What to Know About Hiring a Virtual Executive Assistant
Image from Ketut Subiyanto
Are you exploring how to hire a virtual assistant? Dive into our expert guide to find the best virtual assistant for you and your organization. They are also commonly called virtual administrative assistants or virtual executive assistants, but their roles all have the same goal - to make your job easier.
The decision to hire a virtual assistant is significant. We understand. It often takes months, if not years, of realizing that your workload has become unmanageable on your own before you decide to outsource.
Perhaps it's the pile of unfinished tasks on your desk or computer, missed appointments, deadlines, or the constant feeling of being overwhelmed that brought you here. Acknowledging you need support is the first step to regaining control.
You’ve made a wise decision. Partnering with a virtual assistant can lead to enhanced productivity and success.
Imagine achieving a better work-life balance. Hiring a virtual assistant is a strategic move for those looking to reclaim time for family, social engagements, and personal passions without sacrificing business success.
A virtual assistant can manage your time as effectively as you would, bridging the gap between professional demands and personal life.
Entrepreneurs and businesses face similar realizations. Outsourcing administrative tasks to a virtual assistant can free up your time to focus on core business activities, strategic planning, and decision-making.
Embarking on the journey to find the ideal virtual assistant is both exciting and challenging. It's crucial to consider skills, personality, experience, and shared values in your search.
Finding a virtual assistant isn't just about ticking tasks off your list; it’s about finding a partner who complements your strengths and mitigates your weaknesses, thereby maximizing productivity.
Our guide will take you through the steps to hire a virtual assistant, offering insights and advice to ensure a smooth process. Prepare for a transformative experience of newfound productivity.
The Process for Hiring a Virtual Administrative Assistant
Adopting a systematic approach is vital in making this a transformative step for your business. Here's how:
Determine Your Needs: Understand your requirements for a virtual assistant. Make a list of tasks, both personal and professional, to guide your search.
Job Description: Create a detailed job description based on your needs. Specify the roles, responsibilities, and desired qualifications.
Search and Screen: Use platforms like job portals or virtual assistant services to find candidates. Screen applicants to find those who match your criteria.
Conduct Interviews: Interview candidates to assess their fit. Consider their experience, organizational skills, and compatibility with your work style.
Background Checks: Ensure trustworthiness through background checks, verifying employment history and references.
Compensation and Contract: Offer competitive compensation and draft a comprehensive contract outlining terms and conditions.
How to Pay a Virtual Assistant: Discuss compensation, considering factors like experience, responsibilities, and location. Consider offering perks to attract and retain the best talent.
Addressing Your Pain Points: A virtual assistant can take on administrative tasks, manage calendars, handle communication, and organize your workspace, allowing you to focus on what matters most.
What Are You Willing to Delegate?: Effective delegation enhances productivity. Consider entrusting your virtual assistant with calendar management, email sorting, research, travel arrangements, and personal errands.
Embrace the benefits of hiring a virtual assistant and let your business thrive with their support.
The Benefits of Working With a Virtual Assistant
In addition to the time management and delegation advantages already mentioned, there are numerous benefits to partnering with a virtual assistant. Here's a closer look:
Cost-Effective: Compared to hiring a full-time employee, virtual administrative assistants offer significant cost savings on salary, benefits, and office space.
Scalability: As your business needs fluctuate, you can easily adjust your virtual administrative assistant's hours or workload to maintain optimal support.
Access to a Global Talent Pool: The virtual landscape opens doors to a wider range of qualified professionals, unrestricted by geographical limitations.
Expertise on Demand: Hire virtual assistants with specialized skills to address specific project requirements, like social media management or bookkeeping.
Improved Focus and Reduced Stress: Delegate tasks that drain your time and energy, allowing you to focus on core business activities and achieve greater peace of mind.
Enhanced Communication and Collaboration: Many virtual assistants possess excellent communication skills, facilitating smoother interactions with clients, colleagues, and vendors.
The Different Types of Virtual Assistants
Virtual assistants come in all shapes and sizes, offering a variety of skillsets and specializations. Here are some common types to consider:
Administrative VAs: Experts in handling day-to-day tasks like scheduling appointments, managing email, and travel arrangements.
Technical VAs: Possess technical expertise in areas like web development, graphic design, or social media marketing.
Creative VAs: Skilled in content creation, copywriting, editing, or social media management.
Executive VAs: Offer high-level support, handling complex tasks, project management, and strategic decision-making.
Customer Service VAs: Provide exceptional customer service through phone, email, or chat communication.
Understanding these different types will help you identify the virtual assistant who best aligns with your specific requirements.
Key Factors to consider When Hiring a Virtual Executive Assistant
There are many great reasons to work with a virtual assistant (VA), but each business is different. Each person is different as well. Therefore, it’s not just about deciding whether you want to work with a virtual executive assistant, it’s also about finding the right one.
If you’ve been hesitant to work with a VA because you’re not sure how to select one who will best suit your needs, there are several factors to consider. Understanding your needs will help you make the right choice.
Understanding Your Business Needs
Working with a virtual assistant means working with someone ready to help you and your business. Therefore, before you start looking for an assistant, it’s a good idea to assess the tasks and responsibilities with which you need help. What do you want your assistant to do? If you’re having trouble pinpointing what you need, think about what takes up a lot of your time on an average day. Is it sorting emails? Managing your schedule? Arranging travel? Organizing files or data? Virtual assistants can handle those tasks for you
A virtual assistant can also attend meetings, take notes, act as a liaison between teams, and generally make your business life easier. Thinking about what you’d like your assistant to do helps you find the right one for you.
Industry-specific Skills
Once you’ve brainstormed ideas as to how a VA can help you, you’ll want to think about your specific industry. Is there anything an assistant would need to know about your field and your business that may not be common knowledge? Think about industry jargon and practices. Are there specific terms, regulations, or guidelines that a virtual executive assistant would need to know and follow?
It’s also important to consider the software and tools with which your assistant may need to be familiar. Do you use specific scheduling software, for example? Or do you communicate through a unique project management tool for your industry? If so, you may want an assistant who is familiar with the same or similar tools or who has previous experience in your industry.
Adaptability and Flexibility
Think about the type of work your VA will be doing. Will there be similar expectations each day, or do you expect the flexibility to take on diverse tasks and responsibilities? This really depends on your workday and how your business operates.
If you regularly work from different locations with different teams and different roles, then you’ll need an assistant who is flexible and adaptable. If this is the case, choose someone who can adjust to changing priorities. However, if you work in the same location with the same team and most weeks are relatively similar, this sort of flexibility isn’t something you’ll necessarily need.
Experience and Expertise
When choosing the right virtual assistant, be sure to ask about their experience level. How long have they worked as a VA? What sort of roles have they filled? What is their education level? All these things matter.
At She’s A Given, all our virtual executive assistants are college educated, members of the American Society of Administrative Professionals (ASAP), and experienced at working in both corporate and remote settings.
There may be specific experience factors that apply to your business as well. For instance, if your assistant will be booking a lot of travel for you and your team, you may want to choose someone who has done this before. Make sure to let this be known during your initial search, since it’s an important aspect of the job that you need to make sure gets done right.
Communication and Collaboration
Whom will your virtual assistant communicate with? If they’ll only be talking with you, that’s a different skill set than if they’ll also be communicating with others in your office, your team, clients, or vendors.
How will they be communicating? Will they communicate mostly through text or email, or will your VA need to talk to people on the phone? These are different skill sets and, depending on how most of your communication is done, you’ll need to choose someone with the right skills to perform the role effectively.
With whom the assistant is expected to communicate matters as well. A different tone and style are needed when speaking with younger or less experienced team members than when talking to those with higher positions or more experience. Be sure to think about whom your VA will be communicating with and outline any requirements during the hiring process.
If the VA will be working collaboratively with your team, then ask about their experience doing so. How comfortable are they communicating with many different people and being a part of a team? Do they have experience doing this, or have they typically worked with just one or two people at a time?
Cultural Fit
Your company’s culture isn’t just unique, it forms the foundation of your business. Your shared values, your approach to work, and your beliefs matter. Whenever you hire someone to join your team, whether they’re working full-time, part-time, or on a contract basis, you should have your company culture in mind.
You may not think this is necessary for someone working remotely, but it truly is. Someone who doesn’t have the right attitude, for instance, won’t mesh well with your team, and they will be less effective. This will be evident not only in their work, but also in their interactions with others.
There are several ways to gauge cultural fit before you agree to hire someone. Ask them questions about their motivation. Why are they working as a virtual assistant? What has drawn them to this role? What do they know about your company and why do they think they would fit?
Tell the VA or the agency more about your culture and your values. This will help them recognize if the relationship is a match. Most people prefer not to work for an organization where values clash. Giving them details such as your mission statement, your values, and your core principles helps them envision how this relationship may work and communicate this to you. That will allow you to make the right choice for your business.
Security and Confidentiality
Security is crucial in business. No matter what industry you’re in or what work you do, your business faces the ever-present risk of cybercrime and identity theft as well as increased risks of data breaches, ransomware attacks, and other technological threats.
Companies that suffer data breaches or that leak sensitive or confidential information either through an attack or through neglect usually have serious problems.
These issues damage your brand, scare away your customers, and inflict irreparable damage to your business. In addition, certain businesses (such as those in the healthcare or financial industries) have specific privacy requirements that must be followed.
Your virtual assistant will be working as an extension of your team; therefore, they will need to have the same commitment to data security and privacy. Make sure to discuss this early in the hiring process, so everyone is on the same page in terms of security and confidentiality.
Selecting the Right Candidate
Choosing the right virtual assistant doesn’t have to be stressful or difficult. If you review your business’ needs beforehand and enter the process with a firm picture of the ideal candidate, then you’ll have much greater success.
It’s really all about understanding what your business needs and communicating that to the assistant. Finding the right match is much easier when you know what you’re looking for.
When you work with She’s A Given, the first step is a discovery call during which we talk to you about your business, your needs, and the ways a virtual assistant may help you. In addition to helping you feel more comfortable with the process, this chat will also help you find the right VA for your situation.
By working to learn about your business and your requirements, we help you find the perfect assistant for you. Do you want to learn more? We’re here to help.
Building a Successful Working Relationship with Your Virtual Assistant
For a successful and long-lasting partnership with your virtual assistant, prioritize clear communication, efficient workflows, and mutual respect. Here are some key strategies:
Clearly Define Expectations: Set clear expectations regarding tasks, deadlines, communication preferences, and reporting structures.
Provide Ongoing Training: Invest in your virtual assistant's development by providing access to relevant training resources or mentorship opportunities.
Maintain Open Communication: Foster open communication channels, encouraging regular feedback and updates to ensure alignment with your goals.
Utilize Project Management Tools: Implement project management tools to streamline workflow, track progress, and facilitate collaboration.
Build Trust and Respect: Treat your virtual assistant as a valued team member, fostering a positive work environment built on trust and respect.
By following these tips, you can cultivate a productive and rewarding working relationship with your virtual assistant, maximizing the value they bring to your business.
The She’s A Given Way
You know your pain points, and you know what you want to delegate. Let She’s A Given handle the rest. We’ve hand-selected, college-educated pros that are ready to take your business to new heights. And it’s all virtual. Our pool of talent is available based on your schedule.
Let’s get you started. You don’t have to search for the right candidates. We provide them for you. Let a virtual assistant take your business to new heights. We believe you are ready to meet your new sidekick.
