Thriving at work: how to help employees flourish, not just function

As the conversation around workplace strategy evolves, the focus is shifting from productivity and presence in the office to human performance and engagement. But despite this growing awareness, global data suggests that most employees are not thriving at work.  

Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report reveals that only 33% of workers say they are thriving in their lives overall. And in Australia, the numbers are even more concerning. According to the Global Work Wellbeing Report 2024 by Indeed, Australian workplaces are falling behind on three key drivers of wellbeing: belonging, energy, and inclusion. 

This is quickly becoming a business challenge. Research from the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with McKinsey Health Institute, draws a clear line between thriving employees and thriving organisations. Companies that invest in comprehensive wellbeing strategies see improvements across the business from individual employee benefits, such as employee morale and retention, to business benefits such an increased innovation, customer experience and financial performance.  

The science of thriving 

At our upcoming WORKTECH Sydney 2025 conference, the theme of ‘flourishing’ will take centre stage as experts including architect David Dewane, workplace strategist Tica Masuku, and academic Iva Durakovic explore what it truly means to thrive at work. 

Flourishing at work, according to psychological research, is more than just being satisfied or stress-free. It’s about experiencing purpose, autonomy, connection and energy. A 2022 study published in The European Journal of Work and Organisational Psychology reinforces this idea, showing that thriving requires the right conditions, alongside personal resilience. 

Yet, those conditions are often missing. Australian employees, in particular, report some of the lowest global scores for energy at work, suggesting widespread fatigue and disengagement. Meanwhile, inclusion and belonging, which is critical for psychological safety, are still not fully embedded into organisational cultures.  

Older managers and women have been especially hard hit, with Gallup data showing the steepest declines in wellbeing among these groups over the past year.  

Places for flourishing 

Place is critical to improving our psycho-physical wellbeing and our productivity. But in the drive to use workplace design to take employees from a state of depression to a state of flourishing, organisations can too easily overlook the ‘weird middle ground’ of languishing.  

A keynote speaker at the upcoming WORKTECH Sydney event, David Dewane, Chief Experience Officer at Geniant, explores the meaning of ‘languishing’ at work. He describes languishing as the ‘neglected middle child’ of mental health.  

Dewane has previously quoted the sociologist Corey Keyes to describe the main characteristics of languishing: ‘Life circumstances feel dictated by external factors; an inability to see strengths and weaknesses; feelings of boredom and unease; job seems pointless in the grand scheme; brain fog; disconnection from community; emotionally flat; and pseudo productivity.’ 

Designing a great workplace can promote a sense of flourishing at work. When employees are in a place where their frequency and vibration match with the place, then the space becomes more comfortable.  

Rethinking the workplace ecosystem 

At WORKTECH Sydney, speakers will be challenging conventional approaches to wellbeing. David Dewane’s ‘Eudaimonia Machine’ explores how spatial design can support deeper focus and personal fulfilment. Tica Masuku will discuss workplace belonging through the lens of cultural narrative and authenticity.  

Iva Durakovic will bring an academic perspective on designing for inclusion and psychological safety. What links these perspectives is a growing recognition that thriving is not a static concept. It is being constantly shaped by changing systems, leadership and design. 

To build workplaces where people truly thrive, organisations must go beyond surface-level wellbeing programmes and tackle the deeper architecture of work. This includes redesigning roles to offer more autonomy, building inclusive cultures where all voices are heard, and ensuring physical spaces foster energy rather than drain it. 

As the WORKTECH community gathers in Sydney, we’ll explore how these shifts are already playing out in Australia, and what more needs to be done. The future of work won’t be defined by how much ‘productivity’ and output we can squeeze from employees, but by how well we help them flourish and work sustainably.