Review of 2025

In this episode of Getting Our Reward Heads Together, we take a look back at 2025 — a year defined by rising costs, shifting employee expectations, pay compression, and fast-moving policy changes.

 

Reward Heads CEO Victoria Milford is joined by Jannine Smith, Senior Consulting Manager at Reward Heads, to reflect on the biggest trends shaping Reward this year.

 

They explore:

• The impact of the National Living Wage increase and wider minimum wage rises
• Ongoing pay compression and fairness challenges
• The surprise employer National Insurance hike and its effect on pay review budgets
• Increasing focus on low-cost and innovative benefits
• The rise of Total Reward, flexibility, and personalised benefits
• How AI and digital skill demands continue to reshape job design and pay
• Growing expectations around pay transparency and fairness
• The shift toward purpose-driven Reward

This 10 minute episode provides a clear snapshot of the forces shaping Reward in 2025 — and what they mean for the years ahead.