How to Build a World-Class Remote Team in 2025

The way we work has fundamentally changed. What started as a necessity during the pandemic has evolved into a strategic advantage for companies willing to embrace distributed work. In 2025, the most successful companies aren't asking "should we go remote?" but rather "how do we build the best remote team possible?"

This guide distills the lessons learned from companies that have mastered remote work—organizations like GitLab (1,500+ employees, fully remote since day one), Zapier (500+ employees across 40+ countries), and Buffer (85 employees, fully distributed).

Look for Self-Starters

Remote work requires a different kind of employee. The best remote workers share certain characteristics that traditional hiring often overlooks:

Strong written communication skills - In a remote environment, the majority of communication happens through text. Your team members need to express complex ideas clearly and concisely in writing.

Proactive problem-solving - Without the ability to tap a colleague on the shoulder, remote workers must be comfortable seeking solutions independently before escalating issues.

Results orientation - The best remote workers focus on outcomes rather than activities. They don't need to be seen working—they need to deliver results.

Restructure Your Interview Process

Video interviews should assess more than just technical skills. Consider adding:

• Async communication exercises: Give candidates a problem to solve and ask them to document their thinking process in writing
• Trial projects: A paid trial period (1-2 weeks) reveals more than any interview
• Culture interviews: Assess alignment with your remote work values and practices

The right tools make or break remote teams. Here's what the best companies use:

Communication

• Slack or Discord for real-time messaging (but with strict notification boundaries)
• Loom for async video updates
• Notion or Confluence for documentation

Collaboration

• Linear or Jira for project management
• Figma for design collaboration
• GitHub or GitLab for code collaboration

Culture Building

• Donut for random coffee chats
• Gather or Spatial for virtual offices
• Bonusly for peer recognition

The secret to remote success isn't more meetings—it's fewer, better meetings combined with excellent async practices.

Default to Async

Before scheduling a meeting, ask: "Could this be a Loom video? A Slack message? A Notion document?"

When You Must Meet

• Always have an agenda
• Record everything
• Share notes within 24 hours
• Make attendance optional when possible

Documentation Is Everything

At GitLab, there's a saying: "If it's not documented, it doesn't exist." This applies to:

• Decisions and their rationale
• Processes and how-tos
• Tribal knowledge and FAQs

Focus on Outputs, Not Inputs

Stop measuring hours worked. Start measuring:

• Goals achieved
• Quality of deliverables
• Team collaboration
• Growth and learning

Regular 1:1s Are Non-Negotiable

Weekly 30-minute check-ins should cover:

• Progress on goals
• Blockers and challenges
• Career development
• Personal wellbeing

Feedback Should Be Continuous

Don't wait for annual reviews. Create a culture where feedback flows freely:

• Praise publicly, critique privately
• Be specific and actionable
• Make it a two-way conversation

Remote culture doesn't happen by accident. It requires intentional effort.

Create Virtual Water Coolers

• Dedicated Slack channels for non-work topics
• Weekly optional social calls
• Annual or bi-annual team retreats

Celebrate Wins Publicly

Recognition matters even more when you can't high-five in person:

• Shoutouts in all-hands meetings
• Dedicated #wins channels
• Peer-to-peer recognition programs

Invest in In-Person Time

The best remote companies still bring people together:

• Annual company retreats
• Quarterly team offsites
• Optional co-working meetups

Companies that master remote work see significant advantages:

Access to global talent - Hire the best person for the job, regardless of location

Reduced overhead - Save 30-50% on office space and related costs

Improved retention - Remote workers report higher job satisfaction and stay longer

Increased productivity - Studies consistently show remote workers are more productive

If you're transitioning to remote or building a remote team from scratch, start here:

1. 1Document everything - Begin building your knowledge base today
2. 2Invest in tools - Don't cheap out on your remote tech stack
3. 3Hire deliberately - Look for remote-specific skills and traits
4. 4Communicate intentionally - Over-communicate in the early days
5. 5Be patient - Remote culture takes time to build

The future of work is distributed. Companies that master remote work now will have a significant competitive advantage in the years to come.

Ready to build your world-class remote team? RealHires connects you with pre-vetted remote talent from around the world. Every candidate has a video introduction so you can assess communication skills and culture fit before the first interview.