How to hire a virtual assistant
Following our recent blog What is a Virtual Assistant and why should I hire one?, we thought it would be useful to talk you through the process of how to hire a virtual assistant (VA). If you’ve decided it’s time to get some extra help, here are a few tips that will help you hire the best VA for you.
What do you need your VA to do?
The tasks you need a VA for will largely dictate the hiring process. You may need someone to help you with a diverse variety of tasks, some of which may not come under the traditional work of an executive assistant. But that’s OK because many VAs are happy to help you with a wider range of tasks, including personal errands. The most common additional tasks that clients need help with at the moment are managing your social media accounts and posting new content on websites. Some entrepreneurs need a VA who can also do the bookkeeping. Or your business may benefit from another skill entirely.
When you approach us about hiring a VA, we will need to know what you need them to do in order to match you with the best candidate. It may well be that we have almost the perfect VA who just needs a bit of training in order to acquire a new skill that would be useful for you. So think about whether or not your business would be prepared to fund that training as it may well sway the VA’s decision as to whether or not to work with you. We only work with VAs who are self-motivated and proactive, which means most of them will be willing to learn new skills in order to work with the right client.
As soon as you’ve decided what tasks you’d like your VA to do, draw up a job description in order to make everything clear. Include any software and apps they’ll be using.
How many hours do you need a Virtual Assistant for?
Even though your VA will not be working as a full-time member of staff, they will still need an assurance that you’ll have enough work for them. Obviously things will change as your business grows, but if you can give them a rough idea of the number of hours a week or a month you’ll need them, that will help.
Manage expectations
Once you’ve appointed your VA, it’s important to sit down with them and establish the best way to work together, including agreeing on a communication strategy that you’re both happy with.
We are here to help you hire a VA and are very happy to give you more advice. Contact us for more information.