Software giant Microsoft is offering special stock awards to hold onto top executives to stop them leaving. The company is restructuring and looking for a new chief executive after the shy and retiring Steve Ballmer announced he was going to do something different with his life.

The company has not yet earmarked any payments, but said in the filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it "may from time to time make awards to executive officers," partly to ensure "continuity of key leaders during the transition to a new chief executive officer."

Several Microsoft insiders are thought to be contenders for the CEO spot. According to Redmond the awards would be in the form of stock and would range from 25 percent to 150 percent of the recipient's annual target compensation. Senior Microsoft executives are already eligible for a cash bonus and stock awards each year, so it looks like staying could be worthwhile.