When we give sign-on bonuses, there are normally requirements that must be met before they are payed, such as: "Bob will receive a sign-on bonus of $1000 following satisfactory completion of the introductory period," or "Suzy will receive a sign-on bonus of $1000 following satisfactory completion of background and reference checks." We put this information in our offer letter.
When I was at the call center we did a sign on bonus. It was a gradual bonus received though - after successful completion of 30 days the employee received $150. At 60 days $150 and at 90 days $$200. You might want to emphasize "successful completion" - not that they are just still there but are meeting all attendance requirements and satisfactory performance standards. We also set a standard that re-hires were not eligible unless they had not been with us for a set amount of time.
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Hope that helps!