Two drastically different quotes about return-to-office (RTO) mandates caught our attention:
“I’m not making fun of Zoom, but younger people are being left behind. If you look back at your careers, you learned a little bit from the apprentice system. You were with other people who took you on a sales call or told you how to handle a mistake or something like that. It doesn’t happen when you’re in a basement on Zoom.”
- Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase
“A lot of companies that are mandating RTO now are writing the future resignation letters for their best employees […]”
- Joe Procopio, Contributor of Inc. Magazine
Both opinions, though wildly different, have merit. In-person team building is indispensable to knowledge sharing, collaboration, and innovation. But depriving employees of any flexibility can hurt morale and convey to your people that they’re not trusted to do their work.
So, how can companies strike the right balance in their workplace model? Let’s explore the policy barriers that might be complicating your ability to attract and retain top talent.
Key Takeaways
- Workplace models directly influence hiring success. How you structure remote, hybrid, or in-office policies affects the quality and retention of talent.
- Flexibility drives attraction and engagement. Gallup research shows 93% of employees prefer at least some remote work options.
- Hybrid models work best when intentional. Simply setting office days isn’t enough; —culture, collaboration, and communication must evolve too.
- Bias and burnout remain risks. Without structure, remote workers can be overlooked for promotions and overloaded with meetings.
- Strategic staffing partners help bridge the gap. Firms like w3r Consulting can align your workplace model with hiring goals, ensuring productivity and balance.
Which Work Model Do Employees Value Most?
Before revising your workplace model, companies need to truly understand what employees and potential candidates want. For example, according to Gallup’s latest findings:
- 60% want hybrid work
- 33% want exclusively remote work
- 6% want fully onsite work
So, given the clear preference for hybrid work, what is the ideal mix of onsite days vs. remote? It’s easy to get disoriented by the variety of approaches. Some leaders suggest an 80% remote, 20% in-person mix. Starbucks and NBCUniversal have implemented four-day-a-week return to office plans.
There’s no perfect answer. That’s why it’s important to survey your employees to see first-hand what drives their productivity, engagement, and sense of connection. When companies take the time to listen and adapt, they discover that preferences vary by role, department, and even career stage.
Why Creating a Hybrid Environment Isn’t Enough
Simply defining the number of days employees will be required to work in the office might attract top talent, but it won’t inherently retain them. Organizations need to adopt hybrid workplace policies with intention, shifting the culture and collaboration processes along the way.
Unfortunately, too many companies learned a bad lesson from the pandemic. They assumed remote operations entailed only shipping employees PCs and scheduling virtual stand-ups. Since the approach was ad hoc (at best) , these companies were all too eager to implement return-to-office (RTO) policies. After all, they’d never created a culture capable of balancing flexibility, collaboration, and camaraderie.
A recent article by Harvard Business Review, though focused on why “hybrid still isn’t working,” actually stumbled upon the in-office qualities that organizations need to simulate if they’re going to reap the morale benefits of this workplace model:
HBR claim: New hires struggle
Remote onboarding can make it harder for new employees to feel connected, confident, and productive. Without hallway conversations or chances to swing by the boss’s office, they can stumble while building critical relationships.
The good news is you can overcome this hurdle. By pairing new hires with mentors and scheduling virtual “meet the team” sessions, you can work to foster those vital early interactions.
Additionally, creating ongoing project threads or “watercooler” chats on your team collaboration platform (e.g. Slack or Teams) can keep employees engaged, especially when they’ll also see each other physically during their in-office days. On top of all that, managers should lead by example, proactively checking in on both progress and well-being.
HBR claim: Collaboration and learning suffer
One major criticism levied at the remote work model is that collaboration and knowledge sharing aren’t always intuitive. The truth is that unless the process has been modelled effectively, employees might not feel comfortable with spontaneous idea-sharing and informal learning on virtual platforms. This can result in employees working in silos rather than co-creating solutions.
The secret is to create structured collaboration, designating specific days or sessions for brainstorming, innovation, or peer learning. If an all-team session would be too overwhelming, pairing off individuals can for 30-minute sessions can be enough to spark fresh ideas.
HBR claim: Meetings are less effective
Some reports suggest that remote workers are scheduled for more meetings, shorter, yes but still disruptive to workflows which can lead to fatigue and disengagement. Plus, there’s a tendency for meetings mixed with on-site and remote workers to unintentionally favor those in the office with chances to speak.
Hybrid work requires leadership to be clearer and more intentional with meeting protocols. Encouraging fewer, more focused sessions when employees are remote can allow your team to knuckle down on tasks that require concentration outside the office.
HBR claim: The wrong people get promoted
Data show that remote workers were promoted 31% less frequently than their on-site peers, showing that proximity bias often favors more visible employees. This not only undermines fairness but can drive top performers away.
Knowing that remote workers can be overlooked can be a reminder to proactively review their outcomes, not just their attendance. Using structured, transparent evaluation criteria and involving multiple perspectives in promotion decisions can mitigate unconscious bias. And when hybrid employees are in the office, be sure to take the time to discuss their contributions.
HBR Claim: Commitment weakens as people feel isolated
Do remote workers have less commitment? Only if they’re not well aligned with your values. That can happen when you hire people purely for their technical skills or fail to create a culture that survives outside the confines of your office. Regardless of the situation, the absence of shared experiences and regular interactions can also make it harder for people to feel part of something bigger.
Creating rituals, both digital and in-person, can reinforce a sense of belonging and shared identity for hybrid workers. Sometimes, that involves celebrating achievements and recognizing contributions on virtual platforms. Other times, encouraging virtual coffee chats, team games, or in-person meetups can do a lot with a little. Deep connections between your team members can sustain bonds between your face-to-face interactions.
How Working with an IT Staffing Partner Can Help
Many organizations struggle to balance flexibility with collaboration because they’re also trying to fill critical skill gaps, keep projects on schedule, and meet evolving business demands. That’s where a staffing partner like w3r Consulting can make a measurable impact.
As the labor market continues to shift, having an experienced partner who understands both technology and culture enables companies to adapt faster. At w3r Consulting, we help you design talent strategies aligned with your work model. Whether you’re reimagining your in-office culture, supporting a distributed workforce, or integrating new collaboration tools, our team connects you with professionals who thrive in flexible, high-performance environments.
The future of work is intentional, whether remote or in the office. Organizations that prioritize balance, inclusion, and connection are the ones that will keep their best people and attract the next generation of innovators. With w3r Consulting as your workforce ally, you can create a model that not only works for your business but works for your people.
Understanding how your workplace model affects hiring is only the start. Connect with our staffing team to learn how to quickly ramp up your team with project demands.
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