Remote work boomed in 2020-2023, the years following the COVID-19 pandemic. Every major company from the Magnificent 7 to those at the bottom of the S&P were embracing remote work, and workers seemed to love it too. According to LinkedIn, remote jobs accounted for only 14% of job postings in November 2022, but attracted 50% of all applications. Now in 2025, we're seeing a shift to companies like Amazon forcing employees to come back to the office, however, recent data shows that remote work continues to hold strong appeal for employees. So, how can we as operations leaders navigate this transition?
Why are companies forcing remote workers back into the office?
Lets talk about why businesses might want to bring remote workers back to the office from an operational perspective. A few reasons we might hear are that collaboration and culture are hard to replicate remotely. New hires and junior staff need mentorship and energy. Real-time brainstorming, feedback, and decision-making thrive in person. The psychological and creative lift of team presence. While all of these have merit, I'll leave it to you to decide if maybe the fact that these companies are paying for thousands of square feet of empty office space has anything to do with it.
What are the challenges and trade-offs of remote/hybrid work?
Let's touch on some operational challenges and trade-offs that come with hybrid and remote work. While we may hate to admit it, hybrid work = more planning, not less. The Financial Times notes that companies are reassessing their office space needs, with some choosing to downsize and upgrade amenities to better suit hybrid work models. There are some major manager and accountability challenges happening in the worlds most valuable companies. A Gallup report found that 70% of managers say they've received no formal training on how to manage hybrid teams. Employee accountability is another pain point. Gallup's Q1 2025 survey indicates that remote-capable on-site workers feel most connected (33%), followed by hybrid employees (31%), then on-site non-remote-capable workers (24%).
What are the strategic takeaways for operations leaders?
Codify your hybrid processes in SOPs. Use surveys, feedback, and performance metrics to guide adjustments. Finally, please train your managers to lead hybrid teams intentionally.
If your company has made the decision to keep a hybrid model or is returning to the office full-time, Intentional, well-designed workflows—regardless of where they happen—will define how your teams perform in 2025.
