Whether you’re running a small business at home, or are leading a team as an entrepreneur, having a virtual assistant (also called a VA) can help you focus on the tasks that do matter, rather than spending countless hours on managing administrative work.
Additionally, you’ll also end up getting more free time to spend with your family and friends, rather than using all your days off and weekends to catch up on the smaller tasks, such as sending emails or speaking with clients or customers.
The problem is that finding a VA who is perfect for the role you need them to fill can be a little tiresome, especially because there are so many different kinds of assistants out there and not all of them will be suitable for the role you need.
Another important factor that affects the process is that most virtual assistants work remotely, so you’ll have to test and judge their abilities only through online interviews and assignments before you hire them.
We get how hard it can be to find an assistant whom you simply click with—that’s why we’re here to help you narrow down on the right person without any struggle.
In this article, we’re going to highlight some of the best secrets to hiring a VA online, and how you can find a person who nails the position at the first go — let’s get started!
1. Describe Your Needs In Detail.
It’s impossible to find the right person for the role unless you specifically define what you’re looking for in the person you’re hiring.
You can save a lot of time by making a list of the qualifications you’re looking for, while also listing out the jobs that you would want them to completely handle in the future. Here are some of the pointers of what your listing should include:
- The tools they should be well-versed with – this can be anything, from Slack to Asana, to Google sheets and Photoshop. Whatever the tools may be, it’s a good idea to list them out to make sure you attract people who are familiar and comfortable with using such tools.
- A list of tasks they’d need to handle everyday – from sending emails to talking to customers, to other administrative tasks such as invoicing and bookkeeping, which would require some kind of experience.
- Other soft skills you’re looking for – if the role includes a lot of communication, you would likely need someone who’s comfortable with getting on video calls with customers whenever needed. If they aren’t, they may not be right for the role.
2. Know What Kind of Assistant You Need.
In general, there are two types of VA assistants who are good at different kinds of tasks—an administrative assistant and an executive assistant.
Most of the best virtual assistant services out there list VAs as either of these, based on their qualifications. Here’s a list of the different tasks handled by both types of virtual assistants:
- Administrative assistant: An administrative VA handles all the tasks that are related to admin – this could include data entry, handling meeting minutes, invoicing, scheduling appointments, creating a meeting agenda, writing reports and memos, etc.
- Executive assistant: An executive VA will handle a number of business-related and personal tasks for you – they’d also be in charge of all the tasks that involve communication with clients and stakeholders, and also be responsible for other tasks such as meetings, bookings, account handling, etc.
3. Always Have an Interview.
Even if you’re looking to hire immediately, don’t neglect conducting at least one interview to know if the person is a good fit for your business. Very often, a person’s profile may seem spot-on on paper, but they may not be able to fit in with your team or role once you hire them.
For this reason, it’s good to have an interview for two reasons – to get an idea of how they are as a person, and to also give them an idea of the tasks you’d want them to take care of so they’ll know what to expect when they join.
We hope you’re able to find the perfect VA for your business. Happy hiring!
