You've seen the data: remote work leads to increased productivity, more expansive talent pools, and reduced overhead costs. Now, you're ready to take your organization beyond basic hybrid arrangements into a true remote-first model.
However, like any significant organizational change, this transition requires careful planning and executive vision.
Key takeaways:
- A successful remote-first transition requires restructuring your organizational processes and technology stack.
- Building an inclusive remote work culture demands intentional team-building efforts.
- Clear policies around communication and collaboration are essential for maintaining operational excellence in a distributed environment.
Remote-first vs. Fully Remote
Before diving into the transition process, it's crucial to understand what "remote-first" really means — and how it differs from being fully remote.
A remote-first business prioritizes remote work as the default mode of operation but may still maintain physical office spaces for those who prefer to work in person. In contrast, a fully remote company operates without physical offices, requiring all employees to work remotely.
In a remote-first model, your company:
- Designs all processes and systems with remote workers as the primary users
- Provides equal access to opportunities and information regardless of location
- Maintains optional physical spaces for collaboration, client meetings, or employees who prefer an office environment
- Documents all important discussions and decisions to keep distributed teams aligned
- Treats in-office work as a supplement to, rather than a replacement for, remote work
This balanced approach offers the best of both worlds: the flexibility and global talent access of remote work, combined with the option for face-to-face collaboration when it adds value.
For many organizations, remote-first work provides a more practical path forward than going fully remote, especially when considering client relationships, specific role requirements, or local talent preferences.
Here’s a comparison table of remote-first vs other work models.
Are You Ready to Go Remote-first?
Being a remote-first company is about more than just letting people work from home. It requires a reimagining of mindset, workflows, and policies.
Here are some considerations before you decide to go remote-first:
Get Leadership Buy-in
Executive buy-in is non-negotiable. Your leadership team must support the initiative and actively champion the remote-first culture. Leaders need to understand the benefits and challenges of remote work and communicate their support clearly to the entire organization.
Create a Transition Plan
A detailed transition plan outlines how your company will shift to a remote-first model. This plan should include:
- Timeline for the transition
- Communication strategy during and after the transition
- Framework of tools and technologies needed for remote work
- Training for managers and employees
- Key policy changes
Develop a Remote-first Policy
A remote-first policy sets expectations for how employees should work and collaborate in this new environment. Key elements to include:
- Work hours and availability expectations
- Virtual meeting guidelines
- Communication norms (synchronous vs. asynchronous)
- Home office setup requirements, including home office stipends and reimbursements
- Cybersecurity requirements and protocols
- Geographic hiring boundaries (due to potential tax implications)
Need some inspiration for remote policies that work? Here are a few to check out that we find helpful:
Steps for Transitioning to a Remote-first Work Environment
Successfully transitioning to a remote-first business requires thoughtful changes in tools, communication practices, and company culture.
Use the Right Tools
The backbone of a remote-first organization is a remote-friendly tech stack.
Mike Chappell, CEO and Co-founder of FormsPal, says that his company transitioned to remote work before the pandemic, and choosing the right tools played a significant role.
“Firstly, we focused on building clear communication channels across our team,” says Chappell. “It wasn't hard technically, but not everyone was used to giving updates through Slack and sharing them with all team members that were involved in a particular project. We've also started using project management tools more actively and not as cloud storage for sheets and documents, like it'd been before that. And to ensure everyone could use all the features, we've created guides for our most used tools and apps.”
Invest in tools that facilitate seamless collaboration, such as:
- Video conferencing platforms for face-to-face interactions (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams)
- Team messaging apps for quick communications and virtual watercooler conversations (e.g., Slack)
- Project management software for tracking and coordinating work across time zones (e.g., Trello, Asana)
- Document-sharing tools for real-time collaboration (e.g., Google Docs)
- Knowledge management systems for maintaining institutional memory (e.g., Notion)
Building a Remote-first Culture
Culture-building in a remote-first environment requires intentional effort and creative approaches. Focus on:
- Regular virtual team-building activities that accommodate different time zones
- Creating opportunities for informal interactions through virtual coffee chats or interest-based channels (i.e., #pets)
- Recognizing and celebrating team achievements in visible, inclusive ways
As part of being remote-first (but not fully remote), consider implementing quarterly or bi-annual in-person gatherings to strengthen team bonds and bring the team together periodically.
Crafting Comprehensive Remote Work Policies
Make sure you create clear guidelines covering expectations and policies for remote work.
Essential Elements of Remote Work Policies
Your remote work policies should provide clear guidance while maintaining flexibility. Terms to include for remote-first companies specifically:
- Core hours that accommodate different time zones while maintaining some aspect of synchronous work
- Communication response time expectations (e.g., a 24-hour turnaround for all asynchronous communications)
- Meeting protocols, including camera-on/mic-off policies (if you want to implement these) and recording guidelines
- OKRs and success metrics focused on outcomes rather than hours worked
- Remote-first professional development and training opportunities
- Guidance on home office setups, company-provided equipment or home office stipends, and technology requirements.
- Resources on employee wellbeing and mental health for remote workers
Aaron Whittaker, VP of Demand Generation & Marketing at Thrive Internet Marketing Agency, shares key elements of his agency’s remote work policy:
“We implemented what we call 'Zone-Friendly Communication Blocks' – designated overlap periods where team members across different time zones can collaborate in real time,” says Whittaker. “Outside these blocks, we rely on asynchronous communication through detailed documentation and video updates. Every decision, process, and policy is documented in our central wiki, making information accessible regardless of time zones.”
Onboarding New Employees in a Remote Setup
Adapting your onboarding process to fit a remote-first model ensures new hires feel welcomed and integrated into your company culture. Some best practices for remote onboarding include:
- Sending a welcome package
- Setting up all the new hire’s tech and logins
- Scheduling orientation calls with HR, managers, and team members
- Setting communication expectations
- Creating new employee milestones on a roadmap for success
Common Remote Work Challenges
While there are plenty of benefits to remote work, you should address some potential issues in advance.
Remote-first Pitfalls to Avoid
Being aware of possible obstacles to remote work success helps your company pivot to avoid them. For example, make sure to avoid:
- Proximity bias favoring in-office employees over remote team members
- Communication silos between remote and in-office workers
- Zoom fatigue from excessive video meetings
- Difficulty maintaining work-life balance
- Reduced visibility into career advancement opportunities
- Detriment to mental health for remote workers due to isolation and cultural disconnect
Address these challenges through:
- Regular feedback surveys to identify emerging issues
- Clear documentation of advancement criteria and opportunities
- Structured opportunities for socialization
- Regular working hours and communication boundaries
Manage and Pay Your Remote Team with RemoFirst
As your organization embraces remote-first operations, you may find opportunities to employ talent across borders. However, international hiring without establishing a local entity brings complex compliance requirements, including:
- Local labor laws and regulations
- Tax obligations and reporting requirements
- Benefits administration across different jurisdictions
- Currency exchange and international payments
- Employee classification and contracts
As an Employer of Record (EOR), RemoFirst simplifies global employment in 180+ countries. Our comprehensive solution include:
- Compliant hiring and onboarding
- Global payroll management
- Benefits administration
- Assistance with visa applications
Ready to streamline your transition to a remote-first organization? Schedule a demo to learn how RemoFirst can support your global workforce strategy.
