The Most Common Mistakes When Hiring A Virtual Assistant

You have probably heard about companies that want to utilize the workforce of dedicated virtual assistants. This attractive idea entices small business owners to hire the best online assistants and promote remote employment. Cost-cutting during the pandemic led to this idea. The multiple benefits include no office rent, no supply allocation, and no transport allowance.

These expenses are transparent and every dollar spent helps to build your small businesses effectively. Therefore, as part of the bigger plan, it’s smart to avoid common mistakes before you hire a virtual assistant. We need to keep in mind, that bigger and prominent companies in the market are not concerned even if a team of virtual assistants is not up to the mark. They will simply replace the entire band and fill in with a new set of talent. Now, for you, this may not be possible all at once.

It is good to have a purpose, plan, and proper approach. If you're seeking a virtual assistant in Canada, the US, or the UK, here are essential tips for hiring the best fit. These guidelines will streamline your search and ensure you find the right virtual assistant for your needs.

Mistake 1: Not Paying Your Virtual Assistants Their Actual Value

Virtual Assistants aren’t petty workers. Whether they are working from home or office, you should pay them a handsome amount that assures them peace of mind. Underpaid VAs will only work for you as robots. Eventually, missing out on the emotional touch and dedication. Hire an expert based on your defined purpose.

It’s very simple, you get what you pay for. So, it’s better not to be stingy. A better wage will automatically attract many talents. This will turn out to be an advantage as you can screen the best one from the pool. Remember, cost has never been a good scale for measuring value and quality. A highly-priced VA may not guarantee quality. Contrarily, a low-priced VA may fail to translate the value for money.

The best strategy is to have a budget and study the market once. If you pay a bit more than what your competitors are paying, there are high chances of ending up finding the best team or person. An increased wage may cost you more but will guarantee the best output.

Rule of Thumb

When hiring a virtual assistant, it’s wise to prioritize the efficiency and skills for which you’re going to pay. Also, judge the scope of work and its type that will determine the pay scale. You can either go with hourly plans or full-time plans as required. Some projects may demand fixed rates and specific deliverables.

Mistake 2: Failing to Define the Role of the VAs

Set up a purpose, as without it, there’s no way to succeed. So, it’s vital to describe the purpose of hiring. Don’t hire remote employees only because others are hiring. You should certainly hire when there is a need. Do not build your business on the idea, of “Following the Leaders”. It is imperative to define the vitality of the roles in your team rather than running in circles. All these narrow down to the needs of your business. There are relative tasks that need your attention. Some of these may be:

Back Office Tasks
Administrative Duties
Market Research and Media Management
Accounting and Bookkeeping

So, a specific task may highlight the requirements for relatable work. You must define these duties before bringing a VA on board. Remember, the more the tasks, the larger the pay. So, you have to decide whether you want a single person to perform all the tasks or specified VAs for each task. Some business owners want to delegate half of the task to the VAs and take care of the other half on their own. Therefore, the choice is completely yours. Simply convey to your VAs why they are hired.

Mistake 3: Not Setting Clear Strategy or Workflow System

This is one of the key elements in every virtual assistant hiring guide. You need to prepare with the virtual assistants properly. Before hiring a VA, ensure to conduct thorough research to identify the efficiency of the platform from which you’re going to employ. Look for ways through which you can reduce distractions and foster a productive working environment.

Most importantly, you need to have a well-defined Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Set this up appropriately so that the VAs can follow it promptly. Create SOPs in both written and video formats to help them understand better. When creating an SOP, aim to instruct in a friendly way instead of being an authoritarian. Help them to streamline the operations and reduce hassles. Having a structured system is always beneficial to explain the business needs. An SOP will effectively guide virtual assistants and harness their skills further.

Keep in mind that remote working requires well-documented SOPs to prevent messy outputs. As the VAs proceed forward through the project, they can gradually learn more about your business and deliver accurate results.

Mistake 4: Lack of Suitable Qualifying Procedures

We know that a resume is the initial point of contact whenever we hire someone. It provides a fair idea of the applicant, their skills, experience, and strengths. Now, when hiring a VA, everything should not end up in the resume. For an applicant, if a resume plays the ultimate role to land in a much-coveted job interview, the same approach should be followed by an employer. This means stating the job description clearly along with the qualifying procedures required.

Include the following processes in your qualifying procedure:

Initial Interview

Conduct this interview process through an audio-video channel like Skype or similar.

Basic Test for Office Skills

This should include typing tests, organizing/filing, phone handling, basic communication, grammar and spelling tests.

Specific Tests

Now, it’s time to focus specifically on your needs. This step relates directly to the desired skill set. For example, if you need an accountant, you will assess how the applicants can perform related tasks like cash flow, account management, journal entries, etc. All you need is to check whether or not, the applicant is familiar with what you need.

General Discussion

This can be simple yet professional over a cup of coffee. Be informal and invite the candidate over the Internet. Both the employer and the VA should share their likes and dislikes while discussing the project. Knowing each other will help both to work alongside.

You will surely not regret hiring a virtual assistant when you involve these processes in your qualifying procedure. Even if the VAs have a stacked portfolio, don’t set your expectations high. Understand the reality and utilize their skills smartly. It's your merit on how to use the horsepower as a project owner.

Mistake 5: Not Training Properly and Expecting Maximum Benefits

Give your time to train the VAs. You must invest your time and energy to get the best VA services. Most business owners don’t provide enough time and just proceed after interviewing the applicants. As a rule of thumb, once you find the best match, train your VA to help them understand things immediately. The training time is reduced if you can find an experienced and skilled VA. Contrarily, training a fresher may work even better than an experienced person. Well, this depends on the type of work and the field of specialization.

If you want to work with freshers, ensure to choose from a team of VAs. Training a fresher working as a freelancer may take significant time. Therefore, a solid onboarding process is pivotal for any new hire. Do not skip the training process even if a VA can adapt things quickly. Arrange a couple of sessions to prepare and inform your VA about the requirements of the project, its goal, and its values. This further helps in building a healthy relationship and lets them discern the company’s trajectory.

Mistake 6: Failing to Recognize a VA as A Role Player

Business owners usually hire a VA with the task in mind. Well, definitely that’s the basic standard. Firstly, you must accept a VA as one of your role players to complete the project. The goal isn’t about completing the task but how efficiently and effectively each step is performed. Allow your VA to work freely. Let them spend time on your project to increase the flexibility. Gradually, they can adapt to your preferences and take responsibility for completing the project.

Interestingly, you can minimize a lot of stress and workload as you proceed with the project. Micromanaging adds unnecessary workload and increases the stress level for a VA. Finally, the work quality drops and turns into petty blame games. Give them space to enjoy the maximum virtual assistant benefits. Remember, they aren’t your slaves only because you are paying. Instead of ruling on them, try to build a relationship and let them shine along with your project.

Finally

Hiring someone doesn’t narrow down to controlling the person. For some companies, this may not matter much but the fact is, a VA needs the satisfaction to become an effective employee. Stay away from the mistakes shared in this blog when you hire a VA. Get connected to the best virtual assistant companies and find the most suitable remote employees for your business. A VA specialized in any field plays to be an extension for your company.

If you have already made mistakes hiring a remote assistant in the past, don’t let the flaw stop you. Learn from your mistakes and build your ideology from this article. If you are not sure enough about where to start, simply get connected to MyTasker. We can help you find the perfect match guiding you at every step of the process.