It’s been a few years since companies first rolled out Return to Office (RTO) mandates, and while the conversation still feels fresh, it’s not too early to ask: Has RTO worked, and importantly; how can we judge?
From many perspectives, the promise of RTO was compelling. Conventional wisdom suggests that bringing employees back to the office would boost collaboration, trust, spontaneity, engagement, and productivity—all the things that supposedly suffered during the pandemic-driven era of remote work. The big question is: Has it lived up to the hype?
On the surface, some would say yes. Office foot traffic is up, businesses are investing in hybrid work models, and in-person meetings are apparently back in full force. But look a little closer, and a different story emerges. Employees are showing up to half-empty offices only to spend their entire day on Teams call. Others are perfecting the art of “coffee badging”—swiping in for an hour, making a strategic lap around the office, and then quietly disappearing.
If the goal of RTO mandates was to rebuild culture and collaboration, how do we know if it's working? Without measuring key indicators of success, organizations risk simply enforcing a policy for policy’s sake. And if that’s the case, then what are we really accomplishing?
Tools are emerging, such as Workstyle Analytics, that are specifically designed to see how collaboration, engagement and productivity are evolving. The plethora of data produced by the collaboration and productivity applications we all use, the so-called ‘Digital Exhaust’ of an organization, makes it entirely possible to objectively measure what was once considered a subjective matter.
The Original Promise of RTO Mandates
Executives pushing for Return to Office mandates had some well-intended, if not entirely data-backed, reasoning:
- In-person collaboration breeds innovation
- Trust, Culture and Engagement is built face-to-face
- Productivity improves in a shared environment.
The Reality Check: How RTO Mandates Are Playing Out
Collaboration Isn't Just About Proximity
One of the strongest arguments for RTO was that collaboration thrives when people are together. But what if they’re together in name only? Employees are back in the office but still working in silos. Teams that once worked remotely are now showing up in person—only to spend their day on video calls with colleagues in other locations. Worse still the team that is in the same office, but all sit at their desks on Teams calls since they’ve become used to that model of collaboration.
Trust, Culture and Engagement Can't Be Forced with Attendance Policies
Another argument for RTO mandates was that trust, culture and engagement can be improved through in-person interactions. Few would argue against that point, however forcing employees to commute just to sit in an office and exercise the same work pattern as at home does the opposite. Coming into the office must be a materially different work experience from working remotely for the soft factors of employee experience to improve.
Productivity Should Be Measured, not Assumed
Many organizations assumed that bringing employees back would increase productivity—but measuring actual output is proving more complex. If an employee was productive working remotely but is now spending an extra two hours commuting and sitting through additional mandatory meetings, does that make them more effective? Of course, this observation begs the question, how is productivity measured. For many knowledge workers this question has yet to be answered satisfactorily. But the digital exhaust contains many signatures that are a proxy for productivity if interpreted correctly, and in context with the unique aspects of each type of role within an organization.
How Companies Can Ensure RTO Isn't Just a Box-Ticking Exercise
RTO doesn’t have to be a failure—but organizations need to move beyond mandates and start measuring success. If all you are doing is counting office attendance don’t expect improvements in productivity because of RTO.
Be Data-Driven
Rather than assuming RTO is working, use data to assess its effectiveness. This includes analyzing employee engagement, productivity levels, and collaboration patterns.
Focus on Intentional Office Use
Instead of a blanket 'everyone back' policy, create office days that actually foster connection. Encourage teams, and those that communicate across teams, to coordinate in-office days and measure the extent to which teams who collaborate when remote are active at the same times in the same location. Look for increasing in-person meetings and fewer virtual meetings correlated with work locations.
Workflow Impacts
For repetitive workflows, measure the impact of work location on the how quickly, accurately and efficiently those workflows are completed. Are incidents of digital friction materially different when people have returned to the office.
Redefine Success Metrics
If the goal is to improve collaboration, track whether that’s actually happening. If the goal is to build trust, measure employee sentiment. If the goal is to increase engagement, assess voluntary office attendance. If the goal is improved productivity define objective measurements of productivity and track them.
Adapt and Iterate
If the data shows that RTO isn't achieving its intended goals, be willing to adjust. Rigid policies don't serve anyone - successful workplaces are those that involve based on what actually works.
Final Thoughts: RTO is a Strategy, Not a Destination
Return to Office mandates were meant to restore what was lost in remote work—collaboration, engagement, trust, and productivity. But proximity alone doesn’t create those things.
RTO can work—but only if it’s done with purpose. The question isn’t 'Did we get people back to the office?' but rather 'Are we actually achieving what we set out to do?'
