Back to office: Companies prefer candidates willing to be physically present at workplace

Companies are increasingly asking recruiting firms to bring candidates who are willing to work from office instead of those looking for hybrid or work-from-home (WFH) models of work. Companies have once again shifted their focus to working from office over concerns like attrition and teamwork.

“Teamwork cannot happen remotely. This robotic work culture had to be adopted during the pandemic, but now physical attendance is needed," said Rituparna Chakraborty, Co-Founder of staffing firm TeamLease Services, told Mint.

Companies are also beginning to call their employees back to offices as the pandemic once again recedes in India. But for thousands of employees who moved away from offices back to home towns, to save on both rent and to be closer to their families, this is creating friction.

Around 80 percent of employees still prefer working from home, according to the recent Tech Talent Outlook report by Scikey.

High rents in office hubs, long commute hours, pollution, being away from family are some of the factors that make WFH an attractive model. But the fact that companies are not offering any incentives or changing salary structures to bring employees back to the office does not make their case any better.

Also read: Google tells employees to return to offices in US from April 4

While companies, especially in legacy sectors like infrastructure, manufacturing and pharma, are asking new recruits to join their offices, tech companies seem to be leading the way when it comes to understanding the changing dynamics of the workplace, as they remain the most comfortable with hybrid and WFH solutions.

But even in the tech-savvy startup arena, medium to senior management employees are being called to the office. Companies are letting candidates know that even if they are currently instituting a WFH or hybrid model, offices are set to open soon and candidates will be required to come to the office as well.