Hybrid and remote: The future of in-demand IT jobs
The continued skills and jobs gap in the tech sector has forced many changes in how organizations recruit and retain IT workers, including wide-scale acceptance of remote and hybrid work models. IT roles that were traditionally only done on-site are now often done remotely, and job candidates can sometimes negotiate that perk when considering a job offer.
“The IT sector has seen a significant shift in how work is structured. Roles that were traditionally office-bound, such as cybersecurity analysts, cloud engineers, DevOps professionals, and AI developers, are now frequently performed remotely,” explains Bryan Wall, senior competency leader, cloud engineering, at technology staffing firm Experis.
This change is driven by necessity, Wall says. Experis data shows that 76% of U.S. IT employers report difficulty finding skilled talent. Remote flexibility has become a strategic imperative to attract and retain these professionals, especially as the demand for specialized skills continues to outpace supply.
IT contractors take many remote IT roles
Remote work opportunities are now common, especially with many contract IT positions, such as those involving hard-to-acquire skills and experience.
“We are regularly recruiting in the IT sector for remote positions, primarily for individual contributors, due to their ability to work independently with little oversight,” explains Dan Hickey, director of operations at recruiting firm Halo Recruiting.
Software development, cloud architecture, and data analysis are by far the most remote-friendly job categories.
Individual IT contractors have always been able to manage their workload without the dependencies of others or direct management, Hickey says. They often work on a ticketed or task based project management system. In the IT sector, these roles are typically software engineers, programmers, help desk and support technicians.
It’s a similar message from The Planet Group, a global staffing and advisory company. According to Christine Belmonte, president of the tech division at the firm, just over half of its active IT openings are remote, with most concentrated in contract roles supporting Workday, SAP, Epic, ServiceNow, Infor/Lawson, and cloud or data development.
“These were historically on-site functions, but secure infrastructure, DevOps automation, and collaborative cloud environments have made remote execution both practical and productive,” Belmonte explains.
IT job functions that are frequently hybrid roles
There has also been a dramatic increase in the number of hybrid roles in IT – jobs that are done partially on-site and partially remote.
Hybrid arrangements are most common for solution architects, project managers, business analysts, and IT leadership, Belmonte explains. These roles benefit from in-person collaboration for design and planning, but IT workers can execute on work remotely. Many organizations now follow a structured 3:2 on-site versus remote arrangement to balance culture and flexibility.
“We’re seeing that pretty much any IT job can thrive in a hybrid arrangement,” Wall explains. “Some of our clients, especially those that deliver in-house specialty software, generally demand a hybrid or fully on-site setup. This ensures that sensitive information remains secure and tightly controlled, with on-site access providing an additional layer of protection.”
For companies that do offer hybrid work, the IT pro is often expected to reside within driving distance of the office to ensure hands-on access when needed.
Measuring the popularity of remote work in IT
To get a realistic sense of just how popular remote or hybrid jobs are now in IT, one can consider the findings of Metaintro, a job search engine that runs on open source data processing over 600 million jobs in near real time.
Software development, cloud architecture, and data analysis are by far the most remote-friendly job categories, says Lacey Kaelani-Dahan, CEO and co-founder. DevOps, cybersecurity analysis and product management roles are also strong areas for having remote options.
“The commonality here lies in output-agility, when work product can be measured asynchronously without physical access to systems or synchronous location-dependent collaboration to do the work,” Kaelani explains. “Senior and specialized roles also have the added benefit, because companies are more willing to trade off location for specialized talent when there aren’t many options.”
Roles for infrastructure and network management requiring physical hardware access often offer the lowest remote access options. These roles include data center technician roles, network installers, on-site support specialists, and roles performing physical security. Help desk support and IT support roles are returning back to in-person or hybrid after existing as remote roles during the pandemic, Kaelani says.
Assessing if an IT worker is well-suited for remote work
Remote work obviously requires a strong degree of self-discipline. To assess whether an individual IT worker is a good “fit,” employers look at both role requirements and individual discipline. Key indicators include consistent delivery, proactive communication, and self-management. Some companies use hybrid trial periods to validate remote readiness before committing fully.
At the IT recruiting firm VIQU, one client has taken a very structured approach to this challenge across their entire workforce, using psychometric assessments in addition to technical interviews, explains Matt Collingwood, founder and managing director. These assessments measure softer skills such as goal orientation, motivation, and organizational ability, through multiple-choice questions and scenario-based evaluations.
“They found that individuals who demonstrate high levels of goal orientation – those who can set and prioritise personal and business-related goals, combined with strong motivation and effective day-to-day organization – are far more successful working remotely,” Collingwood says. “As a predominantly remote global business, they now use these psychometric assessments to ensure they only hire talent who meet these benchmarks. This approach allows them to maintain a consistent remote work policy while ensuring employees are well-suited to thrive in that environment.
“Because there are candidates who use AI during the interviews – and should not be doing this – hiring managers are now looking for qualities beyond coding proficiency. Just because you’re technically adept, it doesn’t automatically make that candidate a good remote employee. Candidates must be proficient in communication, accountability, and adaptability in a remote setting,” Wall explains.
Remote job candidates should also be comfortable with being on camera and be able to carry on a natural, thoughtful conversation.
Keeping remote IT workers engaged
Organizations are likely to continue offering remote work options, particularly for high-skill IT roles, Walls explains. While some companies have experimented with return-to-office mandates, only 19% of employers believe in-person collaboration is a top productivity driver. Instead, they’re prioritizing professional development, clear goals, and a positive work culture, elements that can be cultivated in hybrid or remote environments.
The cost of turnover is steep, averaging $18,591 per tech employee, Wall says. Remote work remains one of the most effective retention tools available. If you’re a remote worker, you still need to be available at any moment of the day.
Remote flexibility is here to stay, Belmonte agrees. While some companies are reintroducing in-office collaboration for cultural reasons, few will risk losing high-value technical talent over location. Flexibility has become a competitive advantage in IT hiring and retention.
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