Late last year Amazon announced it was ending hybrid working models for their staff and in the months that followed, many other companies seem to follow suit.
A survey by the CIPD found that organisations offering hybrid working had shrunk by 10% since 2023. That being said, a whopping 74% of businesses said they still have hybrid schedules in place, to some degree. So, whilst it seems hybrid working isn’t going away anytime soon, things might be starting to shift.
Leaders have commented that a return to the office brings about stronger collaboration, culture, and enhanced accountability But not everyone has welcomed the recent changes.
In this blog we dissect the pros and cons of returning to the office, exploring who it works for, and who it leaves behind plus – what the future could look like.
Return to the office – the pros
A team that interacts, that sparks ideas from others’ energy and works in an environment that is supportive of them are some of the strongest out there. Some business leaders argue that the office is the best option to support this.
JP Morgan Chase made the office compulsory for their staff earlier this year, their CEO, Jamie Dimon, said that the benefits of working together in person are “substantial and irreplaceable”.
In our view, a return to the office can have multiple benefits that are not to be sneered at.
✅ Collaboration and Creativity – Sometimes the greatest ideas come from a quick chat in the hallway. A brief touch of feedback can be provided, casually, over lunch. Generally speaking, interactions in the office arise more authentically, and this often gives way to stronger creativity.
✅ Culture – Being onsite can provide employees with a stronger sense of purpose and belonging. Impromptu events like meetings and after work drinks can also promote a more enjoyable work environment.
✅ Mentorship – Up-skilling your team remotely can be a minefield simply because it’s harder to be around. Knowledge is grown through regular feedback, shadowing and informal coaching – all of which can come about in a blink of an eye when you’re working in the office… sometimes Zoom and Slack just fall short.
Return to the office – the cons
The pandemic started over five years ago and some things it’s left behind have stuck and become the new norm (well, not so new nowadays).
Flexible working has to be one of the main examples of the post-covid world and something that has come to be an expected offering to employees where possible.
The same CIPD survey mentioned earlier, found that 61% of business leaders think it’s important to offer some degree of flexible working when advertising jobs and 41% of employers said that working from home in some capacity has increased productivity, just 16% thought it had done the opposite.
❌ Flexibility is highly valued – Many workers have come to deeply value the freedom that hybrid working can provide. You could be a working parent, or live a fair way from the office, increased flexibility is welcome by most. Office mandates could easily feel like a big step backwards.
❌ Productivity – A good work from home setup can offer fewer distractions, better focus and more rest for employees. At the end of the day we simply want spaces for our workers that make them the most productive – often home is just the place.
❌ Talent Retention – If companies are not willing to provide flexible working options, workers could simply look elsewhere. In today’s tough labour market retaining, and attracting, the best talent is key. Is it really worth rocking the boat?
Is there a middle ground?
Hybrid work itself is kind of ambiguous. Depending on the organisation, it can look very different.
Once called things like ‘flexitime’, it has been around in various forms since the 60s but, of course, it was the pandemic which accelerated its rapid growth.
Whilst its introduction during the Covid era was adopted to ensure operations could continue in safe ways, the wider benefits of flexible working have stuck as lockdowns slowly become distant memories.
Whilst we move further away from the pandemic and start constructing new norms it is possible to find middle grounds when it comes to Hybrid working.
❓ Mandatory office days can be an option but potentially not 5 days a week?
❓ Think about purposeful attendance… is there a particular meeting you would like in person? Or perhaps a monthly social event could be preceded with an office day to enhance company culture?
❓ Invest in your office space to ensure your team really feels the benefit of commuting in. Create spaces that are comfortable, exciting, collaborative and generally offer things that work from home setups may lack.
Ultimately, you know your team best. Consulting workers and having conversations about personal needs/preferences often gives way to cooperation and a workforce that feels valued.
Strike the balance between business needs and employees wishes – this is simply achieved through strong communication.
It’s clear that no one size fits all approach to working genuinely suits everyone. The best path forward lies in balance—listening to your team and aligning business needs with what actually works for people. Open dialogue and thoughtful policies will shape the most resilient and engaged workplaces.
A quick, responsive process is what you need to attract and engage the best talent.
At Rectec we help organisations to find the best Applicant Tracking System, best Recruitment CRM, or best HRIS to suit your needs, accompanied by our unique complementary technology marketplace, to help you build the perfect recruitment tech stack for your business.