Remote CEO Job van der Voort on AI, hiring trends, and global payroll growth
Remote CEO Job van der Voort outlined the company’s strategy to leverage AI for productivity, its approach to hiring, and the challenges of global payroll operations in a recent podcast. He also highlighted the rising demand for contractors in AI companies and Remote’s focus on profitability without plans for an IPO or sale.
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AI as a productivity multiplier
Job van der Voort, CEO of Remote, stated that the company aims to make its workforce "10 times more effective" within a year by integrating AI tools. Rather than replacing employees, Remote is focused on upskilling them. To support this, the company developed a mandatory AI course for its staff and later made it publicly available as AI for Actual Work.
Van der Voort acknowledged that some teams, particularly in payroll, initially resisted AI adoption due to long-standing routines. However, he emphasized that AI tools are being used to automate repetitive tasks, such as expense submissions, across multiple countries. This approach has allowed Remote to maintain its workforce of about 2,000 employees without plans for significant hiring or layoffs.
Contractor demand surges in AI sector
Van der Voort highlighted a notable shift in hiring trends within AI companies. While early AI startups relied on contractors for basic data labeling, many now employ PhDs for specialized tasks alongside their research. He expects this demand for contractors to continue growing for the next few years, though he acknowledged uncertainty about long-term trends.
Remote’s customer base, primarily startups and knowledge workers, reflects this shift. The company serves tens of thousands of clients, including Anthropic and Burger King, across 90 countries, with about 20% of its staff based in the US.
Profitability and competition
Remote is profitable and cash-flow positive, with no plans to go public or sell the company. Van der Voort stated that the company’s growth is driven by its ability to navigate complex labor laws in markets like Europe, though he criticized the region’s regulatory environment as overly complicated for businesses.
The company competes with Deel, Oyster, Rippling, and local payroll firms. Van der Voort also hinted at future expansion into robotics, though he did not provide specifics.
Background: Remote’s remote-first model
Remote was founded in 2019 by Job van der Voort and Marcelo Lebre after van der Voort’s experience at GitLab, where managing payroll for a globally distributed team proved difficult. The company’s remote-first model mirrors GitLab’s approach, with employees spread across 90 countries.
What this means
Lazyfounder analysis — our interpretation, not reported fact.
Remote’s strategy reflects broader trends in how startups are integrating AI to improve efficiency rather than reduce headcount. For founders and operators, this underscores the importance of upskilling teams and automating repetitive tasks to stay competitive. The surge in contractor demand, especially among AI companies, signals a shift in hiring patterns that could reshape talent acquisition strategies.
For companies operating in global markets, Remote’s ability to navigate complex labor laws—despite criticism of Europe’s regulatory environment—offers a case study in scaling payroll services across borders. Its profitability without reliance on IPOs or acquisitions also highlights an alternative growth path for well-capitalized startups.
Related on Lazyfounder
Sources
- The Next Web · 2026-10-27
Remote’s Job van der Voort says AI companies now pay PhDs to label data
This story is an original summary drafted with AI by Lazyfounder from the reporting listed above and checked by automated validation. Facts are attributed to their original publishers; sections marked as analysis are Lazyfounder's. Where a source is in another language, facts were machine-translated and quotations are reported, not reproduced. Read the original coverage via the links, and see our AI policy and corrections policy.
About the author
Editor, Lazyfounder
Tarun Mottlia edits LazyFounders, covering Indian startups, funding rounds, AI and product launches. Every story on the site is AI-assisted and checked against its cited sources before publication.
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