Remote work did not break hiring by existing. It broke hiring when promises and policies stopped matching.
For a stretch, “remote” was the cheapest employer-brand upgrade available. Pools went national. Then offices reopened, hybrid hardened, and postings lagged reality. Candidates still filter for remote. Recruiters still need butts in seats three days a week. Everyone feels lied to.
What employers feel
Local talent pools feel thin after years of remote-first competitors.
Hybrid compliance fights leak into the candidate experience.
Managers want presence. Finance wants less real estate. TA is stuck in the middle.
Offers die on the last call when “remote flexible” becomes “Tue to Thu onsite.”
What candidates feel
Job ads say remote until the onsite reveal.
Relocating for a role that might RTO again feels reckless.
Pay bands ignore that remote peers elsewhere clear different rates.
Caregiving and disability accommodations get treated as attitude problems.
What actually changed
Geography stopped being a fixed constraint, then partially returned as one. The market never fully reset expectations. You now recruit in a world where location policy is contested culture, not a footnote.
Fix it this week
Label roles with precision. Remote, hybrid (name the days), or onsite. No “flexible” without a definition.
Align the pay story. If onsite is mandatory, say what premium or perk pays for the commute.
Stop national posts for local seats. You will drown in applicants you will never hire.
Train interviewers.