Fresh start, fierce competition: How to attract and retain top talent after bonus season

With employees seeking a fresh start and companies opening new budgets, the competition for high-value talent intensifies. In this environment, differentiation is key. Beyond salary, candidates are looking for employers who prioritize recognition, rewards, and holistic well-being.

This blog explores how organizations can stand out in the battle for talent by adopting a holistic people strategy—combining recognition, wellness, and thoughtful rewards to create workplaces where employees stay and thrive.  

💡 Tips for differentiating your company in employee experience this 2026

1. Go beyond salary: Offer meaningful rewards

While competitive pay remains a baseline expectation, employees increasingly look for organizations that recognize them as individuals. Meaningful rewards like Pluxee Gifts go beyond financial compensation by offering experiences or benefits that resonate personally.  

When rewards are flexible and tailored, they signal genuine appreciation and reinforce a culture of care. This shift from transactional to relational helps companies strengthen loyalty and foster long-term engagement. 

2. Build a culture of recognition  

Recognition should be embedded into the daily rhythm of work, not treated as an occasional gesture. Organizations can cultivate engagement through a Rewards and Recognition platform that helps encourage peer-to-peer appreciation and makes recognition visible across teams.  

When recognition is woven into everyday practices, employees feel consistently valued, which drives deeper commitment. Pluxee Philippines' HR Director, Claire Caparas shares,

Rewards and recognition are not just perks, they reinforce what matters to show employees that their contributions are valued and seen. When recognition is consistent, it builds trust and improves engagement.

3. Prioritize employees’ holistic wellness

Today’s top talents evaluate employers not only on career opportunities but also on how they support overall well-being. Companies that invest in promoting holistic wellness—covering physical health, mental resilience, and work-life balance—create environments where employees can sustain high performance minus the burnout.

Initiatives such as flexible work arrangements, mental health resources, and accessible fitness programs with tools like Vantage Fit demonstrate care beyond the workplace, positioning your organization as a partner in life, not just in work.  

4. Strengthen your employer brand

A strong employer brand rooted in genuine employee value propositions becomes a magnet for top talent and a shield against attrition. Employer branding today is defined less by marketing campaigns and more by authentic employee experiences. Candidates are drawn to organizations that demonstrate inclusivity, care, and a long-term commitment to happiness.  

By showcasing recognition programs, wellness initiatives, and meaningful rewards in recruitment messaging, companies can differentiate themselves in a crowded market.  

📊 Case Study: Engagement gains with Pluxee

A leading Business Process Management (BPM) company serving telecom, travel, retail, and other industries faced a challenge during the pandemic: how can they sustain employee motivation and recognition in a remote-first environment?

In 2020, the company shifted from paper-based rewards to a digital model, aiming to reward top performers, foster a positive work environment, and strengthen retention.

With the help of Pluxee, employees received digital gift certificates when they achieved targets for calls, monthly sales, or client commendations, which they could redeem across thousands of partner merchants nationwide. This transition streamlined distribution and gave employees flexibility in choosing rewards that mattered to them.

The results were striking: the company recorded a 30% increase in employee retention and productivity compared to pre-pandemic levels. The success of the program led the organization’s leadership team to expand digital incentives into seasonal gifting, embedding recognition more deeply into the company culture.

This just shows that when a company truly invests in their people, businesses not only attract high-value talent—they also create workplaces where employees feel valued, motivated, and inspired to grow. 

✅ Final thoughts

Winning the talent battle requires more than just competitive compensation packages. At the end of the day, companies that embrace a multi-benefits people strategy—rewarding employees, engaging them through recognition, and supporting their wellness—will stand out as employers of choice in 2026.

This blog was written with the help of AI tools.