More than two years after offices first sent employees home at the start of the pandemic, there remains a deep uncertainty about the future of physical office spaces. Seasoned employees that have been working from home for the duration of the pandemic might wonder why a return to the workplace, in some capacity, is necessary—especially if those employees that haven't lost productivity through the transition. For new recruits, and particularly younger employees, though, returning to the office has a lot of value.

"In the feedback that we have received, with existing teams that had already worked together and known each other and were already in a rhythm, it was a non-issue," Colin Behring, CEO of Behring Companies, tells GlobeSt.com. "For those groups, there was more and maybe better productivity. For new teams and younger employees that needed mentorship and indoctrination into company culture, there was a trade-off. That was an issue."

While new employees have the most to gain from a return to the office, established employees are also finding fewer benefits while working from home. "Some firms have invested heavily in office space and amenities. Those office spaces went dark, and all of the company perks, like lounge spaces, free food and free transit went away overnight," says Behring. This has made the office more attractive to a wide range of employees, even those that can work productively from home.