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Baljit Kaur, Rewards Lead, Danone, shares why building trust through transparent pay, championing total wellbeing, and embracing AI-driven insights are central to the future of total rewards.
As organisations look to attract and retain top talent in a complex, fast-changing market, one rewards trend continues to gain traction: pay transparency. When implemented effectively, it fosters a culture of trust, sets clear expectations, and prevents pay disparities from taking root, says Baljit Kaur, Rewards Lead, Danone.
Speaking to Sabarish Prasad ahead of her session at #TotalRewardsSG, she shares: "Being upfront about salary ranges can help save the employer and potential candidates time, resources and energy if salary expectations don’t align.
"If pay transparency is absent, pay discrimination might most likely be taking place."
Baljit is a firm believer that a sense of belonging, psychological safety and a positive culture is a win-win for both the organisation and its people, and a solid wellbeing plan is business critical to attract, grow and engage people. Her passion lies in contributing to employee’s wellbeing by connecting people with what they need to create a less stressed, happier, healthier, and more engaged workforce.
Looking ahead, she believes that the future of total rewards lies not just in compensation and perks — but in how well organisations support employees' total wellbeing, deliver value-driven work, and use digital tools to scale impact.
From flexible schedules to AI-enabled benefits delivery, the rewards function is evolving fast — and, as Baljit points out, leaders must keep pace with both technology and human needs.
Q What is one C&B trend that you believe is powerful enough to stay for the long term?
Globally, standards around pay transparency have been gaining momentum especially in recent years. When done right, pay transparency can reap impactful benefits for both employer and employees. Being upfront about salary ranges can help save the employer and potential candidates time, resources and energy if salary expectations don’t align.
Being open and honest about pay ranges contributes to creating a work culture of trust and transparency. If pay transparency is absent, pay discrimination might most likely be taking place.
Q As a seasoned rewards/HR professional, what do you believe are the most important traits for rewards leaders of today and the future?
Firstly, focusing on total wellbeing and a sense of purpose. Total rewards professionals will need to prioritise the holistic total wellbeing of employees, the ability to recognise the importance of work-life balance, positive mental health and mental wellness, and career development. This includes designing reward programmes that align with employee needs and values.
Secondly, a strong digital fluency.
Leveraging on AI and data analytics, a total rewards professional needs to optimise total rewards programme usage and understanding, to be able to get a wider reach to employees in order to further enhance the employee experience.
Q To end on a lighter note, what are the biggest misconceptions people have about total rewards?
That employees should be happy with competitive salaries and benefits. While employees might be grateful for a job and a salary, money and benefits are not enough when employees either do not enjoy their work or do not have the time to take care of themselves or their families outside of work. Flexible work policies and value-driven work are low-cost benefits which employees will appreciate.
Flexible schedules and hybrid work options are a great place to start, and when employees know that their work contributes to a much greater good, they tend to be much more engaged.
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