Working with a virtual assistant is one of the smartest business moves you could ever take. They can help you maximize your time and save you plenty of resources.
However, making that commitment to work with an offshore assistant is not something that you can decide right away without consideration. Of course, you’re going to have your doubts, and rightfully so, if you’ve never done it before.
In the last decade, virtual assistants are becoming more and more popular, in all industries, no matter what size. There’s a reason for it…VAs can reduce your daily to-do list, so you can concentrate on high-value tasks that you should have been doing in the first place as a boss.
But success with a virtual assistant doesn’t come along with zero challenges. So, if you’re new to the idea, we’ve got some useful tips for you to do before hiring a VA.
A virtual assistant is a trained offshore professional who supports an entrepreneur or a business owner on their daily menial tasks such as making calls, managing emails and research.
Yes!
In fact, VAs are highly skilled remote assistants who come from all parts of the world, hired at a much affordable price.
Some of the countries that offer the best virtual assistant services are as follows:
Too many.
But the main advantages of working with an excellent virtual assistant include…
You’re hiring a remote worker for the first time. Hearing Services the magic VAs bring to the table, you’re super excited Services the impending experience.
Even as great as virtual assistants, not everyone who has hired one has a success story to tell. Like everything else, there are challenges when doing things remotely such as communication barriers and time zone differentials.
The good news is that it’s not something that cannot be overcome.
We’ve put together the things to do before hiring a VA…or more like the questions that you need to ask yourself first, before jumping headfirst with a remote worker.
So, What Questions to Ask When Hiring a VA?
The same thing when you’re hiring a traditional employee; you have to be set on hiring that virtual assistant. You should identify the tasks that they’ll manage, and that you want to outsource.
But for you to successfully do that, you have to take note of the signs that you need a virtual assistant. There are actually 6 raving red flags for you to not miss such as…
Use this to make a list of the business functions that you need to delegate to someone else. Once you’ve done your homework, you are now ready to proceed to the next step.
Fact: You need a solid system that details how you want things done. They don’t have to be fancy, but rather, simple and easy to understand and monitor.
Since you’ve already laid out your preferences, you get on to creating a system (training program/ onboarding manual) and train your VAs according to it. They have to be able to fit into your working style and accomplish things that meet your expectations.
As long as you’ve provided them with a system, you can expect some great results and a healthy working relationship. Just make sure to point out the things they need to know and the applications that are necessary for a smooth collaboration.
Furthermore, if the time comes when your remote worker leaves, turnover will not be an issue. It will be easier to look for a different virtual assistant, considering that you have a system that your next VA hire can use as a guideline.
How much are you willing (and able) to pay for that virtual assistant?
Before taking a further step, you have to figure out if you’re hiring via freelance marketplaces or virtual assistant agencies. Then, the rates for the tasks that you want to outsource to someone else.
Don’t worry, you don’t really have to stretch your budget so much. As we said, virtual assistants are very cost-effective. You can hire one for half the price of your local hire. This is possible because most of them come from countries with lower costs of living.
At the end of the day, you’re still getting more than what you paid for.
How do you plan on communicating with your virtual assistant? Do you want to have a scheduled video meeting with them at least once a week? How will you connect with them when you’re handing out tasks?
As we all know, communication is one of the barriers to working remotely. That’s why it’s pivotal for you and your VA that you make up your mind and clear out what your means of communication will be.
You have to figure out “when” and “how” to communicate with your remote worker. What kind of collaboration tools are you going to use to track their checklists and manage your projects?
Once you’re done setting it up, you can add this to your training/onboarding manual. So, when you hire a new VA, they have something to reference with the tools.
While VAs are highly productive and don’t require hands-on management, you can’t just leave them to their own device. You have to be sure that they’re actually doing their work and meeting your expectations.
For starters, specify how long each task is expected to take. From there, work on your rating scale to evaluate their performance.
There are applications online that monitor their time and performance, and that use screen monitoring to track their activity. It will take screenshots on their desktops and you get notified every time they’re away from their work.
By practicing this, you are not just making sure there’s actual work done, but you’re also promoting accountability with your virtual assistant.
Ask yourself: Do I need a virtual assistant? When should you hire a virtual assistant?
Have you ever considered that maybe you don’t really need a virtual assistant? That perhaps, you just need to hire an expert who can handle a particular area of your business.
You know, not all remote staff are virtual assistants. Nonetheless, hiring a virtual assistant is a priority because they offer you so much without breaking the bank.
This is why we suggest that you put them in high regard. They might be the answer to all your daily business operation worries. With all the experiences and skills they bring to the table, you can put the growth of your business in the bag!
Make no mistake, a virtual assistant can do so much for your business…but only if you know how to manage them efficiently.
You can’t just nosedive with hiring a remote worker, plan it out ahead of time and be sure that you’re ready to take someone new who works from across the globe. Set a solid system, the means of communication and the collaboration tools to track performance.
Whatever you choose to take when hiring a VA, you can always go back to these tips to help you collaborate with your newly hired VA successfully.
But if we may suggest, for any busy boss who doesn’t have the time to spring these steps, trustworthy virtual assistant agencies are out there offering convenience and a fast (reliable and effective) hiring process.
VAV can save you tons of hassle of organizing recruitment. They will do the work for you and find you a VA that fits your wants and needs.
Remember that to be effective, one must delegate to a professional, in order to ensure you have the right person available.
