Women across the UK workforce are seeking stronger mentoring relationships, professional coaching, and greater flexibility in how they approach retirement, according to new research analysing the attitudes of more than 1,000 employed adults.
The study — released by organisation development consultancy h2h to coincide with International Women’s Day — found that 76% of women want to learn from older colleagues, while 74% are interested in receiving mentoring. Yet only 41% say they are currently involved in a mentoring relationship.
The data also suggests experienced employees are equally open to knowledge sharing. Among women approaching retirement, 55% say they would like to mentor younger colleagues, and 58% would seek professional coaching for themselves.
The findings form part of the report From Onboarding to Retirement: Rethinking Career Growth and Retention in Organisations in 2026 and Beyond, which examines career attitudes across the full employment lifecycle — from early career choices to retirement planning.
Susan Binnersley, Managing Director of h2h, said the results point to a missed opportunity for organisations to capture institutional knowledge and strengthen intergenerational learning.
“This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is ‘Give to Gain’, which is particularly relevant when you see the trends from our research around the value of mentoring and coaching in the workplace,” she said.
“Women of all ages have a lot to learn from one another, and reverse-mentoring — where experienced colleagues learn from their younger counterparts — is just as beneficial as the more traditional mentoring relationship. The added benefit for organisations is that it helps to tackle the growing issue of knowledge draining from businesses when people retire.”
Retirement itself is increasingly viewed positively. The research found that 64% of women say they are excited about retirement, with 62% already preparing clear plans for how they will spend their time — even when retirement may still be more than a decade away. Among men, 56% reported having similar plans.
Flexible retirement models also appear to be gaining interest. The concept of “micro-retirement” — taking shorter breaks from work during a career rather than retiring abruptly at the end — appeals to 56% of women who expect to retire within the next decade. Among women earlier in their careers, that figure rises to 64%.
Many are also considering continuing some form of employment later in life. Almost half of women surveyed, 48%, say they expect to take a part-time role after leaving full-time work, compared with 42% of men.
Despite the optimism around retirement planning, the research highlights concerns about identity and wellbeing during the transition out of full-time work.
Nearly half of women surveyed — 47% — said they worry about losing their sense of purpose after retirement, while 42% expressed concern about the potential impact on their mental health.
Binnersley said mentoring could play an important role in addressing these concerns while supporting workforce development.
“Our research also shows that women worry about losing their sense of purpose when they retire, and mentoring is a great way to leave a lasting legacy and add meaning to those all important final years of full-time work,” she said.
“I am fortunate to have benefitted from mentoring throughout my working life and believe it fundamentally shaped my early career, when I was in the minority as a woman working in STEM in the early 1990s.”
For employers, the findings underline a broader shift in how employees are thinking about career progression, knowledge sharing, and retirement — with mentoring, coaching, and flexible career stages emerging as part of a longer working lifecycle.
The full report is available at https://h2h.uk.com/2025-survey-report/
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