In the last six years, hybrid work arrangements have become the new normal. For employees and employers adopting this model, the shift has reshaped how and where people get work done.
There are undeniable perks and benefits for both employers and employees, of course, but it’s worth considering the other side as well. What are the trade-offs that come with remote/hybrid flexibility, and what might professionals who work 100% remotely miss out on?
By the Numbers: The State of Remote Work in 2026
A lot has changed since the peak of fully remote work in 2021 and 2022.
During the pandemic, many companies discovered that moving to remote worked better than expected. Some even concluded it was just as good as being in person. A 2021 McKinsey survey of 100 executives found that most reported productivity had increased during that period.
Here’s a look at some interesting data:
- Remote work surged and stayed –Before 2020, just 6.5% of U.S. workers in the private business sector worked primarily from home. As of March 2026, 22.6% of U.S. employees work remotely at least part of the time. That rate has held steady since late 2022, despite widespread return-to-office mandates.
- Remote workers face career advancement gaps – A 2024 Stanford study published in Nature found that fully remote workers are promoted at a rate 31% lower than in-office counterparts doing equivalent work, even when their performance ratings are identical. Hybrid workers, on the other hand, are promoted at the same rate as fully in-office colleagues.
- Workers feel their career opportunities are impacted – Glassdoor’s 2026 Worklife Trends Report (based on 3.3 million employee reviews) found that remote and hybrid workers rated their career opportunities at 4.1/5 in 2020 and 3.5/5 in 2025. That drop suggests that remote and hybrid workers themselves feel their advancement prospects have narrowed.
- Employers are raising in-office expectations – CBRE’s 2026 Americas Office Occupier Sentiment Survey found that 89% of respondents require at least three days in the office each week, up from 78% in 2025. Over the same period, the share of companies expecting just 1-2 days fell from 23% to 11%.
Remote work became a permanent part of many industries, but the data also suggests that it might have career costs that were not obvious back in 2020. That is especially true for those just starting to build their careers.
The Benefits of In-Person Work
So, what is so valuable about working in the office? Plenty of career development, both formal and informal. Here are some of the benefits of showing up and connecting with people face to face:
Mentorship –The impromptu question after a meeting that leads to a 20-minute conversation about why the numbers came out the way they did. The feedback from a senior colleague as they pull up a chair and review a project in real time. The career conversation that started as a weekly check-in. These kinds of interactions don’t go away in a remote setting, but they happen far less often.
Connection and belonging –There are certain intangibles that make work more enjoyable and are harder to replicate remotely. Gallup’s 2025 research found that physical distance can become mental distance, and fully remote workers shared that their jobs felt like “just work,” without things like team lunches and office camaraderie. Isolation in a remote environment can lead to loneliness and disengagement. CBRE’s 2026 Americas Office Occupier Sentiment Survey shared that 77% of employees say colleague engagement is the primary reason they come into the office, in fact. For people earlier in their careers, that sense of connection matters a lot, while workplace relationships are still forming.
Visibility that builds reputations –Being present matters. When people are in the office, they get to problem solve, ask questions, and make an impression on colleagues and leaders who can influence their careers. Impromptu opportunities come up to take on new challenges, weigh in on decisions, and show what they are capable of. A downside of working remotely is being less visible than in-office colleagues and less top-of-mind for things like “stretch” assignments and new projects.
Learning to read a room –In accounting and finance, it’s important to know how to communicate clearly, navigate a sensitive conversation with leadership, a client, or a stakeholder, or present a recommendation in the right way. These skills develop through observation and practice. And there’s nothing like watching coworkers and bosses handle those moments, and getting real-time feedback.
A sense of purpose – Gallup’s assessment of the post-pandemic workplace found that only 30% of employees feel connected to their organization’s mission and purpose—a drop from 38% in 2020. Fully remote workers struggle with this the most. For early-career professionals still figuring out where they fit and what kind of work they want to do, that disconnection can make it harder to figure out the kind of company and culture they want to be a part of.
Remote Work’s Impact on Employers
Companies with remote accounting and finance teams face challenges too:
- Knowledge transfer is harder when teams do not share physical space. The informal ways that experienced professionals transfer knowledge to newer employees just don’t happen as easily when teams are scattered across home offices in different time zones. Most organizations do not realize the detriment of this until later on.
- Culture requires more maintenance. Company culture gets built through people spending time together. Those daily interactions set the tone for how employees communicate with each other and support one another. While creating a strong culture remotely is possible, it requires deliberate effort.
- Retention becomes less predictable. Professionals who feel less connected to their colleagues and organization are more likely to leave when something better comes along.
Thinking About Your Next Career Move?
If you have an established network, a proven track record, and a clear sense of what you want in an employer, remote work may fit your needs well. However, if you are earlier in your career in accounting or finance, there are a few things worth thinking about carefully.
Yes, there are many advantages of a remote work arrangement, but there are also career consequences—and real professional development opportunities you might miss. When structured thoughtfully, hybrid arrangements offer a good middle ground for both employees and employers.
At TGRP Solutions, we work with accounting and finance professionals and the companies that hire them across Denver and Colorado every day. If you are navigating a career decision or trying to build the right team, let’s connect.
