Employees value the flexibility that remote work allows. Many have become accustomed to the advantages of remote work, such as the ability to save on commuting time, frustrations and costs, or better integrate home and work life. Small perks like being able to drop their kids off at school, attend fitness classes in the morning, or simply being available for technicians when something goes wrong at home have become a part of an employee's norm over the past two years.

Additionally, remote workers no longer have to be tied to a specific geographic location to fulfill their jobs. The independence and autonomy workers have over their location allows them to move or travel to any city while continuing to succeed in their roles. This also creates opportunities for those who live outside of where a company is based. Prospective hires are now eligible for jobs they may not have previously considered due to location constraints.

While some workers are ready to return to the office to collaborate "in real life," many others are not willing to give up the perks and convenience of working from "anywhere".

How can organizations meet the needs of both employees in favor of in-office work and employees in favor of remote work?

People-centric employers should listen to the concerns of their employees and work with them to build an approach for both in-office and remote workers. One way organizations can find this balance is by regularly surveying employees and evaluating their feedback. At WorkTango, for example, we have employees that choose to be completely remote, but we also have employees that want to collaborate with their coworkers and have the ability to work in-office, so we're focused on remote first, but with hybrid options. We have employees stationed in various locations across North America, so we depend on technology to keep us connected and engaged in company culture.

In making policy or real estate investment decisions, organizations will make better decisions if they fully understand employee views on the matter – and how those views may not be uniform across the employee population. Executives, specifically, must lead by example to show that they care about their employees by being willing to work with their teams to balance the trade-offs between in-person work and remote work.

What are the pros and cons of returning to work in an office after some companies have been remote for over two years?

Though many employees don't want a rigid return-to-office mandate, there are many benefits of working in an office. Some examples include:

• An enhanced sense of belonging that results from working toward the same goal alongside your team.
• Opportunities for employees to build professional and personal connections, resulting in strengthened collaboration and camaraderie. This strengthened connection contributes significantly to an employee's overall sense of happiness, their desire to be productive, and helps them maintain a high level of engagement in their work.
• Serendipitous conversations that happen informally in an office. These lead to questions being answered more quickly, but also lead to strong bonds built between team members. Working from home requires all interactions to be scheduled or occur digitally.
• Physical boundaries to define workspace outside of their home, which may help team members avoid burnout.

Strict "return-to-office" policies reduce talent pools for organizations, as they will only be able to hire candidates living near an office, or people willing to relocate. Companies requiring employees to return to the office full time are likely to lose a portion of their workforce, given two-thirds of employees say they would consider looking for a new job under rigid RTO policies.

As more people re-enter the workforce, how can leaders make the office a productive yet inviting environment for their employees?

When discussing RTO policies, leaders should be transparent and effectively communicate the reasons behind policies to employees. If a mandate is coming, leaders should demonstrate the role that in-person work plays within the organization and how it benefits employees who are returning to the office as well.

New employee onboarding and training, especially for early career employees, often works best in an in-person setting. Having the capability to not only observe, but also offer continuous informal coaching to these team members in real-time can support accelerated growth and performance.

With this being said, ensuring that in-office settings are welcoming and motivating is crucial. As a leader, this type of environment can be fostered through setting and actively tracking measurable goals and by connecting with team members frequently.

Organizations that have a strong company culture might choose to emphasize that the work culture and collaboration are worth returning for. Companies who struggle with company culture will need to communicate that they're putting an extra focus on creating an environment of collaboration, instead of the "silence and separation" that corporate office life can often perpetuate.

One additional way leaders can bolster their employee engagement and overall culture is by implementing or improving upon employee recognition programs.

What role do managers play in ensuring their direct reports feel comfortable returning to the office and balancing a hybrid workplace?

Managers are a crucial link in the chain of executing company policies and enhancing workplace culture for employees. Direct managers are typically in-tune with both culture and productivity within their teams, and how that ladders up to the larger workplace.

In order to ensure their employees are feeling comfortable, managers can prioritize initiatives like regular sync-ups with individual employees, team meetings, and direct reports to understand individual and overall needs. These meetings are also key to closing communication gaps which simultaneously builds trust and creates a direct line of feedback between employee and manager.

If concerns are prevalent, managers should urge executives to conduct employee surveys to better understand employee sentiment around larger return to office decisions.