More Hybrid Work Positions

MORE HYBRID WORK POSITIONS

By Stuart Esrock, Ph.D.

More people have found themselves working remotely over the course of the last two-plus years as a result of the global pandemic.  And while the COVID public health crisis is easing and there has been a gradual return to in-person work, it does not mean that the move online is ending.  In fact, new research from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) shows that an increasing number of organizations are giving employees the opportunity to work both in-person and remotely, something that is of particular interest to students seeking entry-level employment.  

Respondents to a NACE survey this spring indicated an average of 41% of their overall positions are performed in a hybrid manner and an average of 39% of their overall positions are fully in-person. But, 20% of their overall positions are still performed in a fully remote work environment. The results are very similar when isolating to entry-level positions that would be filled by recent college graduate.  See the chart below for full results of the NACE 2022 Job Outlook survey.

 NACE Modality of Work

NACE notes that the results of the survey are very different depending on the industry/field. For example, construction firms have an average of only 0.2% of their overall and entry-level positions performed in a fully remote manner. Additionally, engineering services report just an average of 1.3% of overall positions and no entry-level jobs that are fully remote.

The associate director of the UofL University Career Center, Kelly Atwood, said, hybrid positions would appear to be particularly attractive to students seeking entry-level employment.  “Hybrid work environments allow students and recent graduates flexibility with location and transportation while still giving them means to interact with their colleagues in person.”

The NACE findings for this study were based on responses from 196 companies of all sizes around the country between February 2 and March 11 of this year.