You’ve built a total rewards strategy to help you find and keep top talent—but is it keeping pace with your peers, and the wider market?
Korn Ferry’s Global Total Rewards Pulse Survey gathers insights from organizations worldwide, offering the latest data on total rewards programs, benefits, and salary benchmarking.
If you design, create, and update total rewards packages for your organization, this is an essential read.
Our Latest Global Total Rewards Pulse Survey—the Results Are In
The results of our latest survey on Executive Pay Trends, conducted in June 2025, are now available!
How is executive pay evolving in today’s business landscape? And what can organizations expect for salary increases in 2026? Our latest Global Pulse Survey gathered insights from more than 3,800 HR and total rewards leaders across 130+ countries. Here’s what we found:
Executive Pay and Governance
- Organizations are increasingly rethinking their approach to executive pay.
- Pay structures are shifting—target pay is expected to reward peak performance rather than tenure.
- CEO benchmarking is being challenged, with greater emphasis on pay practices for broader leadership roles.
- One-time awards and performance-based incentives are rising in importance.
- Many organizations feel rTSR (relative total shareholder return) plans are not aligned to true company performance.
Business Outlook for 2025-2026
- Moderate growth expectations persist, but optimism has slightly cooled since earlier this year.
- 76% of organizations expect head count stability, with most leaning towards modest hiring increases.
- Leaders are bracing for measured salary growth while navigating economic pressures.
Emerging Priorities in Rewards Strategy
Beyond base salary and bonuses, organizations are reassessing core reward principles:
- How to effectively benchmark global leaders, especially those working across countries
- Balancing short-term incentives with meaningful long-term performance goals
- Deciding when to prioritize retention over performance—or vice versa
Why Download This Survey?
- Get clear benchmarks to guide your executive pay strategy
- See your peers' forecasts on 2026 salary increases
- Explore global trends to sharpen your rewards approach in a competitive market
Equip yourself with fresh insights to strengthen your rewards strategy, engage top talent, and stay ahead of market shifts.
Download the Full Survey Results
