Return to Office in 2025: RTO Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All
Insights from the McKinsey Talks Talent Podcast
The return-to-office (RTO) conversation is louder than ever in 2025, with companies across industries navigating the transition back to in-person work. But here’s the real question: Without a return to office 2025 strategy, is it working?
Recent insights from the McKinsey Talks Talent Podcast shed light on the shifting landscape of RTO, how employees feel about it, and what companies must do to make it a success—not just a mandate.
At L-12 Services, we believe that planning for operational excellence is the only way to ensure a smooth and productive transition.
Let’s break it down.
The State of RTO: The Numbers Don’t Lie
Companies aren’t just encouraging in-office work—they’re requiring it. According to McKinsey’s research, the percentage of employees working mostly in person jumped from 35% in 2023 to 68% in 2024, with some industries seeing even bigger shifts:
- Consumer & Retail: 87% (more than doubling from 2023)
- Healthcare: 73% (up from 42%)
- Manufacturing, Aerospace, and Defense: 73% (previously 42%)
In many cases, this shift isn’t organic—it’s mandated. Whether formally or informally, organizations are pulling employees back into the office. The question is whether they’re doing it strategically or just reacting to external pressures.
How Employees Feel: Are They Happy?
Here’s where the conversation gets more nuanced. Despite concerns about pushback, McKinsey’s research finds that most employees report being satisfied with their current work model—whether in-office, hybrid, or remote.
Only 17% of both remote and in-person employees said they would prefer to switch to another model. Even more surprising, in-person employees report the lowest intent to quit, suggesting that fears of widespread attrition due to RTO mandates may be overblown.
But here’s the catch: Satisfaction doesn’t mean success. Just because employees aren’t quitting en masse doesn’t mean RTO is achieving its intended goals.
Burnout, Flexibility, and The Cost of Poor Planning
McKinsey’s research points to a critical factor in RTO success: Workplace flexibility matters.
Lack of flexibility is one of the top reasons employees leave their jobs. While RTO hasn’t triggered a mass exodus, companies that don’t plan for operational excellence risk losing their top talent over time.
While some assumed that in-person work would reduce burnout, McKinsey’s findings show that burnout levels are nearly identical for remote and in-office employees—around one-third report feeling burned out. Only group that fares slightly better; hybrid employees.
Why? Because in-office work requires more than just showing up. Employees deal with unexpected interruptions, impromptu meetings, and increased social obligations—all of which add to their workload. Without careful planning, these pressures can fuel frustration rather than collaboration.
RTO Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All: The Generational and Gender Divide
Satisfaction with any return to office 2025 strategy varies across demographics:
- Baby Boomers (80%) and Gen X (73%) are the most satisfied with in-office work.
- Millennials (72%) and Gen Z (68%) show slightly lower enthusiasm.
- Women report lower satisfaction with RTO than men, particularly citing weaker mentorship opportunities and reduced career development.
Caregivers—regardless of gender—also show a higher intent to quit when required to work in person, reinforcing that workplace flexibility is a necessity, not a perk.
The Real Challenge: RTO Without a Strategy Won’t Work
One of the biggest oversights in RTO planning? Assuming that returning to the office automatically fixes collaboration, culture, or productivity.
McKinsey’s research revealed that scores for collaboration, innovation, and mentorship were nearly identical across remote, hybrid, and in-person teams.
That means simply bringing people back to the office isn’t solving the core issues leaders hoped it would. What does? A structured plan for operational excellence.
Operational Excellence: The Key to RTO Success
Companies that strategically plan their return to office 2025 strategy are the ones seeing the best results. Based on McKinsey’s insights and our own experiences at L-12 Services, here’s what successful RTO planning looks like:
1. Define and Illustrate Clear Business Goals
RTO isn’t just about people at desks—it should support real business objectives that clearly define what the successful outcome looks like. Ask:
- What are we trying to improve (collaboration, innovation, productivity)?
- How will in-person work contribute to these outcomes?
- What success metrics will we track?
- Can we, as leaders, describe what it looks, sounds, and feels like to be in that successful setting? And more importantly, can we convey that clarity of experience to the workforce so they know at every turn what does and doesn't support reaching that endpoint?
2. Commit to Optimizing Workflows With Input from Staff
One of the biggest opportunities organizations miss is communicating to the workforce they are a valued part of process improvement. When people return to the office, their workflows will be disrupted (yet again...) so letting the workforce know in advance that you anticipate the disruption and will engage them and their ideas to improve the processes creates ownership. Organizations must refine internal processes, communication, and collaboration once their teams are back "on the ground" and leverage institutional knowledge to create efficiencies.
3. Invest in Leadership and Manager Training
If employees are returning to an office where leaders don’t model strong communication, collaboration, and mentorship, RTO will fail to deliver its promise. Train managers to:
- Facilitate meaningful in-person interactions
- Balance workloads to prevent burnout
- Support hybrid employees equitably
4. Address Employee Needs Proactively
Leaders must acknowledge and actively address the biggest employee concerns:
- Flexibility: Offer staggered schedules or hybrid options.
- Workload Balance: Ensure in-office time isn’t filled with unnecessary meetings.
- Career Development: Strengthen mentorship programs and training opportunities.
5. Measure and Adjust
McKinsey’s research highlights an important gap: There’s little data proving that RTO is boosting performance. Smart leaders will track:
- Productivity and efficiency metrics
- Employee engagement and sentiment
- Retention rates, particularly among high performers
If the data doesn’t show clear benefits, be willing to adjust the model.
Final Thoughts: RTO as an Opportunity for Transformation
The biggest takeaway from McKinsey Talks Talent? RTO isn’t a return to the past—it’s a chance to redefine how work happens.
Organizations that strategically plan their return-to-office approach—rather than simply enforcing it—will maximize collaboration, innovation, and employee satisfaction.
So the real question isn’t whether employees are returning to the office. It’s whether companies are ready to make that return worthwhile.
Your RTO Plan: A Step Toward Operational Excellence
RTO is not the final destination—it’s a mile marker on the road to operational excellence. By aligning RTO with your EVP, communicating its purpose effectively, and focusing on long-term goals, you can create a transition that benefits both employees and the organization.
When approached strategically, RTO becomes more than just a return to the office—it’s a return to connection, collaboration, and shared success. Go into the initiative knowing that your strategic return to office plan for operational excellence is they key to unlocking productivity, job satisfaction, and a strong culture.
Are you ready to make your RTO initiative a success? Review our service packages to see which type of support your workforce needs.
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