When you hire a Virtual Assistant, you are entrusting them to handle your work for you and to do it well. You need to be confident that they will do a good job so that you get the results you are looking for.
However, if you’re in the business of hiring professionals, mistakes made in hiring can have a far-reaching impact on your business.
You should be aware that there are some common mistakes that you can avoid. It is not rocket science, so do not worry if you do not have experience in this area.
In this article, I’ll explain all those mistakes that people make while hiring virtual assistants for their business.
From where to hire virtual assistants?
Before getting into the topic, let’s know about some trustworthy platforms from where you can hire a virtual assistant. It can be done either from a VA agency or from a freelancing platform.
Here are some VA agencies to look at:
Some best freelancing platforms to hire a Filipino virtual assistant are:
13 Tips for Hiring A Virtual Assistant
If you make mistakes during hiring VAs, it is not their fault but yours. Here’s what to look out for when hiring Virtual Assistants:
There are two types of mistakes that can cost you time and money in the hiring process. First, there is the mistake of hiring someone who isn’t right for the job. Second, there is the mistake of hiring a Virtual Assistant who won’t do their job well. Following common mistakes cover both cases!
1. Hiring VAs with no portfolio
A portfolio is simply a collection of the Virtual Assistant’s work. In order to spend less, some people prefer to hire VAs that don’t have a proper portfolio. It’s a big mistake. The VA you are going to hire should show samples of their previous work and, if possible, work of different types.
The more good portfolio the Virtual Assistant has, the more likely it is that they will have more pieces of the puzzle that help you get the work done quicker. As an added bonus, a well-presented and informative portfolio can get you referrals from others who see it.
2. Hiring Virtual Assistants with bad reviews
You might feel that hiring an inexpensive VA is a safe bet. But, in reality, you need to take time to research the experience, reputation, and track record of the Virtual Assistant before making a decision.
It’s also important to remember that reviews don’t always reflect the truth. Check the web for customer reviews to make sure you’re not hiring a VA with bad clientele.
Here are the Different Remote Employee Personalities (And How To Deal With Them).
3. Hiring inexperienced Virtual Assistants
Less experienced virtual assistants are mostly hired by those employees who want their VA to do easy tasks like data entry, typing, and so on. It’s fine but hiring an inexperienced VA for managing your business is not safe at all.
How can you hand over your business to someone who has never done such a thing before?
So, it is important to make sure that you select only those who are well experienced and know very well how to manage your business.
4. Hiring the first candidate
Another mistake many people make when hiring a VA is that they prefer the first VA they come across. This does not mean that the first candidate is inexperienced but they are usually busy managing others and because of that, they may not be able to give enough time to your business.
So, before hiring the first candidate, it would be better to ask some questions to make sure he/she meets your expectations.
5. Hiring late responding VAs
Do not hire one who is too busy to respond to your emails and calls. Know how many calls and emails they are receiving and how often. If you do not receive a response within 24 hours, ask them to resend the message.
Also, do not deal with a Virtual Assistant who cannot give you a definite time frame. This can lead to frustration and eventual resignation. Be wary of Virtual Assistants who are only answering your calls or emails for a few minutes at a time.
6. Hiring too many people for a small company
Because virtual assistants generally cost less than a company employee and provide more professional work, some employers consider hiring several virtual assistants at a time. This is not good for a small company with a limited number of employees as it will cost a lot plus, if the company fails in any way then there will be no money to pay the VAs.
So, it will be better to hire a single VA and when your business grows, you can hire many others as well.
7. Hiring VAs with the lack of skills
Another mistake that you need to avoid is hiring someone that doesn’t have the skills you are looking for. It is imperative that you check out all of their skills before you hire them. There are many things that you can do to know their skills and other important information such as:
- Get help from your respective VA agency
- Visit the profile of your VA and search for skills
- If you can’t find skills from the profile then ask your VA
This is a necessary step in the hiring process and you should never skip it.
8. Expecting too much
If you think that a VA can just jump right into your business and work like your employees, you’re making a mistake again. Virtual assistants are not service workers. They are just people who can help you get things done.
Some people think that from the beginning, they can get professional work from VAs but the reality is that it takes some time. VAs need some time and training to understand a business and after this, you can expect more professional work from them.
9. Hiring VAs directly from social media
Social media is a key ingredient in the modern entrepreneur’s toolkit and it is essential to choose a person wisely who understands how to use it to the best of their ability. Many people have made the mistake of hiring someone purely based on their social media connections; thinking that they were getting someone reliable.
But the fact is, there is no review system or proper portfolio on social media platforms from which you can judge a VA. So, instead of these platforms, try to have VA from a trustworthy website.
If you want to hire a social media virtual assistant to boost your online brand awareness, click here!
10. Not specifying the scope of the project
Before you begin hiring a VA, be clear on the scope of the project. You can ask yourself the following questions to do it in an easy way:
- Do you need an on-site specialist or a generalist?
- Are you looking for a solution during an ongoing project?
- Do you need to hire the VA on a temporary or permanent basis?
Make sure you’re clear on these things before you start hiring.
11. Not verifying the resume
While hiring VAs, a big mistake people do is to judge them entirely on the basis of their resumes without knowing that the resume may be fake. When you receive a resume, you need to look it over and make sure that the information is accurate. Read the resume and ask some questions regarding that.
Always ask if there are things you need to verify and whether or not the resume is written correctly. You also need to find out if it is complete. If you do not see any details in the resume that you can verify, don’t accept that and move on to another candidate.
Avoiding these mistakes
These are a few examples of mistakes that entrepreneurs often make when hiring a virtual assistant. There are many others but I believe that the ones I have highlighted above are the most common. The best way to avoid these types of mistakes when hiring a virtual assistant is to simply do some research and ask questions to the VA before hiring.
Get to know your potential candidate as if you would be hiring an employee. Ask them about their background, what their daily work life is like, how many employees they have managed in the past, and what your expectations are.
A great hiring manager will be happy to tell you exactly what you need to know and then he or she will not make the same mistakes when hiring your first candidate.
Wrapping up: Tips for Hiring A Virtual Assistant
In order to get the best of your money, try to avoid all these mistakes when hiring a Virtual Assistant. It’s easy to make them, but it’s much more difficult to keep them from happening. Also, as you continue to develop your business, be careful about hiring new talent and monitor their performance.
Virtual Assistants can be a great benefit to your business if you prepare correctly. Avoiding these mistakes will only cost you time and money and in return, you will get the peace of mind that comes from hiring someone you trust. So, do yourself a favor and invest in a good system.
Remember if you make a big mistake in knowing about your VA, you can just fire him/her and hire another one. Need a virtual assistant today? Click here to see our available virtual assistants.
