Hiring a VA – Recruitment Process

WHAT IS A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT?

A virtual assistant (VA) is an independent contractor who can provide a service using their own equipment and office space.  They are usually hired for creative, technical, or administrative support services that aren’t provided by current staff.

VAs are not permanent employees and thus they are not entitled to any benefits, insurance, superannuation or employee-related taxes. There are no fixed terms and conditions of hiring a VA as they are different from one situation to another and are decided in between the VA and their clients.

Task management applications such as PODIO, ASANA, TRELLO are often used to allocate and manage tasks and projects, and online conferences, phone calls, email, and the internet are all used to keep lines of communication open. Video calling services such as Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom, etc. are used to stay connected and collaborate with their clients in real-time.

As long as you have the right systems in place, and your VA feels a part of your team and the vision you have, they will work diligently to meet all required tasks.

THE BENEFITS OF HIRING A VA

Flexibility: You can hire a virtual assistant on weekly, monthly, contract, or project basis giving you the time and energy to focus on the bigger picture whilst your VA works on the day to day operational tasks and projects.

Cost: With the greater flexibility of a VA, you can cut down operating costs such as office maintenance, rental fee, equipment, etc. And expenses such as insurances, superannuation and monthly salary are significantly less than would be for a full time hire.

No Location Restrictions: You can travel any destination in the world while your virtual assistant will still be at work. There’s no need to ‘provide an office’ – and that makes everything a lot easier.

Expertise: A VA can play roles in customer support, research, business analysis, social media marketing, bookkeeping, events management, consulting and more. You can find suitable VAs from even the most refined fields to get assistance. This saves on the time and money that would be spent on testing and training employees.

Reputation: Your VA can become a brand ambassador of your business and make you appear more attractive to partners and clients.

A FEW KEY THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN HIRING A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT

1. Decide if you need a VA & have a clear idea about what you want to outsource.

This is the first step in the hiring process, and you should take some time to think about exactly what it is that you want to outsource.  Do you want your VA to manage your social media, admin, finances, file management for example?  Think about the tasks that can help your staff focus more on the bigger picture – like your patients and level of service.

2. Decide which skills you want in your VA.

Some businesses hire virtual assistants to keep their social media and blogs updated with new content for patients, and some businesses might need a VA to focus on a particular project.  Once you know what it is you want a VA for, you will then be able to make a list of specific skills that are required.

You will need to determine what you are willing to pay your VA. Rates in Australia start at around $25 per hour whilst overseas you will pay a lot less.  The benefit of having someone local is that they ‘know the lingo’ and there is no language barrier, which can sometimes be an issue with an overseas hire.  And there is the issue of time differences to consider when it comes to meetings and phone calls.

3. Decide whether to go through an agency or hire independently

You might go through a trusted company… like The Hive – to source your VA.  Or you might decide to use another platform such as Upwork or Freelancer.  The benefit of going through The Hive is that our VAs are highly skilled, have been thoroughly vetted and are ready to go.

It is important for the you as a business owner, to develop a positive and strong relationship with your VA so that you can rest assured she / he has your interests at heart and will work hard to do a good job. Also this will result in them feeling valued and respected for the contribution they make to your business.

4. Create a job advert

A great job listing is crucial to attracting the right kind of talent. You might ask the applicant to send you samples of their work or to explain how they handle conflicting tasks, how they manage communications remotely, their workload and ability to take on more work…

Your job listing should include a job description that should tell candidates about the skills you are looking for, hours or days you need them to work, and the tools you use such as PODIO, Trello, Skype, Slack, Whatsapp etc.

Then you can decide on where you want to advertise… social media, through an agency, through The Hive…

Step 5. Shortlist candidates and arrange interviews

Video calling for the interview is extremely important as it will help you to determine the personality of applicants and see whether they have the technical equipment that is required to perform the job well. For instance, a high-speed internet connection will be required, along with high-quality sound and video calling equipment so your VA can manage clients.

Step 6. Tasks should be well communicated and delegated

Good management is crucial – If a VA is well-managed, they will quickly adapt to the style of your business environment and will be able to deliver great results.

Provide your VA with access to everything they need – Dropbox, Google Drive, passwords, permissions etc so that work can be performed efficiently.  A password manager such as My Lastpass is very important as it stores everything in one place – so there is no need to remember passwords for all the applications your VA will need access to.

COMMON MISTAKES …

Ineffective communication	All tasks should be clearly communicated so that a VA should know his/her responsibilities. Ineffective communication of tasks can lead to barriers to workflow, poor work quality, crossing of deadlines and financial loss.
Not reviewing work done	You should make sure that you review the work done by your VA to assess quality and provide feedback. This ensures that any mistakes can be fixed. Keeping a regular check on virtual assistants is important so you are aware of anything they might be struggling with.
Not providing clear processes	Clear processes are important.  With clear processes in place – any team member – even your VA – should be able to step in and get a task done.  It is worth the time and effort to document the tasks you require your VA to be doing and to develop a process for each of them.  This will be of great benefit in the long run and will equip your VA with the necessary information to get the job done.
Expecting them to be on call at all times	Whilst it is fair to say that your VA will work hard to do a good job and be available when required, they are only human and also take lunch breaks, long weekends and holidays.  As long as the lines of communication are open – they should be comfortable telling you when they will and won’t be available

 

Checklist
Decide if you want a VA
Decide what tasks you are you going to outsource? (Admin, Finance, Marketing)
Use an agency or hire independently… (The Hive, Upwork, Freelancer)
Create a job advert
Shortlist candidates
Arrange online interviews (SKYPE, ZOOM, GOOGLE MEETS)
Arrange handover / training for VA
Relevant access and permissions sorted