This article was first published in MIT Sloan Management Review and is available via subscription.
Organizations that think RTO mandates are the future of work should think again. RTO requirements often strip employees of agency, highlight a lack of trust, and fail to motivate and retain talent. To encourage employees to bring their best selves to work, BCG’s Deborah Lovich, Gabrielle Novacek, and Chenault Taylor advise companies to take a page from their customer playbook to gain deeper insights into their workers.
Many organizations use rigorous qualitative and quantitative research methods and analysis to segment and understand their customers. They should make the same effort with their employees to discover the differences in employee satisfaction, enjoyment, and motivation, as well as surface the distinct needs, values, and barriers that shape each group’s job experience.
As important as the insights are, so, too, is the approach to acting on them. Making work work better for employees is best pursued together—leaders, managers, and individual employees sharing research findings and cocreating solutions.