When I feel there is sufficient interest in me as a candidate, I then ask the employer to consider a teleworking arrangement. I explain telework in terms of the company's bottom line rather than mine. I explain telework in terms of the company's bottom line rather than mine. This is true even if I'm overqualified for the job for which I'm applying. I suspect that many companies hold a traditional way of thinking regarding workers and supervision.
Employers are leery to employ and evaluate people merely on the basis of the results of their work.
In short, they want to make sure that time-wise they are getting the most for every dollar they've invested in their employees. And this, to some employers, may be more important than any promise of financial savings or increased work production. I wonder if there was a time when the same factors came into play with businesses working with other businesses long distance. In this sense, there is a negotiation of trust between two equal entities. A resume doesn't hold as much weight, nor incur as much trust, as a company portfolio and history.