We’re not going back to the office. Here’s why.

Fifteen years ago, I set out to build a business that wasn’t just about profit—it was about people. Back then, the industry was built on burnout. You put bodies in seats, you ran them into the ground, and you found new bodies to replace them. That was just the way things were done. I accepted it at first, but over time, I realized that it didn’t have to be that way.

When I took full ownership of the company in 2019, I knew we could do things differently. We could be both profitable and human. We could build a place where people actually wanted to work—a company that didn’t treat employees as expendable but as the foundation of everything we do.

And then COVID hit.

At that moment, businesses everywhere had a choice: evolve or collapse. We had already been prioritizing work-life balance, flexibility, and employee well-being long before the pandemic forced everyone to reconsider. So when the world went remote, we didn’t flinch. We thrived.

The return-to-office mandate: a step backward

Now, the federal government is mandating a return to the office, and big corporations are following suit. The reasoning? They claim it improves collaboration, strengthens company culture, and boosts productivity.

They should know better.

Remote work isn’t the death of productivity—it’s the catalyst for it. In my industry, it was widely believed that the only way to be profitable in the supplier side of market research was to create a grueling work environment. But for the last 15 years, my company has proven the opposite. Every decision we make starts with asking “What impact will this have on our employee experience?” Other companies think about a financial goal, we prioritize valuing our employees. By turning this belief on its head, our company has grown. Our employees are more engaged. Our clients are happier. And we did it all without forcing people back into fluorescent-lit cubicles and shared bathrooms.

This is a values-driven decision

A few years ago, we sat down as a team and defined what we stood for. We asked ourselves: What kind of company do we actually want to build? We are woman-owned and employee-first, those are just the basics. We wanted to outline clear values. Here’s where we landed:

• Candid: Nothing good hides in the dark. That is why all of our communications both internally and externally are rooted in the truth. Our goal is excellence, but we cannot achieve that unless everyone is operating with the same facts and clarity of purpose. So if there’s an issue with your project, we’ll always be up front about how it happened and how we solved it.

• Adaptive: One thing that can be expected in any business relationship is the unexpected, especially when taking an entrepreneurial approach to innovation. We’re adaptive in the way we work with you as we feed our shared curiosity, apply our research toolkit, and approach projects with the flexibility teams like yours need to succeed.

• Symphonic: Like different instruments in an orchestra, every member of our team brings their own unique style and flavor to the culture here. Rather than homogenize, we harmonize by supporting and encouraging our differences. We know when we come together, those differences elevate our organization to something greater and deliver better results for your research.

• Playful: Laughter is our lifeblood. Being playful allows us to be creative, enthusiastic, and supportive of one another - everything that makes us great researchers, consultants, and partners. Because our sense of play is so critical, we have built our culture to protect and nurture a playful energy.

These values aren’t just words on a website (although we proudly display them on ours). They have guided every decision we made—including the decision to remain fully remote. And guess what? It worked. Not just for us, but for the employees who get to live their lives on their own terms. For the clients who get better work because our team is actually happy and engaged. For the industry that needs proof that another way is possible.

The future of work isn’t behind a desk

There’s a lot of noise right now about what the future of work should look like. But we’re not interested in speculation—we have evidence. Our employees are thriving. Our turnover is at record lows. Our business is growing. Clients have left powerful corporate jobs to come work alongside us. We’ve seen firsthand that people don’t need to be watched to do great work—they need trust and autonomy.

Forcing employees back into the office isn’t going to rekindle some mythical golden age of collaboration. It’s going to drive people away. We've seen it firsthand over the past year—being remote gives us access to the best talent. It’s not just about hiring from anywhere; it’s about meeting top talent where they want to be. The best professionals prefer remote work, and by embracing it, we attract and retain the strongest team. We can run a successful, profitable growing market research company with a great reputation with great clients that does excellent work—and still create an environment for employees where they are fulfilled and happy. That’s not just an idea—it’s reality. Our reality.

So while others are scrambling to reinstate outdated policies, we’ll be demonstrating what works.