Beyond RTO Mandates: Designing Offices People Actually Want

The office is at a crossroads. Traditional workspaces filled with cubicles, fluorescent lights, and rigid routines no longer meet employee expectations. Workers are uninspired, disengaged, and less likely to come in if the environment feels stale. 

This disconnect is amplified by return-to-office (RTO) mandates that push people back into uninspiring spaces. Instead of boosting productivity, such approaches often backfire, leading to frustration and attrition.

For facilities managers, this represents an opportunity to transform outdated spaces into inspiring destinations people actively choose. The key lies in balancing flexibility, functionality, and hospitality.

In part two of our RTO Reality series, we share modern workplace productivity strategies, case studies, and practical insights that can help you design offices people actually want.

Why Productivity Strategies Fail—and What to Do Instead

Despite decades of office redesign, productivity hasn’t significantly improved since 2008. Janet Pogue McLaurin, Global Director of Workplace Research at Gensler, notes that noise, distractions, and lack of available spaces remain the top barriers. 

A shocking data point? Only 14% of employees say they love the traditional office experience. That means 86% are either indifferent—or actively dissatisfied.

These failures point to a fundamental issue: most strategies treat productivity as a design feature rather than a lived experience. Ergonomic chairs and open floor plans help, but if employees can’t find a quiet corner, plug in their laptop, or book a meeting room without hassle, productivity stalls.

Which raises the question—if traditional approaches fall flat, what do employees actually want from their office environments?

Read More: Pella Opens New HQ: No Mandates, Just Visibility and Choice

Designing Offices That People Actually Want

Employees don’t want “just another office.” They want spaces that evoke choice, emotion, and community. And contrary to popular belief, their desires aren’t divided by generation—they’re surprisingly aligned.

Across all age groups, the vision of an ideal office is strikingly consistent: retreats that bring the outdoors in, business hubs that pulse with energy, creative labs that spark innovation, and residential-style spaces that feel comfortable and human.

Why Generations Come to the Office

Gensler’s research shows that across all age groups, employees share the same top four reasons to come in:

• To focus
• To collaborate
• To socialize
• To learn

Gen Z may emphasize mentoring and visibility more than others, but those goals are still rooted in universal human needs: connection, development, and effectiveness.

Translating Shared Needs Into Design Principles

The most effective environments offer variety and adaptability. That’s because when, where, and how people work have changed. Employees no longer come into the office five days a week and sit at their desks all day. 

Gensler found that workplaces now need to be optimized to effectively support all five work modes:

• working alone,
• working with others in person,
• working with others virtually,
• learning, and
• socializing.

This means designing offices that balance quiet, focused areas with collaborative and social spaces, while also making sure they are easy to book and navigate. Building on those principles:

• Focus Zones: Quiet, distraction-free spaces for deep work. These can be enhanced with clear booking systems so employees know they’ll actually have access when needed.
• Collaboration Hubs: Flexible, tech-enabled spaces where teams brainstorm and solve problems together. Movable furniture and seamless digital tools support hybrid teams as much as in-person ones.
• Social Commons: Lounges, cafés, and even outdoor areas for spontaneous connection—spaces that build culture across generations. These shared areas are essential to pulling people into the office, not just pushing them back.
• Learning Spaces: Mentoring corners, training rooms, and multipurpose areas that encourage skill-building and knowledge-sharing. These become even more effective when paired with smart scheduling to make them accessible for cross-generational learning moments.

“Only 14% love the traditional office experience. Employees crave environments that evoke emotion and choice—creative labs, nature-inspired retreats, and collaboration hubs.” - Janet Pogue McLaurin, Principal, Global Director Workplace Research at Gensler

Real-World Examples That Redefine the Office

The best examples recognize that people desire office experiences connected to nature, inspiring, and experimental. In practice, this means the most effective designs still focus on adaptability, variety, and a hospitality mindset. 

Here's how some organizations are using design to foster productivity and engagement:

• Edelman’s Cultural Villages: Offices segmented into lively micro-communities—phone booths, loft lounges, color-coded zones—that balance focus and collaboration. These align with Skedda’s emphasis on giving employees both choice and clarity in how they work.
• Bandwidth’s Campus: A Raleigh hub blending playgrounds, ponds, and wellness spaces. It’s less “corporate park” and more “community hub.” This reflects Skedda’s point that offices succeed when they feel like destinations, offering employees something they can’t get at home.
• Marriott’s HQ: Designed like a hotel, complete with cafés, childcare, and wellness centers—creating a destination, not just a desk. This embodies the hybrid principle that the office should attract people with hospitality rather than mandate their return.

Together, these office designs underscore that productivity and engagement don’t stem from square footage. They arise from thoughtful design choices that foster focus, collaboration, and a sense of belonging.

Workplace leaders and facilities managers should design for universal needs first, then layer in flexibility for nuance. The office isn’t a battleground of stereotypes; it’s a shared platform where everyone can thrive. But thoughtful design alone isn’t enough—how we manage these environments is just as important.

Adopting a Hospitality Mindset in Workplace Design

A powerful shift is underway: treating employees like valued customers rather than cost centers. Jessica Kane, Senior Workplace Experience Manager at Cushman & Wakefield, puts it best: “We’re treating talent as customers, not expenses.”

This is where the hospitality mindset in workplace design becomes tangible. A workplace must be both beautiful and functional: ergonomic chairs that support long hours, power outlets where people need them, layouts that encourage flow. These aren’t aesthetic extras; they’re fundamentals of care.

In her conversation on why facilities leaders need hospitality training, Kane explains that facilities professionals can learn a great deal from customer service and hospitality training. The customer service principles that make a great hotel guest experience—anticipation, responsiveness, and attention to detail—translate directly into workplace design.

This hospitality mindset relies on three C’s:

• Communication: Clear signals about space availability and usability.
• Convenience: Ergonomic seating, easy-to-access outlets, and seamless booking tools.
• Choice: A range of spaces that support deep work, collaboration, or relaxation.

Hospitality training encourages teams to move from reactive problem-solving to proactive care. For example, anticipating an employee’s need for a functional workstation before frustration sets in mirrors how great hotels anticipate guest needs before complaints arise.

What Can Workplaces Learn from Disney’s “Plussing It” Concept?

Walt Disney coined the idea of “plussing it”—always looking for ways to add small touches of delight. Facilities management has adopted the same ethos. Adjusting a thermostat, fine-tuning seating layouts, or smoothing the check-in process may seem minor, but together they create a sense of belonging and ease.
The Disney plussing concept in the workplace is about consistency and continuous improvement. As Kane emphasizes, facilities leaders aren’t just fixing problems; they’re enhancing experiences in ways employees may not notice consciously, but will feel deeply. The difference between a chair and your chair is subtle, but it’s the difference between showing up and staying home.

Designing Workplaces People Actively Choose

Too many organizations still treat office attendance as a mandate, which risks disengagement when the environment doesn’t deliver value. If employees perceive the office as uninspiring or inconvenient, they won’t invest their energy there—leading to missed opportunities for collaboration, culture, and innovation.

Employee engagement thrives when workplaces are designed around choice, convenience, and clarity. What draws people back isn’t obligation but inspiration. Facilities leaders who apply hospitality principles and flexible design can create destinations people actively choose. The impact goes beyond aesthetics. 

When employees feel their workplace anticipates their needs and supports their best work, productivity and engagement rise. Culture strengthens, and retention improves. And as facilities management evolves post-pandemic, it’s clear that empathy-driven design will shape the future of work.

Book a demo with a workplace expert today and see how Skedda can help you create offices employees choose—not resist.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are effective workplace productivity strategies?

Effective workplace productivity strategies focus on designing offices that reduce distractions, offer flexible collaboration hubs, and provide access to quiet focus zones. Modern strategies also integrate technology like seamless room booking systems and occupancy tracking to ensure spaces are used efficiently.

Why do return-to-office (RTO) mandates often fail?

RTO mandates often fail because they focus on policy rather than experience. Employees return when offices feel inspiring, connected to nature, and designed for collaboration and learning. Mandates without meaningful design improvements risk disengagement and turnover.

How do generational differences impact office design?

Although often overstated, generational preferences highlight different emphases. Gen Z may value mentoring and visibility, but research shows all generations share the same top reasons for coming to the office: to focus, collaborate, socialize, and learn. Office designs should meet these universal needs first.

What is the hospitality mindset in workplace design?

The hospitality mindset means treating employees like valued customers. Inspired by leaders like Jessica Kane, it emphasizes communication, convenience, and choice. It also borrows from Walt Disney’s concept of “plussing it”—continuously improving the workplace experience.

How are facilities managers adapting post-pandemic?

Facilities managers are moving from being space custodians to experience architects. They use data-driven tools, hospitality principles, and flexible space strategies to create workplaces that employees actively choose. This includes integrating booking software, QR check-ins, and space attributes.

Can you share examples of modern office design for productivity?

Yes. Edelman’s cultural villages, Bandwidth’s community-focused campus, and Marriott’s hospitality-inspired HQ are leading examples. Each showcases how adaptable, human-first design can transform offices into destinations.