I have a perspective on office life that spans two very different worlds. Before the pandemic, I spent ten hours a day on a trading floor in banking, rooted to the same seat, surrounded by six to eight screens and multiple phones. Breakfast and lunch were eaten at my desk after a quick dash to grab them. There were no breakout areas, no spaces to connect.

During Covid, I left banking and began growing food, a personal project that evolved into the Grobrix urban farming movement. Since then, I have walked through offices of every kind — large and small, across sectors from tech to pharma, energy to real estate, in the CBD and in industrial zones, from MNCs to local firms. I have seen companies completely reimagine their spaces for hybrid work. More communal areas. Fewer conventional desks. Onsite has become the new offsite. The question now is simple: how do we make the office a place people want to come to?

Why Returning Is So Hard to Get Right

Since the pandemic, the role of the office has shifted. For many, it is no longer the default. It is now a choice. Employees have experienced the benefits of remote work. They have saved commuting time, enjoyed the comfort of home, and taken control over how their day is structured. They have seen that productivity can remain high without fluorescent lights and swivel chairs.

At the same time, organisations are dealing with something else. A drop in culture. A loss of team connection. A reduced sense of shared purpose. Engagement surveys reveal the truth. People feel less connected to their companies, less certain about loyalty, and more willing to move on when the culture does not fit.

Mandating a return to the office might fill seats in the short term, but it risks losing genuine employee engagement. Without that, attendance will not translate to collaboration, innovation, or retention. The question becomes: how can we make the office somewhere people choose to be?

The most effective return to office plans are not about rules. They are about culture. The mindset shifts from “How many days should they come in?” to “What will make them want to come in?”

For me, this means aligning the office with the things people value. Connection. Wellness. Growth. Belonging. When the focus is on what matters to people, returning to the office becomes an opportunity to rebuild and strengthen the way teams work together. Here are just a few ideas that I have seen work over the last four years of walking through hundreds of offices in Singapore.

Create Magnetic Spaces

If someone can complete most of their work from home, the office must offer something unique. It needs an energy, a sense of possibility, and an atmosphere people enjoy stepping into. Natural light can improve mood. Plants and greenery can bring life and calm. Flexible spaces for deep focus as well as open collaboration help people choose how they work. Kitchens and breakouts that feel inviting make it easier for people to gather.

A thoughtfully designed space isn’t just attractive — it’s functional. It supports the way people actually work and connect today. It’s flexible enough to adapt to changing needs and inspiring enough to draw people in. There are guidelines out there such as the internationally recognised WELL certification which aim to demonstrate what good looks like in the space.

Build Rituals and Reasons to Gather

People return for the moments that feel worth the journey. A meeting on a screen can happen anywhere, but the laughter shared over a plate of food, the ideas sparked in a casual conversation, or the energy of a room working toward something together can only be found in person.

Regular rituals help create this pull. It might be a weekly breakfast that starts the day with warmth and conversation. Themed lunches that celebrate fresh ingredients and encourage colleagues to slow down and share a meal. Skill-sharing sessions where someone from marketing teaches the finance team how to make perfect coffee, or a developer runs a photography workshop. These activities take people out of their usual silos and let them connect in new ways.

They can also take the form of team building events or corporate workshops designed to bring people together for a purpose beyond their to-do lists. When these gatherings become part of the workplace rhythm, they turn the office into a place of energy and connection.

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Empower Employee-Led Initiatives

The best office culture is co-created, not imposed. When employees are given the reins to lead initiatives, they bring their passion and creativity with them. This could mean sustainability drives, charity bake-offs, lunchtime yoga, or an internal “farm-to-desk” program where teams take turns tending the office greens.

One HR manager I met shared how their “Green Squad” was born — a volunteer group of employees who wanted to champion eco-conscious practices. Within months, they had a composting program, a food-sharing network, and even a monthly “plant swap” event. Attendance spiked not because management mandated it, but because employees owned it. When people shape the culture, they protect it. They become ambassadors for it!

Integrate Wellness Into the Everyday

I’m getting older and this is only becoming more and more important for me now. What I have found is that wellness is only effective when it is part of daily life rather than an occasional event. It can start with the basics. Ergonomic furniture that genuinely supports posture and movement, rather than being chosen for how well it stacks in storage. Quiet zones where someone can take a mental break, regroup after a tough conversation, or recharge before a big presentation. Access to healthy snacks that are quick to grab but nourishing enough to fuel the afternoon.

When wellness is integrated into both the physical design of the space and the culture that fills it, it sends a clear message: we care about you as a person, not just as a performer. People feel it. They talk about it. They choose to come in because they know the office will leave them better at the end of the day than when they arrived.

Align the Workplace With Broader Values

Employees are more committed when the workplace reflects their values. Today, sustainability, social responsibility, and community impact are high on that list.

This might mean reducing waste, sourcing locally, supporting charities, or hosting corporate workshops on environmental topics. What matters is that these actions are visible and consistent. A sustainability initiative has more impact when employees can see or join in — whether that’s a well-used recycling program, a live energy-saving tracker, or a volunteering day in the local community.

When values are embedded into daily operations rather than left in policy documents, employees feel they are part of something bigger. The workplace becomes more than just where they work — it becomes something they are proud to represent.

How Grobrix Supports Each Strategy

Okay! Here’s the plug! Grobrix provides a practical and visible way to bring ALL of these strategies to life.

Creating Magnetic Spaces
Grobrix indoor farms transform unused walls into vibrant, living focal points. The presence of greenery adds life, freshness, and a daily connection to nature, making the office feel more welcoming and inspiring. These installations not only enhance visual appeal but can also contribute to recognised standards such as Well Certification and BCA Greenmark, helping organisations meet health and sustainability benchmarks. By creating a space that is healthier and more dynamic, the workplace becomes a destination people look forward to visiting.

Building Rituals and Reasons to Gather
Monthly harvests, smoothie sessions, and shared lunches prepared from Grobrix produce turn ordinary workdays into something memorable. These moments become organic opportunities for team bonding and employee engagement activities, encouraging colleagues to step away from their desks and connect. Over time, these rituals create a rhythm in the workplace, giving people something to anticipate and talk about, strengthening the social fabric of the organisation.

Empowering Employee-Led Initiatives
With Grobrix, teams can take real ownership of the planting, care, and harvesting process. This involvement fosters a sense of pride and investment, while planning team building events around the produce offers a fun, hands-on way to work together. By giving employees the chance to shape and lead these initiatives, organisations encourage creativity, collaboration, and a sense of shared responsibility for the space.

Integrating Wellness Into the Everyday
This one is easy. Onsite greens contribute to healthier eating habits, offering fresh ingredients that can be used in snacks, lunches, or smoothies. They also encourage mindful breaks, as the simple act of tending to plants or harvesting produce provides a moment of calm in a busy day. By integrating these small but meaningful wellness touchpoints into daily life, the workplace sends a clear signal that employee wellbeing is a priority.

Aligning the Workplace With Broader Values
Grobrix supports sustainability initiatives by reducing food miles, cutting packaging waste, and promoting farm to table culture. These actions make sustainability visible and tangible, showing employees that the organisation’s commitments go beyond words. For many, seeing these values in action builds pride in their workplace and reinforces the idea that they are contributing to a purpose that matters.

A Closing Reflection

My own path into workplace wellness began in my home kitchen. Growing food with my family taught me how much connection and joy can come from the simplest acts. Planting seeds. Watching them grow. Sharing the harvest. The same principles apply in the workplace. When the office becomes a place that supports, connects, and inspires people, it becomes more than just a location.

For HR and workplace managers, this is a moment of possibility. You can design an office that people talk about, that they look forward to, and that they remember for how it made them feel. The work will get done. The deadlines will be met. But more importantly, everyone will feel like they are #growingtogether.

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