At the end of 2024, we analyzed the key differences in time-to-hire, candidate pool and other key metrics between remote/hybrid roles relative to on-site roles.  As we've seen some significant changes in 2025, with many companies shifting back to in-office policies, we thought it was a good time to revisit the topic and see if the underlying data has changed.

Although candidates still show a strong preference for remote roles, the gap in required outreach volume narrowed in 2025.

On average, we need to reach out to more candidates to fill on-site roles than remote or hybrid ones, with in person averaging 300 outreaches (400 in 2024) and remote/hybrid requiring approximately 200 (230 in 2024).  However, that gap has narrowed over the past year, dropping from 170 to 100. In relative terms, in-person roles are becoming easier to fill. Our hypothesis is that this is because (1) there seems to be generally more candidates looking for work and (2) with the shift in return-to-office, there is less expectation of remote roles.

Lower response rates from candidates continue to drive the need for higher outreach volume on on-site roles. Simply put, fewer candidates are interested in fully in-person positions. In contrast, remote and hybrid roles maintain a stronger response profile, with an average response rate of ~18%, outperforming on-site roles across the board.

That said, we’ve seen response rates improve across all role types in 2025. A trend we believe reflects a shift toward a more employer-friendly hiring environment compared to 2024.

The conversion rates throughout the interview process for in-person, hybrid and remote roles (e.g., first round candidates progressing to final round interviews and accepting offers) continue to be very similar, which tells us that once a candidate is in the funnel, the original source doesn’t make a particular difference.  This consistency suggests that once the right candidates are engaged, factors such as quality of interviews, cultural fit, compensation, etc. are more important than the location of the role.

Conclusion

So what does that mean? Overall, remote and hybrid roles continue to mean a larger supply of candidates.  In job placements where the TAM is more limited, this allows you additional optionality to emphasize one of the 3 main trade-offs in any search - speed to hire, compensation, and experience (e.g. you can be more stringent on experience requirements or hold firmer to your budget). However, that trade-off has narrowed in the past year.