Return-to-office mandates were a large point of contention between employers and employees in 2024. Companies like Amazon and Dell are requiring their employees to be in office for 3 days or more. Companies and their employees can't seem to find a middle ground.
Industry leaders share their thoughts and concerns about RTO policies and how it will affect their 2025.
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The tide has shifted
Companies are forcing people to come back to work in the office, but the tide has shifted. There is going to be a big battle in 2025, and I think remote work will emerge as the winner in that. Hybrid full time is the way to go.
A big driver of this is AI - you can now reach out to 1000 candidates automatically. This is something that you have never been possible up until now and is going to cause competition. Remote opportunities will be the driving force for talent and companies requiring in person work are going to see a lot of good talent leave.
Felix Kim, CEO, Redrob
Hybrid is the way
The best companies will move back to hybrid work structures. The best talent doesn’t like to feel controlled. To build team chemistry and comradery, companies will focus on more meetups and super commuting events.
Alex Zekoff, CEO, Thoughtful AI
Embrace different models
The normalization of remote work will continue to evolve, with companies embracing hybrid models. This will lead to increased competition for talent across borders, as organizations hire from a global talent pool.
The use of AI in the hiring process will expand, streamlining recruitment and companies will increasingly rely on algorithms for screening resumes and matching candidates to job openings.
Jae Gardner, director of operations, Redrob
AI’s role in meeting spaces
As people return to office and hybrid work becomes more common, AI will play a key role in transforming how we interact with meeting spaces. Instead of a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach, AI will learn your preferences–adjusting the lighting, displays and the meeting platform to your liking as soon as you enter a room.
Whether you’re using Zoom, Teams or another tool, AI will ensure the space is automatically configured to match your needs, saving you the time and hassle of manual adjustments.
The goal is for AI to recognize your credentials and preferences, regardless of the platform or service, so you can walk into any space and be ready to go. Ultimately, this will create a seamless, consistent experience that enhances collaboration.
Dan Root, head of global strategic alliances, Barco ClickShare
Year of work-life balance
Flexible work policies are crucial for maintaining a work-life balance. Remote and hybrid work models, compressed workweeks, flexible working hours – these trends underscore a shift from rigid one-size-fits-all policies to adaptable frameworks that respect individual needs and encourage a more balanced workforce. Productivity analytics has also taken center stage driven by the need to reassess workforce productivity.
Shruthi Kumar, senior director of HR technology and employee services; Annie Varghese, director HRIS and HR analytics, University of Phoenix
Remote work growth will slow, with burnout affecting all
The rapid expansion of remote work is expected to slow in 2025. While remote work became a hallmark of the pandemic era, many remote workers are now facing the same issues as their in-office counterparts–facing burnout and struggles with productivity.
In the year ahead, HR will need to navigate shifts in work location policies, balancing remote, hybrid and in-office strategies, while also promoting greater collaboration and connectedness among workers through benefits such as flexible work hours, wellness programs and team-building initiatives.
Amanda Czepiel, JD, Brightmine
Why is RTO a thing in the news?
Yes, the pandemic forced remote workforces on many companies around the world where it was possible to deliver the work remotely and many companies, specifically in tech, learned what could be done or not done outside the office. Just because work can be done remotely does not mean that it has to be done remotely, however. Companies should remain true to their culture, values, and workplace experience goals to deliver the best option in workplace options for themselves.
With the current state of the global talent marketplace, a worker has the opportunity to identify the best company match for themselves and a key factor might be the company’s policy on in-office, hybrid, or remote working. Many workers have built a reliance on, or preference for, a way of working that best fits their lifestyle, and that might even change over time.
We have to remember we have multiple generations in the workforce at this time and there is not a one-size-fits-all workplace. Let’s allow companies to define the best workplace option for their company and let’s allow people to leverage the global talent marketplace to find the company that best fits their workplace preferences.
Casey Bailey, head of people, Deel
Hybrid is here to stay
The mandatory return-to-office policies some companies are enforcing will disappear in 2025. I’m a strong advocate for a “remote-first” approach or, at the very least, a hybrid model. These rigid mandates are causing talented people to leave jobs they genuinely enjoy, often placing managers in difficult positions where they have to “bend” policies to offer the flexibility their teams need, but the company doesn’t officially support.
Let’s face it: hybrid work is here to stay. I recently read an article about companies that experimented with four-day work weeks and saw productivity rise significantly over the traditional five-day model. Now, employees in those companies are resisting any return to the full five-day schedule—proof that flexibility isn’t just a perk; it’s becoming an expectation.
Doug Dennerline, CEO, Betterworks
2024 was a year of test and learn
We found that even for roles we thought could be 100% remote, there were things that these employees needed to see and experience in person to be effective. This will absolutely continue in 2025, but managers will need to evaluate mandates on a regular basis and adjust accordingly.
Employers must be strategic with scheduling because there are times when a blend of in-office and remote days makes sense and is actually more beneficial to the team.
Transparency will remain important, explaining why certain roles require an on-site presence and when – at Foxwoods, for instance, an IT helpdesk worker doesn’t make sense to push back in the same way a convention sales representative does.
Understanding generational nuances and expectations will also remain paramount when it comes to navigating RTO/hybrid plans. Knowing both exist and are rising in importance, leadership must pay attention to the values of their team and ensure these are integrated into the workplace. A positive work environment can’t be established unless you listen to your team, honor boundaries, and adopt a pragmatic work/life harmony.
Dale Merrill, senior VP of human resources and administration, Foxwoods Resort Casino
RTO mandate consequences
The push for a return to office will have unintended consequences. We expect to see a rise in disability and caregiving leave requests as employees seek ways to maintain remote or hybrid work arrangements – in addition to an increase in resignations as people find ways to maintain their routines with employers who support the reality of their needs to work remotely. Organizations clinging to rigid in-office policies risk alienating their workforce and losing productivity in the process.
Deborah Hanus, CEO, Sparrow
RTO mandates will drive away top talent
As companies implement strict RTO mandates, they risk significant talent loss. Employees are increasingly prioritizing work-life balance, autonomy, and the ability to work remotely, and ignoring this shift will send a message to the workforce that employee preferences and well-being are secondary to organizational priorities.
This misalignment can drive top performers to seek opportunities with organizations offering hybrid or fully remote options, leading to increased turnover and difficulty attracting new talent. What’s more, companies that cling to rigid RTO policies without considering employee feedback can face declining morale and a damaged employer brand, ultimately impacting productivity and innovation. Businesses that embrace flexibility and listen to employee needs will have a competitive edge in attracting and retaining top talent.
Tony Jamous, co-founder & CEO, Oyster
The challenge of social connection in hybrid and remote settings
In traditional office environments, opportunities for connection are built into the day—hallway chats, coffee breaks, team lunches. But in hybrid or remote settings, these organic moments of interaction often disappear. The result? Employees might start to feel isolated or disconnected, which can undermine engagement and productivity.
Creating meaningful social connections in a hybrid world requires rethinking how we approach team dynamics and communication. It’s not just about technology; it’s about fostering a sense of belonging and trust across physical and virtual spaces.
Maryalice Giroux Viljoen, VP of administration and talent, QED Investors
RTO mandates & Gen Z will fuel the gig economy
As workers at companies like Amazon, JP Morgan, and even Disney grapple with return-to-office mandates in 2025, we will see a notable shift towards freelance, gig, and remote work. This is especially true of Gen Z professionals, as nearly 3 in 4 Gen Zs prefer working for themselves vs. a corporation or enjoy managing multiple jobs more than having one position.
The resistance to traditional office settings is expected to grow, with employees favoring flexible, virtual roles that allow people to work when they want, from where they want. As companies adapt to these preferences, long-term employment tenure will become less common, with more workers embracing the "digital nomad" lifestyle and balancing multiple gigs or freelance roles across diverse industries.
Ray Grady, CEO, Worksuite
More than location
In 2025, employee expectations will continue to evolve, with flexibility, well-being, and career growth becoming even more interconnected priorities. Employees will demand not just remote or hybrid work options, but the tools and structures to work seamlessly and productively across any environment. Flexibility will mean more than location; it will encompass how and when work is done, emphasizing autonomy and trust.
Andrea Lagan, COO, Betterworks
Balancing RTO with regional skill scarcity
Return-to-office mandates that fail to account for worker preferences and the local talent landscape stand to exacerbate growing regional skills gaps going forward. Difficulties sourcing talent vary greatly by region – the Northeast is experiencing a critical shortage of IT and automation talent, the West Coast is struggling to fill in-person nursing specialties, and the Central region has seen the demand for data warehouse engineering skills triple in the past year.
Blind prioritization of in-office presence to save the bottom line over consideration of the flexibility preferences and available skills among local talent may alienate top candidates and make the competition for already scarce talent that much more difficult. To avoid this, companies must invest in robust job-posting data, AI-driven technology, and job taxonomy expertise when building their hiring strategies for 2025.
Dustin Burgess, SVP of strategic advisory, Magnit
Will remote work disappear?
Eighty percent of CEOs predict remote work will vanish within three years; I respectfully disagree. Despite media focus on return-to-office mandates, remote work will persist beyond 2025. Its benefits—such as cost savings and access to diverse talent—ensure its longevity. Hybrid and flexible options are increasingly crucial as workers priorities vary, often along the lines of generational preference differences.While some value in-person interactions, others strongly value the flexibility of remote work. With shrinking talent pools due to an aging population giving workers more leverage, rigid return-to-office policies risk alienating top talent. Meeting employees where they are will be key for employers.
Dr. Rachel Sederberg, director of research, Lightcast
Continuation of RTO mandates
RTO mandates will continue for companies with large hubs of employees in the same location and office space to fill. Other companies will remain remote-first and distributed, and will use this to differentiate their employee value proposition (EVP). The debate and research on which is more productive is ongoing, but people have developed a personal preference for where and how they want to work—each asking for the trust and freedom to “open up” for work each day from a location that works best for them to get their specific work done.
For companies that remain distributed, continued intention and investment must be directed towards building connection and community, and in developing specific skills that improve distributed work, like written and verbal communication skills, especially for collaboration and conflict resolution.
Companies with RTO mandates will need to show their employees the positive impact of bringing people back together, and they must bring receipts. Companies that don’t show enough of a measurable benefit to both the business and individual employees run the risk of pushing their performers out the door and into the arms of companies with strong remote cultures.
Amy Rossi, CPO, Expel
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