Remote vs Office-Based Work: What It Means for Talent Acquisition in 2025

How your team works remotely, in person, or somewhere in between has become a defining part of your organisation’s identity. For talent acquisition teams, it’s not just a matter of logistics. The work model you choose shapes the kind of talent you attract, how candidates experience your brand, and how successful new hires are, once in the role.

In this blog, we examine how different working models affect one's ability to attract, engage, and retain talent and what this means for building hiring strategies that work, not just now but in the future too.

The Rise of Remote: Broader Talent Pools, Greater Flexibility

The growth of remote working has changed how companies access talent. By removing geographical barriers, employers can tap into more diverse and skills rich candidate pools, hiring based on ability rather than location (Independent).

For employees, the flexibility to work from anywhere often translates to a better work life balance (Financial Times), resulting in higher job satisfaction and productivity. Remote work can be a great leveller, it opens up opportunities for people who are balancing caregiving, living with mobility challenges, or based outside major cities, helping them move forward in their careers on a more equal footing.

The Case for Office Based Work: Culture, Collaboration, and Connection

In person work still holds significant value. Office environments promote spontaneous collaboration, quicker decision making, and help reinforce company culture. For many employees, the structure of an office routine creates clear boundaries between work and home life, something remote work can blur.

However, insisting on a return to office carries risks. It can limit access to candidates from different regions or socioeconomic backgrounds, restrict flexibility for those with caring responsibilities, and contribute to stress caused by long commutes (Guardian). There’s also the operational cost to consider, as maintaining physical office space isn’t cheap.

When considering changes to the working model, it’s important to take into account the potential impact on employees who joined during remote or hybrid periods. Many may live farther from the office, have childcare responsibilities, or made long term decisions based on the flexibility initially offered. A shift away from that flexibility could create challenges for these individuals and increase the risk of losing valuable talent. These factors should be carefully considered as part of any decision making process.

Did you know? Research from UN Women shows that rigid office based policies disproportionately affect women and those from lower income households, limiting diversity in both hiring and retention (UN).

A Hybrid Middle Ground: Flexibility with Purpose

We recently spoke with Thilina Wickramathilake, Talent Acquisition Leader at Domino’s, about how companies are approaching the future of work. While he acknowledged the appeal of remote roles, he emphasised that one size doesn’t fit all.

“Organisations need to align their work models with their culture, roles, and operational realities.”

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Early Careers: Why Office Time Still Matters

While remote options can work well for experienced hires, early career professionals often benefit from being in the office. Starting a career isn’t just about completing tasks, it’s about learning how the workplace works. Being present enables junior employees to observe team dynamics, ask real time questions, and build confidence through informal interactions.

As Lucy Williams, Head ofEmployment Law & HR, puts it:

“Early career professionals can feel isolated when working from home, especially if they haven’t yet built strong networks. The everyday learning that happens in an office setting, through conversations, feedback, and collaboration, is hard to replicate remotely”.

What This Means for Talent Acquisition

The work model your organisation adopts isn’t just an internal decision, it directly impacts your employer brand, candidate experience, and recruitment outcomes.

Whether you operate remotely, in office, or somewhere in between, your model becomes a cultural signal to potential hires. That’s why forward thinking TA teams are going beyond role fit, they’re using tools like cultural and values assessments, as well as situational judgement tests, to understand how well candidates align with their ways of working and core values.

There’s no universal blueprint for the “right” working model. The most successful organisations are those that make deliberate, inclusive choices, balancing operational needs with employee expectations and market realities.

For TA leaders, the key is to treat flexibility not as a perk, but as a strategic pillar in your hiring approach.