Six words sum up the work experiences of total rewards and compensation and benefits professionals, said  Anne Ruddy, president of WorldatWork: celebration, careers, commitment, conversation, communication, and connections.

Ruddy, who spoke April 29 at the opening general session at the 2013 WorldatWork  Total Rewards Conferencein Philadelphia, said compensation and benefits professionals had a lot to celebrate because studies have shown that about  90 percent of industry professionals recommend the profession  as a career. “Compare that to only 10 percent of doctors and 60 percent of accountants,” Ruddy said.

In terms of careers,  Ruddy and other professionals shared eight traits of the top professionals in total rewards: technical mastery; analytical skills and attention to detail; strategic business understanding; communication and connection; having a support system; adaptability and flexibility; passion and productivity; and continuous learning.

Author and networking expert Mark Scharenbroich, who also spoke at the opening session, said that connection is the key to success. Establishing connections fuels the other five attributes mentioned by Ruddy, he said.

In addition to basic needs, core needs are necessary and include the need to belong and the need to hear compliments or positives, Scharenbroich said. People should be acknowledged appropriately and honored with passionate service, he said, adding that connections should be meaningful.

By Michael Baer