Will the future of work be determined by a return to the office?

By Duena Blomstrom,

Author of “Tech-Led Culture: Unlock the Full Potential of Your Business and People”

The future of work is a topic that has been debated, dissected, and discussed at length, especially in the wake of the global pandemic. As businesses grapple with the decision of returning to the office, the question remains: Is the traditional office-centric model the way forward, or is it time to embrace a new paradigm?

In my book, ‘Tech-Led Culture: Unlock the Full Potential of Your Business and People’, I delve deep into the concept of Human Debt. It’s a term I coined to describe the emotional and psychological toll that outdated work cultures and practices take on employees. This debt accumulates over time, leading to burnout, decreased productivity, and a lack of innovation.

The solution? Creating EQ-driven, fearless, intentional tech-led cultures that prioritise humans first.

For the past five years, I’ve been at the forefront of this movement, developing and using software like PeopleNotTech. This dashboard is designed to help teams decrease burnout, increase psychological safety, and achieve performance levels comparable to tech giants like Google. My journey into this realm was not one of ambition but of necessity. I became a reluctant social entrepreneur, investing millions into software solutions, only to discover that they further highlighted the existing Human Debt of organisations.

To those reading this, I urge you to consider the implications of this Human Debt. Multiple experiments on work methods have been conducted, from mandated returns to the office to the adoption of healthy Silicon Valley cultures and the 4-day workweek.

The conclusion is clear: anything less than a complete shift towards WFAA (“Work From Anywhere Anytime” or “full flexibility”) is not just unsustainable, but poses a significant business risk.

Chief risk officers and business leaders should be less preoccupied with concerns about rents and productivity paranoia. Instead, the focus should be on investing in people and fostering these new Tech-Led Cultures. The benefits are manifold: increased employee satisfaction, higher retention rates, and a surge in innovation.

The debate on the future of work is not just about where we work, but how we work. It’s about recognising and addressing the Human Debt that has been accruing for years. It’s about understanding that technology, when used correctly, can be a tool to enhance human connection, collaboration, and creativity.

In conclusion, the future of work will not be determined by a mere return to the office. It will be shaped by our willingness to embrace change, prioritize our people, and invest in cultures that are tech-led but humancentric. The choice is ours to make, and the time to act is now. Let’s redefine the future of work together, ensuring it is inclusive, flexible, and, above all, human-first.

Where formerly offices had been a place where employees come to work and get their admin done, now more frequently it’s a place where they come to engage with colleagues, using their WFH days for admin and their office days as an opportunity to meet, collaborate and share ideas. It’s the social side and the resultant creativity when working together that is missing from a WFH model.

This new way of working is not only more convenient for many, contributing to a positive work-life balance and general wellbeing, but also making the office days enjoyable and engaging and more productive for the businesses too.”