The "return to office" push is real: your LinkedIn strategy 🏢 vs 🏠

How to find and attract true remote-first roles.

Let’s talk about a trend that is making many software developers nervous: the “Return to Office” (RTO) push. After years of embracing remote work, many companies are now asking—or demanding—that employees come back to the office, at least for a few days a week.

This creates a huge conflict. Most developers have come to love the flexibility, focus, and work-life balance that remote work offers. So, what do you do when the market seems to be moving in one direction, while your career goals are in another?

This isn’t an article to complain about RTO. It’s a strategic guide.

It’s about how to use LinkedIn to cut through the noise, identify the companies that are truly committed to remote work, and build a professional brand that makes you the ideal candidate for the best remote-first opportunities.

The great mismatch: what the 2025 data says about RTO vs. remote work 📊

This isn’t just a feeling; it’s a real trend confirmed by data.

Recent reports, including LinkedIn’s own data from mid-2025, show that the number of job postings advertised as “fully remote” has been decreasing since its peak. However, at the same time, surveys like the latest Stack Overflow Developer Survey confirm that over 80% of developers want to continue working in either a fully remote or hybrid setup.

What does this mean for you? It means the competition for high-quality, truly remote jobs is getting tougher. You can’t just casually apply anymore. You need a specific strategy to stand out.

“Remote-friendly” vs. “remote-first”: spotting the difference on LinkedIn 🤔

This is the most important distinction you need to make in your job search.

“Remote-friendly” can be a trap ⚠️. This often means the company tolerates remote work, but its core culture, communication, and career progression are still centered around the physical office. You might be the only one on your team who’s not in the room, making you feel left out. These are often the companies that will change their policy and push for a return to the office later on.

“Remote-first” is the goal ✅. This means the company is designed from the ground up to support a distributed team.

• All processes are built to be asynchronous.

• Documentation is a top priority.

• Your career growth is not dependent on your physical location.

How to spot the difference on LinkedIn:

• Job descriptions: Look for strong language. “Fully distributed team,” “asynchronous work,” “global team” are great signs. Vague terms like “remote option available” or “hybrid model” require more investigation.

• Company “Life” tab: Do they only show pictures of their cool office, or do they actively showcase their remote employees and culture?

• Employee locations: Go to the company’s “People” tab. Are the employees all clustered in one or two cities, or are they truly spread out across the country or the world? The data doesn’t lie.

Optimizing your profile for a “remote-first” brand 🛠️

Your LinkedIn profile needs to scream “I am an excellent remote developer.”

• Your headline: Add “Remote” as a keyword.

  • Example: Senior Software Engineer | Python, AWS | Building for Distributed Teams (Remote)

• Your location: You have a few strategic options. You can list your actual city, you can choose a major tech hub you’d be interested in (even if you don’t live there), or you can use a broad location like “European Union” if you’re open to roles across the continent.

• Your “About” section: Be explicit about your experience and preference.

“I am a developer with over 5 years of experience working effectively in fully remote and distributed teams. I thrive in an asynchronous environment and excel at clear, written communication, which I believe is the foundation of any successful remote team.”

• Your “Experience” section: For any past remote roles, explicitly state they were remote and highlight achievements that prove your remote capabilities (e.g., “Successfully collaborated with a distributed team across 5 time zones to deliver Project X...”).

Networking with the remote world: connecting beyond geography 🌎

In a remote-first world, your network is no longer limited by your city.

Your action plan:

1. Identify and follow “remote-first” champions. Companies like GitLab, Zapier, Automattic, and many others are famous for their remote culture. Follow them on LinkedIn to see how they operate and what roles they post.

2. Find and connect with leaders in remote work. Search for people with the title “Head of Remote” and follow their content.

3. Join relevant LinkedIn Groups. There are groups specifically for “Remote Work” or “Distributed Teams.” Join them to find opportunities and connect with like-minded professionals.

Your goal is to build a network that reflects the borderless nature of the work you want to do.

Content that proves your remote skills: “showing” you’re a great remote dev ✍️

How do you prove you’re a great remote worker? The skills are abstract: discipline, autonomy, and—most importantly—excellent written communication.

✨ Your LinkedIn content is your proof.

Every clear, well-structured post you write about a technical topic is a demonstration of your ability to communicate complex ideas asynchronously. Every thoughtful, well-articulated comment you leave proves you can contribute to a written discussion.

Pro Tip: Write a short LinkedIn article about a project you completed with a distributed team. Don’t just focus on the tech; focus on the process.

• How did your team handle communication across time zones?

• What role did good documentation play?

• How did you ensure everyone was aligned without constant meetings?

This kind of content is a powerful case study that shows you don’t just want to work remotely; you know how to do it successfully.

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The push for a return to the office is a real challenge, but the demand for top remote talent hasn’t disappeared—it’s just become more competitive.

By being strategic, you can use your LinkedIn profile and activity to build a powerful “remote-first” brand. Show the world that you have the skills, the discipline, and the communication prowess to be an invaluable member of a distributed team. This will allow you to filter out the noise and attract the truly great remote opportunities that are still out there.