Employers hell bent on working in the office full time

[NewDayNewLife25]

Anyone else currently job searching and noticed the same thing?

I'm utterly miserable in my current role which is unfortunate as I've been there for 4 years and use to love it, but a new manager has changed things. I've always worked from home.

Anyway, I've been applying for jobs, mainly remote/hybrid working but also a few office based roles. I always state in my cover letter what I'm looking for, and my address is on my CV too.

A few employers have contacted me, saying that I'm perfect for the role, have all the experience/skills that's required and that they think I would make a great addition to the team. But as soon as I've asked about the working set up, that's it, done. They won't entertain it and decline my application.

I just think it's a shame. I know that they probably have plenty of applications, but surely it's more important to hire the right person, with the right skills and experience. Not just because that person happens to live near the office. Half the time they can't even explain why they need the person in the office. Is it control?

I'm fed up already!

Well i guess your just unlucky then.

What sector?

I am charity/legal and it’s easy to get wfh positions (notwithstanding any face to face court hearings)

My employer only has one office in the UK now so I don’t have a nearby office to go to even if I wanted to (I dont!)

It’s really very simple - an employer is entitled to set the terms of the role. An applicant is entitled to go for the job or not.

If the employer is struggling to fill the role, then they may need to adjust their expectations. If a jobseeker is unable to find a job, then they may need to adjust their expectations.

That’s really all there is to it.

We work hybrid, I like having the opportunity to speak face to face to direct reports and to my own manager.

Body language is much clearer in person than over a video call.

OP just apply for hybrid or remote jobs, don't waste your own time or recruiters time applying for office based if you don't want them.

As for them approaching you, they'll be using AI to search for appropriate candidates looking at keywords on your CV. You're a fit for the role based on your CV, not a covering letter so an email will be fired over.

The problem is OP they can find someone who is just as good as you... But also willing to come into the office.

They don't have to compromise.

There are other candidates who are both perfect AND willing to be in the office 5 days a week, and that's who they want.

But the point is surely that someone isn't the perfect candidate if the employer wants an office based role and the candidate isn't willing to take that on.

You might not attach much importance to whether the job is done from the office or not, but if the employer considers it to be important, then it clearly isn't a good match.

OP, I’ve found the attitude on here is that anything an employer wants you should lie down and take. It’s one slice of the world. Where I am, large corporate, we’d lose staff to other businesses if we didn’t have flexible working. Id say keep looking for the right spot and know your value.

Not really no

@smooththecat finally someone with a bit of common sense

I see so many roles advertised as remote, only to find out they are either hybrid or 'remote within x miles of y office' so again, not remote!
Employers either don't know what remote working means, or are deliberately misleading applicants.
If a role is hybrid, then say hybrid, that way everyone is honest and happy.
Not everyone feels isolated working from home, and some prefer it as they maybe disabled, like me. I'm much more productive and healthier when working from home. I get so much more done and more recognition for my good work than I ever did in an office environment.
OP try charity jobs as there's quite a few genuinely remote working charities out there.

You may think it’s common sense but it’s not getting you another job is it

If I advertised a role that was office based and an applicant asked to WFH/hybrid then I would not hire them.

To me it instantly sounds like you’re either flaky and/or don’t work well with others.

Neither of which I would want as an employer.

Could I ask, OP, if you work in recruitment what are employers telling you? And what are you telling them? Why aren’t they convinced?

@Munnygirl are you an employer?

Many firms and organisations are now insisting they want their staff office based.

Why do I need to be in the office?

Nobody can answer that without knowing the inside story of the places you're applying to, @NewDayNewLife25. It may be that they've had awful experiences of WFH in which case they're not going to budge, or maybe they're controlling dinosaurs in which case you wouldn't want to work there anyway

Employers know perfectly well that offering WFH or hybrid is an attraction so there must be a reason they've not, and while I agree up to a point that if you don't ask you don't get I honestly wouldn't waste everyone's time - including your own

Lots of people don't - neurodiverse people, people with disabilities, people who just work better on their own or need peace and quiet.

Another massive issue is that it's expensive commuting if you don't have to, and a lot of jobs don't factor this into their compensation packages. I WFH full-time and was recently offered a great job that was 2 days in the office, which I wouldn't mind at all because it would be nice to have colleagues again, but it would have to have paid an extra £6K just to make up for the commuting costs, plus a raise on top of that. Employers are trying to force people back into the office but don't want to pay extra for doing that, although everyone has now experienced how much more of your salary you get to keep if you WFH. Times have changed. That genie isn't going back into the bottle.

The point is that you are not getting offered jobs. Are you getting rejections from companies that don’t offer hybrid or from those who do? Because if you are getting rejections from those who don’t offer hybrid working stop applying for them. You are not suitable for them and they are not suitable for you. It’s a different matter entirely if you are getting turned down from companies that do offer hybrid.

@Munnygirl I've been offered interviews which I've declined as they can't/wont offer hybrid working. I don't enjoy my job and want to leave, but I'm not desperate either.

You seem determined to prove that office working is the way forward and anyone that works from home is a lazy, good for nothing piss taker. Is there a reason why?

Why would employers pay staff extra to go back into the office.? People do have a choice that should they not want to go back into they can look for a remote job. But as someone mentioned earlier those who work from are keeping a tight hold of those jobs

Who work from home

I agree, it's ridiculous OP.

Commuting into an office costs time and money which employees are not compensated for. Businesses insisting on full time office based work will soon find that they can't attract the best talent. People with choices won't choose them. They'll get the leftovers who can't get a job elsewhere.

I WFH and can’t wait to get back in the workplace. I’ll be the first to admit it doesn’t work. Yes I get a lot done, but my collaboration, communication and learning is undoubtedly worse than it would be in the office.

The problem with hybrid is people want different days in the office so you doing get a full team in which negates the point of working in the office.

if I ran a business, I’d want the vast majority to wfh full time, the only exception would be people with very tricky circumstances.

Because the cream of the talent is going to employers who recognise that flexibility is part of the compensation package these days. If it's just bums on seats that employers want, then fine, pay a bit less and get someone less good. You get what you pay for.

This is happening already.