Wellness week is every week: Why wellness should be at the centre of your hiring strategy

This week is Wellness Week, and although we fully support the concept, at Trace, wellness week is every week.

Below we highlight why employee wellness is more than just a week - it’s as important as salaries, policies and incentives, and should be at the centre of your hiring strategy.

It’s expensive to businesses

Even if the moral inclination to support employees with their mental health isn’t enough, the cost of ignoring employee’s wellness is expensive for businesses.

AXA UK estimated workplace “mind health” struggles cost the UK economy £102 billion in 2023, including £26 billion from sick leave and £57.4 billion from reduced productivity.

In comparison, CBI reports that for every £1 spent on mental health interventions, companies see up to £5 return through reduced absence, presenteeism, and turnover.

This can include regular check-ins with Management or Occupational Health professionals, providing easy access to suitable support services or including a Mental Health policy as part of wider HR strategies.  

Your team will actually show up

Presenteeism (employees at work but underperforming) is a larger cost than absenteeism—accounting for over half of mental health‑related losses (~£28 billion).

This is demoralising for the employee, the business and, in turn, its customers. So how can businesses avoid this?

Invest in training – especially for Line Managers – so signs of presenteeism are seen and intervened early, and Managers are equipped to support with mental health concerns.

Flexibility in working environments and patterns has also proven to be beneficial, with 79% of workers saying hybrid working – for example - has helped improve their work-life balance and reduced anxiety/burnout, in a 2025 survey.

Many of our current live roles are hybrid – take a look here.

Set realistic expectations

A recent Reed study reports 85% of UK workers have experienced burnout or exhaustion; nearly half (47%) have taken mental-health-related leave.

This is particularly high in the finance & insurance industries, where burnout hits around 17% of staff and poor mental health costs are £5,379 per employee annually.

So, if the demands are consistently too high and support is consistently too low, not only does productivity dip, but it disappears completely, as once hard-working and dedicated employees take much-needed leave.

Proactively investing in resources such as free or easy-access counselling, health insurance and mental health support can help mitigate some of these issues.

The true cost of a bad hire

Locating the right person for the right role is vital, especially in Management.

A 2024 LinkedIn survey found nearly 75% of employees have left a job to escape a bad boss.

Losing talented professionals in this way costs businesses across the board – monetarily, reputationally, team morale and more are all negatively impacted.

The best way to avoid this – ensure the right person is hired in the first place.

Working with agencies such as Trace can not only provide confidence in a thorough and efficient hiring strategy, but provide support and guidance on policies and strategies that source and keep the best talent for your team.

Wellbeing beyond the week

At Trace, we know how important it is to provide support both for our team and clients.

One way is via our unique approach to talent acquisition and recruitment – we meet everyone we work with. At our recent Trace Community event, HR and Talent Acquisition leaders agreed that nothing is more effective than a face-to-face interview, when it comes to securing the right person for their business.

We also apply our own competency framework and assessment - PFIT - as part of the hiring process, which identifies not just if a candidate is a good fit, but how much value they will add to a business - going far beyond the “standard” practice of other agencies.

We apply to same principles to our own team, providing a range of benefits including flexible working patterns, an Employee Assistance Programme and a Personal Development Allowance.

Coming up is our ‘August Anywhere’ initiative, where the Trace can work from anywhere in the world.

“Being able to work remotely for the month gave me the chance to step away from the usual routine, without losing momentum at work,” says Senior Consultant Emma Kitson.

“It helps me feel more balanced, more focused, and better prepared for the months ahead. It’s a simple initiative, but one that genuinely supports wellbeing in a meaningful way”, she adds.

We’re always looking to work with new people – so if you would like to join Team Trace, or work with us to build your team, get in touch here.