If You Want People in the Office, Build One Worth Coming To

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 07:37:00 -0400

Phil Gilbert, SSIR, Dec 18, 2025

I don't know whether the offices at IBM are as employee-friendly as they seem to be based on this article, but I definitely endorse the argument that 'return to office' requires much more intentional design of how we work in offices at all. "Today's leaders mandating return-to-office (RTO) policies are solving the wrong problem. They're focusing on attendance rather than engagement. If your people don't want to be in your space, that's not their failure - it's yours. The spaces you've created aren't compelling enough. Full stop."