30th Sep 2025

From Rules to Reasons: Designing Offices People Want to Return To

Posted in:

Design

After a few years of hybrid and flexible work, many leaders are asking the same thing: how do we bring people back into the office in a way that actually works?

Hybrid working has been steadily rising since 2022, and today more than a quarter of people are in hybrid roles. For some businesses, that shift has left offices quieter than they’d like.

The office hasn’t lost its value. It’s still where culture comes alive, where collaboration happens naturally and where teams can build trust. But while return-to-office mandates can fill seats, they don’t rebuild culture, and they rarely make the office somewhere people want to be.

So the real question isn’t “how do we make people come back?” It’s “how do we create a workplace they choose to return to?”

Why RTO mandates miss the point

On paper, RTO policies sound straightforward: set a number of days per week people are expected to be in, and suddenly your office feels busier. But busier doesn’t necessarily mean better.

Attendance isn’t the same as engagement. People might show up because they have to, but that doesn’t mean they’re collaborating, building culture or doing their best work. And mandates can backfire. Research shows nearly half of employees would consider leaving if faced with a full-time office requirement.

After years of working from home, people have grown used to comfort, flexibility and control over their day. If your RTO policy means swapping a flexible home setup for a static desk, it’s not going to land well.

For the office to be somewhere people choose to be, it needs to do two things: compete with the home by matching its strengths, and complement the home by offering what it can’t.

Competing with the home

Working from home has raised the bar. People have grown used to comfort, choice and control in their daily routines, and expect their offices to offer the same.

Designing for balance

Working from home has shown people how much their environment shapes the way they feel and perform. It’s not just about comfort – it’s about having the freedom to choose how and where they work best.

Offices that build in both wellbeing and choice create that same sense of balance. Spaces that let people shift between quiet corners for focus, open areas for collaboration, and relaxed spots for downtime give them the variety they value at home, with the added benefit of being together. Frameworks like the WELL Standard can help translate these ideas into simple, practical steps.

Taking inspiration from hospitality

Working from home often means working from cafés, co-working spaces or anywhere that feels relaxed and enjoyable. Offices can take inspiration from these environments, rather than staying boxed into rigid layouts.

Your workspace can create a welcoming atmosphere with a warm reception, inviting café areas, or social breakout spaces that encourage people to linger and connect.

Respecting autonomy

Working from home has given people more control over their day. Taking that away can feel like a step backwards.

Offices that give people options – where to sit, how to adjust their lighting, or even how a space is arranged – show respect for individuality and help build trust. When people feel they have a say in how they work, they’re more motivated to use the space.

Competing with Home

If comfort and flexibility help the office compete with home, connection is what makes it stand apart. These are the experiences people can’t get from a kitchen table or video call – and they’re often the reasons they’ll choose to come in.

Collaboration hubs

Some of the best ideas happen when people are in the room together. Offices that make it easy for teams to gather, sketch and problem-solve in real time unlock the kind of creativity that’s hard to replicate online.

Project rooms, innovation hubs and workshop spaces all give teams the tools to collaborate more effectively.

Everyday interactions

Home working has made it harder to build the small interactions that bring people closer. Offices give those moments back – whether it’s a quick catch-up in the corridor, coffee with a colleague, or a shared team lunch.

Kitchens, cafés, breakout zones and circulation spaces designed for interaction make it easy for people to bump into each other, spark conversations and strengthen community.

Belonging

At home, it’s easy to feel disconnected from the bigger picture. The office can provide a sense of identity, reminding people what they’re part of and why it matters.

When a workplace reflects a company’s mission and values through its layout, materials and visual storytelling, people feel a stronger sense of belonging.

Measuring success

It’s tempting to measure a workplace by how many people turn up. But counting heads only tells part of the story.

The real measure of success is how the space makes people feel and work together. The signs are often less about numbers, and more about energy, culture and wellbeing.

Some things worth tracking:

Belonging: Do people feel connected to the organisation and its purpose?
Collaboration: Are teams working together more easily and sharing ideas across departments?
Relationships: Are new connections forming between colleagues who might not meet online?
Wellbeing: Is the office helping to reduce stress and support healthier working patterns?

The best offices are never finished. They’re spaces that evolve with the people who use them. Feedback loops, surveys and usage insights give you the chance to keep improving, so the office grows alongside your culture.