As a person who has employed remote workers both successfully and unsuccessfully, I'd say that it is really important to have a good understanding of deliverables and time estimates.
I was really pissed when one guy would blow 5-10 hours on something that he should have called me about... again and again. I couldn't get it through his head that remote != uncommunicative.
Basically, my requirements today for remote workers are (1) daily scrums and (2) bite-size deliverables. Keeps everyone on the same page. The guys that are good at it deliver x2-3 what I expect so that I am never concerned about hours worked.
I was really pissed when one guy would blow 5-10 hours on something that he should have called me about... again and again. I couldn't get it through his head that remote != uncommunicative.
Basically, my requirements today for remote workers are (1) daily scrums and (2) bite-size deliverables. Keeps everyone on the same page. The guys that are good at it deliver x2-3 what I expect so that I am never concerned about hours worked.