Dr. Jaclyn Margolis, the Return to the Office
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2024/12/18
Dr. Jaclyn Margolis is an Associate Professor of Applied Behavioral Science at Graziadio Business School, Pepperdine University, where she also serves as Department Chair for the Applied Behavioral Science and Organizational Theory and Management Department. Her research focuses on teamwork, leadership, and employee well-being, with a particular interest in how employees find joy in their work, collaborate effectively, and manage stress. Dr. Margolis’ work has been published in leading academic journals, including Organization Science, Human Relations, and Academy of Management Annals. Her research and writing have also been featured in outlets such as Psychology Today, Business Insider, and Fast Company.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What primary reasons are behind the recent push to return to the office?
Dr. Jaclyn Margolis: It seems companies are hesitant to fully embrace remote work because they’re concerned about how it might affect company culture, and they believe that in-person work leads to better collaboration and productivity.
Jacobsen: How is this shift to in-office work impacting employee morale?
Margolis: It’s been really challenging for many. Remote work, along with the flexibility it offers, has had a positive impact on many people’s lives, making it hard for employees to let go of it—especially when they don’t see clear benefits to going into the office. Many of my students have shared that when they’re in the office, they socialize more but get less actual work done. This aligns with what research shows: remote work can help people focus on their tasks, while in-person work can help reduce feelings of isolation.
Jacobsen: What are the strategies strategies are companies like Amazon Web Services have been implementing?
Margolis: What I’ve been reading about AWS seems to reflect what a lot of companies are going through as they try to balance employee and management expectations and figure out a new norm. First, there was a shift from remote work to a hybrid model. Now, some companies, including AWS, are introducing a firm in-office mandate. It’s no surprise that many employees are pushing back. It’s tough for them when they see remote work working just fine, only to hear management say it isn’t.
Jacobsen: What challenges might organizations face in enforcing in-office work policies?
Margolis: In the short term, employees might follow these policies just to keep their jobs. But in the long run, frustration with management and the policies could cause your best people to either do the bare minimum or look for a new role. As the saying goes, people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers. If managers are out of touch with what employees actually need, the long-term effects will probably show.
In general, enforcing blanket policies worries me because they assume everyone is most effective in the same way. The truth is, the benefits of in-person work, like remote work, are a bit more complicated. They depend on the type of work being done and the individual’s preferences. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t take into account that some projects need a hands-on approach, while others don’t.
Jacobsen: How does the move to return to the office affect productivity and collaboration?
Margolis: A fascinating paper was recently published that tackles this question. It’s a meta-analysis, which means it reviews all the research on the topic, making it the gold standard for answering these kinds of questions. The authors found that remote workers were more satisfied with their jobs, and their supervisors rated their performance higher compared to office-based workers—which goes against what many companies are saying to justify their return-to-office mandates. The research also looked at how the amount of time spent in the office versus at home affected these factors, such as working two days a week in the office versus full-time. The findings again showed that remote workers actually had slightly higher satisfaction and performance. The only real downside they found was a sense of isolation. All in all, the data suggests that a lot of the concerns about remote work might be much ado about nothing.
Jacobsen: How could a return to the office influence recruitment and retention efforts?
Margolis: Employees are pretty smart when it comes to weighing their whole benefits package. For many, there’s a real cost to commuting into the office. So, it’s not surprising that some employees are willing to give up raises—or even take pay cuts—in exchange for the option to work remotely. It makes sense that offering flexibility in how and where people work is seen as a major perk. I wouldn’t be surprised if jobs with flexible work options end up getting a lot of applications.
Jacobsen: What long-term implications could this shift have on workplace culture?
Margolis: It really depends on the company and how the change is introduced and carried out. If it’s done in a way that makes employees feel disrespected or alienated, it’ll be hard to recover from that. Trust is easy to break and tough to rebuild. On the flip side, if the change is handled thoughtfully and employees are given a voice, it can be an opportunity to strengthen the culture.
Jacobsen: How can leaders ensure employees feel supported and motivated when transitioning to a more office-based work environment?
Margolis: Let me start with an example of what not to do. It’s been widely reported that AWS CEO Matt Garman claimed nine out of ten employees he spoke to about the full return-to-office policy were on board. However, many employees have expressed that they find that statistic shockingly inaccurate and not at all reflective of their own experiences or those of people they know. In trying to build consensus, it seems Garman’s comments made leadership come across as out of touch.
So, what will work? Employees need to feel heard and understand the real reasons for being back in the office. The value of being in the office really depends on what you’re doing there. Leaders need to ensure that employees experience this reality. Coming in just to sit alone or join Zoom calls is likely to feel like a waste. But if employees know they’re coming in for meaningful, in-person interactions, it can make a difference—and might even make them more excited to be there.
Jacobsen: What role do company size and industry play in the decision to bring employees back to the office?
Margolis: They are important. Fit is going to be key here—what works best for your company and the work you do. Some companies and industries are more suited to remote work, while others really benefit from in-person collaboration. That said, there are new models that are changing the way we think about all this. Take healthcare, for example. Going to the doctor used to always mean an in-person visit. Now, doctors communicate with patients in all sorts of ways—through messages and video calls, along with the traditional in-person appointments.
Jacobsen: What are a hybrid work model’s potential benefits and drawbacks?
Margolis: Most people like the hybrid model because it feels like the best of both worlds—you get some in-person time while also having flexibility. But for that to really work, companies need to be thoughtful about how they set up hybrid expectations. For example, if a company wants employees in the office to support collaboration, but teams are on different hybrid schedules or in different offices, it’s probably not going to be effective.
Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Dr. Margolis.
Margolis: Thanks so much for the great conversation—it’s such a fascinating topic that’s always changing.
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