The back-to-office challenge: finding the right words to get people on board

For many organisations and companies, finding the right balance between office work and homework is a delicate topic. Communication teams struggle to find the right tone while leadership teams balance between setting clear expectations and giving employees the flexibility they want.

The challenge isn’t just about getting people coming to the office more often. It’s about making sure they come back for the right reasons.

At moodfactory, we believe the key to success lies in behavioural design, inspired by the Sue Behavioural Design methodology. By understanding how people make decisions and shaping the context around them, organisations can encourage the right behaviours without creating frustration or resistance.

Why employees resist and what we can do about it

Too often, messages about office presence focus on rules. Employees are expected to be in the office three days a week. It sounds clear, but it triggers resistance. Nobody likes being forced into something, especially if they don’t see the direct benefit.

Before pushing people to come to the office more frequently, it’s worth understanding what holds them back.

• Pain points: long commutes, distractions and noise at the office, rigid schedules

• Concerns: fear of losing flexibility, uncertainty about productivity expectations, work-life balance worries

• Comforts: the ease of working from home, control over the daily schedule, fewer interruptions, personal comfort

Rather than tackling resistance head-on, a better approach is to position the office as the solution to employees' real needs. The question isn’t how to enforce office days, but how to make them valuable.

Reframing the office from obligation to opportunity

People don’t come to the office just to work. They come when it adds something to their professional or personal life. If the office is framed as an answer to their needs, they will naturally return.

1. Make the office a place of progress

   Instead of saying’ come to the office because it’s required’, position it as an opportunity. Want to grow in your role? The office is where you learn from others and get noticed.

2. Create social incentives

   People are more likely to come in when they feel a sense of belonging. Your team is in on Wednesdays. Don’t miss the chance to work together and have some fun along the way.

3. Reduce the hassle factor

   If the effort of coming in outweighs the benefits, people will resist. Make it easier. E.g. ‘We’re organising focus days at the office. No meetings, great coffee and quiet spaces. Or encourage colleagues to join the office outside peak traffic hours.

4. Shift the story from loss to gain

   Instead of saying ‘you need to be in the office three days a week’, highlight what’s in it for them. Reframe office days to make them more meaningful. Less meetings more collaboration.

Communication that touches hearts and minds

Using behavioural design principles helps trigger fast, intuitive decision-making rather than slow, rational reasoning. Instead of convincing employees with logic, shape a context where coming in is the natural choice.

• Speak the language of benefits rather than obligations

• Create office moments that people genuinely look forward to

• Show how coming in adds value rather than taking away freedom

The right reason to come to the office

The best back-to-office communication doesn’t push policies, it makes people want to be there. When office presence aligns with what employees value most, they will return. Not because they have to, but because it makes sense.