I spend a good part of my day talking to potential candidates. Potential, because these are not people who are actively looking for a job.
They are top performers with the right blend of leadership experience and scientific depth — they are doing well where they are. And they receive several calls a week from people like me who want to talk with them about a possible new opportunity.
Invariably, one of the first questions I am asked after describing the company and the role is this: How flexible are they regarding geography and in-office requirements?
It doesn’t matter how high-profile the job, who the investors are, or what the science involved may be. In 2025, if there is not flexibility regarding where and when they work, often the call ends there.
More specifically, it tends to break out like this:
Relocation is the biggest hurdle.
Fully 85% of candidates won’t even consider it. Some will if their adult kids or parents happen to live in the proposed location. But right now, willingness to relocate is at an all-time low. We counsel clients to look at every option in their backyard first.
Even those who will entertain a move may take months (or years) before they can fully move. They aren’t just thinking about their careers — they’re thinking about their partners, their children’s schools, their aging parents, and the long-term financial implications of uprooting their lives.
The reality is, in most cases, the best candidates are already living exactly where they want to be. A great job offer isn’t enough to shift that equation anymore.
Days in the office is next.
Anything more than three days a week is problematic. Especially in a place like Boston, where commuting is hell, few people want to come in every day.
But it’s not just about the commute — it’s about control. Employees have become accustomed to managing their own time. They know when they are most productive, when they need focus time, and when they thrive on collaboration.
The companies that understand this — and design policies that reflect it — are the ones that will win the war for talent.
Of course, there is a lot of variation in terms of what companies and individual candidates want and expect. But overall, organizations that are unwilling to be flexible regarding the degree of in-office work required will lose out on top talent.
The Hidden Cost of Inflexibility
The talent pool shrinks. The hiring process drags. Morale suffers. The company ends up settling for second- or third-choice candidates. And even if they do land a great hire, the retention risk can be high.
I’ve had countless conversations with candidates who were excited about a role, only to disengage the moment they heard, “They require four or five days in the office.” These are not people who don’t want to work hard. They just don’t see the need to be physically present for the sake of optics. Study after study has confirmed that productivity and employee satisfaction both go up with flexible work options.
Recommendations / Considerations
#1. Office Time Needs to be Valuable
The company needs to think through what happens when people come into the office. People go ballistic if they brave the commute, only to participate in ten Zoom calls and see nobody else in person.
Instead, you need a plan that includes things like scheduled cross-functional collaboration, mentoring, and personal development. Further, there are ways to optimize the time spent together in the development of a desired culture that is understood and shared.
But it has to be deliberate and your people need to understand the thinking behind it. If there’s no clear reason for them to be there, they will resent it.
#2. Put Employee Needs at the Top
When you value your employees’ desired lifestyles, it goes a long way. We saw the work get done during Covid; saying no to any remote work no longer holds water. Strict rules to that effect are not viable.
But beyond that, what companies fail to realize is that flexibility isn’t just about where someone works. It’s about how they work. It’s about autonomy. It’s about recognizing that different people are productive in different ways.
Meeting employee needs matters relative to execution, results, hiring, and retention. More and more, flexibility of this type is becoming a major reason people choose to join — or leave — a company.
Further, company policies around workplace flexibility signal to staff the overall degree of organizational rigidity. An inflexible work environment doesn’t just turn off potential hires — it stifles creativity and innovation among the employees who stay.
#3. It’s Always Been About Accountability
Providing greater flexibility to employees isn’t about giving anything up; everyone still needs to deliver. The alignment between work and results needs to be maintained.
But as long as people are getting done what is needed, they don’t need to be in the office every day. Productivity has never been about where people sit.
The overwhelming majority of data shows that people are more productive, more effective, and more likely to stay with a company when given greater flexibility.
Less Facetime, Better Results
As we sit here three years post-pandemic, I am pleasantly surprised that most companies have not simply reverted back to “the way we used to do it.” Covid revealed not just our ability to remain productive out of the office, but the added benefits that occur when we take a more flexible approach.
What makes me most happy is that the desire to make our lives work, both personally and professionally, is no longer viewed exclusively as a “female issue.” It’s a human need.
This shift benefits everyone. Companies that embrace this approach and demonstrate their trust in staff will thrive by creating a virtuous cycle of happier employees, happier families, and better results.
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