What Toggl does

Toggl started as a time tracking app and grew into a suite of three distinct products: Toggl Track (time tracking), Toggl Plan (project planning), and Toggl Hire (skills-based recruitment). Over 5 million users trust their tools to manage time and talent.

Founded in Tallinn, Estonia in 2006, Toggl has quietly built a profitable, bootstrapped business serving freelancers, agencies, and enterprises. Their time tracker is one of the most popular in the world, and Toggl Hire is gaining traction as companies move toward skills-based assessments over CV screening – a particularly relevant shift in the remote hiring world where traditional credentials matter less than demonstrated ability.

Remote culture: what it’s actually like

Toggl went fully remote in 2014 and developed what they call the RAFT philosophy – Results, Autonomy, Flexibility, and Trust. It’s a four-word summary that shapes every policy and cultural decision.

Their 130+ people are spread across 40+ countries, with Tallinn serving as a light-touch HQ rather than a command centre. The Estonian roots give the company a distinctly European perspective – this isn’t a US company that expanded internationally, but a European company that was born distributed.

Two policies stand out as particularly distinctive. First, paid trial hiring: before you’re officially employed, you do a paid trial working on real tasks. You see if you like working there, and they see you in action. It’s a mutual evaluation that reduces the risk of a bad fit for both sides.

Second, mandatory two-week consecutive vacation. Toggl doesn’t just offer time off, they require you to take at least two uninterrupted weeks. This is burnout prevention by policy, and it sends a clear message about how seriously they take sustainable work practices.

Async-first workflows mean written communication is the default, meetings are the exception, and regular team retreats provide the in-person connection that sustains remote collaboration.

The honest assessment: Toggl’s RAFT philosophy requires genuine self-management. The autonomy is real, but so is the expectation that you’ll use it productively. If you need daily check-ins or close supervision to stay on track, this probably isn’t the right fit. If you thrive with freedom and can demonstrate results without constant oversight, the culture is genuinely supportive.

Hiring in Europe: the details

Countries: 40+ countries, with a strong European base. Tallinn serves as the nominal HQ, and the team has significant representation across EU countries.

Employment model: A mix of direct hire and contractor arrangements depending on the country. Toggl’s Estonian roots and European orientation mean they have well-established infrastructure for hiring across the EU.

Timezone expectations: Flexible for most roles, with some positions noting preferences for overlap with European working hours. The Estonian base creates a natural European timezone gravity without rigid requirements.

Salary approach: Competitive with a transparent process. Toggl benchmarks against market data and is open about their compensation philosophy during the hiring process.

Language requirements: English is the working language.

Who they’re looking for

Toggl hires across all three product teams:

  • Software engineering (full-stack, backend, frontend)
  • Product management and design
  • Marketing and growth
  • Customer support
  • People operations and HR
  • Data and analytics

The paid trial is the critical part of the hiring process. They’re evaluating your ability to work independently, communicate clearly in writing, and deliver real results – not your ability to perform well in a one-hour interview. Prepare accordingly.

What current and former employees say

Employees praise the RAFT philosophy as genuinely lived rather than decorative. The mandatory vacation policy is frequently highlighted as evidence that the company means what it says about sustainability. The paid trial is described as a fair, low-pressure way to evaluate mutual fit.

The cons: the bootstrapped, lean operation means resources aren’t unlimited. Some employees note that the pace can feel slow compared to VC-backed companies, and career progression has natural limits in a 130-person organisation. The Estonian business culture – pragmatic, direct, and low-ceremony – resonates with some and feels blunt to others.

People who thrive at Toggl tend to be self-directed Europeans (or European-timezone-aligned) who value sustainability, autonomy, and getting things done without drama.

How to apply

Specific tips: Use Toggl Track before you apply – the free tier is generous, and daily use will give you genuine product insight. Research what the paid trial process looks like and prepare to demonstrate independent work, clear written communication, and ownership. Lean into the trial – treat it as a real job, not an audition. Communicate proactively about blockers, ask smart questions in writing, and deliver work that shows you understand async collaboration.

See our full guide to Remote-First Companies That Actually Hire in Europe.