Karen Gaynor (pictured), head of reward, UK and north-west Europe at Siemens will speak at Employee Benefits Live on 25 September about total reward and the employer value proposition.
Employee Benefits asked her a few key questions:
1. What has been your biggest challenge in 2013?
The readiness for auto-enrolment has taken most of our resources and attention. Although Siemens had a 92% participation in its pension offering before auto-enrolment, the changes to processes has needed significant review and effort.
2. What issues or challenges is the industry currently facing?
For us, the biggest challenges continue to be striving towards our reward strategy in times of constant change. Our acquisitions and divestments culture means we have a constantly-moving landscape of employees and benefit packages which need reviewing, integrating and communicating.
3. What are the most important messages for people to take away from your session?
The way in which people want to receive communications about reward topics is just as important a consideration as what is received. Employees want a variety of different benefit offerings, not only compared to other employees, but at different stages in their life. We need to create more flexibility to respond to this. Consider your audience and create a variety of methods for them to receive communications.
4. What’s the next trend or hot topic we can expect to see around your topic?
Most employers I talk to still have communication challenges in reaching all employees efficiently. With an increasingly mobile and flexible workforce, we must continue to drive communications in a number of ways. Not only will the demand for instant information and mobile communications increase, but I anticipate the ability to make choices and changes more frequently will also put pressure on our data and administrative processes.
5. What do you most enjoy about your job?
The opportunity to choose a reward direction that will really influence the culture or brand of our organisation, and potentially make a difference to individuals and their lives.
View the full conference programme and register for free to attend Employee Benefits Live
