Total Reward Strategies - Beyond Salary

As we move into the final quarter of 2025, competition for talent remains fierce across many sectors. For employers, this means that salary alone is no longer enough to stand out. Candidates are looking for roles that deliver real value across multiple dimensions, from flexibility and wellbeing support to career development and organisational culture.

This is where a Total Reward Strategy becomes vital. Rather than relying solely on pay, it takes a holistic approach that combines financial benefits with the broader employee experience. While salary, bonus, pensions, healthcare and insurance remain important, employees are increasingly placing equal weight on work-life balance, recognition, opportunities to grow, and a strong sense of purpose at work.

Throughout 2025, we have seen some clear trends shaping reward strategies and these are set to define the remainder of the year. From personalised benefits, giving employees the flexibility to tailor packages to their stage of life or individual needs, to focusing on wellbeing and mental health, with many organisations introducing Employee Assistance Programmes, counselling services, and dedicated wellbeing budgets.

Transparency and fairness have also risen high on the agenda, with companies publishing clear salary bands, promotion frameworks and performance metrics. And as hybrid working has become the norm for many, support for remote and flexible arrangements such as home-office setups and tech allowances is now an expected part of the package rather than a ‘nice to have.’

For businesses looking to remain competitive as we close out 2025, now is the time to review and refresh your reward strategy. Start by auditing your current benefits and gathering employee feedback to identify gaps between what you offer and what employees value most. Benchmarking against similar employers is equally important to ensure you remain competitive in your sector. Just as crucial is communication: even the most compelling package loses its impact if employees and candidates don’t know about it. Make sure your total reward message is clear across job adverts, interviews, onboarding, and internal engagement. And finally, ensure your rewards are closely aligned with performance, values, and culture, creating a sense of fairness and consistency that will resonate with employees.

Total reward is no longer a ‘bonus’ element of the employment package; it is central to a strong Employer Value Proposition (EVP). Employers who invest in this area for the remainder of 2025 will be better placed to attract top talent and retain their best people, even in markets where salary competition is intense.

At Hunter Savage, we work with employers to strengthen their EVP through our EVP Health Check, ensuring that you are showcasing the full value of what it means to work for your organisation.

To discuss your EVP or reward strategy for the rest of 2025, or to arrange a confidential chat, please contact Stephanie Mulholland, Commercial Director at Hunter Savage via stephanie@huntersavage.com