[CyanLite2]

Most important thing I look for as a manager is the candidate's driving/travel distance to a common location.

Example: If the job's main HQ is in Atlanta, you can work remote and live in Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, etc. If we're having a new kickoff meeting and we need everybody to be on site for an in-person meeting, then a short 2-3 hour drive can solve a ton of issues.

Upper management gets to see real live people tackle a project. (If you think your CFO isn't internally questioning spending 6 figures on a remote developer then you haven't spent enough time with him/her). It also builds rapport with the rest of the team. For the remote folks, after working in a house for so long it can start to feel like a prison, and a road trip is a good excuse to get out of the house. I also work remote, so when I travel it's actually a good break during the day.

And we don't do it often. Perhaps once a quarter or so.

[lostcolony]

If it's once a quarter, the cost of a flight + hotel is minimal. An extra $1k a trip (and that's cross country in the US + expensive hotel), for four trips a year, is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of a developer (especially if they're living in a cheaper area). Driving distance shouldn't be a factor if it's that infrequent; I'd happily pay $4k if I could save even more on salary costs, or if it meant the difference between hiring someone who nails the interview and looks like a great addition, and waiting another month as we keep interviewing.