Closing the RTO Gap: How Smart Spaces Can Align Workplaces and Employees

Across markets, organizations are moving from optional flexibility toward firmer on-site expectations. In a 2024 Gartner survey, 63% of employers reported increasing their on-site requirements, and 34% were already enforcing return-to-office mandates. Yet, even as office occupancy rises, a deeper issue persists: employees are returning but not necessarily reconnecting.

That’s because a policy that simply demands people to show up isn’t enough – the workplace must feel valuable, purposeful, and connected. It needs to function as an employee magnet, a space where people come to meet, create, and be inspired.

When employees view the office as rigid or unproductive, engagement drops, collaboration stalls, and retention becomes harder. HR leaders have long understood that physical presence alone doesn’t equal engagement. What truly drives people back is an environment that fosters belonging, focus, and collaboration, with tools that are intuitive to use, flexible across platforms, and responsive to different meeting styles.

This growing misalignment between employer expectations and employee experience is what experts call return-to-office (RTO) dissonance. The gap widens when offices fail to reflect how hybrid teams interact today. According to research by Barco and WORKTECH Academy, workplace technology and design must evolve together and create “smart” collaborative environments that help businesses align meeting types with spatial and technological design.

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Why do collaboration spaces matter?

Without flexible, smart spaces, employees ask themselves: why go to the office at all?

It isn’t simply about adding more desks or chairs; it’s about creating spaces that enable meaningful interaction. Brainstorming sessions need openness and creative tools. Strategic discussions require seamless access to data and visibility for all participants. Quick huddles thrive in agile, plug-and-play environments. A one-size-fits-all room no longer works and can even discourage in-office collaboration.

The HR perspective

This is where HR can take the lead. Traditionally, IT manages technology decisions while HR focuses on people and culture. But those boundaries are now blurred. HR understands what employees need to feel empowered and included, while IT understands how to deliver it. Together, they can shape spaces that are not only functional but human-centered.

When HR influences technology priorities – ensuring they support flexibility, inclusivity, and engagement – the office becomes more than a physical space. It becomes a connected ecosystem designed to enhance employee experience and collaboration across every touchpoint.

Technology and design should go hand in hand

The Barco–WORKTECH Academy research further highlights four meeting types: collaborative, creative, competitive, and controlled. Each benefits from specific room setups, both physical and digital:

Collaborative meetings benefit from flexible seating, inclusive AV tools, and 360° visibility so everyone, remote or in-room, has a voice.
Creative meetings are more spontaneous and fast-moving and thrive on visual thinking, rapid dialogue, and shared ideation.
Competitive meetings, such as sales pitches or executive reviews, are outcome-driven and focused, and depend on robust video and audio quality, instant data access, and minimal distractions.
Controlled meetings, like board sessions or compliance briefings, depend on consistency and formality.

When space and technology align with the purpose of each meeting, employees feel more confident to contribute. Hybrid participants remain equally engaged, ensuring inclusivity and productivity regardless of location.

Wireless collaboration solutions like ClickShare simplify hybrid meetings, letting participants share content instantly and interact naturally. When done well, technology fades into the background, making the meeting experience inclusive and seamless for everyone.

From dissonance to connection

Organizations that invest in smart, human-centric collaboration spaces see tangible results. Research by International Workplace Group (IWG) found that hybrid-enabled companies experienced an 11% increase in productivity and significantly lower turnover rates as engagement rose. The evidence is clear: technology and design are central to employee satisfaction and business performance.

Making it happen

HR leaders don’t need to transform every office overnight. A powerful first step is listening, surveying employees and running focus groups to uncover what’s missing in current spaces. From there, HR and IT can partner to identify rooms that would benefit most from smart upgrades, such as wireless collaboration tools, flexible layouts, or improved acoustics and lighting.

Next, pilot those improvements in a few select rooms, observe how teams respond, and gather feedback to refine the approach. Communicate the purpose of these changes clearly so employees understand how new spaces make their work easier and more connected. Finally, track outcomes – engagement, productivity, and utilization – to build a business case for scaling the initiative.

Even small steps can create meaningful progress. Each smart meeting room, each frictionless hybrid connection, helps reduce RTO dissonance and rebuild trust in the office as a space that supports, not hinders, work.

The way forward

The combination of adaptable design and intuitive technology transforms the office from a compliance-driven expectation into a space for collaboration, creativity, and connection. HR leaders have a unique opportunity to influence how technology investments are made, ensuring they align with both employee expectations and business goals.

[To share your insights with us, please write to psen@itechseries.com ]

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