In my work with business leaders across the UK, one theme keeps coming up: people. How to attract them, how to keep them, and crucially, how to help them thrive. While many companies still see employee wellbeing as a nice-to-have, forward-thinking leaders are treating it as a serious business driver.
I recently sat down with Anni Hood, co-founder of wellbeing innovation firm AstralMandala, and Karen Weir, Managing Director of Weir Insurance, to dig into why wellbeing deserves a permanent seat at the strategy table and how it can transform performance.
I’ve heard a lot of leaders say they “care about their people,” but what does it really mean to prioritise wellbeing as a business strategy?
Anni Hood: It means moving beyond reactive, one-off initiatives. True wellbeing is proactive and integrated. It influences retention, adaptability, innovation, and productivity. When employees feel seen, heard and supported, they’re able to bring their full selves to work. That’s not just good for them; it’s a competitive advantage.
Karen Weir: Absolutely. We’ve seen it at Weir Insurance. When our team feels genuinely looked after, they’re more engaged, more committed, and more adaptable. It’s not a soft benefit; it’s a hard business outcome.
In your experience, what holds companies back from taking wellbeing seriously?
Anni: One big barrier is the idea that wellbeing is intangible – a “nice extra” rather than something with clear value that you can measure. But that’s changing. We now have the tools to map data between investing in individual wellbeing and key business metrics like performance and absenteeism. Once leaders see the data, it becomes harder to dismiss – and why would they want to?
Karen: And there’s also an old mindset in some boardrooms: that short-term results matter most. But businesses that want to last (and that want to attract and keep great people) understand that looking after employees is part of a long-term commercial strategy, not a cost centre.
Culture plays such a big part. How do you see it affecting wellbeing?
Anni: Culture is everything. You can’t just add a wellbeing app and expect magic to happen. It has to be part of the DNA of the business – the way you lead, the way people are encouraged to speak up, the way work gets done.
Karen: For me, it comes down to trust. If you build a culture where people know they’re valued as human beings and not just for their output, they’ll give you loyalty and discretionary effort. That’s where the real business value lies.
What advice would you give to leaders wanting to make a meaningful shift?
Karen: Start by listening. You can’t assume you know what your people need – ask them! And don’t treat wellbeing as a separate initiative. It has to be woven into everyday life at work.
Anni: And lead by example. If leaders say they care about wellbeing but model constant overwork and celebrate burnout, it won’t stick. People watch what you do more than what you say.
Looking ahead, where do you see this going?
Anni: I believe wellbeing culture will become more granular; far from a ‘perk’, it will become embedded as an illness prevention lifestyle, viewed as essential to performance and long-term growth for business and national economies. We’ll see more businesses tracking wellbeing data as seriously as they do financial data and implementing tailored support. In the end, people are your biggest asset and caring for them is fundamental to success.
Karen: Exactly. Businesses that embrace this shift now will be the ones that thrive. Wellbeing isn’t a trend – it’s becoming a core pillar of business resilience and success.
My takeaway? In a world where talent and adaptability are everything, companies that invest deeply in their people won’t just feel better – they’ll perform better. Wellbeing is no longer a side project; it’s a strategic imperative.
