Virtual assistants can help businesses to scale and grow by increasing productivity, reducing costs, and improving work-life balance. When hiring a VA, companies should look for reliability, communication skills, and attention to detail. But best going into more information about the top things companies hiring virtual assistants should ask, it’s vital to understand what a virtual assistant is.
What is a virtual assistant? A virtual assistant (VA) is a remote worker who provides business administrative, technical, or creative assistance. VAs can help you with various tasks, from scheduling appointments and managing social media accounts to creating presentations and developing marketing campaigns.
Why should companies hire virtual assistants? There are many benefits to hiring a VA, including:
- Increased productivity: VAs can take on tasks you don’t have time for, freeing you up to focus on more important things.
- Reduced costs: VAs are typically less expensive than full-time employees.
- Improved work-life balance: Having a VA can help reduce your workload and stress levels.
- Access to a broader pool of talent: You can hire VAs from all over the world, giving you access to a broader pool of talent.
8 Top things companies hiring virtual assistants should ask
Companies hiring virtual assistants, look out for these:
1. What are your skills and experience?
A skilled virtual assistant will help to drive your business growth. A virtual assistant will free up your time and allow you to focus on more strategic tasks that will scale your business.
Such an assistant can also complete tasks, applying skills you might lack. In this way, a virtual assistant’s skill sets can be added to your business acumen, augmenting business profitability.
2. What are your availability and hours?
More than just the time zone, consider their reliability and trustworthiness.
- Reliability: Reliability is critical. Unreliability can hurt your business. Your virtual assistant should be able to demonstrate a level of accountability and autonomy while unsupervised. As such, you need to feel confident that your hire can produce first-rate work – and not simply attend prearranged meetings.
- Trustworthiness: As with every other position, an employer seeks to hire trustworthy people. With virtual assistants, honesty is also important since they work remotely. Just remember, everyone will make mistakes, so treat each case individually. You could use time- and screen-monitoring systems to track your remote assistant.
3. How do you prefer to communicate?
Your candidate should demonstrate a high level of practical communication skills, both written and verbal, as they will be communicating primarily via email and telephone. They should be comfortable communicating frequently and at your preferred times. Additionally, they should be proficient in using various communication tools and platforms, including WhatsApp, Skype, Slack, and others.
4. Proactive and resourceful
A virtual assistant who provides quality work and goes the extra mile is a massive asset. However, it should be noted that not all virtual assistants are generalists or jack-of-all-trades.
There are various types of virtual assistants; therefore, you need to hire the correct type of virtual assistant for your needs. For instance, if the work relates to graphic design, you should consider hiring a virtual graphic design assistant.
That said, if you are looking for resourceful and proactive candidates, they should be able to multitask and work under tremendous pressure.
- Ability to multitask: You might want someone to manage various tasks depending on your needs. As such, a virtual assistant who can multitask is a desired asset. Such a person will also manage their schedule well and prioritize what is essential.
- Working well under tremendous pressure: Things can get hectic, meaning you need a virtual assistant to handle the pressure. This also means taking short turnaround times and heavy workloads.
5. Ability to follow-up
A good virtual assistant can stay on top of their tasks. Things can, however, go wrong − this is normal. However, a perfect virtual assistant should be able to follow up through email or by making a call.
6. What is a virtual assistant’s process for completing tasks and projects?
A virtual assistant should be able to understand the requirements of a task or project, break it down into smaller steps, prioritize those steps, and set deadlines for themselves. They should also be able to communicate regularly with their client to keep them updated on their progress and to get feedback.
7. How does a virtual assistant handle deadlines and priorities?
A virtual assistant should be able to handle deadlines and priorities effectively by using a project management system to track their tasks and deadlines and by prioritizing their tasks based on their importance and urgency. They should also be able to work independently and manage their time effectively. If they are faced with a tight deadline, they should be able to communicate with their client to discuss options and to develop a plan.
8. What are a virtual assistant’s thoughts on working remotely?
A virtual assistant should be comfortable working remotely and able to use various communication tools and platforms to stay connected with their team and clients. They should also be able to manage their own time and workload effectively.
The bottom line
The process of hiring a virtual assistant can be complex and time-consuming. You must identify your needs, write a job description, post the job, screen candidates, interview candidates, and make an offer. Once you’ve hired a virtual assistant, you must onboard and train them on your specific processes and procedures.
Some companies find the process of hiring a virtual assistant to be easy. They have a clear understanding of their needs, and they can attract and hire qualified candidates. Other companies struggle to find the right virtual assistant. They may not clearly understand their needs, or they may have difficulty attracting and hiring qualified candidates.
If you need assistance with hiring a virtual assistant, Aristo Sourcing is here to help. Our team of experienced professionals can help you with every step of the process, from identifying your needs to onboarding and managing your new virtual assistant. We can also help you save time and money by finding and hiring the right virtual assistant for your needs.
Book a free consultation today to learn more about our services and how we can help you find and hire the right virtual assistant for your business.
There are many benefits to hiring a virtual assistant, including:
- Increased productivity: VAs can take on tasks you don’t have time for, freeing you up to focus on more important things.
- Reduced costs: VAs are typically less expensive than full-time employees.
- Improved work-life balance: Having a VA can help reduce your workload and stress levels.
- Access to a broader pool of talent: You can hire VAs from all over the world, giving you access to a wider pool of talent.
VAs can do a wide variety of tasks, including:
- Administrative tasks: scheduling appointments, managing email, preparing presentations, etc.
- Technical tasks: web development, graphic design, social media management, etc.
- Creative tasks: writing blog posts, creating marketing materials, editing videos, etc.
There are a few ways to find a virtual assistant; however, finding a qualified and skilled virtual assistant might be a bit more tricky. We suggest you book a free discovery call with our outsourcing expert.
When interviewing a virtual assistant, ask questions about their skills, experience, and communication style. It would help if you also asked them about their availability and rates.
Here are some specific questions you can ask:
- What are your skills and experience?
- What are your availability and rates?
- How do you prefer to communicate?
- What is your process for completing tasks and projects?
- How do you handle deadlines and priorities?
Once you’ve hired a virtual assistant, you must onboard them properly and manage them effectively.
Here are some tips:
- Provide your VA with a clear job description and a list of your expectations.
- Give your VA the tools and resources they need to do their job.
- Communicate regularly with your VA and provide them with feedback.
- Set clear goals and deadlines for your VA.
- Recognize and reward your VA for their excellent work.