Somehow we’ve come to believe that the only way to build a successful company is to build it inside of a cubicle with back-to-back meetings. 

The truth is, creating a thriving company isn’t about where you sit.

It’s about the outcome of your work. And it’s for all of us. 

This isn't about lowering expectations for your day-to-day work; it’s about raising them. It’s not about one particular city, state, or country. And, it’s not about one type of person. 

Building and scaling a remote team worldwide is about finding the best talent for the job, no matter where they are located. 

The world has changed, and companies can’t ignore it anymore. 

While many companies see this as a roadblock, we see it as a bridge. 

We started Thera to help companies access a global talent pool and champion talent over location by removing the barriers related to global payroll, compliance, benefits, and taxes. 

Thera has a global presence, so our customers don’t have to develop their own.

Thera is built for companies and people who would rather work anywhere with the best talent. Here’s why.

Reason 1 — We help you take your first step out of your backyard.

There are about 7.9 billion people globally, and only 4.25% live in the United States. 

Our view of hiring has been far too limited for too long. 

Companies are no longer seeing remote work as a mechanism to put downward pressure on wages. Companies now see remote work as an opportunity to access high-skilled talent.

While people aren't sure if the driving force is the scarcity of high-skilled talent, high employment costs in cities, the growing complexity of corporate operations, or even competitive pressure, more companies are placing employee merit over geography for more and more roles.

It's possible to work virtually anywhere on the planet, and there are 196 countries in the world, all of which have incredible talent. Access to high speed internet has replaced geography as a parameter in companies' talent pools.

Committing to using global talent can give you extraordinary returns. 

Take Spotify, for example. Spotify was paying $2.77 million per month for their New York office before going fully remote in February 2021. 

We get it. For many companies competing for a limited talent pool, an office presented as an extension for benefits. They have campuses that include free meals, comfortable workstations, nap pods, gyms, game rooms, hair-cuts, pets on campus, scooters, etc.

It is a tactic to get the employees to stay at the office longer. The idea is to build an office so comfortable that employees will want to stay and end up greatly exceeding the norms of a 40-hour workweek.

With a fully remote team, you can invest the money that would have been spent on office space into growing your business.

Remote talent is not always cheaper, and that can be a good thing. 

There are amazing people and remarkable things going on outside of our neighborhoods. If we can open our eyes to that, there is tons of opportunity!

Reason 2 — We aim to fundamentally change how companies hire talent, making it quicker and easier to access the global workforce.

Before 2020, the job market for certain business fields had such competitive pressure that 50% of U.S. companies had to offer signing bonuses to attract their desired applicants.

The challenges the world experienced in 2020 relieved some of that pressure, but there is still a massive talent shortage in high-skilled labor across the board. 

80% of companies said they had a hard time finding candidates with the skills they were looking for. 

This problem can be solved by expanding your talent pool. 

When a company becomes location-agnostic, its talent pool expands exponentially and purchasing power increases.

Being remote does not always save money on hiring. In fact, it may increase costs for many companies, but it is worth it to get the best talent.

Companies win if they pay 10% more to hire someone 25% more productive.

Shifting our focus to the global job market will fundamentally change the way that companies hire talent! By increasing your hiring options, you can hire faster and more efficiently.

Reason 3 — We believe technology has changed everything, and we want to harness its power to bring people together.

For hundreds of years, talent was tied to geography, and people could only work for employers near them. 

Technology and culture have changed everything. 

At Thera, we've seen first-hand how difficult it is to hire global talent. The process can take months, sometimes years, of setup time for each country. Once established, that entity will then have ongoing efforts to remain incorporated and compliant.

The average set-up cost is about $80,000 per country. This figure is before the considerations of ongoing currency translations, compliance efforts with local regulatory and statutory employment laws, increased complexity with treasury and banking assets, local representation requirements, and many more. International expansion can be cost, effort, or risk prohibitive when hiring limited numbers of employees. However, this is about to change.

Thera unlocks a better option for companies. 

Thousands of virtual networks have linked landmasses together once again through technology. We want to take that connection further by joining companies and talent that may not have otherwise found each other.

In a world where potential customers can be all across the globe, we believe that companies can do more when they're closer to their users. This is not an easy task, but we can make it just a little easier.

Reason 4 — We acknowledge that the best way to keep people happy is by empowering them with more freedom.

Along with hiring globally, the strongest companies of the future will be remote-first. It's only a matter of time until most Fortune 500 and global brands give their employees the flexibility to work from anywhere. 

The shift has already begun. 

21% of business leaders said that global mobility is a priority for attracting top talent.

Whether it's working from a home office in Tennessee, beach in Portugal, the mountains in Switzerland, or a skyscraper in Dubai — employees are happier when they're given the freedom to build their ideal work environment. Companies benefit as this happiness equates to greater retention and productivity.

It's undeniable that remote work is also better for parents and families, providing the flexibility to step away from the desk when they need to and take care of unexpected events. 

If someone has a family member who gets sick, they can continue working while also taking care of them.

Over 50% of hiring professionals agree that work flexibility not only attracts candidates but also encourages retention. Giving your teammates the flexibility to choose how they work and when they work empowers them to perform better and stay in their current job longer.

Increasingly, employees want to be location-agnostic, and companies who support this will have access to the best talent at the most competitive prices.

Reason 5 — We know that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. 

Our mission is to turn every country into an opportunity center. Not only is this better for businesses and their employees, but the world as a whole. 

Remote work is the most potent tool against global, systemic inequality. 

By giving global employers the superpower to hire anywhere, they can find extraordinary talent in these nations, spurring economic growth.

Global companies can also hire American talent, which helps more Americans find great jobs, and expands opportunities everywhere. 

We benefit when international companies hire American talent, and businesses benefit when global labor pools are larger.

More remote-first companies also mean more opportunities for people with health issues such as disabilities, autoimmune diseases, and other conditions that keep them from commuting to the office. The employment rate for those who are differently-abled is 50-75% lower than those who are.

A world where no one is denied dignity or opportunity because of location, illness, or circumstance is within reach. We want to do whatever we can to unlock those possibilities right now.

Reason 6 — We truly believe that work is something that should spark joy.

Surveys have shown that those working remotely have more time with their families and a more positive attitude in general and get more sleep and eat healthier. 

82% of workers reported lower stress levels since they started working remotely. That's big!

Remote workers are happier, less likely to leave, and more productive than workers required to come into an office. 

And with good reason! Having flexibility and trust allows you to handle things when life happens, rather than taking time off and stressing about letting people down and losing vacation time.

Over 50% of hiring professionals agree that work flexibility not only attracts candidates but also encourages retention. 

Giving your teammates the flexibility to choose how they work and when they work empowers them to perform better and stay in their current job longer. Work-life balance does not need to be about splitting your time between hours for work and hours for life. It is about having the two parts of your life exist at the same time without friction. The flexibility of remote, the culture of a place of work, can help unlock this desired integration.

Whether you’re hiring your first remote employee today or ten years from now, I see boundless possibilities ahead. 

The Thera team is encouraged because of the power each company and talented individual has to make the world a better place. If we continue to stay true to our mission, we can achieve greatness together.