Why office working is an opportunity not a threat and five conversations that prove it

By Abigail Stuart, Founding Partner at Day One Strategy.

There’s been a lot of debate lately about returning to the office, especially in professional services. With major firms like WPP and Amazon mandating in-office days, my LinkedIn feed is filled with employees arguing they’re just as productive—if not more—at home. For many, remote work offers a much-valued work-life balance, making office mandates feel unnecessary.

I don’t want to return to the days of long hours at a desk, missing out on life. But I also see the value of in-person collaboration, particularly in an agency setting.

One size does not fit all

Different businesses require different approaches. A small lifestyle agency with no growth ambitions may function well remotely, with flat hierarchies and senior-heavy teams needing little coaching. Similarly, individual contributors like salespeople can often work effectively from home, staying connected to colleagues when needed.

But agencies thrive on collaboration, creativity, and mentorship—areas where in-person interaction makes a significant difference.

The evolution of office working at Day One Strategy

When Hannah Mann and I founded Day One Strategy six years ago, we embraced digital methodologies in market research. A year in, the pandemic hit, forcing us into lockdown for two years. As we grew, a full-time office wasn’t an option—nor affordable.

Initially, our setup worked well. Many of our early hires were former colleagues who already shared work ethics and cultural norms. We used Work.Life, a flexible hot-desking arrangement, and encouraged purposeful office visits for brainstorming, coaching, and socialising.

But as our team expanded (now 35+ employees), we felt disconnected. We no longer worked with everyone directly, and we saw a need for more junior team members to balance out senior-heavy teams. Hiring and developing graduates remotely wasn’t optimal for coaching, mentoring, and pastoral care.

With generative AI transforming our industry, our strategy is to lead in innovation within market research and insights. To do that, we need to be together—to communicate plans, refine ways of working, and inspire people with a vision for their future careers.

Moving to a formal hybrid model

In January, we decided to invest in our own office space. We knew it had to be exceptional to entice people in. Our new home, Wogan House, is arguably the best shared office space in central London, with Fitzrovia’s restaurants and Oxford Street’s shops on its doorstep. The newly refurbished space includes a self-contained office, shared kitchens, café-style work areas, meeting rooms, and even a roof terrace, gym, and wellness room.

Our hybrid model asks employees to be in the office at least two days a week—or one for those with longer commutes. This balance ensures we retain the flexibility of remote work while fostering collaboration, learning, and innovation in person.

Five conversations that wouldn’t have happened remotely

I know that being in an office (even 1-2 days per week) is not popular with everyone, and it can be difficult for leaders to articulate the intangible benefits. Remote work offers convenience and is important when you need to concentrate on a task, but there are moments of collaboration and connection that simply don’t happen over a screen. So, rather than just talk about the benefits in theory, I want to share real examples of interactions that directly benefited both individuals and the company.

1. Career development I shared an industry training opportunity via email, which sparked a conversation with a Project Manager sitting opposite me. She asked if the training was suitable for her and revealed she wanted to build confidence in speaking with clients on Teams calls. This led to a deeper conversation over coffee about her strengths, ambitions, and opportunities at Day One. It also highlighted gaps in our transformation plans—reinforcing how every function in the agency needs to be included.
2. Discovering hidden passions I sent a Teams message asking for volunteers to contribute to our marketing efforts, receiving several responses from senior team members. Later that day, while grabbing our coats, a Research Manager mentioned her passion for sustainability in business. She had personally invested in attending a conference where big pharma companies (including our clients) were presenting and expressed interest in writing about it. I had no idea she was so invested in sustainability, and this conversation wouldn’t have happened remotely. With Day One holding an EcoVadis Gold rating and ongoing sustainability initiatives, her insights will be invaluable.
3. Eliminating meetings & saving time I had a 30 minute catch-up scheduled with one of our divisional leaders about marketing. While making coffee, we naturally started chatting about it and covered everything in ten minutes—cancelling our scheduled call and saving 20 minutes. This reinforced how so many remote Teams calls could be replaced with quick, informal in-person chats that are far more efficient. I can give countless examples of similar conversations that eliminated the need for scheduled meetings, proving that in-person interactions often save time and enhance productivity.
4. Discovering innovative tools On her first day in the office, a new joiner happened to sit opposite me. We started talking about tools for efficiency, and she mentioned a great PowerPoint automation tool her previous agency used that saved her significant time. Given how much of our work is in PowerPoint, I was immediately interested. This led her to schedule a demo with the provider, and we are now considering piloting the tool—potentially saving us hours of work and improving consistency in our presentations. This conversation simply wouldn’t have happened over Teams.
5. Fostering client engagement Now that we have a beautiful office, we are strongly encouraging face-to-face client meetings here. Building trust and bonds in person creates memorable interactions that leave a lasting impression—something that’s much harder to achieve over Teams. I’m pleased to see how many clients have visited us since January. Any time we have a client (or supplier, for that matter) visiting, I’ve asked to be informed so that I can at the very least show my face, say hello, and add some contribution. This simple practice has led to several valuable client interactions and uncovered opportunities that might have otherwise been missed.

In-person collaboration is not just about efficiency—it’s about creating a culture of ambition, shared vision, and innovation that propels us forward. People should see office working as an opportunity, not a threat. It’s how passions and ambitions are shared, how individuals influence leadership, and how they shape their careers in ways that remote work simply can’t replicate.

We’ve only had this new hybrid arrangement for 5 weeks, but I am already energised by the opportunities that it is bringing. I feel more connected to people and able to lead Day One Strategy through our next exciting phase of growth.