2026年奖酬现状报告

How Rewards and Employees’Beliefs About Their Work DriveWorkforce Outcomes Executive Report & Analysis THE REWARDS LANDSCAPE IN 2026:A SYSTEM UNDER PRESSURE When organizations invest in people with intention, they don’t just drive performance; they help peoplethrive – this underlying principle is core to workplace rewards. Employers today spend an average of$37 per hour worked, or roughly $77,000 on compensation per employee per year, making personnelone of the largest line items on company budgets.1 Beyond base pay, organizations also invest heavilyin other rewards offerings. Nearly all offer variable pay (96%) and merit pay (93%),2while 42% offerbenefits such as health reimbursement arrangements. Investment in professional development issimilarly widespread, with 84% offering formal learning opportunities and 78% providing coaching andmentoring,3reflecting the vast scope and scale of rewards portfolios today. Despite these substantial investments, employee engagementhas fallen to 31%, its lowest level in a decade, with 8 million fewerengaged workers since 2020,4 and voluntary quits hold steadyat roughly 3.2 million per month.5This incurs significant costs, asunengaged employees account for approximately $1.9 trillion inlost productivity nationally,6-7with the cost of replacing an individualemployee ranging from a staggering 0.5x - 2x the employee’ssalary.8-9 31%Employee satisfactionhas fallen to The lowest it’s been in adecade Taken together, these patterns highlight a significant opportunityto rethink rewards through a more intentional, human-centeredapproach—one that elevates the employee value propositionacross the career lifecycle and recognizes that the beliefs thatindividuals have about their work (for example, whether they findit meaningful, feel they matter, and see growth opportunities; see Figure 1) determine whether those rewards translate into optimal business outcomes. Conducted in partnership with the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI) and the InternationalThought Leader Network (ITLN), this study sought to explore three core research questions: (1) whichrewards employees value most across the employee lifecycle, (2) how employees’ core beliefs abouttheir work (whether they find it meaningful, feel they matter, and see growth opportunities) shape thosepreferences and predict workforce outcomes, (3) where gaps may exist between employees’ reportedvalues and the potential assumptions held by managers/leaders. This study is anchored in the WorldatWork Rewards framework, encompassing well-being, recognition,career growth, compensation, and benefits, treating these five pillars not as isolated elements but asan interconnected ecosystem whose combined effect delivers the highest value for organizations. Ourresearch surfaces an underlying misalignment at the core of this employee value proposition, operatingacross three key mechanisms: •The first is the rewards – lifecycle gap. The rewards that initially attract candidates to a job are oftennot the same rewards that drive their engagement or decision to stay in the job as they advanceacross their careers and life stages, yet many organizations treat these as static offerings. •The second is an employee preference/manager perception gap. Managers’ perceptions of whatemployees actually value in the workplace may not always align with employees’ preferences,especially as they evolve across different career and life stages. •Finally, we find that employees’ beliefs about their work (whether they find it meaningful, feel theymatter, and see growth opportunities), are critical drivers for longer term retention, engagement, andsatisfaction. While compensation and benefits remain important for attracting talent, their ability tosustain these outcomes depends in part on whether this belief layer is intact. The 2026 State of Rewardsaims to close these enduring gaps. By capturing employee experiencesand preferences across the full lifecycle, comparing them with leader perceptions, and how core beliefsabout work(Figure 1)shape the effectiveness of the entire rewards portfolio, this study offers leadersthe evidence-based clarity and actionable insights to strategically structure a rewards portfolio thatenables them to fully realize the potential of their evolving workforce needs. KEY INSIGHTS The Rewards Paradox Employee satisfaction with foundational rewards is reasonably strong:benefits (77%), well-being (73%), compensation (69%), yet only 44% of employeesreport being extremely likely to stay with their employer in the next year. Job exploration is widespread: Among employees considering leaving,three‑fourths have searched for external jobs, about half have applied,and 38% have interviewed elsewhere. Employees arerelatively satisfied with the compensation andbenefitsthey receive, yet many are actively preparing to leave,suggesting that satisfaction with these factors alone is not sufficientfor longer term retention. What Attrac