Total Rewards Checklist

Traditional Total Rewards strategies need an update. With evolving employee expectations, Total Rewards packages must meet employees’ basic needs for immediate and future security and communicate the care organizations have for their people.

Does your Total Rewards strategy show you care, appreciate, and are invested in your people? Use this checklist to identify opportunities to refresh your Total Rewards offerings and help employees thrive.

Communication

• Your organization clearly communicates what Total Rewards offerings you have available and how they meet employees’ needs
• Communication about Total Rewards emphasizes the organization cares about employees and wants to invest in them
• Your organization provides clear instructions on how to access Total Rewards offerings
• Your Total Reward statements include a message of care

Support

• Senior leaders openly talk about Total Reward offerings, encourage employees to use them, and model using offerings themselves
• Leaders and teams support employees when they use Total Rewards offerings
• Employees feel adequately supported when they go through life events and job transitions
• Leaders are encouraged to practice modern leadership skills like empathy and emotional intelligence

Resources

• Your organization has fair and adequate compensation for employees
• Most Total Rewards offerings are provided by the organization (rather than relying on outside resources)
• Most Total Rewards offerings are subsidized by the organization
• Total Rewards offerings include clear and specific paths for skill building and career development
• Total Rewards offerings include mental health care resources
• Total Rewards offerings include workplace flexibility options (the ability for employees to manage their own time or autonomy in how they do their work)
• Employees can use Total Rewards offerings on the clock, or are given time to use offerings during work hours

Recognition

• Total Rewards offerings include formal and informal recognition
• ‍Leaders are encouraged to give recognition when they see great work happening
• Employees are able and encouraged to give recognition
• ‍Recognition tools are available for all employees to use (offline, remote workers, all locations, levels, and job roles)
• Employees are recognized often
• Recognition is integrated into the everyday employee experience

Address the gaps in your Total Rewards strategy

Depending on how many items you checked off, there may be an opportunity to evolve your Total Rewards strategy to be more meaningful to employees. This doesn’t necessarily mean adding more offerings. A buffet of offerings that tries to meet every single employee’s needs can backfire. Instead, ensure that your offerings are meeting employees’ basic needs, are communicated appropriately, and supported by the organization:

1. Communicate well

It’s not enough to have offerings if employees don’t know about them or how to use them. Have clear communication and messaging about what total reward offerings you have, why you offer them, and how employees can access them. Information should be specific, readily available, and easy to understand.

2. Aligned to a message of care

Total Rewards helps employees most when they come from a place of care. Let employees know that these offerings are available because the organization values employees and cares about them. Their organization wants to take care of their immediate and future security needs so employees can stay and thrive at work.

3. Resourced by the organization

To truly meet employee needs, organizations should provide financial, health, growth, and recognition benefits to their employees rather than relying on external sources. This means providing health and financial benefits (subsidized as much as possible) at a minimum. It also includes providing additional resources that are easily accessible to support employees, as well as time, on the clock, to use the offerings as needed. 

4. Supported by leaders

Senior leaders should offer verbal support for and model using the offerings. This could be giving recognition or taking time off for their mental health. Leaders should be generous and show empathy in giving employees time off to utilize Total Rewards offerings, seek growth opportunities, or use flexibility in their work schedules. Advocating for, modeling, and showing support when employees use Total Reward offerings is crucial in communicating care.

5. Reinforced by recognition

‍Recognition helps all employees feel seen, valued, and cared for. Recognizing employees also reinforces the behaviors that strengthen care and culture— and encourages leaders to support your Total Rewards offerings and their people. Employee recognition is a powerful way to help all employees thrive at work.

Learn more best practices on how to create a Total Rewards strategy that helps people thrive in our 2025 Global Culture Report.