The Real Reason Your Boss Wants You Back in the Office

Remote work has upended how we see our jobs, and how companies distinguish themselves.

On the surface, the RTO (Return to Office) movement is about collaboration. Or culture. Or productivity. But dig deeper, and you’ll uncover something more foundational: employers have lost the ability to control—or more importantly, differentiate—the employment experience…and they’re scrambling to get it back.

Without the office, without the perks, without the visual cues of prestige and culture, a job starts to feel less like a place you belong and more like a service you provide. And when that happens, the job becomes a commodity.

In their book “The Experience Economy,” authors Pine & Gilmore describe how the rapid commoditization of goods and services (ushered in, in part, by Wal-Mart and the Internet Age) pushed many industries and brands into a race-to-the-bottom. 

 

Pre-Internet vs. Post-Internet: The Handbag Test

 

To further illustrate this point, imagine the world before online shopping. You wanted a designer handbag, so you visited a store. The decision wasn’t just about the bag; it was about the experience. Louis Vuitton or Chanel didn’t just sell accessories; they sold a feeling. Lighting, scent, service—all of it shaped your perception.

Now fast forward. You’re online, scrolling reviews. The packaging, the prestige, the showroom sparkle? Gone. What’s left are a few photos, the delivery time, and the price.

That’s what’s happening to work.

 

The Office Was the Showroom

 

Before remote work, your job was more than just deliverables. It was the elevator ride with a senior executive, the ambiance of the office, the great lunch place just down the street, and maybe event (or maybe most) the local Friday happy hour meetup. 

These micro-moments made your company appear distinct. You weren’t just doing tasks—you were part of something. Sure they fostered connection and reinforced identity, but more importantly they were a competitive differentiator in the quest for attracting and retaining talent.

The job was an experience, and it was written, produced by, and highly advantageous for your employer. 

Now? You’re logging into Zoom, replying to Slack, and wondering if your coworker even owns pants. The ambiance is gone, the employer differentiation curve is flattening, and—in some extreme cases—your employer…is now just another name in your inbox.

 

It’s Not Just Nostalgia—It’s Power

 

Some argue the RTO push is about productivity or accountability. That’s not wrong—but it’s incomplete. In reality, companies used to have tools—environmental ones—to shape your experience. Now, many of those tools are gone.

In fact, it’s those legacy organizations who are the loudest voices calling people back. They used their headquarters to do what their culture often couldn’t: signal prestige, camaraderie, purpose. In an environment where they can’t, they’re forced to compete with a whole host of other companies. At the risk of being too blunt, in a virtual employment landscape they’re reduced to just another logo competing for talent.

When the experience of “work” becomes untethered from place, it becomes harder to control—and harder to differentiate.

 

A Different Lens: The Hotel Industry Wake-Up Call

 

Perhaps you’re still not convinced. Maybe you found the handbag analogy patently flawed. After all, according to a 2024 survey, 65% of luxury goods purchasers said the “prestige factor” of carrying a Chanel bag (as opposed to a no-name one) made a difference in their purchasing choice. Ok. I’ll bite. Let’s consider hotels:

Pre-Airbnb, they competed on lobbies, location, and brand. Post-Airbnb, the power shifted. Travelers could suddenly compare dozens of options, filtering by amenities, price, and vibe.

Suddenly, a hotel wasn’t “where you stay”—it was one option among many. Loyalty eroded. Price and experience—not prestige—became the driving factors.

This is the workplace now.

Remote-first companies with no-name recognition are stealing talent—not because they offer fancier titles, but because they offer clearer meaning, better systems, and more flexibility.

 

Common Counterpoints and the Real Root Issue

 

“But some work is better in person.”

Yes…some is. But most RTO policies don’t make that distinction. They’re blanket mandates trying to solve a trust issue.

“People miss the office!”

Some do. But, according to a 2022 survey by Qualtrics, they’re not missing keycards and coffee. They’re missing purpose, people, and momentum.

“Not everyone had a great office experience.”

Also true. But even a mediocre office was something. A signal. A physical differentiator. A tangible manifestation of the company. Now, the only thing left is the work itself; and that’s exactly the point.

When you take away the experience, the perks, the polish, and the peer pressure, you’re left with the truth of the work.

And for many, that truth is underwhelming.

 

The Real Problem: Work Without Meaning

 

So here’s the uncomfortable reality:

When jobs become commoditized, and companies can no longer rely on space or status to elevate their offering, they must compete on the only thing left.

Meaning.

That’s the one differentiator that scales. That endures. That transcends Zoom or in-person.

But it’s also the one most companies haven’t invested in. So when the remote revolution stripped everything else away, what was left…wasn’t enough.

Now here’s the good news. There is an antidote.

 

Don’t Bring People Back to the Office—Bring Them Back to the Work

 

This isn’t a rallying cry against the office. It’s a call to stop confusing the location with the experience.

If employers want people to come back—not just physically, but emotionally and mentally—they need to make the work worth coming back to. That means:

• Clarifying purpose
• Designing work that matters
• Creating systems that reward contribution, not just compliance

Because when people feel meaning in their work, they don’t need free lunch to show up.

When they feel momentum, they don’t need micromanagement to stay on track.

And when they feel belonging, they don’t need to be told where to sit.

 

Return to Office isn’t a strategy—it’s a symptom.

 

A signal that employers are struggling to compete in a world where experience can no longer be taken for granted, and meaning can no longer be just a buzz word.

If you’re in a position of influence, start by asking: What are we actually offering employees—beyond salary? Is the work clear, meaningful, and worth doing? That’s the real competitive advantage now.

When employers can’t create meaning, they try to mandate proximity. But the future of work doesn’t belong to those who summon people back. It belongs to those who give people a reason to stay.