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Oh, the return-to-office debate. Has any workplace topic (besides maybe the office thermostat) caused more consternation in recent years?
Executives are pushing for bodies in seats, citing collaboration and culture as their north stars. Meanwhile, employees are shifting in their seats, wondering if this is less about productivity and more about control. (Think this isn’t happening in your office? Think again – McKinsey has research to prove it.) It's a standoff worthy of a workplace sitcom:
- Leadership: "We need everyone back for collaboration!"
- Employees: "I collaborate just fine in my pajamas, thanks."
And round and round we go, with both sides digging in their heels while culture sits dizzy in a corner.
But what if we’re all missing the point?
Your employer brand is the answer you've been missing
The question isn't "why don’t people want to come into the office?" It's "what’s the unique value we provide to our talent and how does our culture reflect that?"
This is where your employer brand comes in – not as a fancy tagline, but as the strategic backbone that should inform every decision about how you work. It's the story you tell AND the experience you deliver.
When your employer brand is well-defined, it provides a roadmap for making decisions about everything from office policies to recruiting techniques. It helps you balance individual and organizational needs in a way that feels authentic rather than arbitrary.
For example, if your employer brand positions your people as the creative disruptors in your industry, your approach to work should reflect that pioneering spirit. Consider purposeful in-person innovation sessions balanced with deep focus time at home. Or physical spaces designed for ideation and prototyping.
And if your employer brand is centered on trust, but the communications around your RTO policy say, "we're tracking badge swipes," you've got a values-practice gap that will undermine your culture. Consider more flexible policies that empower teams to determine their own rhythms and be sure you’re communicating the why behind the policy you’ve enacted.
Give your RTO policy the employer brand treatment
If your return-to-office strategy feels more like a power play than a purposeful plan, or you’re struggling to align your policies with your values, it might be time to revisit your employer brand.
Download our guidebook, The Era of Employer Brand, to learn more about our approach. Want to see what this could look like in your organization? Give Joe a shout.
