Are you planning to work with an administrative assistant? However, you’re hesitating because you’re doubtful if this remote collaboration will work out.
Don’t worry; we’re going to help you make your first virtual business partnership a success.
You see, we’ve been working closely with VAs, and we know a thing or two about how to best handle a remote working relationship with them.
So, let this blog post be your working-with-a-virtual assistant bible to guide you through the entire process.
Remote Administrative Assistants Bring the Best of Both Worlds
Virtual assistants are game changers, not just for being cost-effective but also for enhancing productivity, flexibility, scalability, efficiency and the list goes on and on.
With the level of work and coverage they can conquer, you’ll be left in peace, conquering your own core-level ventures. The result? Growth and development.
There is massive potential in working with a remote assistant, especially for small entrepreneurs out there. But of course, the success of this collaboration will depend heavily on your ability to bring out the best in your remote administrative assistant.
So, What is a Remote Administrative Assistant?
A remote administrative assistant is a virtual professional who handles administrative-related tasks, supporting team members and executives in achieving their goals.
What Are the Main Duties of an Administrative Assistant?
Administrative assistants play an important part in keeping an office running. Safe to say that without them, your day-to-day office operation will hardly run smoothly or efficiently.
But beyond organizing and managing tasks, they can also handle other specialized tasks, given that they have the skills and experience. They can edit videos, maintain databases and manage social channels.
The following are the main responsibilities of a remote admin assistant:
- Assist staff members
- Answer phone calls.
- Book appointments
- Maintain contact lists.
- Prepare reports
- Handle requests and inquiries.
- Maintain a digital filing system.
- Manage calendar
In a Remote Setting, How to Work with Your Administrative Assistant?
Your remote administrative assistant will bestow growth and freedom.
Yes, you can reach new levels of heights, but only if you use them effectively.
Here are our best tips for working with a remote admin assistant, which is also very effective, in case you’re wondering how to effectively work with an executive assistant.
- Why Are You Hiring?
First of all, ask yourself, “Why are you hiring an administrative assistant? What is your goal? What are the projects you wish to complete?”
- Set a Budget
Have an understanding of where you stand financially—can you afford your online assistant’s service? The thing is that you don’t want your expenses to go out of hand.
If you know the answer to these questions, you’ll be quick to figure out the knowledge and skillsets to look for in your virtual assistant to succeed in this role. As a result, you will have confidence that they can perform at the highest level.
Also, with a clear vision, it’s faster to drive results. It will be easy for your VA to hit the ground running and work with enthusiasm.
- Be Clear About Your Expectations and Needs
- Make a List of Tasks to Delegate
- Do the tasks need your personal attention?
- Do you enjoy doing the task?
- Are the tasks outside of your skillset?
- Is the task really worth your time?
- Let them Foster Business Relationships
- Reinforce Communication Habits
- Let them Serve as a Coordinator
- Let them Lead
- Build Their Confidence
- Monitor Progress
- Equip Your Assistant to Perform Optimally
Your assistant represents you. Therefore, it’s imperative that they know and understand you. This includes your values, needs and expectations.
How do you prefer to organize your files? Deadlines? Food allergies? Honestly, what do you expect from your VA?
If you can establish these requirements and preferences earlier, your admin assistant will know where to focus their efforts, and thus, the success rate of the collaboration is much higher.
Create a list and process the tasks that you do every day.
Before you hand over these functions to your remote administrative assistant, ponder the following questions:
You’re the boss with the valuable time. There are a lot of things to do in the office, but that doesn’t mean you should do them. Consider the opportunity costs and concentrate on what creates more value.
Your business is built on relationships. Thus, you should only invest your time and energy in meaningful relationships that yield higher returns—to the people who purchase your products and rave about them to other people who then become your new customers.
Since you’re too occupied with running your company, you won’t have time to foster these relationships and maintain them. Your remote administrative assistant already offers a hefty value for your business by being your client-connection point on your website and social media.
Working with someone from another continent is challenging enough; you don’t want to make it more difficult with the lack of effective communication.
We suggest connecting daily. Schedule a specific time to check up on your VA and have them report on their progress. This way, you can accelerate your understanding and ensure nothing goes unaddressed.
Your assistant is your partner. You have a relationship with them that requires honesty and open communication.
Delegation takes some actual skills. If you delegate poorly, you end up wasting time on poor results. Training and monitoring—these things take time.
The good news is that you don’t have to manage the delegation process yourself. You can let your virtual administrative assistant take the reins. What?
Yes, your assistant can be your coordinator. They can assess which tasks to delegate and hand them over to the right delegate.
Give your virtual administrative assistant permission to lead. When they enjoy complete freedom to make decisions and confront inefficiencies, they can introduce workable solutions and get more work done.
Allow your assistant to schedule appointments, provide feedback, remove low-level tasks and coordinate your work and life. By letting them do what they’re great at, you can maximize your time.
By building your assistant’s confidence, you’re also building your business. Confident people know what they’re great at and know how to help, making them effective employees.
You have a say on how you can build your VA’s confidence and impact their performance. Praise them for a job well done. Encourage them to share their triumphs. Ask them what they need. Thank them.
These are simple habits and gestures that build confidence and mutual respect.
You have to establish a tracking system for every project. When do you need updates? What points in these updates are relevant? To streamline this process, you can leverage time-tracking tools or create an accessible template.
Emphasize the imperativeness of these reports and how they should be monitored promptly.
Your skilled remote administrative assistant doesn’t know everything. There’s always room for new knowledge.
By providing training resources to your assistant around a supportive network, you can drive your VA to perform to the best of their ability.
Unexpected (Extra) Tips on How to Work with Your Administrative Assistant Earlier On
No matter what type of VA you’re currently working with, collaborating with someone will require an investment of time and energy.
Don’t forget: your goal is to maximize the staffing solution you’ve chosen.
We’ve already given you really helpful strategies on how to do just that. However, here are some of the (extra) unconventional ways to ensure your remote administrative assistant is at the top of their game:
Start Small
Delegate smaller tasks to your virtual assistant and let them learn the ropes.
For instance, you can help them navigate one social platform, instead of dropping off a huge responsibility on their plate and have them manage the entire social media strategy. See what they can do first.
Go over this process a couple of times while also giving feedback. They can use this phase to learn before they handle bigger projects.
Schedule Non-Work-Related Activities
Get to know your remote administrative assistant beyond the work. When you can establish a personal relationship with your assistant, it’s easier to work with them. Talk about the goals they would want to achieve. Or anything that can affect their performance at work.
Get to know your remote administrative assistant beyond the work. When you can establish a personal relationship with your assistant, it’s easier to work with them. Talk about the goals they would want to achieve. Or anything that can affect their performance at work.
Use Humor
Humor creates a more positive, relaxed working environment. At times, it’s a much-needed dose of humanity in a seemingly robotic day-to-day grind.
Break down any barrier with light-hearted laughter and create a great sense of belonging at work.
Conclusion
We hope that you’ve finally shaken your remote-working jitters off with these tips on how to work with an administrative assistant effectively.
If you are ever interested in bringing in a solid VA, we’ll be happy to give you more than just tips—we’ll find you one who matches your needs.