Too Long; Didn't Read
The essential skill in remote work is how a developer approaches the given task:
- How accepts: does he analyze it before implementation and ask additional questions;
- How communicates progress: when and how flags issues, does a developer offer alternative solutions;
- How gives back the results of work: whether informs about the details worth paying attention to, degree of readiness of the results for use/integration.
All this can be checked with a test task. It is better not to make it a long one: a 4-6 hour task should be enough.
Also pay attention to:
- Seniority level of a developer: candidates of middle and lower levels can face problems due to lack of production experience;
- The motivation of a developer to work remotely and how it will impact the efficiency of work;
- Habits of your developer: how close are they to the habits of the “right” software developer?