Office return marks ‘significant shift’ in remote work – recruitment expert

TORONTO, CANADA — The once-celebrated flexibility of remote work is facing a significant shift as businesses increasingly urge employees to return to office settings. 

Michael Scissons, CEO of executive search firm Careerlist, observed that a majority of companies now mandate in-office attendance, marking a departure from the earlier, more flexible work arrangements.

“We went from a world where everyone was like: ‘work wherever, we’re great with that,’ to a world that’s really been sliding back towards an increase into the office,” Scissons told BNN Bloomberg’s The Open.

According to Scissons, firms, especially in the public sector and mid-market private equity, are setting a new standard by requiring in-office work at least three times a week. 

This trend extends to senior employees, who, despite previously enjoying the benefits of remote work, are now expected to make periodic office visits. 

“There’s definitely been a significant shift back to the office,” Scissons remarked.

The recruitment expert noted that the expectations for in-office work vary by location and industry, with certain areas like Florida and Texas having maintained a consistent in-office presence throughout the pandemic. 

“It also varies a lot by industry, and there is definitely no one-size-fits-all,” he said. 

“There’s a varying degree of enforcement that’s happening, but there’s definitely a general theme to all companies communicating that it is expected that you’re in the office, working.”

Scissons predicts that although the standoff between employers and employees favoring remote work continues, the trend will eventually lead to more workers returning to the office.

 Nonetheless, he believes that opportunities for remote and hybrid work will remain, albeit less accessible than before. 

“There’s also obviously going to be adventures for remote (workers), but… people who were laid off while they were remote are realizing that finding a new remote job is much more difficult than it was two years ago.”