In today’s business climate, a Virtual Assistant (VA) on your team can truly move the needle for you.
At RocketVAs, we’ve had so many virtual assistants that helped businesses scale in a way that any other “assistant” would not be able to do. VAs have been around for more than a decade, however, it’s difficult for some business owners to fully understand what it takes to get to the right candidate.
So here’s the big question: how do you hire a good VA?
Here are a few tips from experts on how to hire an excellent virtual assistant:
Define The Role You Need Them To Play
The first step in hiring a good VA is to define the role you need them to play. What tasks do you need help with? What skills are required to perform those tasks? Why do you want to outsource these tasks and why are they important to the company?
Once you clearly understand the part you need them to fill, you can begin drafting the job description to hire this virtual assistant.
Do Your Research
When you’re looking for a VA, it’s essential to do your research and ask around. Talk to other entrepreneurs and small business owners who have used VAs in the past and see if they have any recommendations, and more importantly, what their best practices are.
Once you’ve compiled a list of the most relevant expectations, you have a really good place to start the recruitment process.
Ask The Right Questions
When you’re interviewing candidates, be sure to ask the right questions. For example, “What experience do you have in this area?” “How would you handle X’s situation?” “Why do you want to work for our company?” By asking relevant questions, you’ll better understand each candidate’s suitability for the role. You can also determine these items in your research process.
Look for Experience
When vetting potential VAs, look for someone with experience in the specific area you need help with. For example, if you need assistance with social media marketing, look for someone with experience managing social media accounts. You should also ensure they’re familiar with your tools and platforms. This will save you time training them on how to use your systems.
Trust Your Gut
It’s essential to trust your gut when hiring a VA. If something feels off about a candidate, even if they check all the boxes on paper, it’s probably best to move on. There are other virtual assistant candidates out there, and if you hire the help of a placement agency or an actual VA outsourcing company like RocketVAs, you’ll be way ahead of the game.
The goal is to find someone you can trust who will help your business grow, so go with your gut and hire accordingly!
Start with a Trial Period
Once you’ve found a VA you think is a good fit for your company, set up a trial period so you can see how they work in action.
You can use this to determine whether they are compatible with your company’s culture and whether they can manage the jobs you do.
It’s also essential to set clear expectations during the trial, so there’s no confusion about what needs to be done. After the trial period, sit down with your team and decide if it’s worth keeping them on board or if you need to keep looking.
Conclusion
Hiring a virtual assistant can be a precious asset for small businesses and entrepreneurs, but only if you hire the right one.
Be sure to research, set some ground rules, ask the right questions, look for experience, trust your gut, and build a trial period into the hiring process so you can be confident that your new VA is the right fit for your company before making things official.
At Rocket VAs, we understand the importance of making every minute count.
Our virtual assistants are highly seasoned and equipped to help with various responsibilities, from online research and data entry to scheduling and email management. Because we appreciate your time as essential, let us handle the responsibilities that consume your daily routine. Visit us online to see how we can help streamline your workflow and increase productivity for your business.
Don’t wait any longer – give yourself back the gift of time by using Rocket VAs as your go-to virtual assistant service.
