The Great Return? What Leaders Must Weigh Before Bringing Teams Back to the Office in 2025
As we step into 2025, the debate around office versus remote working isn’t just rumbling on—it’s heating up. Recently, I ran a LinkedIn poll asking a simple but pressing question: “Do you think we should be starting to spend more time in the office?” The results were striking: 57% of you think it’s time to increase our hours in the office. It’s a sentiment that’s gaining traction, with many senior leaders arguing for a return to office-based work. But here’s the thing—what seems like a clear solution might not be as straightforward as it appears. In fact, some companies who’ve mandated a return to the office are seeing unexpected consequences: higher-than-normal resignation rates. Yes, they’ve brought people back—but at what cost?
What Are You Going to Do?
As senior leaders, you’re not just responsible for what works today—you need to think about what will work tomorrow. So before you make a bold move to bring everyone back to the office, here are three critical questions to consider:
- Are You Solving the Right Problem?
It’s tempting to see a return to the office as a solution to challenges like declining collaboration, lower productivity, or dwindling team morale. But let’s pause for a moment.
Is the location of work really the issue, or is it something deeper? Poor communication, a lack of clear goals, or disengaged leadership won’t magically improve just because people are sitting in the same building.
Ask yourself: are we addressing the root cause, or are we chasing a quick fix?
- Have You Thought About the Human Factor?
Here’s the reality: post-COVID, people’s priorities have shifted. Flexibility isn’t just a perk anymore—it’s an expectation.
When companies mandate a return to the office without listening to their people, it sends a clear message: “We know what’s best for you.” For many employees, that’s a hard pill to swallow.
Yes, some employees miss the energy of the office, but others have built lives around remote work—lives that balance family, health, and personal growth in ways they weren’t able to before. Ignore that at your peril.
If you’re thinking about bringing your team back, how are you factoring in the diverse needs of your workforce?
- What’s the Long-Term Strategy?
Let’s be honest: the office-versus-remote debate isn’t just about where people work. It’s about the future of work itself.
Hybrid models, flexible hours, and remote-first cultures are becoming the new norm for forward-thinking businesses. If you’re doubling down on office-based work, are you prepared to risk losing talent to competitors who offer greater flexibility?
What’s your plan to remain competitive—not just in your industry, but in the job market?
Why This Debate Matters Now
Here’s why this question is so urgent: the choices we make in 2025 will shape not just the future of work but the future of talent.
If your board is discussing a return to the office, don’t treat it as just another operational decision. This is about culture, retention, and your ability to attract the best people.
The companies that get this wrong risk alienating their workforce and falling behind. But the companies that get it right? They’ll set the tone for what modern work looks like—and gain a competitive edge in the process.
What Do You Think?
So, I’ll leave you with the same question I asked in the poll:
What are you going to do?
Is it time to bring your team back to the office—or do we need to rethink what “office culture” really means? Let’s start a conversation.
About the author
Having started his career in Executive Search in 1998, Doug set up Collingwood in 2005 alongside his wife, Claire Mackay.
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