RTO Mandates: Hard Truths for Leaders

In this brief video, learn what the latest research and current examples say about return-to-office mandates — and what leaders can do instead to boost productivity and retain talent.

CEOs at organizations like Amazon and Dell are implementing return-to-office mandates with an eye toward boosting productivity and pursuing stock market gains. However, current research foretells a different, more likely outcome: RTO mandates can actually cause a short-term productivity lag and fail CEOs hoping for a financial win. Worse still, RTO mandates are driving away top performers, who see mandates as a clear message that top leadership doesn’t trust them, says MIT SMR columnist Brian Elliott.

Elliott first explored RTO mandates in what has become one of our most popular articles this year. In this video, he revisits RTO mandates, bringing fresh data and company examples to the debate about the effectiveness of return-to-office directives. He also offers his predictions for the high-profile companies that have announced or implemented these mandates, and he shares alternative, evidence-based strategies that forward-thinking leaders can use to boost productivity without hurting employee trust, engagement, or talent retention.

For more advice on RTO mandates and successful hybrid work models, read Elliott’s article “Return-to-Office Mandates: How to Lose Your Best Performers.”