90% of Companies Will Require In-Person Work in 2023. Should That Be a Deal-Breaker?

Don't be so quick to write off the idea of in-person work.

At this point, some people have been working remotely since March of 2020 and are in no hurry to go back to in-person work. But if you're looking for a new job in 2023, you may not get a choice.

A good 66% of employers currently require that employees report to an office, according to recent data from ResumeBuilder.com. And 90% of companies say they'll require employees to return to in-person work in 2023.

If you happen to work from home and enjoy it, then the idea of having to work out of an office again may not be too appealing. But before you write off the idea of in-person work, consider some of the benefits you might reap.

In-person work could help your career

Working in an office could come with added costs. Those might include having to spend money on gas, tolls, and parking (or a transit pass, if you don't have a vehicle or if taking public transportation makes more sense). Plus, working from an office could mean having to dip into your savings account to cover the cost of added childcare.

But while you might incur some expenses due to having to report to an office, your career might benefit in a big way. Working at an office will generally mean getting more face time with your manager and colleagues. That could help you not only strengthen your relationships, but also, learn from people who have a lot to teach you. And the more you learn, the more you might manage to grow your career -- and your paycheck.

You might enjoy the social aspect, too

While in-person work may not be as convenient for you as getting to do your job from home, you may end up appreciating the social aspect of reporting to an office. If you have nice colleagues, you might come to enjoy the camaraderie. And expanding your social circle isn't a bad thing if most of your friends live in a different area and you often find yourself scrambling to make weekend or after-work plans.

Don't write off in-person work just yet

Working from home is a nice thing, but reporting to an office shouldn't be a deal-breaker from the start. So if you're planning to look for a new job in 2023, don't discount opportunities that require some degree of in-person work.

Similarly, your current employer might decide that the days of remote work will be over in 2023. If that's the case, don't rush to quit your job if you like everything else about it.

Going back to the office after a few years of remote work is going to require an adjustment on your part -- there's no question about it. But you might end up not minding that new routine as much as expected. So before you think the worst, give in-person work a try.

The good news is that there are still plenty of companies that are letting employees work remotely on a full-time basis, so if you go back to in-person work and hate it, you have options. But you might as well push yourself to show up to the office for a few months and see if you're able to make that arrangement work.