Employee engagement is dangerously low, and retention is getting harder by the day. Over half of employees are already looking for their next role, while turnover costs are spiralling—200% of salary for leaders, 80% for tech talent. Meanwhile, many companies still treat recognition like a soft perk instead of the business-critical strategy it truly is.

But here’s the kicker: when done right, recognition works. Companies that invest just 1% of payroll in strategic recognition see game-changing outcomes—lower turnover, stronger engagement, improved safety, and better performance. The latest research proves that fulfilling, authentic, personalized, equitable, and embedded recognition is the key to unlocking real ROI.

Learn how to transform recognition from a nice-to-have into a performance engine. We’ll show you how to fund it correctly, scale it with intention, track the ROI, and harness AI-powered insights to turn moments of gratitude into measurable outcomes.

Discussion points

The business case for increasing recognition funding to 1% of payroll—and the ROI it drives
How to operationalize the 5 pillars of strategic recognition across your culture
Ways to use AI and recognition data to identify hidden talent and risks
How to personalize recognition at scale without sacrificing authenticity milestones

Panelists

Diana Fayad, Head of Compensation & Benefits International at GE Vernova
Mara Zavagno, VP People and Culture, BA Industrial Equipment and Chief DEI Officer at Konecranes
Carmen Valdés, VP Corporate Human Resources at Wolters Kluwer
Christopher Jones, Colleague Recognition Manager at British Airways (BA)
Meisha-ann Martin, VP People Research at Workhuman
(Moderated by): Chris Rainey, CEO & Co-Founder at HR Leaders