Are your employees surviving or thriving? That was the powerful question that echoed across the O.C. Tanner roundtable series, held in collaboration with People Matters across Mumbai, Bangalore, and Gurgaon, offering a holistic pulse check on how organisations in India are reimagining total rewards to meet the evolving needs of their people.

Despite offering competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and flexible work models, organisations are still struggling with disengagement, high attrition, and a lingering sense of disconnection across the workforce. According to the O.C. Tanner 2025 Global Culture Report, over 52% of employees globally, and more than half in India, say they are merely surviving at work. They feel undervalued, overwhelmed, and unable to connect their daily efforts to any deeper purpose.

The same research shows that when recognition becomes a consistent part of workplace culture, recognition, flexibility, and career development emerge as critical levers that dramatically improve engagement, innovation, and retention.

With this backdrop, the roundtables, anchored by Candy Fernandez, Director – People & Great Work, IMEA, and Stuart Cheesman, Global Workplace Culture Strategist at O.C. Tanner, focused on Reimagining Total Rewards: Bridging the Gap Between Employee Needs and Organisational Offerings. More than a discussion on benefits or bonuses, the sessions encouraged HR leaders to reflect on how total rewards can be reshaped to reflect care, connection and purpose, moving beyond survival and helping employees truly thrive.

More is not always better

Traditional rewards, bonuses, health insurance, paid time off, while necessary, are no longer sufficient. “The challenge we face,” Candy observed, “is not just about adding more benefits to an already bloated buffet, but about designing meaningful offerings that employees actually perceive as care.”

Only 14% of employees globally can explain what ‘total rewards’ even means, she noted, citing the O.C. Tanner 2025 Global Culture Report. And over half of Indian employees report being in “survival mode”, a state of stress, disconnection and stagnation that no amount of perks can truly address. This finding set the tone for a candid and heartfelt discussion on bridging this disconnect.

What employees need to thrive

Thriving, as defined by the O.C. Tanner 2025 Global Culture Report and reinforced by Stuart Cheesman, isn’t a milestone, it’s a journey marked by growth, connection, and a sense of purpose. While the discussion acknowledged the foundational role of competitive compensation, it was clear that recognition, flexibility, and opportunities for career development are the real differentiators between workplaces where employees merely exist and those where they truly flourish.

“Recognition is the only element that matters equally to both those who are surviving and those who are thriving,” Stuart pointed out. “It reinforces belonging for some and validates growth for others.”

This insight hit home for many attendees, including one senior leader who remarked, “It reminded me that our recognition practices are often sporadic and manager-dependent. We need to make it cultural, not conditional.”

Making mental health a strategic imperative

A critical takeaway from all three roundtables was the profound impact of mental health and psychological safety on employee performance. In India, 76% of employees are either experiencing or are on the brink of burnout. The cost isn’t just emotional, it’s financial, resulting in billions of dollars in lost productivity.

Candy and Stuart shared powerful stories, including that of a high-performing leader who resigned after her child described her happiest moments as “being at her computer.” The organisation’s response, which involved flexible leave and compassionate reboarding, sent a simple yet powerful message: We see you. We care.

This theme echoed across city discussions. Many participants agreed that managers are the first line of defence, yet they’re often overburdened and under-trained. “It’s not just about adding EAPs and wellness days,” said one leader. “It’s about building empathy into leadership.”

Designing with intent, not just incentives

Participants also discussed how reward strategies must adapt to life-stage realities, from young professionals balancing ambition and burnout, to caregivers and returnees needing flexible entry points. A few compelling case studies were shared where companies expanded leave policies to support gender inclusivity, mental health, and unplanned life moments.

The takeaway? It’s not about adding more benefits indiscriminately, but about aligning policies with lived experiences. One attendee put it well: “It’s not just about where people work. Flexibility isn’t a location, it’s autonomy.”

The case for recognition at every career milestone

Perhaps one of the most thought-provoking segments was on the role of recognition during job transitions. From onboarding to internal promotions, the group reflected: “Do we celebrate only the beginning and end, or do we also mark the messy, middle moments?”

This struck a chord. “We do great welcome kits,” one participant noted, “but when someone becomes a first-time manager or moves across functions, there’s barely a ripple. That’s where we lose them”, referring to dips in engagement, confidence, or connection that often go unnoticed.

When recognition is embedded throughout the employee journey, not just at entry or exit, the report found a 60x increase in the likelihood of employees having a transformative, fulfilling career experience. “That’s the ROI of care,” Stuart concluded.

Wisdom from the workshops

Each roundtable concluded with hands-on workshop sessions, where leaders exchanged insights on how to translate strategy into action. Here are a few standout takeaways:

• “More is not better—more is just more.” Many HR teams are realising that piling on benefits isn’t sustainable. What’s needed is clarity, communication, and personalisation.
• “You can’t design care from the top down.” True impact happens when recognition and well-being are built into the daily rhythm of teams, something managers must be empowered and trained for.
• “One-size-fits-all doesn’t fit anyone anymore.” From generational needs to cultural differences, leaders agreed on the urgency of building hyper-personalised total rewards.
• “The most important signal of care is trust.” Whether it’s flexible work, mental health support, or development opportunities, the underlying message has to be: We trust you to make the right choices.

Towards a more human-centred total rewards strategy

Across all three cities, one thing was clear: Reimagining total rewards isn’t about adding more, it’s about adding meaning. As organisations navigate hybrid work, economic uncertainty, and rising employee expectations, the opportunity is to build reward strategies that reflect relevance, recognition and respect.

As one leader summed it up during the closing reflections: “This wasn’t just a session on rewards. It was a reminder of why we do what we do in HR, to care, to connect, and to help people thrive.”