Remote vs Hybrid vs On-site: What Works Best for You?

Over the past few years, the way Australians work has changed dramatically. What started as emergency responses to pandemic lockdowns has evolved into a lasting shift in how and where we work. A report by Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) shows that even after the Covid peak, 36 % of Australians are still regularly working from home.  

Remote, hybrid and on-site working conditions each have their pros and cons depending on your lifestyle preferences. But choosing which one you prefer to work in can have a major effect on which career or industry you look to. We’ve broken down the pros and cons of each style and highlighted key trends to help you determine which environment best suits your goals and needs. 

Remote Work 

With a fully remote work style you’re free to work from anywhere with the requirement of having a stable internet connection. 

The Pros 

• Flexibility: One of the main benefits to working from home is the overall flexibility. Many people enjoy the extra control in their work environment and enjoy the time and cost saved on the daily commute. This is beneficial if you live far from the office or your commute is long.

• Broader Opportunities: When you’re able to do your work in a home environment there is less pressure on finding jobs that are in your geographical area. Allowing for employees to look for job that they wouldn’t have access to otherwise.

• Improves Productivity: With the additional flexibility that comes with remote work, it can improve productivity in a role. In a HILDA report, 3 in 5 Aussie respondents indicated the same or better productivity following increased hours working from home. Without the traditional distractions in an office environment, employees can focus on their tasks more effectively. This can be great if you need to have minimal interruptions to focus deeply. 

• Managing Time Pressures: One of the biggest advantages of remote work is the ability to better manage time and personal responsibilities. Without daily commuting, workers report reduced time pressures and helps them better juggle responsibilities like childcare, school drop-offs, or elder care, tasks that are major sources of stress in traditional office schedules. 

 

The Cons 

• Blurred Boundaries: Working from home can result in blurred boundaries where you may find that your work may bleed into “off” time. Not everyone experiences improved productivity at home due to their home set-up being too poor or management practices that don’t adapt. 

• Isolation and Loneliness: During the pandemic and onwards the working world saw a big spike in workers reporting feelings of loneliness and isolation because of fewer interactions with colleagues. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare AIHW notes that in 2022, 4.8% of Australians reported never meeting socially. 

• Technology issues: Though a remote workstyle can save costs in terms of commute, that spending might need to be put into other areas such as technology. Your home workspace maybe be less ergonomic than your space in the office. 

• Mentoring Gaps: While remote work offers flexibility, it can also unintentionally limit career growth opportunities. In traditional office environments, employees benefit from spontaneous conversations, mentorship moments, and informal networking. According to the Australian HR Institute (AHRI), many organisations struggle to provide junior or early-career employees with the same level of hands-on coaching when teams aren’t physically together. 

 

Hybrid Work 

Hybrid is a mixed model, some days are working in the office, and some are working from home. This mix of days is sometimes set by your workplace or can be chosen by the employee. 

The Pros 

• Improved Retention: It has become clear in the last few years that people value flexibility. Like the remote workstyle, hybrid allows for people to improve their retention and performance in a role due to the changes in environment. In a recent AHRI report, they state 44% of employers identified “higher employee retention rates” as one of the top advantages of hybrid working.

• Best of Both Worlds: With a hybrid workstyle, workers can be face-to-face when needed and at home other times. This benefit works great with employees who are parents with kids at home as it makes them more easily accessible. 

• Better Access to Support and Career Development: With regular in-person interaction, employees can more easily access support from managers and colleagues when they need it. This can improve wellbeing, prevent disengagement, and reduce turnover. Hybrid work is also especially valuable for early-career employees who benefit from informal learning, mentoring, and on-the-job coaching that naturally happens in the office. 

 

The Cons 

• Can be Inconsistent: Switching back and forth between home and office days can be troublesome for some people. This can create less predictable schedules and may be hard to keep switching modes when traveling into work. 

• Unequal visibility: It has been reported that hybrid work can sometimes lead to remote participants being less visible. Missing out on impromptu decisions and mentoring. 

• Disconnected teams: Switching between the home and office can sometimes leave teams feeling disconnected and disadvantaged. With different people being present each day, scheduling and communication can become an issue when working on a project. 

 

On-Site Work 

On-site work is when you’re expected to be in the physical workplace for most of your hours. Jobs that require on-site work are normally ones that more hand on work that cannot be done a home or another place.  

The Pros 

• Stronger Face-to-Face Collaboration: Being in the office allows for spontaneous innovation and it is easier to build culture and mentor new employees. This can also be seen in company cultures that prefer in-person visibility. 

• More Predictable Structure: With a more predictable structure it’s much easier to set work and home boundaries. This gives you the benefit of switching “on” or “off” in addition to having a set routine. 

• Networking and Visibility: Being in the workplace allows you to connect with leadership and colleagues more directly. This can lead to more opportunities within the workplace and can build your relationships with others. 

 

The Cons 

• Daily Commute: It’s no secret that commutes can be stressful, costly and time-consuming, especially when traveling into major cities. There are also many factors that are out of your control when commuting such as traffic, public transport delays and weather.  

• Less Flexibility: With jobs that require to be on-site or is essential to the job, the minimal flexibility can be hard for employees with caregiving responsibilities. This can also result in burnout if your workplace culture expects long work hours. 

• Feeling Constricted: In some sectors, on-site work can feel rigid or outdated as employees may feel micromanaged or have less autonomy. With the addition of disruptions such as illness or public transport issues, being on site can feel very stressful and fragile. 

 

 

Hybrid is here to stay, but the rules are still being written 

The latest data in Australia suggests that hybrid working isn’t just a trend. The Australian HR Institute (AHRI) found that over 80% of employers expect hybrid work arrangements to either increase or remain stable over the next few years. However, it isn’t going to be without its challenges. 

While employees are now preferring flexibility and employers are being made aware of well-being concerns the job market says otherwise. Fully remote roles are less frequently offered than during the height of the pandemic. In addition, some sectors and big employers are pushing for more onsite presence, citing benefits for culture, innovation and collaboration.  

Moving forward we’re expecting to see that hybrid working style is going to remain the “base expectation” for many knowledge-worker jobs. Their policies will become more formalised, with core “in office days and clearer expectations.  

Meanwhile, jobs in industries that already require being on-site may adopt hybrid practices where possible for admin or planning work. 

 

How to choose the best one for you 

When looking the different workstyles and the roles within them, it can be hard to decide which one will be the most beneficial of you. Below we’ve listed some questions to ask yourself. 

• What does your job really require? Do you need to have face-to-face meetings? 

• How much autonomy / self-discipline do you have? 

• What kind of work environment energises you? 

• What are your commute / cost / wellbeing trade-offs? 

• What are your employer expectations? 

When thinking about your preferred workstyle, think about your priorities; well-being, growth, visibility, cost (time and money), flexibility and what your work requires. 

The way we work in Australia has changed for good, and that change is still evolving. Remote, hybrid and on-site work each come with clear benefits and challenges, and the truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The right working style depends on your lifestyle, career stage, personal priorities and the nature of your job. 

If you’re looking for a role with a different working style, contact the team at Fuse recruitment to organise a talk about your career.