April 2025
Intermediate to advanced
8 pages
18m
English
article
What the Return-to-Office Debate Misses: Employees Are Customers
by Deborah Lovich, Gabrielle Novacek, Chenault Taylor
Overview
Too many companies treat employees as costs rather than customers who choose how much effort to bring to work. Return-to-office mandates, for example, imply a lack of trust. Even when organizations pursue employee-centric policies, many treat workers like one monolithic group. A key research insight: Organizations must segment their workforces, much as they do with customers. Only then can leaders address different segments’ needs, to motivate and retain people, through specific practices.
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