It’s been years since remote work became a necessity rather than a choice. But even as office doors reopened, one thing became clear: borderless working isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s reshaping how startups and scaleups think about productivity, team structure, and growth. Indeed, a recent global survey found that 98% of remote workers would like to continue working remotely some of the time for the rest of their careers.
Here’s why remote work is not just a passing phase – but a permanent fixture in the way we build businesses today.
One of the most common concerns around borderless teams is whether they can maintain the same level of productivity. In reality, the opposite is often true.
Remote working has been shown to increase productivity by up to 9% in some regions, particularly where asynchronous communication and clear goal setting are in place. Well-supported remote teams also outperform in-office counterparts when it comes to focused, outcome-based work.
At Ivy Tech, our borderless teams continue to deliver high-impact results. For founders looking to get the most from their team, it’s not about location – it’s about how you manage and support them. Here’s how to manage remote staff effectively.
Hiring no longer needs to be restricted by geography. Remote working unlocks access to an international pool of developers, designers, and tech leads – many of whom bring niche expertise that may not be available locally.
Organisations that adopt a work-from-anywhere approach tend to outperform on innovation and delivery speed. Location-agnostic hiring is no longer a perk, but a standard strategy for staying competitive in the global market.
Whether you’re scaling your startup or looking for fractional support, the right talent is out there – and you don’t need to relocate them. Explore how we source talent worldwide, or see our recruitment offering for hands-on support.
At Ivy Tech, we’ve built deep roots in Portugal – and for good reason. With its thriving tech scene, top-tier universities, and strong English proficiency, Portugal has quickly become one of Europe’s most valuable hubs for borderless software talent.
Remote professionals are increasingly relocating to Portugal thanks to visa pathways, favourable infrastructure, and a high quality of life. The country’s digital workforce is known for its cultural alignment and technical skills.
Whether you need engineers, designers or product leaders, the calibre of professionals coming out of Portugal is exceptional. Get to know our Porto tech hub and why so many of our clients scale teams there.
Running a borderless team significantly reduces costs. Without the need for large office spaces, equipment, or relocation packages, businesses can invest more in product development and strategic growth.
Some estimates show that employers can save over $11,000 per employee annually by embracing remote-first models. These savings are amplified when you factor in fewer sick days, lower attrition, and leaner operations – and even more so when hiring in lower-cost nearshore locations, where we’ve seen companies save up to £60,000 per year through a combination of salary and overhead reductions.
Flexible hiring models – from part-time specialists to long-term remote staff – allow founders to manage budgets without compromising on quality. Learn how remote hiring can help reduce business costs.
The benefits of remote working aren’t just about business operations – they’re deeply human. When employees can work around their lives rather than squeezing life into weekends, job satisfaction increases. So does loyalty.
Other studies show that companies offering flexibility enjoy significantly lower attrition rates and stronger employee satisfaction – especially among high performers.
Offering flexible, borderless roles makes your company more appealing – especially in a market where top talent often has multiple options. Startups that embed remote-friendly policies from the start often report better retention and a stronger company culture.
We’ve entered an era where remote isn’t an afterthought – it’s the standard. Many of the most promising startups today are building borderless-first models from day one.
Forbes recently described remote work as a “must-use competitive advantage” for modern startups. And projections suggest that over 90% of early-stage companies in the next decade will be remote-first from the outset – driven by access to wider talent pools and more efficient scaling.
It’s no surprise we’re seeing a shift in startup hiring trends to reflect this. For growing companies, services like Ivy 360 offer complete support to build high-performing borderless teams.
Remote work is not a trend. It’s a transformation – and it’s already happened.
A recent survey by Harvard Business Review found that most executives now see flexible working as critical to long-term talent retention. New data also shows that a growing number of companies are permanently adopting hybrid or remote-first policies to align with workforce expectations and operational realities.
At Ivy Tech, we help businesses use the new workforce expectations to their advantage. Whether you need support scaling a borderless team, sourcing international talent, or defining your hiring strategy, we’re here to help. See why startups choose Ivy Tech or get in touch with us to start a conversation.
