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Riddle me this: What can’t corporate America quit?
Answer: The return-to-office debate.
While the RTO conservation has evolved since 2020, next year, HR leaders will continue to bring employees back to the office four, or even five, days a week. Of the 14% of people pros preparing for RTO in 2025, 45% are planning for a five-day return, according to a recent HR Brew survey.
In anticipation of a full-time return, Joy Taylor, managing director at consulting firm alliant, told HR Brew that companies might consider hiring “RTO officers.”
“The change management that will be required to bring people back to work is going to be significant, and as we all know, people don’t love change,” she said. “It’s going to take someone who is experienced at transformational change to get people back into a return-to-work mode for organizations that require it.”
New role alert. Companies that are committed to bringing employees back to the office, but aiming to make the transition worthwhile for employees, should consider appointing RTO officers to oversee the day-to-day office experience, Taylor said.
RTO officers shouldn’t be leaders from “the white tower of a corporate organization,” she said. HR pros should hire RTO officers who can be a boots-on-the-ground presence in individual offices. That way, they can get to know the employees and specific cultures.
“It’s going to have to feel very local in order for it to have a dynamic impact on everyone throughout the organization,” she said.
This, she believes, will be necessary for any organization shifting to a fully in-person schedule.
“It’s going to be all but required for a certain period of time, until going back to work five days a week feels like the way of working, because it doesn’t feel like the way of working right now,” she said.