Why Thriving at Work is the Future of High Performance—And the Key to Retaining Women

Our ongoing research on Thriving at Work has made one thing clear: when employees thrive, organizations perform better. But are employees—particularly women—truly thriving? And if not, what’s holding them back?

Our latest Thriving at Work Study reveals critical insights that not only shine a light on the challenges women face but also offer a roadmap for accelerating organizational performance and creating thriving workplace cultures.

The State of Thriving: What the Data Tells Us

Our newly launched Thrive Index™ measures how often employees feel they are thriving—on a scale from 1 (never thriving) to 5 (always thriving). In early 2024, women rated their ability to thrive at 3.4. By the end of the year, that number dropped to 3.2—a clear sign that thriving may be on the decline.

Why does this matter? Because when women thrive at work, they report being:

•  More productive

•  More likely to go above and beyond

•  More effective in their roles

And when women thrive, their organizations also benefit—through better business outcomes, stronger engagement, less burnout, and reduced turnover.

What’s Holding Women Back? Three Key Barriers

Our research identifies three primary barriers preventing women from thriving at work:

1. Poor Communication – When communication is unclear or inconsistent, employees feel disconnected and undervalued.
2. Lack of Transparency – Without honest, open dialogue, trust breaks down—leading to disengagement and decreased motivation.
3. Problematic Managerial Actions – Leadership behaviors matter. From micromanagement to conflict avoidance—and even active discrimination—poor leadership practices create environments where thriving becomes impossible.

The Future of Thriving is the Future of Business

The Thriving at Work Study offers a critical takeaway for today’s leaders: Supporting women’s ability to thrive is not just a moral imperative—it’s a business one.

Leaders who prioritize clear communication, transparency, and supportive behaviors create environments where employees not only perform better but also want to stay and contribute at their best.

One survey respondent put it clearly:

“To me, the tone is really set by your leader—if they are supportive, interested, and committed to shared success, I am more inclined to lean in and be part of the solution and ensure our organization thrives now and going forward.”

It’s time to move beyond “business as usual” and embrace thriving as the next frontier of organizational success. Explore the findings in our latest report to discover how your organization can foster a thriving culture.