley recently introduced a new performance system where
company bonuses are directly tied to progress on key goals in an
effort to change the 121-year-old automaker's culture to hold
employees more accountable. He made the announcement about the
lowered bonuses at a town hall on Wednesday.
"I'm proud of the progress but we're not satisfied at all,"
Farley said in a third-quarter earnings presentation on Monday.
Ford executives said on Monday that the company would meet
only the lower end of its annual guidance. Its shares fell by
more than 10% on Tuesday.
"When we meet or exceed our targets for those factors - and
we achieve the ambitious goals of Ford+ - the team is rewarded,"
a Ford spokesman said on Thursday. "We are focused on lowering
our costs, improving our quality and making Ford a higher
growth, higher margin, more capital efficient and more resilient
business."
Bonuses may change depending on the company's fourth-quarter
performance, he added.