The best way to monitor your remote workers is to set up a communication and project management system that aligns with your company and the nature of your work.
Some companies that I believe have no idea how to work in a remote setting use time tracking tools, and many others are more extreme and even record the screens of their employees. However, most companies focus on results, and the best way to guarantee your team does their best work is to inspire them in an organized manner. To begin with, instead of monitoring your team, design, and organize the way your company is going to work remotely. How are you going to communicate? How are you going to measure people’s progress? Once you figure these two aspects, set up a routine to align the team and let people do their best.
Many companies use daily stand-ups that allow them to know what their employees did, what they are doing now, what they plan to do, and what is blocking them. Tackling these four aspects and removing any blockers should be helpful so that your team works well.
Others prefer weekly meetings, and they meet once a week to discuss the same principles we just mentioned. Regardless, instead of monitoring employees, in remote settings, it is crucial to design a culture that revolves around trust and output.
If you trust your team, inspire them to do their best work, provide the tools they may need, and let them do their magic, things are probably going to work quite well. If, on the other hand, you want to control and monitor how they spend their time during work hours (rather than the quality, quantity, and consistency of their work), you may find yourself with an obedient team, but their output may not be as good.