If You Want People Back in the Office, Rethink the Workplace Through Employee-Centric Culture Design

Violaine Des Rosiers
Sep 30
3 min read

The future of work isn’t about location. It’s about motivation. And right now, motivation is low.

Employees aren’t just resisting the return to office trend because they prefer pajamas and Zoom. They’re resisting because too many workplaces haven’t given them a real reason to return.

The Problem Isn’t Remote Work. It’s Cultural Disconnection.

What we’re seeing isn’t a rebellion against the office — it’s a rebellion against workplaces that weren’t designed with people in mind. Too many organizations are running on outdated assumptions:

That presence equals productivity
That monitoring equals management
That perks can replace purpose

And as a result, employees have mentally checked out. They’re showing up, but not into the work.

What People Actually Want

If we stop asking, “How do we get people back in the office?” and instead ask, “What would make people want to come back?” — the answers are clear.

People crave:

Connection — genuine human interaction, collaboration, shared wins
Purpose — meaningful work tied to a mission, not just metrics
Belonging — a culture that feels safe, inclusive, and real
Growth — a future they can see and a path to get there

These aren’t luxuries. They’re the new baseline.

Culture Isn’t a Vibe — It’s a System

The most progressive organizations are realizing something crucial: Culture isn’t what you say — it’s what people experience every day. And like any good system, culture can be designed intentionally. That means shifting from a top-down, policy-driven model to a human-centered design mindset, where employees aren’t just participants, they’re co-creators.

Designing a Culture Worth Returning To

We can think of organizational culture as layered, interdependent, and crucial to performance.

Here’s what it looks like when designed around people:

Daily Experience

This is what employees touch every day — meetings, tools, workflows, environments.

Ask:

Is the in-office experience better than remote?
Are meetings inclusive and necessary?
Is the workspace designed for collaboration and focus?
How can we create rituals, not requirements.

Values in Action

This is where your stated values either become real — or collapse under hypocrisy.

Ask:

Are we rewarding outcomes or facetime?
Do promotions reflect our values?
Is flexibility a core principle or a reluctant concession?

Listening in Real Time

Employee experience is dynamic. Your culture should be too.

Ask:

Are we actively listening, or just running surveys?
Do employees have a say in how and where they work?
Are we adapting based on what we hear?

The Office Isn’t the Problem — But It’s Also Not the Solution

Let’s be clear: the office can be powerful. When designed right, it becomes a hub of energy, creativity, and shared momentum. But the office can’t compensate for a broken culture. And it can’t manufacture motivation.

If you want engagement, design it.

A Culture That Works for People, Not Against Them

Here’s what employee-centric culture really looks like:

Trust-first leadership
Flexibility with intention
Radical transparency
Human-centered policies
A mission people can believe in

When you build this kind of culture, people don’t just show up — they bring their full selves with them. Not because they’re forced to, but because they’re invested.

Final Thought: It’s Not About Returning. It’s About Rebuilding.

The Return To Office debate is missing the point.

This moment isn’t about dragging people back to the way things were. It's about reimagining work so it actually works for humans. Because when you put employees at the center of culture design, everything changes: