When the government relaxed COVID restrictions last year, many employers might have thought remote work was behind them. In fact, the shift to hybrid work has only just begun. Now research confirms what many are experiencing first hand: UK workers are flat out rejecting a return to the 9-5 office routine. The latest ONS research from February reveals that 84% who had to work from home (WFH) during the pandemic plan to continue doing so in the future. No surprise then that the return to the office (RTO) has stalled.

It’s time to hit “reset” and start again: this time by magnetising employees to return rather than mandating them to do so. They key to success will be in bringing people, spaces, and technology together to provide a new corporate backdrop for hybrid working to thrive.

The reluctant returner
A hybrid workplace done right offers the potential for a best-of-both-worlds working experience. That means face-to-face collaboration to improve learning and innovation, but also time spent at home to improve work-life balance, focus and productivity. However, it should come as no surprise that, following two years of relative autonomy, employees are less than enthused about RTO. According to one recent study, UK workers are going into the office just 1.5 days per week. Meanwhile, home working doubled between 2019 and 2022, according to the ONS.

There are several reasons for the reluctant returner with therising cost of living being a major factor. Inflation is now in double figures and expected to rise further still before the end of the year—driven by soaring energy bills. Many workers are looking to save money on commuting and other expenses associated with office life like shop-bought lunches and after-work socialising. Confused.com claims workers saved over £2,500 in the first nine months of the pandemic, when the UK was in lockdown.

However, other factors are also at play. Separate research reveals that 64% of European workers are unwilling to go back to the office for reasons including safety fears, uneasiness about managing care arrangements, commuting times, lost productivity, and inability to focus. The bottom line is it will take more than gimmicks like free coffee and food to turn things around.

The challenges surrounding RTO are as much cultural as they are technical. So, it’s not simply a case of supplying workers with the latest flashy kit and hoping they have a change of heart. Employers need to understand that the expectations of their staff have changed. They must not only match the home office experience or better it to entice people back, but they also need to deliver meeting equity, so that no individual feels left out.

The total experience
Making a success of RTO is critical if employers want to drive effective hybrid working. But what they’re lacking at the moment is a compelling narrative. They may have invested significantly in office infrastructure and technology. But that’s not enough. A good analogy I’ve heard is to look at Glastonbury – you never hear people say that they went because they like the way the Pyramid Stage looks. It’s the combination of bands, people, atmosphere—the total experience. Similarly, employers need to think not just about technology, not just about how their spaces work, and not only about how to unlock cultural content. They must address all three to make it worth their employees’ time and money to RTO.

To begin with, put people first. Staff may have grown more sensitive to their environment whilst cooped up at home for two years. In fact, separate research shows that half (49%) of UK workers worry they’ll be prone to “noise rage” if their colleagues are too loud. Be empathetic to their needs when planning an RTO strategy.

Next, segment workforce roles, functions and even demographics to better understand which individuals may be keener on RTO, and which are better off spending most of their time at home. For example, younger workers are usually most enthusiastic about in-person work to help them build professional networks and learn from mentors. Older more established colleagues with families may be more inclined to stay home. Similarly, team managers may relish face-to-face interactions and opportunities for ad hoc feedback, while strategic planners could benefit from longer periods out of the office.

It’s also critical to RTO success for organisations to try to communicate their values and culture through environment. Consider the example of LEGO, whose state-of-the-art HQ in Denmark features a large central space known as “People House” which contains fitness, games, and arts and crafts facilities alongside a hotel for visitors. The design and purpose of this space help to communicate the firm’s key corporate values of imagination, fun, creativity, caring, learning and quality.

Finally, don’t forget technology. While not a panacea for RTO success, it has a critical role to play in bringing people together at the right time and place and supporting them in their roles. Given the evolving status of the office in these post-pandemic times, the focus should be on creating a bricks and mortar workplace that acts as an intelligent hub for remote as well as face-to-face collaboration. Next-generation video conferencing technologies can make a big impact, while intelligent sensors can be positioned to provide real-time feedback on building usage and inform new design features.

The journey starts here
There is no silver bullet for an effective RTO. But by focusing on these areas, there’s a great chance that employers can avoid falling back on guerrilla tactics to get staff back into the office. Understand your people. Understand your culture. And familiarise yourself with the technology solutions available to embed both in the new hybrid workplace.

This will be a continuous journey, and one that might take a radical new turn when the metaverse becomes reality. But every journey starts with a single step.