The virtual assistant (VA) market has grown significantly since the world went completely remote in 2020. Managers without offices still needed support, and the new openness to remote work made VAs an attractive option for everyone. From small business owners to managers in corporate companies have found success in offloading their administrative work to a virtual assistant.
If you realize your need for remote admin help, you’re probably looking for your next assistant.
There are dozens of options when it comes to hiring a VA. Before contacting a freelance service or virtual assistant, you should ask yourself some key questions that will make your decision and the relationship successful.
1. What will they do?
It’s really a question you should ask yourself, but it’s an important one. Before you hire a freelance or corporate virtual assistant, you should be clear about what you want the assistant to do. It may sound Obviously, But you might be surprised how many entrepreneurs don’t really know how much time they spend on tasks, and how hard it is for them to convey what’s on their mind to someone else.
Be specific because lack of clarity can lead quickly Improper communication and Unmet expectations. Be specific about the tasks and the results you expect. Typical tasks that virtual assistants do are:
- Scheduling meetings and communicationS
- Calendar management
- Email correspondence
- Easy accounting
- Sales tracking
- travel planning
- expense account
- Invoice processing and payment processing
Note that some of these tasks involve customer contact, which means you want a level of professionalism that matches your brand. The results mean how long you expect each task to take on a daily or weekly basisS.
2. How they are trained and ONcome aboard?
Knowing if a virtual assistant is qualified and trained to do the job you need can be a challenge, especially with freelancers. No degree or certificate to verify skills. you should know:
- Do they have experience with your tools?
- thirdAre they up to date on your processes?
- They can helps you Put what’s on your mind into theirs?
WiThe freelancers, you take their word for it. Maybe they have references. how many vErtual Assistant Agencies They are little more than matchmakers, handing you a pile of resumes to choose from, but they may have done your due diligence for you.
Managed service providers hire, train and manage the virtual assistant providers and bear most of the risk To service quality. Managers put the virtual assistant into your tools prior to engagement, so they show up ready to work on day one.
3. Who runs the VA?
Virtual assistants save you time by taking over management tasks like scheduling, expenses, travel plans, data entry, and other important but time-consuming and repetitive tasks. But they will need training and performance management on your systems
Do you want to manage another employee? With freelancers and virtual assistant agencies, you are responsible for managing the VAs. Managed services take that burden off your plate.
With a managed service, you get a dedicated account manager who is responsible for learning how you work and training and managing the VA to meet your needs.
4. How long do you need?
Most virtual assistants charge by the hour, and only a few managers need 40 hours a week of support. However, most of them require a minimum monthly or weekly hours allocation.
how long do you need
The fact is that most admins don’t know how much time they spend on admin work because they multitask all day and don’t track their time. It can be helpful to document the processes you want to take down before interviewing VAs.
This will give you a good idea of the number of hours you will need and help you train candidates, ensuring they have the skills and experience for those documented tasks. It is also important to know how many other clients the VA may have and how much time and attention they can spare for you.
5. Do you have a backup plan?
Another thing to think about when hiring a virtual assistant is what happens if he or she is sick, on vacation, or leaves for another position. Few independent contractors or VA agencies offer backup VAs, while this is standard best practice for managed virtual assistant services.
Backup VAs should be fully trained on your tasks and processes, so they can step in at a moment’s notice without any leveling on your part.
The nature of part-time work is that workers are often:
- Always looking for better opportunities.
- Other customer service that may be a higher priority.
We’ve all heard (or experienced) the disappearing freelancer or contractor. They disappear and take your time and money with them. The risk is especially high for freelancers. AAgencies can also have turnover, and contractors are peaceWe may have clients through other agencies or work as freelancers on the side.
Managed services, on the other hand, reduce this risk. Managers document all processes and train backup assistants who can intervene if your primeRy assistant is sick, on vacation or moving on.
6. What about security?
Remote workers have become no target of hackers, as home networks and computers lack business-grade security protocols. If a VA uses a PC to access your systems, you need to have security standards in place to protect your network and data from any malicious attack.
Independent contractors and freelancers typically do not have business-grade security systems.
If you give someone access to systems like accounting, CRM, expense accounts and credit card information, the stakes can be high. There’s also the issue of VAs themselves – do they follow security best practices, and are they reliable?
Some services offer background checks, only allow VAs to receive encrypted passwords (they never see your real credentials), and can remotely revoke access if suspicious behavior is suspected.
Related reading: What to know about virtual assistant security risks
7. Can you scale?
If your business is growing, and virtual assistants are becoming a lifesaver, how do you develop this service within your organization? It can take up to 40 days to recruit, interview and hire a new employee, and as the number of VAs increases, management can become overwhelming.
Companies in this role often turn to agencies and managed service providers as a more scalable means of hiring and managing VAs. A service provider will get to know your business and processes over time and find suitable VAs to join your team faster.
8. What about pricing?
The price of a virtual assistant usually amounts to an hourly rate. Like many services, you need to look beyond the number to the U valueYou will get what you pay for. for example, If one provider costs more but can take more turned off Your plate might be worth the extra money.
You should also consider the additional expenses you may incur same as:
- computer
- software
- Instruction
- Payroll taxes
- your time training and Management
Related reading: How much does hiring a virtual assistant cost?
9. What are yours? retention rates?
This question is more for the virtual assistant agency but it’s important to ask. It has to do with the quality of service the provider provides as well as the quality of experience they provide to their virtual assistants.
- A. HA high customer retention rate is one of the strongest indicators of service quality Delivered.
- HeyThe high retention rate of virtual assistants speaks volumes Value that the business offers to its employees or contractors.
High turnover rates are bad in basketball and bad in business.
what kind of relationship are you wants to?
Ultimately how you interact with a virtual assistant has a lot to do with the type of relationship you want. Is it a short-term task for some not-so-important projects you need to do? So freelancer can be fine.
Are you looking for long term help from someone who will Add increasing value to your team?
You should look for a virtual assistant company that is suitable for this purpose. Managed virtual assistant services are built to acquire and grow institutional knowledge of the businesses they serve, and expand as needs and capabilities grow.
Further reading
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