Why your total rewards strategy isn’t driving performance and how to fix it
Most Total Rewards programs look good on paper, but fail to drive performance. During this live session, Mercer and Vantage Circle will share how leading organizations use AIRe, a modern approach to engagement and recognition, to infuse behavior science into total rewards - with real business outcomes.
6th February, 2026
1PM, EST
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About the webinar
Organizations are investing heavily in Total Rewards, yet many still struggle to translate those investments into sustained business impact. One common reason: rewards are not always designed to reinforce the everyday behaviors that drive performance.
In this webinar, we'll introduce the AIRe Framework—a behavioral science-driven lens that connects engagement to the behaviors that matter most. If you're rethinking your Total Rewards strategy for 2026, this session is a must-attend.
What you will learn
- Why traditional Total Rewards approaches can create an engagement–productivity gap, and how behavioral science closes it
- A clear understanding of the AIRe Framework and how each pillar shapes engagement, culture, and performance
- What our analysis reveals about Total Rewards components—especially why Recognition & Rewards is the most holistic lever across AIRe
- How to design modern recognition programs for maximum impact using an “eight-driver” approach (coverage, frequency, clarity, value, specificity, alignment, personalization, delivery)
- Practical next steps to apply AIRe across your Total Rewards strategy in 2026
Meet the speakers
John Land
Chief Advocacy Officer – Vantage Circle
John champions employee engagement and recognition at Vantage Circle, helping organizations adopt modern, data-driven approaches to building stronger workplace cultures. A former Mercer Partner, CHRO, and U.S. Navy officer, he brings deep expertise in HR transformation, recognition design, and workforce strategy.
Tauseef Rahman
Partner, Career Practice Growth Leader – Mercer
Tauseef leads Mercer’s Career Practice Growth for Northern California and Hawaii, partnering with organizations to translate business strategy into effective talent strategy. A seasoned human capital consultant, his expertise spans total rewards, work design and transformation, people analytics, pay transparency, skills-powered work, and digital transformation, with a strong focus on the high-tech industry.
Tauseef Rahman
Partner, Career Practice Growth Leader – Mercer
Tauseef leads Mercer’s Career Practice Growth for Northern California and Hawaii, partnering with organizations to translate business strategy into effective talent strategy. A seasoned human capital consultant, his expertise spans total rewards, work design and transformation, people analytics, pay transparency, skills-powered work, and digital transformation, with a strong focus on the high-tech industry.
Saurabh Deshpande
Director, CoE - People & Culture - Vantage Circle
Saurabh leads Vantage REACH, Vantage Circle’s Research, Education & Advisory capability hub, partnering with HR leaders, clients, and Vantage Circle’s product and program success teams to shape recognition and rewards strategies grounded in behavioural science and business impact. He brings over 20 years of experience across HR consulting and in-house roles, including work at Mercer and Aon.
Exclusive bonus for attendees
Resources included
Attendees will receive three practical resources designed to benchmark, assess, and improve your rewards and recognition strategy
AIRe White Paper
Understand industry benchmarks and what high-performing teams are doing differently.
Recognition Self-Assessment
See where your current program stands across key engagement and recognition indicators.
1:1 Consultation
Get expert guidance on how to close gaps, strengthen impact, and improve outcomes.
Ready to turn engagement into performance?
Join hundreds of HR and Total Rewards leaders who are rethinking how recognition and rewards actually work.
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