Return-to-office mandates are causing a rift, with high performers viewing them as a lack of trust, leading to increased turnover.
Matt Hannah, Director of Recruiting at Search Consulting Network, points to the push for office returns as driving skilled professionals to seek new opportunities.
Smaller companies continue to offer flexibility, contrasting with larger firms’ top-down mandates.
A flexible, hybrid work model is suggested as a compromise to retain talent and maintain morale.
The ideal work model should be tailored to the role and career stage, with early-career professionals benefiting from in-office learning.
As return-to-office mandates rise, a fault line is emerging in the workplace: while companies frame recalls as necessary for collaboration and productivity, many high performers see them as a referendum on trust. For employees who have already proven their value remotely, the push to return feels tone-deaf, igniting an emotional backlash that forces companies to reckon with the real cost of revoking flexibility.
We spoke with Matt Hannah, Director of Recruiting at Search Consulting Network, a firm that specializes in placing talent in the automotive, manufacturing, and engineering sectors. According to Hannah, the RTO-driven erosion of trust is directly fueling turnover, with the struggle over flexibility emerging as a leading reason candidates change jobs.
Performance over presence: “If you’re a high performer and you’re getting your job done, it shouldn’t matter where you’re working from,” Hannah stated. For many employees, results speak louder than presence, and mandatory office returns feel less like collaboration boosters and more like constraints that undermine trust and autonomy. “If you’re a company taking away that freedom, it sends a hurtful message that you don’t trust that the work is getting done remotely.”
The RTO debate is not just unpopular; it’s an emotional firestorm with tangible consequences for talent retention. The feeling of being distrusted is actively pushing skilled professionals, from engineers to executives, to seek new opportunities.
A visceral reaction: “It’s very emotional. People are very fired up about it,” Hannah explained. For employees used to flexibility, being told to return can feel like a personal slight. “If you’ve been accustomed to having that freedom and you’re performing at a high level, you’re wondering, ‘Why is this company making me come back in when I’m getting my job done?'” That intensity is not limited to lower-level employees; BambooHR’s recent report found that 39% of executives said they would rather go through a breakup than return to the office.
However, the disconnect often originates from the highest levels of leadership, particularly within large corporations. Hannah observes that many mandates are driven by a perception that the company has been taken advantage of, rather than by objective performance data.
A top-down directive: “It often comes down to the directive or perspective of a manager, director, or VP on whether having people in the office drives productivity,” he said. This contrasts sharply with the approach of smaller, more agile companies. “The smaller companies we’re seeing are still offering that flexibility, and they have for a long time. They were even doing that before COVID.”
A flexible, hybrid model emerges as a powerful, trust-preserving compromise. By linking autonomy to performance, companies can retain top talent and maintain morale without sacrificing business objectives.
Flexibility as a benefit: “It means a lot to employees to have that freedom, and it’s very much a matter of trust,” Hannah noted. At his own firm, he applies the same principle: “Trusting your employees to get the work done, regardless of location, is a meaningful benefit.” He encourages clients to take a measured approach, advising them to “offer hybrid options, and in some cases extend even more flexibility when individuals consistently deliver results.”
The ideal work model is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Certain roles, particularly in hands-on fields like manufacturing, will always require an on-site presence. The most effective policies, Hannah suggested, are those tailored not just to the role, but to the employee’s career stage. While mid-career professionals may prioritize flexibility, those just starting out can reap significant benefits from the spontaneous learning opportunities that only an office environment can provide.
“For early-career professionals, if you have the chance to be in the office, I would take it,” Hannah advised. “In remote work, every interaction and meeting has to be planned. But in an office, there are spontaneous conversations and kismet meetings between people passing by that can be just as valuable.”
Return-to-office mandates are causing a rift, with high performers viewing them as a lack of trust, leading to increased turnover.
Matt Hannah, Director of Recruiting at Search Consulting Network, points to the push for office returns as driving skilled professionals to seek new opportunities.
Smaller companies continue to offer flexibility, contrasting with larger firms’ top-down mandates.
A flexible, hybrid work model is suggested as a compromise to retain talent and maintain morale.
The ideal work model should be tailored to the role and career stage, with early-career professionals benefiting from in-office learning.
Search Consulting Network
As return-to-office mandates rise, a fault line is emerging in the workplace: while companies frame recalls as necessary for collaboration and productivity, many high performers see them as a referendum on trust. For employees who have already proven their value remotely, the push to return feels tone-deaf, igniting an emotional backlash that forces companies to reckon with the real cost of revoking flexibility.
We spoke with Matt Hannah, Director of Recruiting at Search Consulting Network, a firm that specializes in placing talent in the automotive, manufacturing, and engineering sectors. According to Hannah, the RTO-driven erosion of trust is directly fueling turnover, with the struggle over flexibility emerging as a leading reason candidates change jobs.
Performance over presence: “If you’re a high performer and you’re getting your job done, it shouldn’t matter where you’re working from,” Hannah stated. For many employees, results speak louder than presence, and mandatory office returns feel less like collaboration boosters and more like constraints that undermine trust and autonomy. “If you’re a company taking away that freedom, it sends a hurtful message that you don’t trust that the work is getting done remotely.”
The RTO debate is not just unpopular; it’s an emotional firestorm with tangible consequences for talent retention. The feeling of being distrusted is actively pushing skilled professionals, from engineers to executives, to seek new opportunities.
A visceral reaction: “It’s very emotional. People are very fired up about it,” Hannah explained. For employees used to flexibility, being told to return can feel like a personal slight. “If you’ve been accustomed to having that freedom and you’re performing at a high level, you’re wondering, ‘Why is this company making me come back in when I’m getting my job done?'” That intensity is not limited to lower-level employees; BambooHR’s recent report found that 39% of executives said they would rather go through a breakup than return to the office.
Search Consulting Network
However, the disconnect often originates from the highest levels of leadership, particularly within large corporations. Hannah observes that many mandates are driven by a perception that the company has been taken advantage of, rather than by objective performance data.
A top-down directive: “It often comes down to the directive or perspective of a manager, director, or VP on whether having people in the office drives productivity,” he said. This contrasts sharply with the approach of smaller, more agile companies. “The smaller companies we’re seeing are still offering that flexibility, and they have for a long time. They were even doing that before COVID.”
A flexible, hybrid model emerges as a powerful, trust-preserving compromise. By linking autonomy to performance, companies can retain top talent and maintain morale without sacrificing business objectives.
Flexibility as a benefit: “It means a lot to employees to have that freedom, and it’s very much a matter of trust,” Hannah noted. At his own firm, he applies the same principle: “Trusting your employees to get the work done, regardless of location, is a meaningful benefit.” He encourages clients to take a measured approach, advising them to “offer hybrid options, and in some cases extend even more flexibility when individuals consistently deliver results.”
The ideal work model is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Certain roles, particularly in hands-on fields like manufacturing, will always require an on-site presence. The most effective policies, Hannah suggested, are those tailored not just to the role, but to the employee’s career stage. While mid-career professionals may prioritize flexibility, those just starting out can reap significant benefits from the spontaneous learning opportunities that only an office environment can provide.
“For early-career professionals, if you have the chance to be in the office, I would take it,” Hannah advised. “In remote work, every interaction and meeting has to be planned. But in an office, there are spontaneous conversations and kismet meetings between people passing by that can be just as valuable.”
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