Remote First Companies - Your Best Option For A Fully Remote Job?
If you’ve spent any time combing through the offerings on LinkedIn or Indeed searching for the perfect remote role, only to find out they really mean ‘remote if you live in a specific US state’ or ‘remote but only on Mondays and Tuesdays’, then the idea of working for a fully remote company is bound to be attractive.
Remote-first companies offer more than just the ability to work from home; they provide a true work-from-anywhere culture. Unlike hybrid models that require periodic office visits or traditional companies that have merely adapted to remote work (sometimes with great reluctance), remote-first companies are built with flexibility at their core. This approach enables employees to work from any location that suits them, whether that means a home office, a co-working space, or a beachside café.
For professionals, this means greater autonomy over daily life, fewer geographical constraints, and reduced commuting stress. It means you can make changes to where you live, without having to worry about changing your job at the same time.
For your employer it also allows for a more diverse talent pool, as companies are not limited to hiring within specific regions or time zones, and that means you get to work with people from different cultures, backgrounds, and life stories. Employees at remote-first companies experience a healthier work-life balance, and they can better integrate their personal interests and responsibilities with their professional duties.
Remote-first Success Built-In, Not Retrofitted
Remote-first companies invest in tools and practices that prioritize clear communication and foster a sense of belonging across distances. These companies don’t just tolerate remote work; they thrive on it, crafting a culture that values results over hours logged and encourages collaboration in innovative ways. As a result, employees often feel more empowered, engaged, and satisfied with their roles.
Remote-first companies are increasingly competitive in today’s job market. By offering true location independence, they attract top talent from around the globe, not just within a specific city or region. This approach allows them to tap into diverse skills and perspectives, which often leads to more innovative solutions and stronger team performance. They also tend to have lower overhead costs by minimizing or eliminating office expenses, which can be reinvested in employee benefits, technology, and professional development.
For employees, this often means better compensation packages, more opportunities for growth, and a company culture focused on outcomes rather than rigid processes. But it also means BIG competition for roles - so make certain your online presence is rock solid, and that you craft an amazing presentation, when you’re trying to get hired.
Here are some great remote-first companies to work with, who share openly about their remote practice, and in many cases offer an open application process:
Buffer
The social media scheduling tool has an amazing remote first culture, with a 4 day week, learning and development budget, home office budget, and more. Most roles are technical however, (including calls for their talent pool.) Check out the Buffer careers page here.
Doist
The developers behind apps like Todoist and Twist, are a remote-first team who share openly about their remote culture, and contribute much thought leadership in the space. They’re not a huge company but they’re growing, and I have often seen them advertising non-tech roles on the Doist Careers page.
HelpScout
You’ve probably used their (whitelabeled) software, if you’ve ever contacted a business for customer support. They hire globally, offer equity to every employee who wants skin the game, and most unusually commit to location-agnostic pay, as well as great (paid) retreats in fab locations.
Open roles (a blend of sales and tech at time of writing) plus a call for CVs, here.
Eight Sleep
It’s not all about software… This company makes physical products, to solve that perennial problem of sleep quality, and they just happen to be remote first, hiring anywhere in UK and Europe. Their careers page lists open roles, and a chance to join their talent pool.
(If you land a job here, Maya would love to be thanked with use of any staff discount you may be eligible for, or a free Pod, thanks in advance…)
Semrush
Another fully-remote-but-by-country, Semrush has varied vacancies on their careers page, to support their wide range of marketing and SEO tools. They have a renowned remote culture too, so maybe you can be part of that!
TestGorilla
AI driven skills-based hiring startup, but the roles on their careers page are not in AI or dev, they’re in sales and marketing - take a look here. High expectations and potential are clearly the order of the day at this interesting emerging enterprise.
Twilio
Powering remote-first collaborations, communications, and customer service, Twilio has a diverse range of remote roles, however they are remote-within-country. So take a look and see if there’s anything that is a fit for you here. I love their positive transition to being remote first!
Zapier
Their clever tools make apps talk to each other, and there are more than a few Zaps underpinning the RWE tech infrastructure for sure. They’ve been working remotely since 2021, and stress DEI as well as excellence on their jobs page (which contains a good breakdown of roles in different categories, as well as plenty of info on their remote culture and credentials.
Automattic
These folks make Wordpress websites work, and have been remote-first always - preferring their ‘Automatticians’ to work from the places they feel most productive and inspired. They have a load of open roles at their ‘work with us’ page, including sales, marketing, legal, and finance, as well as an open call.
“Please note that salary ranges are global, regardless of location, and we pay in local currency.”
Ready To Work At A Remote-First Company?
Securing a position at a remote-first company requires more than just meeting the job qualifications. With access to a global talent pool, these companies can afford to be selective, seeking candidates who not only have the right skills but also align with their culture of autonomy, communication, and self-motivation.
This can mean there’s a lengthy application process, with different stages - because there will be plenty of applicants who meet the skills and experience criteria, meaning they can really focus on the cultural fit. But don’t let that put you off! Because so many of your potential competition will NOT go the distance, and jump through the hoops asked for. So, the higher the bar, the better… Video intro? Psychometric test? Bring it on!
Crafting a standout application that demonstrates your adaptability, digital collaboration skills, and commitment to a flexible work environment is essential. Highlighting how you can contribute uniquely in a remote setting can make all the difference. In a competitive landscape where these companies truly have the world to choose from, presenting yourself as the ideal fit is crucial to getting noticed.
So, take your time, and don’t rush in. Especially if you’re joining a generic talent pool, such as many of these companies operate - the perfect role might not be ready for you yet, but you’re ready when it is. Get some feedback, you can book individual calls with experts in the Remote Work Europe team, or join our Connected community to develop and test your application strategy.
If they don’t have an open hiring inbox, or you prefer to wait for the right role, then get on their radar anyway. Follow the company on LinkedIn, and make connections with the person who would be your ideal line manager or head of dept there. Follow them and interact with them, build a relationship, keep them on your watch list for future roles that may emerge - so many roles get hired on LinkedIn directly through the profile feed and never make it to the ‘jobs’ section! Make certain your profile is up-to-date and fully optimised, so when their head of recruitment is curious about who made that insightful and helpful remark, they click through and see someone they’d like to hire and work with.
It won’t happen overnight, but it’s worth it. And when you secure the job of your dreams at a remote-first company, don’t forget to come back and tell us, so that we can celebrate your success!