Work from home no longer the norm, says world's largest recruiter, with only these exceptions

Work from home

The debate around remote work appears to be effectively over, at least from the perspective of large employers. As companies across technology, finance and consulting tighten their return-to-office policies, the message from global recruiters is blunt. Work from home is no longer a default benefit and only a narrow set of professionals will be able to demand it going forward.

That view was laid out by Sander van ’t Noordende, global CEO of Randstad, which places roughly half a million people into jobs every week. In an interview with Fortune, van ’t Noordende said the return-to-office battle has largely been settled in favour of employers. While hybrid work still exists, fully remote roles are increasingly limited to a select few.

“You have to be very special to be able to demand a 100% remote job,” he said, adding that this usually means rare technology skills or deep expertise that companies cannot easily replace. For everyone else, physical presence is becoming non-negotiable.

What recruiters are seeing on the ground mirrors earlier predictions from management consulting firms. As companies push harder on in-office attendance, flexibility is turning into a reward rather than a right. Highly skilled individuals at the top of the talent pyramid can still negotiate remote or ultra-flexible arrangements. At the other end, junior staff and workers in commoditised roles are expected to show up in person, often five days a week.

Van ’t Noordende also pointed out that freelance and independent work continues to grow, but that path is not universally accessible. It demands strong commercial instincts, networking ability and self-marketing skills. Not everyone is equipped to operate that way, leaving traditional employment as the only realistic option for many workers.

The shift is already visible across the corporate world. Amazon mandated a full five-day return to office at the start of 2025. Over the following months, companies such as Dell, IBM, Meta, Salesforce, Google, Microsoft and Apple either introduced or reinforced similar policies.

The trend has now reached social media companies too. Instagram head Adam Mosseri recently informed employees that US staff will be required to return to the office full time from early February.

Finance has taken an even harder line. Leaders at JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs have repeatedly argued that office work is essential for learning, innovation and company culture. JPMorgan has already brought more than half of its global workforce back into the office full time.

Five years after the remote work boom

The shift marks a sharp reversal from the pandemic-era optimism of 2020, when remote and hybrid work were widely promoted as the future of employment. Covid-19 forced companies to adapt overnight, and many employees reshaped their lives around flexible work.

By 2025, that experiment is largely being rolled back. Employers now argue that sustained productivity, collaboration and talent development require people to be physically present. Some executives have been explicit that employees unwilling to comply are free to leave.

For workers, the message is clear. Remote work is no longer a broad entitlement. It is a bargaining chip, reserved for those with scarce skills or exceptional value. Everyone else is being asked to return to their desks, signalling that the post-pandemic era of widespread work-from-home flexibility is effectively over.