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Remote work is now the norm in the tech industry, but not all companies are created equal when it comes to flexibility and daily experience. The key difference lies in whether a company is genuinely remote-first or just remote-tolerant. Remote-tolerant companies may allow remote work, but they still organize themselves around the physical office, making remote employees feel like second-class participants. On the other hand, remote-first companies build their entire operating model around distributed teams, with processes, documentation, and communication norms designed for people who never share a physical space.
To tell the difference, let’s start with the job listing itself. Remote-first companies typically don’t list locations as requirements - they list timezone requirements, because that’s what actually matters. If a listing says “Remote (must be near London)”, it’s likely a remote-tolerant company. But if it says “Remote (CET +/- 4 hours)”, that’s a good sign they’ve thought about what distributed work requires.
And then there’s the engineering blog. Remote-first companies tend to write about how they work, not just what they build. Look for posts about communication norms, documentation practices, or incident response processes. If a company hasn’t written anything about how they operate as a distributed team, that’s a red flag.
You can also check Glassdoor and remote-specific review signals. Don’t just look at ratings - filter for remote reviews specifically. Look for patterns like “feels like you’re missing out if you’re not in the office” or “documentation doesn’t exist - you have to ask someone”. These are signs of a remote-tolerant company.
Their tooling is also a good indicator. Remote-first companies tend to use async-native tools like Notion or Confluence for documentation, Linear or Jira for transparent task management, and Loom for video communication. If a company is still primarily using video calls and Slack, that’s a sign they might be remote-tolerant.
During the interview, ask direct questions about their remote culture. Ask them to walk you through how a typical decision gets made on their team. Remote-first teams will describe a process that involves written documentation and async review. Remote-tolerant teams will describe a process involving meetings and decisions made in person.
You should also ask about onboarding. Remote-first onboarding is structured and documented, with a checklist and defined ramp-up milestones. Remote-tolerant onboarding often involves “pairing with someone” and learning by osmosis, which can break down for remote employees.
And don’t be afraid to ask about the team’s location. If 80% of engineers are in the same city and 20% are distributed, that’s a sign the company is structurally remote-tolerant. You want to know whether distributed is the norm or the exception.
When you’re at the offer stage, ask to speak with a current remote employee for 30 minutes. A genuinely remote-first company will connect you with someone who enthusiastically describes a well-functioning remote experience. And read the employment contract carefully for location requirements. Some companies may advertise remote work but include clauses that require you to live near an office or attend in-person meetings.
Most companies are somewhere on a spectrum - fully remote-first companies are a minority, and many are trying to become more remote-first but are in transition. The goal is to make a better-informed decision and avoid taking a fully remote role at a company where you’ll feel like an afterthought.
So, how do you find genuinely remote-first roles? That’s where platforms like Xeito come in - they filter for remote-only developer roles across Spain and Europe, and every job on the platform is remote. You can search by tech stack, salary, and experience level, and even use AI career tools to prepare for interviews.
In the end, it’s all about finding a company that truly gets remote work. And that’s not just about having the right tools or policies in place - it’s about building a culture that values flexibility and distributed teams. So, don’t settle for a company that’s just remote-tolerant - keep looking until you find one that’s truly remote-first.
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