Most entry-level college hires will start their careers in the office—at least for part of the time.

Results from NACE’s Job Outlook Spring Update survey show that 42% of new college hires will work in the office full time while 48% will be working part of the time in the office and part of the time virtually—the hybrid model. (See Figure 1.)

This matches up with preferences students have expressed: Among students responding to NACE’s 2022 Student Survey, 43% wanted to work in person and 47% wanted a hybrid experience. 

Interestingly, while the statistics around in-person work haven’t changed since the 2022 Job Outlook Spring Update Survey, employers are much more likely to offer their new hires a hybrid work environment.

The latest finding also reflect that organizations recognize that where one wants to work can vary by where one is in their career. Employers noted that, overall, 61% of their positions are remote or hybrid, compared to 58% of their entry-level hire positions, indicating that more-established employees have a hybrid work model or are working remotely.

NACE’s 2023 Job Outlook Spring Update Survey was conducted from February 6 – March 13, 2023. Of the 216 total respondents, 171 were NACE employer members, representing 19.2% of eligible member respondents. The survey was also distributed to nonmember companies; this group provided an additional 45 responses. The report is available to NACE members in MyNACE.