As office attendance is once again slumping nationwide, John Hayes, founder of Philadelphia-based Blackney Hayes Architects, believes the situation has no easy solution, writes Gretchen Tarrant for The Wall Street Journal.

“We are stuck,” said Hayes. “Remote work means remote engagement. In-office means less flexibility.”

Bosses believe that developing young workers and new hires – a priority for many – is tougher and slower when people are not in the office. While structured training sessions can be conducted via Zoom, the daily rhythms of mentoring and learning on the job function much better with a less-structured exchange of questions and answers.

“Eavesdropping is a huge form of education,” said Hayes. “Hearing what other people are saying, how they’re dealing with problems.”

His company is currently asking employees to come to the office at least two days a week, but has yet to mandate that face time as many workers have emphasized how much they prize flexibility.

“If leadership and all the energy radiate from the office, then people will understand that if they want to be part of the team they will need to show up,” said Hayes.

Read more about Blackney Hayes Architects in The Wall Street Journal.

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Bosses have tried many different tactics to get employees back into the office. Nationally, a number of offices remain sparsely populated, particularly on Mondays and Fridays.