Unlike earlier in the pandemic, flashy benefits and in-office perks may not be enough to draw employees back to their desks. Instead, we're likely to see employers implementing more meaningful changes and initiatives to make RTO more enticing, including:

Team building exercises. A recent RTO survey found that one-third of Gen Zers have never worked in an office before, and they worry that RTO mandates will prevent them from having private conversations with co-workers (54%) and will make them less productive (47%). To help employees smoothly transition to working together in-person, employers will likely develop team-building initiatives designed to help everyone reconnect and get better acquainted in a shared space.
In-person skilling and learning opportunities. Despite the hurdles brought on by the pandemic, employees remain eager to continue learning and growing within their roles. To help nurture their professional development, employers may create more upskilling and reskilling initiatives to help them freshen their industry knowledge and expand their expertise around in-demand areas like communication, management, and artificial intelligence.
Keeping RTO mandates flexible. Return-to-office mandates vary between organizations. Many businesses will likely continue their flexible or hybrid work options to give employees the breathing room needed to properly adjust. By easing employees back into the office, employers can be sure they're accommodating employees' lifestyles (which have likely shifted since the pandemic began) while keeping pace with the organization's RTO goals. Either way, reimagining workplace flexibility is key. Leaders who are able to embrace employee-centric models will rise as winners in terms of getting better results for people and profit.

After overcoming the labor shortages and RTO shakeups of 2023, workplaces will likely show a renewed sense of appreciation toward their employees by prioritizing the creation of stronger workplace culture, equity and transparency. Most important, leaders are expected to start thinking outside "the 9 to 5." By preserving and amplifying employee autonomy while requesting that employees return to the office, companies are more likely to increase retention and have a smoother transition.

Instant Insights /

The Year of Company Culture: 2024 Predictions on the Evolving Workplace

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