Tips to hire a virtual assistant

If you operate a certain business, you should consider working with a virtual assistant. Such a person can help you work on some complex projects as you focus on boosting the quality of your products or services. Delegating some tasks to a virtual assistant can also help you get extra time to spend with your family.

Though virtual assistants can be quite beneficial, hiring a good one is not that easy. Take your time to find a virtual assistant that can fit in your business well and help you accomplish different tasks. Use the following procedure to hire a virtual assistant.

Think about the job details

Before you start looking at virtual assistant jobs available online, you need to determine the specific tasks that you want to delegate to an expert. This can help you narrow down your search while looking at different virtual assistants. Think about the particular skill set the virtual assistant should have and what work value you expect from them. Determine the specific type of equipment that a virtual assistant should have to accomplish those tasks. Some of the necessities in this line of work include a computer and phone.

Come up with a job description

After creating a list of the specific tasks you want to give a virtual assistant, you can develop a job description for this role. Ensure you include tasks that need specialized skills in the job description. You should also give background information regarding your business in the job description. If, for instance, you sell a specific product, put these details in it. You can also specify the level of education that you expect from a virtual assistant.

Post the job opening online

This gives virtual assistants interested in working with your company a chance to get in touch with you. Try posting the job description on different websites that can help you find virtual assistants. If you don’t know where to start, navigate here. Once you have posted, be a bit patient to see if an interested virtual assistant reaches out to you.

Review applications 

Since most virtual assistants are always looking for new business owners to work with, you will probably receive feedback after some time. Start reviewing the applications you get and reply to applicants that meet the job description. Go through the cover letters of different applicants and assess their level of experience working as virtual assistants. Go through some of the samples that the candidates provided. Use all this information to create a shortlist of candidates that may fit the position.

Start conducting interviews

Once you have identified some potential candidates for the job, you can start conducting interviews. Consider conducting video interviews with top candidates. A video call gives you the chance to see the person you want to work with. It is easy to assess if you communicate well with certain candidates through video interviews.

If you notice that a particular candidate does not want to do a video call, you should move on to the next candidate. During the video interview, you can find out the goals and hobbies of a virtual assistant and how they expect to be managed. Try to understand their strengths, values, and work ethic during such interviews. Ensure you raise any issues that may have an impact on your work relationship. Find out how available the candidate is. Come up with crucial questions before conducting interviews with potential candidates.

Discuss the work as well as the payment process

Communication is the secret to working with a virtual assistant successfully. Before you give a virtual assistant the first task, you should discuss more on the job and payment process. Discuss the kind of jobs you will be offering them and agree on how much you will be paying and when. You can even talk about the payment method you prefer using.

Give them a small project

Once you have hired the right virtual assistant, you should first give them a small project to see how they perform. You can proceed by giving them more workload if they deliver quality work. Remember to provide them with incentives for well-done tasks so that you can motivate them from time to time.