The Secret to Hiring the Right Virtual Assistant for You

When you find yourself strapped for time – skipping lunch and multitasking in your sleep, are you? – you know you need help. But not just any VA will do: you need a business-grade virtual assistant perfectly matched to your business, your personality, and your needs. Thankfully, that’s not as hard to find as it seems.

Follow these steps, and you’ll be delegating to a hard-working, affordable and highly skilled virtual assistant in no time.

Step 1: Make a Game Plan

This may come as a surprise, but the first step in finding a perfectly matched VA has nothing to do with the virtual assistant – it’s all about you.

You are the heart and soul of your company. You’re probably used to wearing many hats (or all hats, more like). You may be nervous about hiring a virtual assistant – someone who could have access to your calendar, your website, and even (eek) your email.

It stands to reason that this process is very much about you. So ask yourself:

What tasks do you need help with? Create a comprehensive list – everything from basic admin and customer service, to specialized project management, web design, and social media management.

What are your task priorities? After you’ve written your task list, slice and dice it into tiered priorities. What are your most important or pressing needs, and what can be put off until later, if required?

Are these tasks a one-time project or ongoing work? This will help you determine timing and budget, and will also influence the virtual assistant you eventually hire. If you’ll be working together for the long-term, you’ll want to “click” well with your VA.

How time-sensitive are these tasks? Does your virtual assistant have to keep the same hours that you do, or can her tasks be accomplished any time of day?

Step 2: Write a Help-Wanted Ad

First things first: even if you go through a virtual assistant company, hiring a VA is a very hands-on process. Working with a virtual assistant is the same as working with an in-office employee – minus the office space, employment benefits, and other office overhead. Point being, even if you don’t interact in-person with your VA, you will still have a very close relationship. Treat your virtual assistant search as you would any high-leverage HR activity.

At this point in the process, it can be helpful to pen a basic help-wanted ad. You won’t place it in the paper or online, but this simple writing exercise can help narrow down the qualities you’d like to find in your ideal matched VA.

What skills are required? Business-grade VAs are highly skilled in their fields, which can include web design, writing and editing, project management, accounting and more. Determine what specialized skills and skill levels your tasks require. Are any certificates, special licenses or legal considerations necessary?

Do you need a native English (or other language) speaker? For certain VA tasks, you’ll need a native or near-native speaker; for other roles, advanced language proficiency is all that’s required for daily communication.

How many hours per week (or month) will you need? This is an important aspect in determining your budget, but is also a key factor for any VA company worth its salt: they can’t give you more hours than they have available!

What’s your budget? Whether your budget is by the project, the month, the week or the hour, you must have a budget in mind for hiring your VA or VA team.

Step 3: Research, Refine & Recruit

Now comes the fun part! Once you’ve outlined your needs, it’s time to scour the web and hit up your network for VA recommendations.

Research every VA company and freelancer that piques your interest. Check out their online presence: for example, if you’re seeking design, marketing, or writing services, look for a clean website with dynamite marketing materials and a well-written blog. Seek transparency – a company that offers a free consultation and publishes its contact info. Check their recommendations and testimonials, which should be featured prominently on the company’s pricing or clients page. Do your due diligence.

Refine your favorites down to the choices that seem to be the best fit. Keep in mind that hiring a VA through a respected company reduces your risk: all company VAs have been tested and vetted, and the company’s reputation is on the line with every match they make. They have a vested interest in matching you with the most qualified, business-grade VA for your needs. At a bare minimum, work only with a VA company that offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Remember during your phone interview, ask questions – including open-ended questions. Build rapport. If you’re working with a VA company, make sure you also have a chance to speak with the individual VA you would work with one-on-one. Search for someone with whom you really click.

When Hiring Virtual Assistants, Make Sure They. . .

Maintain Clear Communication

A key difference between hiring a full-time employee and a virtual assistant is physical presence. Unlike a regular employee, a virtual assistant cannot step into your cabin to get answers. This makes communication extremely crucial. You should, therefore, look for a virtual assistant who maintains complete transparency in communication at all times.

Have Industry Experience

Suppose you own a small B2B business and your target audience is the more serious and evolved group of people and decision makers. Would you benefit by hiring a novice with no industry experience? Probably not. Rather you should look for someone who has enough knowledge about the industry you operate in. A person with strong industry experience will be able to understand what the audience really wants.

Take Ownership for Mistakes

A professional virtual assistant is never afraid to take the onus of mistakes committed at work. It is this quality that makes it easier for you to work with them. As Ostroff says, “They value their work and their contributions to your success, and take ownership for mistakes or misunderstandings so they can do better in the future.” Taking ownership for mistakes also indicates the person’s accountability, which is a great quality to have in a virtual assistant.

Have Verifiable References

A simple yet effective way to gauge a prospective virtual assistant’s skills and qualities is to look for references and testimonials from past employers. Make sure you pay close attention to what their previous employers have to say about their work, personality and skills. Based on the testimonials, you will be able to find the right person for the job.

Share Suggestions

Professional virtual assistants have enough confidence in their skills and experiences to share suggestions that can help their work and benefit your business. They can also make suggestions when it comes to processes and efficiencies based on their own experiences that will help you run your business more seamlessly, Useful inputs and suggestions can ultimately help you meet your business goals.

Ask Questions About the Job and Responsibilities

When a prospective virtual assistant asks questions about the job role and responsibilities, it shows his/her interest in meeting your expectations. Valid questions are also useful in helping you chalk out well-defined job responsibilities. It’s important to look deep within yourself and your business to figure out what you really need to be doing and what someone else could do. Then, you need to figure out which of the things others can do actually should be delegated to a VA.

Perform Well in a Trial Run

Not sure about how your relationship with the virtual assistant is going to turn out? Try a trial project to test waters. “It’s important to start with tasks or projects that are small and specific so you can begin to build trust while not risking anything major going wrong if the assistant isn’t the right fit,” explains Ostroff. If the small project goes well, you can trust the assistant with bigger tasks.

Excel at Time Management

A major quality of a good virtual assistant, is their ability to “take day-to-day items that cause stress, but are not actually that difficult.” To do so, the virtual assistant must possess great time management skills. In other words, they should know how to prioritize different jobs and multi-task without missing the deadline. They should also value your time and ensure you have an agreement on the timelines.

Mesh with Your Personality

Considering how closely you need to work with your virtual assistant, it is quite crucial to find someone whose personality is compatible with yours. For example, would you feel comfortable working remotely with someone who doesn’t talk at all? You need to have a clear understanding of the interpersonal qualities you are looking for in a person who you won’t meet face to face every day.

Remain Reachable

Staying connected is pivotal when you are working with a virtual assistant. Thanks to the Internet, there are several ways to interface with people who are sitting miles away. But it’s also important to find someone who is comfortable with your work hours. For example, if you are sitting in the U.S., would it help hiring a virtual assistant in Malaysia when you have to be in contact on a daily basis?

Possess Specific Skills

Apart from possessing desirable interpersonal skills, the person must also have specific qualities to get the job done. The idea here is to find the right balance in job allocation, and for that you need to select a person with the right skill set.

Take an Interest in Understanding Your Business

Most virtual assistants don’t find reasons to become invested in your business. And you get what you pay for. The right virtual assistant becomes more involved. He or she knows that to help you connect with your audience they must understand what your business is all about. It is this understanding that helps them learn about your strategy and contribute in the most effective manner.

Show Intent to Learn

You may not always need to hire a virtual assistant with several years of experience. A comparatively less experienced person can also do a great job as long as he/she has the determination to learn. You may need to groom that person first, but the pay-offs are greater when you consider their considerably low cost.

Seek Feedback

A virtual assistant serious about his or her job will be more proactive in seeking feedback to find areas for improvement. Eagerness to receive feedback is a clear indicator of the assistant’s seriousness about the job. It’s also important to give ongoing feedback, both good and bad, so that your assistant can learn and grow.

Keep You Updated

It’s tricky to keep an eye on what the virtual assistant is up to because you are not physically close to each other. But a good virtual assistant understands this, and that’s why he or she keeps you updated from time to time. A good virtual assistant will share updates to keep you informed about progress and help eliminate miscommunication.

Deliver a Detailed Project Report

Professional virtual assistants have an eye for detail. They recognize the role of a detailed report to track the project’s status, progress and areas for improvement. A detailed project report also helps you know what you’re getting out of the engagement, which is beneficial in monitoring the return on investment.

Anticipate Your Needs

A professional virtual assistant takes the time to understand your business and its needs. Over time, the virtual assistant begins anticipating your business requirements and can make informed decisions. The best virtual assistants are the ones who, after some time, can anticipate your needs and get to them before you even have to think about them.

Recruit – or choose – the best candidate. This will be the VA who meets your required skill set, has the necessary availability, and can work within your budget.

Step 4: Hire

Congratulations, you’ve found yourself the perfect, matched VA! That wasn’t so hard, now was it? Now you can start to reap the fruits of delegating tasks to your virtual assistant and leveraging your time.

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