In recent years, we have become accustomed to working from home and adapting, almost in real time, to new routines and technologies. It worked, ensured continuity, and proved that flexibility is an asset. However, as organizations returned to normal operations, the truth emerged: certain aspects of work simply do not survive when teams are dispersed.
In-person collaboration offers advantages that are difficult to replicate online. Spontaneous conversations, decisions resolved through quick exchanges of ideas, or the creativity that emerges when several people think together in the same space do not happen with the same fluidity over the phone or video call. This is why many tech companies have asked for a physical presence again. Google, for instance, recently required that some artificial intelligence teams return to the office to ensure that creativity and innovation are not hampered by dispersion. Innovation thrives on constant interaction and collaborative density.
The office also plays a crucial role in onboarding and training new employees. While it is possible to integrate someone new entirely remotely, the learning curve is slower and less profound. Culture does not transfer via Zoom, and mentorship cannot be improvised. Direct observation, learning through experience, and capturing everyday references—all these are lost when each employee operates in their domestic silence. Companies that want to scale teams quickly know that the office accelerates this process.
Even productivity, often used to advocate for remote work, is being reinterpreted. Individual focus may improve at home, but collective output, which depends on alignment, speed of decision-making, and interdependence among departments, tends to degrade.
It is important to recognize that today’s office is no longer the office of the past. Many companies no longer view the space as one where each person has a fixed desk. Companies want flexible spaces designed for creative sprints, strategy meetings, internal events, and cultural moments. The office becomes a meeting point and a space that reinforces the connection between people, not just a place to clock in and out.
Ultimately, we are not witnessing a return to the past out of nostalgia. We are adapting to what I call Office 2.0. The future will be smarter and more human. We are observing the transition of the office as a place of presence to a tool of work, a tool that gains value when used intentionally. And all this built around a simple truth: when people come together with a purpose, teams function better. At the end of the day, everyone wins: the company and the employee.
