Emaar India CHRO on linking rewards to performance for an engaged workforce

A rewarding workplace is one where employees feel valued, motivated, and empowered to perform at their best. When rewards—whether monetary, career growth opportunities, or recognition—are directly linked to performance, they create a culture of excellence, engagement, and accountability. 

In an exclusive conversation with People Matters, Madhuri Mehta, Chief Human Resources Officer of Emaar India, shared her insights on fostering such a culture. She has successfully built an environment where employees across all levels are genuinely engaged, while effectively addressing key workplace challenges like mental well-being, recognition, and career advancement with her thoughtful strategies. 

Read here the edited excerpts:

Keeping employees engaged and motivated.. 

Emaar India has a diverse workforce of approximately 1,200 employees across different teams, including a dedicated real estate team of 650, a shared services team of 250, and a contact center handling customer service for Dubai with 200 employees. This diversity is a key factor in shaping effective employee engagement strategies, ensuring that initiatives cater to the unique needs of each group. Madhuri shared, “Our workforce spans various age groups. For example, the contact center is primarily made up of a younger team, while the average age for our real estate team is around 35 to 36 years. So, it’s essential for us to ensure that every segment, every age group, and every diversity category—whether it’s gender or DEI-related—feels represented in our engagement activities. The goal is that no one feels left out, and we strive to offer programs for everyone.”

She added, “We also conduct regular need analysis throughout the year to better understand what our people want. We run surveys at various points to gauge their preferences. Are they more interested in health-related initiatives, cultural activities, games, or food? By asking these questions, we can tailor our programs to meet their needs and interests.

For example, health-focused holistic well-being programs that cover body, mind, and soul.  Mental well-being through mindfulness workshops, stress management, quizzes & puzzles. We provide emotional balance through yoga and other spiritual healing sessions. These programs address different aspects of well-being.” 

“We also have programs targeted at specific groups, like women-focused initiatives and retirement planning sessions for those nearing the end of their careers. There are activities for younger employees, too— for example: swimming, badminton, and even chess championships. We’ve even organised cricket tournaments to engage the younger generation. The idea is to offer something for everyone, no matter their generation or background, so they can pick what resonates most with them.”

"Additionally, we run creative hobby workshops, such as photography and painting camps. Many of our employees are so busy with corporate life that they don’t get the chance to explore personal interests.

For example, for employees who want to learn painting, we offer a four-week painting course on weekends, allowing employees to explore their passions without disrupting family time or weekly chores.”

“The key here is to offer a range of options so that employees feel empowered to choose what works best for them. This approach aligns with the preferences of today’s workforce, where offering choices is highly valued.”

Thoughtful recruitment and retention strategies..

“Fortunately, we have one of the lowest attrition rates in the real estate industry. Currently, our year-to-date attrition is at 15%, while the industry average is around 23-24%,” shared Madhuri. 

“This strong retention rate reflects the culture we've built at Emaar and shows that we care about our employees. From the CEO to the leadership team, down to every employee, there’s a collective effort in nurturing our people. When the culture within the company speaks for itself, when employees genuinely believe in the workplace and its values — it is naturally reflected outside, too.”

Adding, “In an industry where job changes are common and networks run deep, word spreads fast—especially with social media amplifying the message. Employees frequently share their experiences about our culture, festivals, and recognition programs, with many praising our workplace on LinkedIn. This organic advocacy strengthens our employer brand, attracting talent effortlessly. Our LinkedIn feed is filled with professionals eager to join Emaar India, and as a result, we rarely need external consultants. Our recruitment team is inundated with candidates drawn to our professional, people-centric culture.”

Recognition, appreciation, and inclusion are at the heart of our people-centric approach, driving a significant shift in employee retention. Three years ago, our attrition rate was nearly 30%, but through focused initiatives, we have reduced it to 14-15% over the past two and a half years. Regular town halls provide employees with direct access to the CEO, fostering transparency and alignment with company goals. Informal interactions like Breakfast with the CEO and Chai with the CHRO further strengthen connections and open communication.

"Our structured reward and recognition programs play a crucial role in employee motivation. Managers can offer on-the-spot appreciation through the Manager’s Gift Basket and Great Work Card. The Quarterly CEO’s Excellence Award honors top performers who exemplify Emaar’s core values. Our flagship program, Uttkrishtta, is a value-driven quarterly reward, rigorously evaluated by external partners, reinforcing a culture of excellence aligned with our core values: Customer First, Fast-Paced, Ownership Mindset, Winning Together, and One Emaar."

Engagement and transparency are key to retention. We ensure employees are well-informed—not just about policies and appraisals but also about leadership interactions and workplace initiatives. 

“A great DEI policy means little if employees aren’t aware of it, which is why communication is central to everything we do. By fostering open dialogue and direct leadership engagement, we create an environment where employees feel heard, valued, and connected. At the end of the day, clear communication is the foundation of an engaged and thriving workforce.”

Real growth opportunities for high-potential employees..

“Our RISE program is a key driver in developing future leaders, strengthening our leadership pipeline, and enabling seamless expansion. A program that allows us to entrust trained employees with broader roles, both horizontally and vertically, as they grow within the organisation.”

“Beyond leadership development, our focus is on building a people-centric culture. We have automated most HR processes, enabling our team to prioritise real interactions over administrative tasks. Our HRMS system provides seamless access to leaves, policies, benefits, goals, and performance management, freeing up time for meaningful employee engagement and growth. HR should be embedded in the workflow—HR professionals should know every individual in the organisation, from entry-level to leadership, understand their challenges, and be readily accessible. Creating personal connections is key to fostering a sense of belonging.”

“This philosophy extends to our construction sites, where much of the workforce consists of contractors. We prioritise their well-being and skill development through initiatives like safety training, awareness of government schemes, insurance programs, and food arrangements. For women workers, larger sites are equipped with crèches to support working mothers. Our initiatives also focus on upskilling construction workers, aligning with Emaar India’s commitment to ESG excellence.”

As HR leaders, we often face tough decisions, balancing ethics with business objectives. Transparency and fairness are the foundation of our culture. We uphold a strict code of conduct, addressing any unethical behavior promptly and ensuring accountability. Just like in a family, setting the right example is crucial—when actions are justified and handled with integrity, it reinforces trust and harmony."

Ultimately, our goal is to cultivate a performance-driven, inclusive, and customer-first culture where every employee feels valued and empowered.

Making an employee-centric organisation..

We conduct annual surveys to stay aligned with our employees' evolving needs. Our yearly ESAT survey with Deloitte, covering 14 key parameters, helps us gauge strengths and identify areas for improvement. For example, while trust in leadership might be high, the work environment could require attention. In such cases, we dive deeper to pinpoint specific concerns—whether related to physical workspace, resources, or other factors.  

Last year, our ESAT score was 86%, a strong indicator of employee satisfaction. However, we remain committed to continuous improvement by actively listening to feedback. In addition to annual surveys, we conduct regular pulse checks to track employee sentiment in real time. Consistently engaging with employees through these channels allows us to address concerns proactively and enhance their experience.  

We also continuously review our policies to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry. Our aim is to lead policy innovation in the real estate sector, setting benchmarks for others to follow. At the same time, we attract talent from diverse industries—finance professionals from FMCG, IT specialists from tech—so our policies must remain competitive and inclusive.  

• Our short-term strategies focus on listening to employees and analysing industry trends. This enables us to refine compensation, policies, rewards, and communication programs with agility. Our flexibility in responding to feedback has made these strategies highly effective.  
• On a long-term scale, we are preparing for rapid growth, with Emaar India's revenue set to double and eventually quadruple. This requires a strong talent pipeline, making talent development and succession planning essential. 

Beyond office-based roles, we also focus on attracting and developing a skilled workforce at our construction sites, where finding experienced workers can be a challenge. Many organisations tend to prioritise white-collar employees, but we believe in equal investment in blue-collar workers. That’s why we introduced Shram, a specialised program for training and upskilling our contractor workforce.  

Quality and safety are paramount at our construction sites. After all, if a worker doesn’t lay the right brick, the entire foundation is compromised. Ensuring high standards of quality and safety at every level of the organisation is not just a priority—it’s a necessity.

Building a year-round culture of performance-driven recognition and rewards..

“At Emaar, we prioritise building a strong feedback and listening culture by running training programs that embed this mechanism across all levels. Feedback isn’t just for managers—employees also need to be trained on how to accept and act on constructive feedback. For a truly people-centric culture, both giving and receiving feedback must be valued equally.”

“If feedback is delayed until an appraisal or performance review, it might be too late to course-correct. Employees need to see feedback as a tool for growth, not criticism. While a low rating or difficult conversation can be tough, early intervention helps prevent bigger failures in the long run.”

“To support this, we offer structured programs on giving and receiving feedback. Our leadership development programs, spanning young leaders to middle management and senior executives, all emphasise feedback. For instance, in the RISE Program, young executives receive specialised training for fast-track growth, along with coaching on feedback mechanisms. Even at the CXO level, we focus on different leadership styles and how to apply feedback effectively in various situations. Regardless of seniority, the emphasis on feedback remains constant.  

For employees, understanding feedback is key to becoming better managers today and stronger leaders tomorrow. This approach has been highly effective, reinforced by our transparent performance management system. Employees have full visibility into their goals, performance measures, and manager feedback—ensuring clarity and alignment.  

We also tie rewards to performance, helping to reduce uncertainty. Our compensation strategy is communicated openly, ensuring employees understand performance benchmarks at different levels and in the broader industry context. Before performance letters are issued, managers receive training on the increment strategy, equipping them to address employee queries effectively. 

At the core of it all, communication and transparency are essential. Of course, grievances will arise—that’s inevitable in any organisation. The real difference lies in how we address them. Handling concerns with fairness, clarity, and openness is what truly strengthens our culture.

Emerging trends do you see shaping people-centric and sustainable workplaces..

I firmly believe that talent will be the key differentiator for us—without a doubt. It’s not just about hiring; it’s about attracting and retaining top-quality talent across every level. There’s no shortage of talent in the market, but the real challenge is ensuring that the right people choose to work with us and stay. That’s why every aspect of our approach to talent—from contractors and vendors to fresh graduates and senior leaders—is critical.  

We ask ourselves daily: Are we attracting the best contractors? The best vendors? Do people genuinely aspire to work with Emaar? Are we bringing in the right workers and junior graduates? These questions guide our talent strategy.  

To illustrate, consider how Emaar compares to a multinational company. If you’re a fresh civil engineering graduate, would you choose Emaar, or would you be drawn to a global MNC? 

The question isn’t just about offering jobs—it’s about creating an environment where people don’t just want to work with us but truly aspire to be part of our journey. How do we build a talent brand that stands out, inspires ambition, and positions Emaar as the clear choice over competitors? That’s the challenge we are committed to solving.