7 Mistakes When Hiring A Virtual Assistant And How To Avoid Them

Virtual Assistants (VAs) are remote office assistants. They provide administrative, clerical, and support services that can range from scheduling conference calls and sending invoices to more complex tasks regarding PR, marketing, and project management.

Ever wondered why a lot of online employers are unsuccessful in hiring a VA?

With the rising demand for online business these days because of the pandemic, a lot of employers are turning into getting an assistant virtually. A lot of them are also really confused about how to hire one.

Here's what a lot of them are saying these days:

• Where do I find a Virtual Assistant?
• How do I teach them what I need them to do for me?
• How much do I know they're working?

Hiring a Virtual Assistant is similar to hiring a regular employee. The only difference is one works in the virtual world and the other works in a physical office. Therefore, if you plan to hire a Virtual Assistant it only makes sense to implement the same approach as you would when hiring an office-based employee.

The first thing you should always keep in mind is before you hire a virtual assistant, you need to know exactly what your needs are. This way, your VA will know what to tackle first.

Here are 7 mistakes to avoid in hiring a VA:

1.Unicorn

Don't think of your assistants like a unicorn. A unicorn can be defined as someone who you think can and should do everything:

From your admin to your social media, to your content creation, to your bookkeeping, web design, etc.

It will hurt you and your assistant more in the long run if you think of them as a unicorn and you try to offload all of your tasks to your assistant.

Here is a way to make sure you don't make that mistake:

Have them focus on the top three tasks they can do for you, and hire out the rest. Both you and your assistant will benefit from this as he/she is still starting out. Your assistant will be able to figure out how to do the systems and tasks and will be able to adjust fast and the faster they figure things out the more they can do more tasks as soon as possible for you.

While they can be a Jack or Jill of all trades, don't expect them to know and do everything. Just like how you can do a lot of the same tasks, but you're not doing everything.

2.Not Hiding An Easter Egg

One of the biggest headaches you'll start getting when hiring online is the number of people who either didn't read the job ad or aren't qualified at all.

Thus, you need an easter egg.

What I mean by an Easter egg is that it's something that you hide in different ways that you can use to filter applicants right off the bat, so they filter themselves.

Here are the ways to make sure you don't make that mistake:

Add a filter in:

• The subject line

ex: To apply, have Kickass Assistant – (Name) on the subject line.

• The application letter

ex: To apply, explain why you would be a Kickass Assistant in the application letter.

• The resume

ex: Ask them to change up the headline for the resume specifically for the job.

3.Not Testing

You're making this mistake if you're just looking at their resume and going into an interview ASAP. That means you're not testing any of their skills or making sure that they can do what they say they can do.

Here are the ways to make sure you don't make that mistake:

• Create a small test based on their skills needed for the job.
• Bonus: pay them a small bonus upon completing the test

ex: If you're hiring for a VA specifically as a writer, let them create a short blog post.

4.No Onboarding Process

Usually, entrepreneurs who fail at the hiring process are the ones who are not ready to actually start working with someone.

They don't have:

The Right Tools

• Communication (Slack, Facebook, Whatsapp)
• Document Management (Google Drive, One Drive)
• Email Management (Using their own or Using clients Email)

Unclear Tasks

• What are they doing on their first week?
• Plan out the tasks they will do at least for the 1st 6 months
• Remember: being unclear is being unkind

No Tracking

• You have no way to track if they're done with the tasks.
• How are you tracking their tasks?
• How can they see their progress?

Here are the ways to make sure you don't make that mistake:

• Prepare the right tools
• Make a list of the tasks you need to get done
• Create a task tracker
• Search for a good time tracker you can use to check their hours

5. Choosing The “Cheaper” Option

Sometimes employers tend to hire VA's based on who is willing to receive cheaper salary.

This will hurt you in the long run because you're not taking into account their merits and just focusing on the cheaper salary pay.

And sometimes, hiring a freelancer just to “get it done” is even worse.

You're not hiring someone who is loyal to your company and knows your brand, and they're not someone who can grow with you since they're also working on other clients.

Here are the ways to make sure you don't make that mistake:

• What results have they done in the past that show their value and how much is it worth to you?
• What are tasks that they could do to make it worth it for you to spend their asking pay?

6.Sticking To One Hiring Platform

Most of the time companies tend to just stick to one job hiring platform when it comes to job ads, not sharing the job ad on social media, or asking for recommendations.

Thus, they either get low traffic or unqualified applicants.

Here are the ways to make sure you don't make that mistake:

• Post the job ad on social media like LinkedIn or Facebook groups
• Posting it on other job search sites, like LinkedIn, Onlinejobs.ph for finding Filipinos, Facebook Marketplace for Jobs, Glassdoor, etc.
• Ask your friends who you know!

7.Deciding To Fast

It's when you feel like you want to hire someone or just pick someone because you can't choose. If you either:

• Feeling rushed because the candidate has other options
• Hiring the first person you have a “good feeling” on, who says the right things but you're not sure about what they can do.
• Hiring someone based on resume, not the culture fit.

It's going to hurt your company later on especially if he/she is your 1st employee then everyone else after them are gonna look at him/her as a role model.

Here are the ways to make sure you don't make that mistake:

• Do a trial period if someone seems good. Temporarily hire them for a week and test out their skills and work ethic.
• Have them send you a daily report where you can track what they can get done.

Every day presents new challenges and opportunities for your business. Be prepared to react quickly with a virtual assistant who can lighten the load of your already busy life.

An assistant can eventually become your second brain – someone who can compliment you as you grow your business.

You will find great value in having a virtual assistant on-board your team. But always take time to find the best-fit candidate for your business.