Fully-remote companies, usually called remote-first, are companies that are committed to developing, maintaining, promoting and supporting a fully-distributed workforce.  Typically, in 100% remote or remote-first companies, employees can work from anywhere without traveling to work in a physical office location. 

Remote-first companies appeal to multiple generations in the workforce (from Baby Boomers to Gen Z workers) and are likely to attract workers who want to work from their own home office, as well as digital nomads – and with good reason. Unlike hybrid work environments, in remote-first firms, there is no expectation for going into the office or any type of scheduled in-office days. Some companies will hold occasional in-person gatherings, but they’re not regularly expected.

What’s the key to making fully remote a success? These firms focus not only on the tools and processes that are necessary to support a fully-remote workforce but also on an environment that supports a “digital culture” in many facets. 

Why go fully remote? 

Widely known tech companies like Spotify, Shopify, Atlassian and Gitlab are among the early adopters of the fully remote work model, paving the way for more remote work opportunities. These companies intentionally transitioned to fully remote operations long before hybrid models became commonplace in many industries.

Their reasons are varied. Spotify , for instance, utilizes a “work-from-anywhere” approach because “work isn’t somewhere you go, it’s something you do.” This model prioritizes flexibility and autonomy and enables staff to perform at their best, regardless of location.

But to fully understand why companies decide to embrace fully remote, start by looking at the main benefits of a remote work environment – not only flexibility, but low overhead, access to a larger talent pool, opportunities to create a diverse and inclusive workforce, and increased sustainability. Most of these benefits can work for companies of all sizes – from small companies and micro-businesses to tech start-ups and global organizations. 

Here’s a closer look at some of these advantages. 

Along with flexibility, Spotify ’s fully-remote and distributed workforce has broadened its talent pool and provided the opportunity to build a more diverse workforce. Businesses of all sizes can benefit from this expanded access.

Meanwhile, for small businesses, a fully-remote work model allows them to keep their expenses low. Not only do they save money on office space and the associated utilities, but they also can put together a team without geographical limits.  

For employees, remote work is appealing for several reasons, including the ability to create a flexible work schedule, work and job autonomy and the ability to create a good work-life balance. However, employers must ensure that guidelines are in place to keep these benefits intact. 

Early adopters helped to pave the way 

Firms that want to go fully remote can learn from the best practices of the early adopters in this space. 

Companies that are longtime advocates of remote work have implemented models that organizations can look to when creating their own policies. According to a report from CNBC , “experts from Atlassian and other firms that have been proponents of remote work models note the importance of best practices and collaborative technology to keep the momentum going.” 

Many of these early adopters of 100% remote focus on the flexibility of working. For example, 37signals , the company that owns and operates Basecamp, notes: “We’re a fully-remote company with no physical headquarters. We’re collectively spread out across dozens of cities on multiple continents. Everyone is free to live and work wherever they choose.”

Another remote-first tech firm, Shopify, implements a concept they call “ Digital by Design , or DxD,” explaining, “that means you do your daily work wherever you work best, connect in person with your team to solve tough problems together, and drop-in to one of our office locations called Ports whenever you fancy it.”

What sets these companies apart?

The most successful 100% remote and remote-first organizations have adopted comprehensive policies that provide a structure for everything from work collaboration to communication. 

While some of the top practices may look different from company to company, overall these are the basics of a successful, remote-first model: 

• Promotes flexibility in work schedules, but also includes regular interaction among teams via collaboration and meetings
• Provides advanced communication and collaboration platforms and trains teams on how to use them effectively
• Utilizes efficient and robust work processes that often include some type of automation or AI-driven solution 
• Offers employees several ways to communicate and collaborate with each other
• Fosters a sustainable work-life balance to minimize and avoid burnout 
• Encourages a strong culture centered on digital-first ideas

Some firms that want to retain top talent offer a comprehensive set of benefits such as extended or unlimited vacation time and PTO, parental leave, wellness stipends and reimbursement for certain work-related expenses.

Gitlab, a pioneer of remote work, has published a handbook of best practices designed to help other organizations that are developing and implementing a fully-remote workforce and culture to go along with it. “It takes intentionality to build a company culture in a company that has no offices,” Gitlab states in one of their handbook guides. “While technology and tools are enabling companies to operate efficiently in a remote setting, it’s important to focus on creating a great culture first, then using tools to support it.” 

Zapier, another early adopter, offers another set of practical guides that address many key aspects of remote work – everything from collaborating across time zones and how to hold fun work events remotely, to managing teams and how to avoid burnout. 

This combination of tools, processes and digital culture can give businesses a head start when they are ready to make the leap to a fully-remote environment that will benefit their employees and their operations.