How hiring practices are damaging trust before the first day.
We are living in an era where hybrid and remote work are listed on thousands of job posts. It’s quite hard to change post pandemic. Candidates scan these listings and make life decisions based on the belief that flexible work will be respected.
What’s happening behind the scenes tells a different story.
Quick Definitions – What’s Hybrid vs Remote
Hybrid work typically refers to a role where the employee splits time between working in the office and working remotely. This may look like three days in-office and two days from home or a similar agreed-upon rhythm.
Remote work implies that the job does not require a physical presence in the office. The employee can live and work from virtually anywhere as long as performance expectations are met.
However, some companies are using these terms loosely during the hiring process to sell flexibility, while planning something else.
The Bait-and-Switch That’s Quietly Spreading
Here is the growing pattern:
An employer posts a role and labels it remote or hybrid. A candidate accepts, often after rearranging child care, housing, or travel expectations to align with that flexibility.
Then, right after signing the offer letter, they’re told the first 30, 60, or 90 days are expected to be fully on site.
Sometimes it’s presented as a training necessity and other times, as a “culture fit” evaluation; which wasn’t disclosed up front.
That is not onboarding. That is a breach of trust.
What Happens When You Start Off Misaligned
The first 90 days of any role set the tone for how an employee engages with leadership and with the company’s culture. Starting a working relationship by altering the agreement introduces friction before work even begins.
It tells your team that they are not being hired as trusted professionals and that flexibility is conditional, not foundational.
The result is often resentment, poor onboarding engagement, early turnover, or internal (and external, Glassdoor) reputational damage.
Credibility Matters
This isn’t about someone being unwilling to learn in person, it’s about integrity. Candidates make plans when they accept roles. They are reconfiguring their lives based on what was promised.
When the terms of work change after the offer is accepted, the message is clear: the company’s needs outweigh transparency.
When that message is received, people start planning their exit before they even begin.
Be Clear Moving Forward
If a role requires 90 days in the office, say that in the interview. If remote work is only offered after a successful evaluation period, lead with that clarity. Hybrid is not a secret full-time in-office role with a new name.
Hiring is not just filling a seat, it is forming a partnership. When that partnership starts with deceit, everything else suffers.
Have you accepted a job that changed once you stepped through the door? How did it impact your experience?
What should ethical hiring look like in today’s workforce?
