Description: As the world continues to navigate the ongoing effects of the pandemic, organizations are faced with the question of whether to bring employees back to the office or keep them working remotely. However, the answer to this question is not a simple one and should be based on the specific needs and goals of the organization and its employees. This article explores how different employees work differently and how that plays out in the remote vs office debate. It also covers how leaders and workers have different priorities and how the decision to return to the office should be justified.

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As organizations continue to navigate the effects of the pandemic, many are grappling with the question of whether it’s better to bring employees back to the office or keep them working remotely.

But the answer to this question isn’t a simple one.

The decision of whether to return to the office or stay remote should be based on the specific needs and goals of the organization and its employees, not just personal preferences.

We’re Not the Same, You and I

Different employees work differently. Let’s explore how that plays out.

Introverts vs Extroverts

I recently wrote an entire article on this distinction, so I’ll just include a cursory overview here for the sake of completeness.

For example, research has shown that introverts may thrive in a remote work environment, where they can avoid the distractions of office chatter and have their own “happy place” at home. My wife is a perfect example.

Lindsey is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who mostly works with kids. Psychotherapy is an industry nobody believes could shift to virtual. And yet, she’s still working from home 3-4 days per weeks even 3 years since the start of the pandemic.

More interestingly, I’ve watched her work harder, produce better work, and successfully apply for promotions since the shift to work-from-home. Why? Because she can focus – on her clients, her paperwork, and her own needs and interests, which in turn serve the organization.

Extroverts, on the other hand, may miss the social interactions and energy of an office setting. They may find themselves talking to their plants or volleyballs more than ever before, but it’s just not the same. I’m a perfect example.

In the first 6 months of the pandemic I practically lost my mind. It took a long time to get the hang of not having the constant interaction from which I draw energy. In many ways, I still haven’t gotten used to it.

So even though I enjoy the benefits of working from home – more time with family, easier to scale my business, serve more clients in the same amount of time – I’ve definitely been in a bad mood more often as a result. Which of course affects both the quality of my work and my personal relationships.

Leaders vs Workers

It’s not surprise that leaders and workers or employees aren’t seeing eye-to-eye on this one.

Leaders may see the benefits of returning to the office for face-to-face collaboration and team-building, while workers may prefer the flexibility and autonomy of working from home.

After all, they have different priorities. Leaders bear the responsibility of steering the entire ship and keeping everyone safe. Recently there have been several high profile examples of leaders forcing workers back to the office, including Elon Musk of Tesla & Twitter, and Bob Iger of Disney.

But it’s worth considering how Musk and Iger’s approach differ.

Elon Musk told Tesla employees,

“You must spend a minimum of 40 hours per week in the office. Anything else is phoning it in.”

We’ve learned time and time again that shaming people does not move people to positive action. And predictably, employees reacted negatively. Musk implied that his people were lazy or unmotivated, and that there was no other reading of the situation. In other words, it never occurred to him that people might be enjoying less commute, more time with family, and better work-life balance.

It also never occurred to him that some people might be more productive at home. In other words, his message lacked nuance and it especially lacked justification.

Meanwhile, Bob Iger of Disney said,

“As I’ve been meeting with teams throughout the company over the past few months, I’ve been reminded of the tremendous value in being together with the people you work with. … As you’ve heard me say many times, creativity is the heart and soul of who we are and what we do at Disney. And in a creative business like ours, nothing can replace the ability to connect, observe, and create with peers that comes from being physically together, nor the opportunity to grow professionally by learning from leaders and mentors.”

That is a vastly different message, despite the same ultimate goal of bringing workers back to the office. Iger justified his decision by appealing to the core values of the company, and the benefits to the workers themselves.

So far there’s been virtually no outcry, from the public, investors, or Disney employees. Certainly not on the level of Tesla and other companies.

What do we learn from this? For me, the most important lesson is that of justification. My friend and mentor Tim David said this in his book Magic Words:

“‘Because’ satisfies the craving for a good answer to the incessant “why?” that every brain over the age of two is asking.”

Don’t just tell people to do something. Explain why you’re making the request.

The Xerox Experiment

Psychologist Ellen Langer conducted a study in the late 1970s that’s become rather famous, or infamous, depending on who you ask.

Participants were asked to wait in line to make copies at a Xerox machine. In one group, participants were simply told to wait in line and make copies.

In another group, participants were given a “reason” or “justification” for cutting in line.

Those participants – the people were allowed to cut in line – had a 94% success rate in others allowing them to cut in line. And what’s most important? This was true regardless of the reason given.

“I’m in a rush” is a legitimate reason. “I have to make copies” on the other hand makes no sense. So do the people you’re trying to cut! And yet simply offering a justification dramatically increased the odds of a stranger letting you cut in line.

It’s worth noting that this study has been criticized for its lack of generalizability. It was conducted in a university, with university students as the only participants. Some critics believe it over-simplifies the complexity of human behavior.

Here’s the point: Bob Iger offered a sincere and legitimate justification for returning to the office, whereas Musk simply told Tesla employees to do it like they were toddlers.

Elon: even toddlers want to know why!

Industries vs Working Environment

Another important factor to consider is how different industries may be affected by returning to the office versus staying remote.

For example, tech companies may find that remote work is beneficial for their employees, as it allows them to tap into a global talent pool and avoid the high costs of office space.

Meanwhile defense companies and those involved in trade secrets cannot, due to privacy and security concerns.

On the other hand, industries such as finance and healthcare may require more face-to-face interactions and collaboration, making a return to the office more beneficial. At least, that’s the narrative.

But I spent the first 2 years of the pandemic running virtual workshops on human connection for newly remote teams, those in industries that were typically face-to-face like finance and healthcare.

The workshop was called Remote Connections: Building Trust in a Virtual World. What I discovered over and over is that traditionally high touch, in-person fields could successfully transition to remote work, IF they were intentional about it.

I teach a system called E.A.R.S.:

• Practicing eye contact with the camera lens instead of the screen;
• Clearing the screen of everything other than the video call and turning off or silencing phones in order to avoid distraction;
• Developing the skill of reflecting listening – the ability to reflect what someone just said, in your words but from their point of view;
• Summarizing someone’s main points before disagreeing or debating, to make sure you’re addressing their true concerns instead of a strawman.

In addition, energy and frequency play an important role in virtual environments.

Energy: I encourage my clients and students to increase their natural energy by 20% during video calls, in order to overcome the lack of physical proximity.

Frequency: Reach out more often for less time. Instead of a monthly lunch meeting like we used to, check in for 10-20 minutes on a weekly basis.

I was continually surprised by industries that were able to successful shift to virtual environments, as long as they did it with intention. Like organ donation.

Can I Have Your Organs, Please?

In 2021, Elisse Glennon was the Executive Director of the New Jersey Sharing Network Foundation. But when the pandemic rocked the world, organ donations plummeted. Because of course, asking families of recently deceased loved ones to procure their organs is a high-touch, very human process. With over 4000 New Jersey residents on the transplant list, it’s literally a life-or-death situation.

And yet, the Sharing Network overcame that hurdle. In fact when we spoke on my podcast, Elisse told me that 2020 was a record year for organ donations in their organization.

Here’s what she said about the world falling apart and shifting virtual:

“We just have to keep going and can’t let anything stop us now. But it was hard because conversations that they’re used to having in-person they are now having over the phone and we both know that that’s just not the same thing. You can’t extend a hand, you can’t give a hug, you can’t watch body language, you can’t get any facial cues.

…

And we also know that while someone may have just lost their son, we know that if their son was able to donate organs and save someone else’s life, that that would help. Or help the healing of the parents to know that their son is living on in someone else. So it’s really kind of a mindset to know and really believe in our mission.”

Despite being unable to extend a hand or give a hug, their staff were able to adopt the mindset of, “organ donation is a gift, not just to the patient who receives it, but to yourself and the memory of your lost loved one.” That’s where real human connection takes place: values and beliefs. Which has nothing to do with being in the room, on the phone, or on a video call.

So if therapy for kids in at-risk families and organ donation can successfully go virtual, there’s a good chance your industry can, too.

As organizations consider the pros and cons of returning to the office versus staying remote, it’s essential to keep in mind the importance of communication and flexibility.

Overarching Considerations

So far we’ve addressed the way different people react differently. Now let’s get into the bottom line considerations.

Are employees more productive in the office?

The debate over whether employees are more productive working remotely or in the office is ongoing. Some studies and surveys suggest that remote workers are more productive, while others suggest the opposite.

On the side of remote workers being more productive, a study by Buffer found that remote workers are 25% more likely to feel they have a greater sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. A study by Nicholas Bloom in Harvard Business Review found that remote workers took shorter breaks, fewer sick days, and had fewer distractions.

However, other studies and surveys suggest that employees are more productive in the office. A survey by IWG found that 75% of employees feel more productive in an office environment. Additionally, that same study by Nicholas Bloom in the Harvard Business Review found that face-to-face interactions were essential for building trust, and that remote workers were less likely to be promoted.

Ultimately as discussed in the first half of this article, this is going to come down to your industry, your work culture, and your individual employees.

Employee Well-Being

How does remote work affect workers’ health and wellbeing? How does the office?

Remote work can help reduce stress and improve work-life balance, but it can also lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. As discussed earlier, much of this comes down to the personality type of your workers – introverts vs extroverts.

Of course, very few people fall perfectly into “introvert” or “extrovert.” It’s really a spectrum, and it’s up to team leaders to understand their team members in order to make judgement calls. This, in my opinion, is a decision that should largely be left to team leaders and not to c-suite execs who have little to no direct contact with the workers for whom their “return to work” plans effect.

And as we know, it’s important for organizations to address the potential isolation of remote work by creating opportunities for virtual social interactions and fostering a sense of community among remote workers.

That’s easier said than done, of course. What I will say is this: just because you have everyone on a Zoom call does not mean they feel connected. A magic show does not automatically equal team building. Neither does a content-heavy workshop.

Virtual programs for remote teams need to be considered and organized with the intention of fostering real human connections, building trust, and enhancing relationships.

Ultimately, what people really need is to feel valued for their contributions. And while virtual paint nights and magic shows can achieve that, so can a culture where remote workers are encouraged once per week to shout out an awesome accomplishment of one of their colleagues in front of the whole group.

Feeling valued, or not, directly affects engagement and retention.

Employee Engagement & Retention

This is pretty straightforward: connected employees are more likely to stick around. The cost of turnover with searching, retraining, and onboarding can be outrageous.

We’ve known for ages that one of if not the top reason employees leave an organization is that they don’t feel like their hard work is being acknowledged, or valued.

Remote work can increase employee engagement by allowing them to have more autonomy and control over their work, but it can also lead to feelings of disconnection from the organization. Which makes is less likely that individual team members are being recognized or valued for their contributions.

Hybrid or remote work is only a good idea if you can build a thriving, connected culture that extends beyond the office and into the virtual environment. And in my experience, very few companies are equipped to do that, even 3 years after the start of the pandemic.

The Long View

Finally, remote work isn’t going anywhere. Some version of it, either hybrid or fully remote, is likely to become permanent option for many organizations, even after the pandemic has ended (whatever that means).

Therefore, it’s important for organizations to invest in technology, infrastructure and training to support remote work in the long-term.

At the end of the day, almost all problems in an organization are people problems. An organization is merely a collection of people, and people are messy. But if we work hard and intentionally, we discover that there’s magic in the mess.

The Verdict

The decision of whether to return to the office or stay remote should be based on the specific needs and goals of the organization and its employees.

Different employees work differently and have different preferences, and leaders and workers have different priorities. It is important for leaders to justify their decision to return to the office by appealing to the core values of the company and the benefits to the workers themselves.

Ultimately, it is important for organizations to consider the unique needs and goals of their employees and make the decision that best supports them.

Does your organization need help navigating the murky waters of remote and hybrid work?

Book a discovery call to explore how I can help your organization build a connected culture where everyone feels heard, understood, and valued. And also communicate whatever decision you make around returning to the office in a way that makes employees feel acknowledged and included.