Today, rewards professionals continue to be data-driven, financially astute, and fare well working within specified organisational structures. However, the future rewards professionals are expected to be able to bring more creativity and artistic flair to their work – as they will be tasked with building more human-centric rewards systems.

Let’s peek into what the future has brought to our doorstep, through this session on:

• The shift from fixed to fluid compensation models: Designing more adaptive compensation structures that support business agility.
• With increasing pay transparency laws globally, can rewards leaders help manage cultural issues in approaching this delicate matter?
• Moving the mindsets for C&B professionals to embrace AI, sustainability-linked incentives, and skills-based pay models.

As a new wave of technologies promises to improve business outcomes and workflow efficiencies, senior leadership must become proficient in identifying the right technologies for their organisations’ operations.  

The integration of technology into the rewards function isn’t just about automation—it’s about scaling personalisation, improving cost efficiency, and driving strategic growth. 

In this session, key points of discussion will include: 

• Leveraging resources like AI and analytics to identify underutilised or high-impact, low-cost benefits that enhance employee satisfaction. 
• The role of technology in creating a cost-efficient hiring process and refining the methodology behind benchmarking for jobs. 
• Utilising data-driven platforms and market pricing tools to automate incentives, bonuses or merit increase cycles.

Organisations across Asia Pacific have used total rewards programmes to attract and retain talent by offering a buffet of benefits to highlight the investment they make in their people. Despite the efforts, these strategies often fail, not only in addressing employees’ most important needs, but also in enhancing their overall employee experience.

A focus on people will enable organisations to redefine their total rewards programmes, ensuring that employees feel seen, valued, and cared for.

In this session, we come together to learn about:

• Why employee-centred care must be at the core of total rewards strategies.
• What offerings can maximise the effects of total rewards programmes to create environments where employees thrive.
• How recognition done well can make a difference in fostering positive mental health practices.

If the momentum on skills-based jobs continues to maintain pace, traditional methods of job grading might struggle to keep up with the new-age requirements. Even presently, many organisations have outdated structures that are unable to recognise low/high performance or the value of experiences, leading to frustrated or confused workforces. 

In this session meant to ignite provocative conversations, we will discuss: 

• The end of job titles: What is a feasible alternative to current job grades that favour seniority and tenure over skills and experiences? 
• Equitability vs fairness: Is there a need for a new definition of variable pay to tackle both needs? 
• The principles of a skills-based compensation framework to support or replace existing models either through structure or flexibility.

Psychological research suggests that recognition tied to purpose, impact, and development can outweigh the perceived worth of cash incentives. But how can companies make this kind of recognition both visible and effective, especially in dispersed workplaces with hybrid working styles? 

On the cards for this presentation, we will discuss:  

• How to ensure that recognition—such as career development, meaningful work, and direct feedback—feels authentic and valued. 
• Strategies to make non-monetary recognition resonate in remote and hybrid settings, where visibility and impact can be diluted. 
• Leader’s roles in effectively linking non-monetary recognition to business goals, so employees can clearly see the impact of their contributions.

The focus on skills is becoming increasingly important not just as an HR strategy, but a business one as well, regardless of industry. Identifying ways for employers to imbibe a skills-first viewpoint in their human capital processes is the need of the hour. 

In this session, we tailor this conversation for compensation professionals to start thinking about: 

• The potential to pay a premium for in-demand skills or to reward scarce talent pools into compensation packages.  
• Using data to identify which roles this may be most impactful in, such as those with high attrition or competitive industry salaries.  
• Driving clarity in how skills-based pay frameworks are positioned to the workforce as a benefit vs an entitlement.

One of the most well-established concepts in positive psychology is the PERMA model, which found that wellbeing consists of five elements: positive emotions (P), engagement (E), positive relationships (R), meaning (M), and accomplishment (A). This points us to importance of social wellness—how employees connect, collaborate, and feel included—and the need for rewards to focus on holistic wellbeing for better job performance. 

In this session, we will address: 

• Strategies to integrate social wellness into the total rewards framework, aimed at measurable impact on employee engagement. 
• Best practices for building a workplace culture where employees feel valued, connected, and empowered to thrive. 
• Practical steps that can help to strengthen psychological wellbeing in hybrid and remote teams.

Under the nation’s latest guidelines for employers, for every expatriate hired, the company will be required to provide quality internships to three local students. This policy presents both challenges and opportunities for HR and rewards professionals, giving us a chance to rethink the incentivisation of developing the right skills in the workforce.  

In this session, we will: 

• Explore the implications of this mandate on compensation structures, talent acquisition strategies, and overall workforce planning. 
• Navigate the policy landscape to adapt compensation and benefits frameworks with the right incentives to support skills transfer. 
• Best practices to manage costs effectively, and ways to leverage internship programmes for long-term talent development.