Most enterprises invest heavily in compensation, benefits, wellbeing programs, recognition, and development. Yet employees often see only a fraction of what’s available. This disconnect has real consequences-lower engagement, underutilized programs, unnecessary turnover, and budgets that fail to deliver their intended impact. In this webinar, Kristijan Manasievski and Angela Aspland explored how HR leaders can close that gap. They broke down the structural and communication issues behind poor rewards visibility and shared a practical approach for turning Total Rewards into a measurable driver of retention and performance. A Clear Problem: Employees Undervalue Up to 80% of What They Receive One of the most striking points from the discussion was the gap between what companies offer and what employees perceive. Many reward programs-some of them costly-go unnoticed because they’re spread across scattered portals, outdated PDFs, or inconsistent email updates. Employees are left piecing everything together themselves. This creates a perception that rewards are thin, even when the company is actually investing a lot. When people don’t understand their full value, they naturally compare salaries instead of evaluating the total package. This is where turnover risk rises and ROI drops. Why It Happens: Legacy Communication and Fragmented Systems The speakers outlined several reasons behind undervaluation: Information is scattered across multiple systems, portals, and documents. Communication often focuses on cost, not the story or purpose behind each benefit. Employees don’t see relevance, especially when programs aren’t tailored to life stage or location. Most organizations don’t measure usage or impact, so decisions rely more on assumptions than insight. The takeaway: Rewards don’t lack value – the value isn’t visible. Poll Insight: What HR Leaders Say Their Biggest Challenges Are During the session, we asked attendees: “What is your biggest challenge when it comes to Total Rewards?” The answers revealed a consistent theme across enterprise HR teams. The top challenge: balancing global and local needs Teams want a unified global philosophy, but reward expectations and regulations vary widely across markets. Leaders want consistency without losing relevance for each location. Program adoption and engagement Many programs look great on paper but fail to drive real participation. Employees either don’t know about them or don’t fully understand how to use them. Proving ROI HR teams can easily report spend. Proving impact is harder. Without clear analytics, it’s difficult to defend budgets or optimize programs. Culture and alignment Some teams struggle to connect rewards to company values or employee expectations, which limits their perceived importance. This input from participants aligned closely with the webinar’s core message: Total Rewards only deliver value when employees actually understand, use, and believe in them. The Shift: From Cost Reporting to Value Storytelling A major point from the speakers was the need to change how rewards are communicated. Instead of presenting raw numbers, companies should translate benefits into statements that resonate with people’s lives. For example: Instead of: “10 days PTO” Use: “10 days to recharge and reset so you can protect your wellbeing.” Instead of: “€8,000 health coverage” Use: “We invest in your health because we want you and your family to feel supported.” This approach gives meaning to the benefit and builds trust. It turns programs from transactions into signals of care. Why This Matters Now: Transparency Expectations Are Rising Employees expect clarity. They want to know not just what they’re paid, but why and how their rewards work. Pay transparency regulations are accelerating this. The message is clear: Companies who proactively explain value gain trust. Companies who wait lose it. Measuring What Actually Drives Results The session also highlighted the importance of shifting from tracking costs to tracking outcomes. HR teams need answers to questions like: Which benefits improve retention? Which programs are underutilized and draining budgets? What patterns exist across age groups, regions, or roles? What drives the biggest perception shift? With clear insights, HR can redirect resources from low-impact offerings to high-value ones. If you want a structured way to assess your current setup, explore our Total Rewards Checklist. A Practical Framework for Total Rewards ROI Angela and Kristijan walked through a method that helps HR teams improve ROI: Unify information into one place so employees don’t have to search. Personalize communication based on role, location, and life stage. Tell the story behind each reward, not just the cost. Measure usage and impact to optimize the portfolio. Equip managers to reinforce rewards during coaching and check-ins. Align global strategy with local needs through structured governance. Use data to defend budgets, not anecdotal feedback. It’s a structured approach that shifts rewards from static assets to dynamic drivers of engagement. For a deeper breakdown of this approach, read the Complete Guide to Total Rewards Management for Global Enterprises. Making Value Visible With Technology Everything discussed in the webinar becomes dramatically easier with the right tools. Angela and Kristijan showed how the Semos Cloud Total Rewards Hub brings this framework to life: A single, interactive view of all rewards Personalized statements that update automatically Local variations for country-specific rules AI-powered insights into usage, preferences, and impact Story-driven communication that explains the “why” behind programs Real-time analytics that reveal what drives retention and engagement Manager guidance on how to talk about Total Rewards Automated updates that reduce HR administration With this structure, employees finally see their full value – and HR can prove ROI with confidence. The Bottom Line You may already have strong Total Rewards. But employees only feel the value when it’s visible, personalized, and clearly connected to their everyday experience. HR teams who communicate rewards well don’t just save costs – they improve retention, boost engagement, and strengthen culture. This webinar showed the practical steps to get there. 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