Given that thriving at work has been shown to be positively related to favorable outcomes, such as increased performance, proactivity, and creativity, it has received increasing attention in current literature. However, knowledge about whether and how high‐performance work systems elicit thriving at work remains limited. Thus, drawing on HRM system strength theory and the socially embedded model of thriving at work, this study identifies the mediating role of developmental climate and the moderating role of high‐performance work systems consensus. By integrating human resource (HR) content and HR process perspectives, our study provides a complete and nuanced picture to understand the HR systems–outcomes linkage.