Managing a fully remote team, what systems actually help with accountability?

Just hired my first full-time employee who works remotely; she was a contractor before and we’ve worked together in person, so there’s some trust already. But I’m starting to think ahead: I’d like to keep scaling with more remote/hybrid hires and want to get it right from the beginning.

What tools or habits have worked for those of you managing remote teams? Things like Slack, Asana, or daily standups, do those help or become overkill? I’ve looked into stuff like Monitask, Hubstaff, and Toggl to help with time and task tracking, but not sure what actually helps vs what just adds more noise.

Honestly, I used to dream of the startup office with ping pong tables and kombucha on tap. But now I’m in a big city and questioning why I’d pay insane rent when everyone seems happier and more productive working from home. Even a client with a beautiful themed office told me he regrets the lease because no one comes in anymore.

What should I watch out for as I build this remote-first team? Anything you’d do differently if starting over?