As an HR leader, do you consider yourself more of a Toby or a Holly? “The Office” co-stars-turned-podcast-co-hosts Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey took to the stage at SHRM25 in San Diego to share the lessons they learned from nine seasons of the show and offer thoughts on four workplace myths. 

Myth 1: Technology Will Replace Workers

When Michael Scott drove his car into the lake because he listened to his GPS’s directions, he probably would have benefited by incorporating human intelligence.  

There’s a growing concern that generative AI (GenAI) will reduce employee-held jobs. IBM has opted to automate some of its HR-professional-led tasks, and Amazon’s CEO recently predicted that artificial intelligence will reduce their corporate workforce over the next few years.  

Despite all the discussion about AI taking over the workplace, there’s no doubt that technology still needs a human touch to ensure compliance with the ever-changing regulations and to ensure it’s operating correctly.  

Adoption has significantly increased, but workforce reductions tied to AI remain low. According to Andy Biladeau, chief transformation officer at SHRM, 66% of HR professionals reported using AI on a daily basis at work, compared to 30% of HR professionals surveyed eight months ago. That being said, just 3% of recent workforce reductions are tied to AI.

The importance of leadership remains crucial, especially at a time when there are so many technological distractions. When “The Office” first started filming, there were no smartphones, just face-to-face interactions, recalled Fischer.

“There were no impediments to us looking at each other and sharing in real life,” she said.  

Nothing can replace human-to-human connection. Modeling servant leadership and nurturing the leaders of the future will be key to employee retention. 

Myth 2: Everyone Is Going Back to the Office

While Stanley would have thrived in a quiet work-from-home environment and Angela, too, would have likely enjoyed working remotely alongside her cats, Michael, on the other hand, would be going stir-crazy not having an audience for his many, many jokes. 

Whether you’re a fan of hybrid, remote, or fully in-person work, companies are still experimenting. Despite the many announcements that the corporate world would be making a mass return to office post-pandemic, hybrid work seems to remain the fan favorite, and Fischer and Kinsey are no exception.

When recording The Office Ladies podcast, Kinsey and Fischer do the prep calls remotely and record the episodes together in their studio.

“We like the energy of us in the same room together,” Kinsey said. “We have a hybrid work environment, and I like getting my work done but then showing up [in the studio] and getting to bounce ideas together.” 

Many companies seem to feel similarly. In the first quarter of 2024, 65% of companies offered flexible work options.

Additionally, remote work has proven to be incredibly helpful for retaining employees with disabilities and employees who are also caregivers. 

Myth 3: Workplace Romance Is Dead

From Pam and Jim bonding over their shared fun in exasperating Dwight to their “jinx” game, it was clear they had a connection. Jim and Pam’s friendship-turned-romance remains a beloved fan favorite plotline, though Dwight and Angela’s perhaps less-expected story holds a special place, as well.  

Workplace romance doesn’t just exist on the screen, though. According to SHRM’s 2025 Workplace Romance Research, office romance is still going strong, with 16% of employees having gone on a date with a colleague in the past year.  

These inter-office relationships may even have a positive impact on workplace culture: 63% of the managers surveyed reported that workplace romances had a positive impact on their team’s dynamics.

“I met my husband at work, so it worked out for me,” Fischer shared. “It’s our 15th wedding anniversary. And as for Jim and Pam, people tell me the reason why it resonates is because it started as a friendship.”

Myth 4: If You Offer Enough Perks, Workers Will Stay

While the Dundies awards were created with good intentions, that didn’t stop Pam from getting banned from Chili’s.

The heart of the Dundies was celebrating the people of “The Office.” After all, what makes employees stay at a company isn’t the free coffee or the discounted gym memberships, it’s the culture of a workplace and its people.  

“That’s how I pick my work,” Fischer shared. “I say, ‘Is this a group of people I want to spend my day with, for 70 hours a week with on a set?’ ”

A positive culture impacts retention and employee productivity. According to SHRM’s report The State of Global Workplace Culture in 2024, 83% of employees who rated the culture of their workplace as good or excellent are motivated to produce high-quality work.  

As an HR leader, when you put your employees first, they feel the impact. Those are the moments that will keep employees wanting to return to work every day.

While filming “The Office,” a moment that stands out to Kinsey was when Steve Carell willingly gave up a line of his dialogue to Phyllis Smith because he thought it’d be funnier coming from her character of Phyllis Lapin-Vance rather than from Michael.  

“It was about what‘s best for the show, what‘s best for our collective, what‘s the best product we can put out there. It‘s not about one person shining,” Kinsey said.