With 31% of businesses scaling back remote work and 33% expanding it, the workplace landscape is more divided than ever. On this episode of the Disruption Interruption podcast, James Colgan, chief product officer at Envoy, joins host Karla Jo Helms to explore how technology is reshaping modern offices, the impact of company culture on productivity, and why businesses—including Tesla and Match.com—are leveraging Envoy office technology to streamline operations. “People are looking for flexibility and adaptability—they want a work experience that seamlessly integrates with their life, not one that disrupts it,” he explains.
The Future of Work: Why One-Size-Fits-All Won’t Work
As companies push to bring employees back to the office, they’re facing a clear challenge—friction. A recent Gallup report shows that 60% of employees prefer a hybrid work model, 33% want fully remote roles, and only 10% favor being in the office full-time.
But as Colgan points out, these numbers don’t tell the whole story. “The reality is that’s just a snapshot in time. Ask people a week later, and their preferences may shift depending on what’s happening in their work and personal lives.” Workplace expectations are evolving, and rigid policies fail to address the dynamic nature of employee needs.
The Culture Anchor: Enhancing Office Engagement Beyond Mandates
The conversation around returning to the office often boils down to one question—why? Some advocate for in-office work to boost collaboration, innovation, and company culture, while others see remote work as the best way to maximize flexibility and productivity.
“It’s kind of ironic because the pendulum keeps swinging. When remote work surged, people felt disconnected, and isolated, and struggled to integrate into company culture. Now, as businesses try to bring people back, the challenge is defining what makes that experience worthwhile,” points out Colgan.
Companies need to identify what truly makes their office culture valuable. Simply mandating a return won’t foster engagement—it has to be an experience employees want. “What’s the anchor point for your company’s culture?” Colgan asks. “Why should employees feel excited to come back? It has to be more than just ‘because we said so.'”
Building the Workplace of the Future: How Envoy Connects People, Tech, and Spaces
The future of work isn’t just about choosing between remote or in-office; it’s about understanding how workplaces function today and how they should evolve. Leaders need tools that provide a clear, unbiased picture of workplace utilization and effectiveness.
Envoy helps companies make sense of this data. By tracking how employees interact with office spaces over time, businesses can refine workplace strategies to improve collaboration and efficiency. “What we do is bring together all of your workplace technology—email, HRIS, ERP systems—and connect them to the physical world,” explains Colgan.
This integration isn’t just about convenience; it’s about making work frictionless and intuitive. By leveraging IoT and real-time data, Envoy enables organizations to create smarter, more efficient workplaces. “The goal is to make employees more productive, effective, and happier,” Colgan explains. “It’s about developing a workplace that doesn’t just function—it thrives.”
