1/ How to evaluate and find a great remote job:
2/ PREFACE
With a remote job, I mean a proper one. Not a job at a company that happens to be remote because of covid or because people are cheap elsewhere.
With a remote job, I mean a proper one. Not a job at a company that happens to be remote because of covid or because people are cheap elsewhere.
3/ LOCATION
It's not hard to find remote jobs, but it's incredibly hard finding a remote job that works for you. If you're in the USA, it's much easier as most jobs are USA-only.
Start by checking whether the job allows you to work from your location.
It's not hard to find remote jobs, but it's incredibly hard finding a remote job that works for you. If you're in the USA, it's much easier as most jobs are USA-only.
Start by checking whether the job allows you to work from your location.
4/ If that's possible, try to get an idea (e.g. by searching employees on Linkedin or by asking) how the team is spread out. If you're the only person in a timezone far from the rest of the team - that can be difficult.
5/ If you're planning to work from a different country than where you have citizenship, that can be a challenge. Make sure you understand whether you're allowed to do so - and if you need employer help, address that early on in the interview process.
6/ Lastly, make sure to understand what the office/ meetup requirements are. Some companies ask you to come into some HQ or attend off-sites once in a while. This can be really fun, or a challenge based on your personal circumstances.
Think time to travel and visas.
Think time to travel and visas.
7/ EMPLOYMENT:
Next, verify how you'll be employed. A company might employ you locally themselves, they might use a company like @remote or they'll ask you to work as a contractor.
Next, verify how you'll be employed. A company might employ you locally themselves, they might use a company like @remote or they'll ask you to work as a contractor.
8/ Unless you are actually independent of the company, you're probably being misclassified as contractor, which is a risk to both you and your employer (with $$$ fines and losing your job as outcome).
9/ Being independent means you don't have a job, and are clearly treated as separate from other employees. In some countries you're required to have other customers as well, before you're a valid contractor/freelancer.
10/ In doubt, have your prospective employer talk with @remote, we can help with all forms of employment.
11/ COMPANY CULTURE:
The best remote companies have all of the following:
A company handbook to which everyone contributes. This is where all important processes live, and e.g. values are written down.
The best remote companies have all of the following:
A company handbook to which everyone contributes. This is where all important processes live, and e.g. values are written down.
12/ Some policy on global compensation. You can figure this out by asking directly.
Younger companies might not have something super defined, which is OK, but the larger the company, the better the answer must be. It's up to you to decide what an acceptable answer sounds like.
Younger companies might not have something super defined, which is OK, but the larger the company, the better the answer must be. It's up to you to decide what an acceptable answer sounds like.
13/ Internal expectations on what meetings are and aren't for. If you never hear the word async or asynchronous when you ask, be warned.
An easy check is to ask some of the people interviewing you how many meetings they have a day.
An easy check is to ask some of the people interviewing you how many meetings they have a day.
14/ A clear time-off policy. Unlimited time-off doesn't cut it anymore. There needs to be a minimum (which can just be the statutory min). How do they deal with public holidays?
15/ Some way for the team to bond outside of the context of work. This can take any shape from simple zoom hangouts to something more elaborate (everyone at Remote gets a VR headset, for example).
16/ DIVERSITY
Organizations that work truly remotely have few to no excuses for not being diverse. You can hire from anywhere in the world, meaning your company should have some sort of reflection of what the world looks like.
Organizations that work truly remotely have few to no excuses for not being diverse. You can hire from anywhere in the world, meaning your company should have some sort of reflection of what the world looks like.
17/ Easy to evaluate: ask for the numbers and look at who is interviewing you.
Ask about diversity and inclusion projects in the organizations. Also here, you should expect larger organizations to do much more, not less than young companies.
Ask about diversity and inclusion projects in the organizations. Also here, you should expect larger organizations to do much more, not less than young companies.
18/ COMPENSATION
How do you know whether the offer you've received is a fair one?
A good way to start is by asking what the compensation band is for the position you're applying to.
How do you know whether the offer you've received is a fair one?
A good way to start is by asking what the compensation band is for the position you're applying to.
19/ If the range is very large, and your offer turns out on the low end - you have a clear idea of where you are.
If you live in a low-cost area, it's possible your prospective employer accounts for this.
If you live in a low-cost area, it's possible your prospective employer accounts for this.
20/ Generally if the offer is below ~35k USD (yearly), it's too low to take seriously. If you are applying for a role that is in high demand, it can be worthwhile asking for peers in other companies / countries what they earn.
21/ The best way to get a higher offer is by asking for it. That can be really challenging, but it's a win-win: if the response is poor, the future you'd have with that company can't be very good either. If it's positive: you just got yourself some more money!
22/ FINDING THE JOB
There are many remote-job websites. My favorites are:
weworkremotely.com
remoteok.io
remotive.io
There are many remote-job websites. My favorites are:
weworkremotely.com
remoteok.io
remotive.io
23/ I'll follow up with a thread about applying to jobs some time in the future. Let me know what other questions you have!
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
