RGRU: Is the Era of Remote Work Over?

2026-04-17 11:32

The IT industry set the trend for remote work. The shortage of talent was especially acute just four to five years ago, when employers were willing to show maximum flexibility in competing for candidates.

Andrey Boyko, the head of the Selecty recruitment team:

«The labor market is currently shifting in favour of employers and they are gradually bringing people back to the office».

There are several global reasons for this trend.

First, the speed and quality of communication are crucial. Despite numerous digital tools, face-to-face communication in the office remains indispensable =-for brainstorming, solving complex architectural problems, and rapid mentoring, which is critical for development speed.

Second, culture and loyalty. Remote work erodes corporate culture and the sense of belonging, which is especially important for start-ups and product teams.

The third and most significant reason for the IT sector is that remote work increases the risk of data breaches. This relates to risk management, specifically security and overemployment (employees working full-time for multiple employers). Working with code and data requires strict control to protect intellectual property and comply with non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).

Andrey Boyko, the head of recruitment at Selecty:

«To combat these risks, companies are tightening not only their controls but also their hiring processes. Increasingly, final interviews, especially for senior roles, take place in person. This allows companies to verify a candidate’s skills directly, reduces the risk of fraudulent interviews, and makes it easier to assess soft skills and cultural fit — something that is difficult to do through a screen».

The return to the office and in-person interviews is becoming a comprehensive business response to the new challenges of the digital age: protecting assets, ensuring productivity, and building resilient teams.