Achieving RTO Success: Prioritize Mission Over Mandates

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MISSION OVER MANDATES: A ROADMAP FOR RTO SUCCESS

The return-to-office (RTO) battle just escalated. President Trump has ordered all federal employees back to the office full-time, igniting a fresh wave of debate over productivity, workplace culture, and employee autonomy. Companies across industries are watching closely – and rethinking their own RTO strategies.

RTO is facing a reckoning, according to Gartner.

📉 One-third of executives say they’ll quit if forced back into the office full-time.
🏢 63% of HR leaders reported an increased expectation around employees spending days in the office.
📈 13% said the consequences for employees not meeting on-site requirements have intensified.

For HR and business leaders, RTO isn’t just about office attendance – it’s about creating an experience that makes employees want to be there. Companies getting it right are shifting their focus from mandates to purpose-driven in-office experiences.

How can organizations motivate – rather than mandate – an RTO? Read on to find out. 

Inside this edition

• Why mandates fail when leadership doesn’t show up—and what to do about it.

• Practical steps to implement McKinsey’s Five Key Practices and make in-office work more meaningful.

• Actionable strategies to measure leadership engagement and hold executives accountable for RTO.

Plus: A Leader’s Guide to Employee Recognition—how strategic recognition boosts engagement and transforms workplace culture 🎁

🗞️ In case you missed it: Federal workforce upheaval, agency downsizing, and DEI rollbacks dominated the headlines this week, as federal employees brace for sweeping changes.

Continue reading to learn how to make RTO work for executives and employees…

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📢  HOW TO AVOID RTO FALLOUT

We all fear RTO fallout – top performers jumping ship, dissatisfied employees, a tug of war between team remote and team in office –  here’s how to do RTO the right way…

A successful Return-to-Office (RTO) strategy isn’t about policy – it’s about practice. Organizations that focus solely on mandates are failing, while those that emphasize workplace experience are thriving.

According to McKinsey research, five core practices drive performance, engagement, and long-term RTO success.

1. Collaboration

Why it matters: The best ideas don’t happen in isolation. While remote work is valuable, strategic brainstorming, creative problem-solving, and cross-functional teamwork thrive in person. Remote collaboration is often transactional, but deep, strategic work benefits from real-time discussion, spontaneity, and idea-sharing.

How to do it: 

Define collaboration goals. Employees shouldn’t come into the office just to sit in meetings. Schedule collaborative workdays where teams focus on brainstorming, whiteboarding, and problem-solving. 

💡 Quick tip: Use SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) goals, such as: 

• Facilitate structured brainstorming sessions where teams generate at least three actionable ideas per session to improve workflows, innovation, or efficiency.

• Align collaboration activities with business priorities by ensuring 90% of sessions focus on solving current team challenges or optimizing ongoing projects.

• Designate facilitators for each collaborative session to guide discussions, ensuring at least 75% active participation from team members in every session.

Leverage hybrid-friendly tools so remote and in-person employees can collaborate seamlessly, such as Asana, Notion, or Slack. 

📍 Google prioritizes collaboration equity – ensuring all employees have equal access to tools and information, regardless of location – to keep everyone on a level playing field and build a strong hybrid culture. 

2. Connectivity

Why it matters: Employees need belonging, but office attendance alone won’t create it. Forcing in-office work without meaningful interaction can alienate teams. Remote work has widened the connectivity gap, increasing turnover, especially among younger employees. In contrast, connected teams are more engaged, more productive, and perform better.

How to do it:

• Create intentional social moments. Plan networking events, team lunches, and cross-department meetups to strengthen relationships.

• Blend in-person and virtual connections. RTO should enhance social connectivity without excluding remote employees. Implement hybrid-inclusive practices that maintain connections with remote team members

3. Innovation

Why it matters: Creativity thrives in the right environment. While remote work boosts productivity, the office should foster innovation through experimentation and problem-solving. Virtual meetings limit spontaneous brainstorming, while in-person collaboration enables rapid iteration and breakthrough ideas.

How to do it:

Rethink meeting structures. Move away from rigid, agenda-driven discussions and create space for open-ended conversations. Invest in physical and digital tools that enhance creativity and innovation – whiteboard walls, breakout spaces, and collaborative software.

4. Mentorship

Why it matters: In-office work fosters mentorship and informal learning, crucial for junior employees and new hires. Remote work limits organic interactions, making it harder to build relationships and gain quick “teachable moments” from senior colleagues.

How to do it:

• Pair junior employees with in-office mentors for informal coaching and guidance.

• Encourage cross-team networking to expose employees to different perspectives and career paths.

📍 Companies like Fidelity are embracing reverse mentorship – where junior employees are paired with senior employees to share knowledge and skills. The program has been successful for both mentors and mentees and has grown to over 200 reverse mentor/mentee relationships.

5. Skill development

Why it matters: Employees should leave the office better than when they arrived – whether through upskilling, workshops, or career growth conversations. In-office training sessions, workshops, and team coaching are invaluable but difficult to replicate in a fully remote setting.

How to do it:

• Invest in continuous learning programs. Encourage employees to use office time for growth, not just tasks.

• Measure and reward development. Recognize employees who actively engage in upskilling and mentorship.

💡 HR tip: Bake skill-building into your RTO strategy. Offer development incentives to bring employees back into the office, like in-person training, guest speakers, and leadership coaching sessions. 

Employees are only one piece of the RTO puzzle. Execs need to be on the frontline. Continue reading for three strategies to tackle the credibility crisis…

HR HURDLES
ONE FACTOR THAT CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOUR RTO

Even for companies that follow McKinsey’s five key practices, RTO mandates are still doomed to fail when leadership doesn’t follow their own rules…

The leadership credibility crisis is real. According to Gartner, one-third of executives say they’d quit over RTO mandates. 

Executives set the culture, so RTO strategies must start at the top. If leadership isn’t actively participating in RTO, employees won’t see the value either.

How to get leadership on board

1) Make C-Suite Accountability Non-Negotiable

The C-suite should be held accountable and held to the same standards as any other employee. 

To build trust and make RTO successful, communication and alignment are key. Require senior leaders to set in-office schedules that align with team expectations. Encourage executives to host in-person town halls, mentoring sessions, and team-building events to build long-term relationships that make coming into the office an opportunity instead of an obligation.

2) Shift from Mandates to Mission

To gain leadership and employee buy-in, organizations must clearly communicate the purpose of RTO – not just as a policy but as a strategic driver of collaboration, culture, and innovation. 

Instead of enforcing rigid mandates, companies should address concerns about flexibility and work-life balance by structuring hybrid models that accommodate employees at all levels. When employees understand how in-person time enhances career growth, mentorship, and visibility with leadership, they’re more likely to see the value of returning to the office.

📍 Cisco prioritizes flexibility over mandates, giving employees the autonomy to choose when and where they work while ensuring alignment with business needs. Rather than enforcing strict office attendance, Cisco’s hybrid model is built on trust, well-being, and performance, allowing teams to determine the best work arrangements for collaboration and productivity. 

3) Lead by Example

Senior leaders should be treated in the same way as employees – if employees are required to come in, so should leadership, and they should be held to the same standards and repercussions.

Executives for big companies like Victoria’s Secret and Starbucks have mandated RTOs, despite CEOs not even living close to the company headquarters. That sends a disjointed message to employees and can cause an organization-wide breakdown of trust.

Instead, CEOs and other high-level executives should be leading the charge. Make executive presence visible and intentional. Ensure that leaders actively participate in office life, including mentorship opportunities and in-person meetings.

💡 HR Tip: Conduct an executive engagement audit to assess how often leaders are actually in the office. If top leadership isn’t participating, employees won’t either. Surveying employees on how accessible leaders are when they are in the office can also measure if leaders are truly engaged with the workforce. The accessibility score is based on four separate measurements:

• Presence Score (% of required office days executives are physically present)

• Interaction Score (% of employees who had direct engagement with leadership in the last month)

• Transparency Score (Employee survey rating on leadership communication clarity, scale of 1-10)

• Engagement Score (Employee survey rating on approachability & availability, scale of 1-10)

Continue reading to see how Microsoft struck the right balance between in-office and remote work…

HR EVENTS
🎁 EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION MONTH + YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD

March 7 marks Employee Appreciation Day, a perfect time to reflect on how employee recognition impacts workplace culture.

Did you know that strategic recognition is one of the pillars of Microsoft's 'learn-it-all' culture? Their shift from a competitive, siloed workplace to one that thrives on collaboration and innovation was fueled by strategic recognition and, in their CEO's words, the 'research of the amazing.'

Want to make this impact on your organization?

📥 Download the Leader's Guide to Employee Recognition and find practical tools and strategies to help you integrate recognition into your company workflows, reinforce core values, and boost engagement.

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