Having a virtual assistant (also known as a VA) can help you focus on the tasks that matter, rather than spending countless hours on administrative work, whether you’re running a small business from home or leading a team as an entrepreneur.
Additionally, rather than using all of your vacation days and weekends to catch up on small tasks like sending emails or speaking with clients or customers, you’ll have more free time to spend with your family and friends.
The problem is that finding a virtual assistant who is perfect for the role you require can be time-consuming, especially because there are so many different types of assistants out there, and not all of them will be suitable for your needs.
Another important factor to consider is that most virtual assistants work from home, so you’ll only be able to test and judge their abilities through online interviews and assignments before hiring them.
We understand how difficult it can be to find an assistant with whom you instantly connect—why that’s we’re here to assist you in finding the right person with minimal effort.
In this article, we’ll go over some of the best tips for hiring a virtual assistant online, as well as how to find someone who can do the job right the first time — let’s get started!
1. Clearly state your requirements
It’s impossible to find the right person for the job unless you’ve defined exactly what you’re looking for in a candidate.
Making a list of the qualifications you’re looking for, as well as the jobs you’d like them to completely handle in the future, can save you a lot of time. Here are some suggestions for what should be included in your listing:
- They should be familiar with a variety of tools, including Slack, Asana, Google Sheets, and Photoshop. Whatever the tools are, it’s a good idea to make a list of them so that you can attract people who are familiar with and comfortable with them.
- A list of tasks they’d have to deal with on a daily basis, ranging from sending emails to talking to customers to other administrative tasks like invoicing and bookkeeping, which would necessitate some experience.
- Other soft skills you’re looking for – if the job requires a lot of communication, you’ll probably need someone who can jump on video calls with customers whenever necessary. If they aren’t, they might not be the best fit for the job.
2. Determine the type of assistant you require
An administrative assistant and an executive assistant are two types of VA assistants who specialize in different types of tasks.
Based on their qualifications, most of the best virtual assistant services list VAs as either of these. The following is a list of the various tasks that both types of virtual assistants handle:
- Administrative assistant: An administrative VA is in charge of all administrative tasks, such as data entry, handling meeting minutes, invoicing, scheduling appointments, creating meeting agendas, writing reports and memos, and so on.
- Executive assistant: An executive VA will assist you with a variety of business and personal tasks. They will be in charge of all tasks involving communication with clients and stakeholders, as well as other tasks such as meetings, bookings, and account management.
3. Conduct an interview at all times
Even if you need to hire right away, conduct at least one interview to determine if the person is a good fit for your company. On paper, a person’s profile may appear to be perfect, but once hired, they may not be able to fit in with your team or role.
As a result, having an interview is beneficial for two reasons: first, to get a sense of how they are as people, and second, to give them an idea of the tasks you’d like them to complete so they’ll know what to expect when they join.
We hope you’re able to find the ideal virtual assistant for your company. Good luck with your hiring!
Learn more from business and read What Can A Social Media Virtual Assistant Do For You.