The State of Remote, Hybrid, and On-Site Work in the C-Suite (and How to Leverage It in Your Executive Recruitment Strategy)

It’s been four years since the pandemic rewrote the office playbook. In March 2020, the world shut down overnight, leaving employees, leaders, and entire offices scrambling to maintain momentum without a physical workspace.

Since then, many things have returned to the way they were, but remote and hybrid work has remained a fixture of post-pandemic normalcy. Forged in the fires of adversity, working off-site all or part of the time, has become a fixture of countless teams across most industries.  

However, that doesn’t mean this multifaceted work trend is immune to change. Let’s look at the latest updates in the world of remote, hybrid, and on-site work, observe specific work trends and implications for executive search, and consider the best option for the C-suite moving forward. 

Remote, Hybrid, and On-Site: An Update

According to SHRM, the number of remote and hybrid work positions peaked in 2022 but had declined significantly by the end of 2023. On the job site Indeed, the number of job postings with remote or hybrid designations dropped from 10.3% to 8.3% during that period. 

In many cases, employers are phasing out the remote option for new hires and reserving the option for employees and leaders who have earned that privilege. This is putting organic pressure on the beginning of the employee career arc to shift back to in-person (or at least hybrid) frameworks. 

However, it’s worth pointing out that according to data reported by CNN, just 4% of CEOs (nationally and globally) are actually prioritizing a return to full-time work. Unsurprisingly, forcing employees to fit that mold tends to work against the modern push for quality talent acquisition and retention. 

Hybrid Work Gains Momentum

When you step back from the “all-or-nothing” fully remote and on-site options, it quickly becomes apparent that neither in-person nor virtual employment are the biggest winners from the pandemic. It’s hybrid work that is emerging as the go-to option for countless companies. 

Gallup reports that of all remote-capable employees, 54% either are, expect to, or prefer the hybrid option—and the number is expected to rise to 60% by mid-2025. 

No matter how much executives fight it, the vast majority of workers (98% according to the most recent numbers) want to work off-site at least part of the time—and we’re not talking about the occasional day spent working from the home office. Pew Research reports that 91% of the global workforce prefers either a fully or almost fully remote work structure.  

The research firm adds that, when asking hybrid employees, the majority highlighted hybrid work environments as ideal for improved work balance, efficiency, productivity, and reduced burnout. These positives far outweighed any challenges (such as less collaboration time or reduced access to resources and equipment) that come with the hybrid work model. 

The Hybrid Solution and the C-Suite

Hybrid is more than an ideal answer for general recruitment. It is also the best option for executive search strategies.  

Remote work is often particularly difficult to offer in an executive role—and yet, it has become an essential part of a good leadership perk package. The retention challenges that have intensified coming out of the pandemic, and turnover costs at the C-suite level remain a serious concern for companies across every industry. The hybrid work model allows employers to attract the best executives for their C-suites while maintaining the benefits of boots-on-the-ground leadership. 

The hybrid work model allows employers to attract the best executives for their C-suites while maintaining the benefits of boots-on-the-ground leadership.

Remote work is often touted as the ultimate way to win over the best talent, but nothing can beat a “present and accounted for” executive. Hybrid offers the best of both worlds—and both the statistics and the trends are backing up that fact more every day. 

If you’re unsure how to handle the transition to hybrid work, contact Stanton Chase’s executive search team. We can help you stay up to date on the latest work trends and create effective corporate executive recruitment strategies designed to discover, attract, and retain top talent for your company. 

About the Author

Suzanne Carroll, the Research Director at Stanton Chase Los Angeles, brings over 30 years of experience in retained executive search and corporate talent acquisition, having worked with top-tier search firms and renowned Fortune 500 and private corporations across various industries and functions. Her previous roles include Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant at Accenture, LLP, Talent Acquisition Consultant at Antares Capital, Head of Talent Acquisition at Optimal Strategix Group, and positions at several top 10 global executive search firms.