Keith Wolf, a recruiter in Houston, tries to be diplomatic with clients, but lately, he's been having a lot of what he calls "tough conversations."

The problem, as he sees it, is a profound disconnect between what hiring managers expect from job candidates and what candidates want.

"Employers are watching the news and seeing stories about layoffs and a possible recession, and they think, 'Hey, people should be begging for jobs and willing to come into the office,'" said Wolf, a managing director at Murray Resources, a recruiting firm.

The reality? Not so much.

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"Most people want remote or hybrid work," he said. "They want control over their day — they don't want to commute and they want to be able to see their families."

Roughly three years into a pandemic that has ushered in new ways of working and fueled people's desire for remote and flexible schedules, many employers remain fixated on getting workers back in the office. It's one thing when those employees already work for them and have to comply or else risk termination. But it's quite another for recruiters who are trying to persuade would-be employees to sign on.

"When we get a job listing, we tell employers, 'Just so you know, if this isn't a remote role, you're cutting off 75% of the potential candidate pool,'" Wolf said. "The best candidates always have options."

For now, at least, those candidates have leverage. Recent Labor Department data showed there were about 10.5 million jobs available in November, outnumbering the 6 million unemployed Americans looking for work. The report also showed that a larger share of workers quit their jobs in November than a month earlier, an indication that Americans remain confident in their employment prospects.

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