In-person work can absolutely strengthen collaboration, culture, and mentorship. For some teams and moments, being together matters.
At the same time, there’s an interesting dynamic leaders are navigating: when employees are back in central offices, they’re also closer to competitors - sometimes literally next door. Visibility increases, and flexibility becomes part of how talent evaluates opportunity.
That’s why many organizations are finding balance in being intentional:
- Clear about when in-person work adds value
- Flexible where focus and autonomy matter
- Aligned on outcomes, not optics
RTW doesn’t have to be all or nothing. The strongest approaches seem to treat presence as a tool - not a mandate - and flexibility as a long-term competitive advantage.
Curious how others are striking that balance.