CAPABILITIES
We want our people to actually want to be here, not just show up because they have to.
Creating a workplace people want to return to: How Emotional Intelligence (EI) makes time in the office worth it
Key points
Despite a global push to bring employees back to the office, engagement levels are not bouncing back. In many cases, they’re declining. Gartner reports that employee resentment is quietly growing as mandates increase. Business leaders often emphasise collaboration and culture as reasons for returning to the office, while some employees may perceive these reasons differently, believing that decisions are influenced by factors such as real estate investments or management preferences. These differing perspectives can impact the overall outcome, regardless of their relevance to individual employers.
In the end, employees comply, but are emotionally check out.
EI, especially when activated through methodologies like applied improvisation, growth mindset, and flow state, can repair this rupture. When leaders use EI to rebuild trust, recognise human needs, and help teams learn how to listen and build on each other’s contributions, the office becomes something more than a desk away from home. It becomes a place where ideas evolve faster, where support is felt, and where people feel psychologically safe enough to contribute, not just comply.
This article outlines the capabilities and practical approaches organisations can use to shift the energy from reluctant attendance to meaningful participation. Because without emotional engagement, there is no collaboration, innovation, or loyalty. Just presence.
Why return mandates backfire
Employees aren’t resisting return because they dislike their teams. They resist because, for many, the office doesn’t feel like it offers anything worth the commute. In some cases, it’s worse. And an in-office culture can feel performative, political, or simply unproductive.
There’s no measurable difference in productivity between on-site and hybrid employees. Yet many organisations continue pushing physical presence instead of improving the quality of interaction.
Return mandates often fail because they ignore the human contract. If employees feel coerced, undervalued, or distrusted, they may comply, but they won’t commit.
A Future Forum study of knowledge workers across six major countries found that the vast majority value flexibility.
16% want to be fully remote
12% want to return to working in the office five days a week.
72% want the option of working within a hybrid remote-office model.
They’re eager to avoid the commute and have better work-life balance. Harvard Business Review
EI as the missing link
Reframing the RTO conversation with EI changes the game. Rather than centring control or compliance, EI focuses on connection, meaning, and shared responsibility.
EI, especially when developed through practices like applied improvisation, storytelling, and growth mindset training enables teams to:
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Surface unspoken fears or resentments about returning.
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Rebuild psychological safety and informal connection.
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Cultivate collaborative ownership of in-office norms.
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Reconnect to shared purpose beyond just physical location.
In essence, it allows people to co-create a workplace they actually want to be in.
What managers can do now
1.
Encourage Teams to Define Their Own Values of In-Person Work
Rather than enforcing policies, invite teams to articulate why and when being together helps them work better. EI practices help navigate these conversations with curiosity and care.
2.
Address Motivation, Not Just Attendance
EI methodologies like applied improvisation equips managers to read emotional signals and respond in real time. Instead of asking, “Why aren’t you in the office?” ask, “What would make this office worth coming to?”
3.
Use RTO as a Catalyst for Reconnection
Flow-based workshops and EI-driven team design can be used to make returning to work an emotionally resonant experience rather than rational. Bring teams into belonging with shared laughter, insight, and creativity.
4.
Flip the Focus: From Place to Purpose
Focus on how work gets done, not where. EI helps shift the conversation from positional authority to mutual influence. From mandates to motivation.
The risk of getting it wrong
If RTO becomes a battle of wills, no one wins. Employers will face declining engagement, rising attrition, and reputational harm. But when return becomes a chance to rebuild trust and spark renewed energy, it becomes energising.
Closing thought
You can’t mandate enthusiasm. You can’t enforce culture. But you can build the conditions in which people choose to care again.
And that starts with Emotional Intelligence.
Learning these skills on the job is also helping foster deeper connections and strengthening company culture — two key reasons for returning to the office in the first place, and comes as more in-person interactions lead to disagreements and conflicts in the workplace that are expected to continue.
For further insights on cultivating high-performing teams and embedding psychological safety into your organisational culture, connect with Rebooter Group's Human Psychological Safety and Performance specialists.
