Rethinking Total Rewards: Real Talk from GCC Total Rewards Leaders

Think your bonus plan is enough to motivate employees in 2025? Think again.

From changing workforce demographics to increased pressure on cost, culture, and retention, the definition of Total Rewards is expanding fast and reward leaders are being asked to do more than ever before.

This topic was the focus of our recent live panel, bringing together experts from across the GCC to share how they’re rethinking Total Rewards in practice. What followed was a candid, practical conversation, one that highlighted what’s working, what’s not, and what comes next.

Why Total Rewards Matter in 2025

The Total Rewards function has evolved. In today’s landscape, marked by rising employee expectations, digital transformation, and regional economic shifts, it is no longer just about pay and perks. Total Rewards is about shaping culture, driving performance, and enabling business strategy.

That was the premise of the panel moderated by Sandrine Bardot, one of the region’s most respected voices in compensation and benefits. Joined by Susan Cunning (Executive Director of People & Culture, Emil Wolf), Pavithra Venkatesh (Global Head of Reward, Dar), and Enad Abu Naser (Rewards & OD Director, Vision Bank), the panel explored how GCC organizations are rethinking Total Rewards in 2025 and what it takes to drive impact.

As Sandrine put it, “We are no longer in a time when compensation professionals are simply benchmarking salary data. We are now strategic partners, expected to shape culture, behavior, and business outcomes.”

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Why Incentives Fail (and What Works)

The panel kicked off with a blunt question: Why do so many incentive plans fail to deliver results?

Susan Cunning highlighted several reasons:

“Not understanding the problem you’re trying to solve. Not aligning incentives to the pay mix. And sometimes, even using performance data, you can’t measure. That’s a real issue in many organizations.”

Enad Abu Naser emphasized communication as the missing link:

“You can’t expect incentives to work if people don’t understand why the goals matter. The why is everything. Without that, even a well-designed plan falls flat.”

Pavithra Venkatesh added:

“Incentive schemes get too complex. If you need a spreadsheet to explain it, you’ve already lost people. Especially in big organizations, simplicity and relatability are key.”

She also warned against weak differentiation between high and average performers:

“If your top performer gets only 10 to 15% more than the average one, you’re not incentivizing excellence. That gap needs to be meaningful.”

All three panelists agreed: Incentives should drive behavior, not just outcomes. That means aligning goals with real business priorities, communicating clearly, and creating space for performance to flourish.

Successful Reward Strategies: Real-World Case Examples

While many organizations struggle with incentive design, the panelists shared several real-life stories where Total Rewards worked, not because of the formula, but because of the intention behind it.

1. Building a Customer-First Culture Through KPIs

At a major UAE bank, Susan Cunning helped embed customer service metrics into every employee’s objectives, even for roles that never dealt with clients directly.

“Everyone had at least 30% of their KPIs tied to customer satisfaction. Even if you were in IT or finance, you had internal customers. We made that visible and measurable.”

This was not just a KPI update, it was a cultural transformation supported by leadership coaching, transparent communication, and consistent recognition.

“We had to upskill line managers to make sure they were encouraging the right behavior daily,” said Susan. “And we needed the systems and data to reward what we said we cared about.”

2. Moving from Competition to Collaboration in Retail Sales

Pavithra shared a story from a retail energy business where frontline sales staff were incentivized individually, creating toxic internal competition.

“They were achieving targets, but fighting each other to do it,” she explained.

To drive collaboration, her team introduced team-level incentives, tied supervisors’ bonuses to country-wide performance, and included customer satisfaction ratings alongside revenue.

“It took two years to change behavior. But we combined the new incentive model with team-building and engagement programs and saw huge results.”

The takeaway? Sometimes you need to redesign incentives to reflect the organization you’re becoming, not the one you were.

3. Preventing Short-Term Thinking in Sales

Enad recounted a time when his team revamped a sales incentive plan to prevent manipulation and over-focus on monthly sales targets.

“We didn’t want people closing deals at any cost just to get paid,” he said. “We wanted to protect long-term value.”

By including multiple KPIs, customer retention, onboarding quality, and satisfaction scores, they incentivized sustainable performance.

“The goal was to reward behavior, not just transactions. That’s how we aligned people with long-term outcomes,” concludes Enad.

Adapting Rewards in Times of Change

The conversation then shifted to a timely question: How do you adapt Total Rewards during periods of transformation, IPOs, mergers, leadership changes, or economic pressure?

IPO & Equity Planning

Enad emphasized how employee expectations are changing, especially among Gen Z:

“70% of Gen Z candidates would turn down a job if it didn’t offer purpose-driven incentive plans. They want to feel like owners.”

In Saudi Arabia, many startups and pre-IPO firms are shifting from cash bonuses to long-term equity, with flexible, values-based reward models.

Cost Pressures & Moral Dilemmas

Pavithra shared a candid story of trying to balance costs and care during a sector downturn:

“Cutting salaries isn’t always the right answer. We looked at headcount productivity, reallocated roles, and designed packages that still allowed people to live with dignity.”

She acknowledged the moral complexity of reward leadership in hard times:

“It was about finding efficiencies without losing humanity. That’s our job.” added Pavithra.

Reward Strategies in M&A

Susan shared insights from her work on mergers and acquisitions:

“Deal-based bonuses can work well, but only if you’re clear about what success looks like post-integration.”

She warned of power dynamics between merged entities:

“If one side gets rewards and the other doesn’t, you risk alienating people. Rewards need to signal unity and respect.”

What CEOs and CHROs Now Expect from Total Rewards Leaders

So, how has the role of Total Rewards leaders changed?

Pavithra summed it up:

“We’re not just managing headcount costs anymore. CEOs expect us to influence how people feel at work, but how connected they are, how valued they feel, and how productive they can be.”

Enad added:

“Especially during tough economic times, compensation has to go beyond salary. It has to speak to people’s lives, flexibility, wellness, and personal goals.”

Flexible benefits, well-being programs, and personalized reward experiences are on the rise.

And Susan brought it home:

“CHROs and CEOs want storytellers. Not just data. They want someone who can connect the numbers to real decisions, paint a vision, and build belief.”

In other words, Total Rewards leaders must now be strategists, change agents, and communicators, not just technical experts.

How Semos Cloud Can Help

As organizations across the GCC look to modernize Total Rewards, Semos Cloud provides the tools, integrations, and flexibility to lead that transformation.

Here’s how we can support your journey:

Recognition and Rewards That Inspire
Semos Cloud offers AI-driven recognition tools, global reward fulfillment across 150+ countries, and personalized reward statements that show employees what they’re really worth.
Communication That Drives Understanding
With omnichannel communication tools and targeted campaigns, you can ensure every employee knows what they’re rewarded for and why.
Manager Empowerment and Microcultures
Our platform equips managers with real-time insights, nudges, and data to create pockets of high performance and recognition across the org.
Tailored for GCC Context
Whether you’re a multinational in KSA or a family-owned conglomerate expanding into new markets, Semos Cloud’s Total Rewards platform supports your goals, honors local nuances, and evolves with your organization.

Ready to Rethink Total Rewards?

Explore Our Total Rewards Platform

As Sandrine shared during the session:

“What I like about Semos Cloud is that it doesn’t feel cookie-cutter. They understand that reward needs to be as personal and strategic as the business itself.”

Final Thoughts

Compensation will always matter. But today’s workforce is asking for more. More meaning, more transparency, and more trust.

This panel reminded us that when Total Rewards is done right, it becomes more than a package. It becomes a promise. A promise that the company sees its people, understands their needs, and is willing to invest in their success, not just their output.

In a region undergoing extraordinary transformation, there’s never been a more important time to rethink how, why, and for whom we reward.