Effective Return-to-Office Strategies: The Power of Skills Data

The return-to-office debate divides business and HR leaders and employees. Here’s how (and why) to use skills data for your return-to-office strategies.

The return-to-office debate continues to divide business leaders, HR professionals, and employees. Some advocate for in-person work, citing productivity, collaboration, and company culture. Others champion remote and hybrid models for flexibility, talent access, and work-life balance. While both sides present strong arguments, many decisions are driven by assumptions and outdated perspectives rather than objective data. One key data source that organizations often overlook? Skills data.

Skills data provides a clear path forward. By identifying the skills your company needs, assessing your employees’ strengths, and developing key competencies for growth, you can move beyond the RTO debate and make informed decisions.

Here’s how (and why) to use skills data for your return-to-office strategies.

The Case for Return-to-Office Work

Amazon, JPMorgan, Starbucks, Zoom, and Disney are among the big-name companies making a push for their employees to return to full-time on-site work. This is a reversal in policy from so many companies that embraced remote and hybrid work arrangements born from the pandemic.

Advocates of in-office work argue that in-person work is beneficial to employers and employees alike.

Benefits for Employers

HRD Connect reported these employer drivers for the return-to-office (RTO) movement:

Enhanced Culture and Engagement: “Information conversations, brief catch-ups, ‘water cooler moments,’ and spontaneous meetings help build a sense of teamwork and friendship,” says HRD Connect. Employees may also feel more connected to the company’s mission and values when physically present.
Creativity and Innovation. Physical proximity in an office environment may facilitate spontaneous interactions that can spark creativity and innovation. In-person collaboration often allows for real-time idea exchange and problem-solving sessions, which some find more dynamic than their virtual counterparts.

Other reasons that companies are pushing for RTO include:

Productivity: Many believe that workforce productivity is higher when their people work face-to-face in a shared office setting.
Operational Efficiency: Some businesses function better with centralized operations, reducing inefficiencies in remote workflows. Also, since many commercial leases are for five, ten, or more years, leaders often want to fill their space with people, so they aren’t needlessly paying for space they aren’t using.
Reduced Headcount: Especially when a company has over-hired in recent years, an RTO mandate may be seen as a way to shrink the workforce as employees opt out of in-office work and find work with a more flexible employer.

Benefits for Employees

In its article, HRD Connect included these employee benefits of RTO:

Career Growth: In-person interactions can facilitate mentorship and career development, especially for junior employees who do not yet have an established network of experienced employees. Employees often gain more visibility with leadership and access to mentorship when in the office.
Work/Life Balance. Working in an office can help some people separate their work and personal lives better. Having a distinct workplace can make it easier to “switch off” from work when at home. This might lead to a healthier balance between job and personal time for some employees.

The Forbes HR Council adds these benefits for consideration, among others:

Shared Experiences: Shared experiences in the office are how we build bonds and make friends. Returning to the office gives employees an opportunity to nurture a shared identity, values, and team spirit.
Nonverbal Communication. Up to 70% (or more) of communication is nonverbal and can be lost in remote environments through video lag, sound quality that impacts tonal variations, false eye contact and the increasing trend of “cameras off” during “video” calls. The more communication takes place in face-to-face environments, the more effective communication will be between teams, departments, and leaders.
Collegiality and Stronger Collaboration: Some conversations aren’t worth “jumping on a quick Zoom.” In-person work can foster spontaneous problem-solving and more effective team interactions.

Benefits of Remote/Hybrid Work

Of course, remote and hybrid work advocates have their own arguments.

For Employers

Wider Talent Pool: Remote work enables hiring beyond geographic limitations.
Lower Overhead Costs: Reduced need for office space and utilities can result in significant savings.
Productivity: Both sides claim this argument. One University of Chicago study found that remote workers were, on average, 7% more productive than when they were in the office. Researchers concluded that this was due to remote workers experiencing fewer distractions than their office-based counterparts.
Recruitment: 54% of recruiters have seen a candidate say “no” to an offer of an interview or job because it lacked flexibility or remote work options. So, for most people, flexible work options are now non-negotiable.
Greater employee retention: One study, led by a Stanford economist, found that hybrid work had zero effect on workers’ productivity, but dramatically boosted retention rates. Resignations fell by 33%.

For Employees

HR Morning outlined a number of the many oft-cited employee benefits of remote and hybrid work:

Improved Work-Life Balance: Flexibility allows employees to better manage personal and professional commitments.
Reduced Commute Stress: Employees save time and money by avoiding daily travel. Remote work could save up to 72 minutes a day, including an average of 55 minutes on travel.
Comfortable Work Environment: Working from home allows employees to create an environment they know they can work well in. They can tailor their home office to suit their unique needs, helping them perform at their best all day, every day.
Higher Job Satisfaction: Remote employees feel more in control of their workday – and how they spend their extra time after work. Employees who have control over their work environment often feel more engaged and motivated.

Skills data provides a clear path forward. By identifying the skills your company needs, assessing your employees’ strengths, and developing key competencies for growth, you can move beyond the RTO debate and make informed decisions.

Use Data for Smart Return to Office Strategies

There’s solid research supporting both sides of the RTO debate, but there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Every company must find a policy that works for its unique workforce. The best way to do that? Rely on real data – not outdated assumptions, fears, or theories about the future of work. Here’s how:

#1 Conduct a Skills Inventory

Conduct a company-wide skills inventory, to learn what skills your individuals and teams have today. Understanding employees’ current skill levels can help determine which roles benefit most from in-person collaboration. For example, junior employees, people who need to build soft skills, or others in learning-intensive positions may need more in-office time for mentorship. Highly skilled, independent contributors might thrive remotely.

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#2 Examine Manager Skills

Effective leadership is crucial in any work environment. Assessing manager competencies can help determine whether they are equipped to manage hybrid or remote teams effectively. It can also provide insights into the abilities (or lack of same) to manage people face to face.

If significant gaps exist, it may be a lack of skills that are getting in the way of remote and hybrid work productivity, rather than the flexible policies themselves. Targeted training can help bridge the gaps before implementing new workplace policies.

#3 Monitor Workforce Performance

Using skills data to track employee productivity and performance trends can offer insight into how different work arrangements impact efficiency. By analyzing which environments lead to optimal performance for different roles, companies can make data-driven RTO decisions that enhance both productivity and job satisfaction.

#4 Cultivate Desirable Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

A return to office isn’t just about physical presence; it’s about ensuring employees bring the right skills, knowledge, and behaviors to succeed in this evolving work landscape. Competencies – a set of demonstrable proficiencies – put skills, knowledge, and abilities in context, describing how well individuals contribute or function in the workplace. Use competencies to ensure your employees are not only technically proficient but that their performance is also aligned with company culture and expectations, in the office and doing remote work.

#5 Align Training and Development

Regardless of whether employees work remotely or in the office, targeted learning opportunities are essential. Skills data helps HR and learning leaders to design training programs that support professional development, close skill gaps, and prepare employees for future workforce needs.

A successful return-to-office strategy isn’t just about location – it’s about aligning workplace policies with workforce capabilities. By leveraging skills data, organizations can craft strategies that optimize productivity, support employee development, and create an environment where both businesses and employees thrive.

If you’re reexamining your workplace flexibility policies, consider using skills data to inform your decisions. Explore Avilar’s Competency Management Toolkit for expert insights on skills-based workforce management. Or contact us to see if Avilar’s WebMentor Skills™ can help your team support your remote, hybrid, and in-office workers.