Although not exactly new, working from home is becoming more common as both employees and employers try to save money and increase productivity.  But because working from home is so different from working in the office environment there are a few special skills managers need to use to make the process more rewarding for the company and more productive for the employee.

Hire recruiters who have what it takes to work from home.  The best home-based workers have a tremendous amount of self-discipline, possess a clear grasp of time management and are excellent communicators.

Provide home-based recruiters the support they need, including all the necessary technology and administrative support.  If possible have a team dedicated specifically to addressing the needs of recruiters working from home.

Keep an open line of daily communication.  Setup a system where recruiters working from home can frequently and easily update you on tasks completed, project progress and connect with others in the office.  If there are office meetings make sure that you include your home-based recruiters through teleconference or other technology.

Setup a system where you can accurately and objectively measure a home-based recruiter's effectiveness in terms of their productivity, not the hours they worked.  For example, you might measure how many "potential candidates" were contacted by the recruiter working from home during the week or month.

The most important resource a manager must give a recruiter working from home is the training he/she needs to increase their self-management skills, their effective use of technology and their ability to efficiently carry out job tasks with little supervision.