How To Hire And Train Virtual Assistants To Ease HR Headaches

A quick primer on the dos and don’ts of hiring VAs

Now more than ever, outsourcing administrative tasks in the name of focusing on larger and more complex projects has become a go-to HR tactic. It reduces strain and stress levels for staff and ultimately keeps the machine of business running smoothly. Hiring virtual assistants (VAs) for this kind of work is a great way to maximize productivity, while maintaining your bottom line.

Virtual assistants are remote workers that companies hire to fill workforce gaps or help out with various tasks. They can be hired for anywhere from 10 hours a week to full-time. VAs work fully remote, but match the hours they work with the time zone of their client, and finding the right VA not only provides relief for overworked staff, but can also quickly become an invaluable part of your team. 

As you know well, hiring someone new to take the workload off is not always an easy task, and if you have never hired or worked with a virtual assistant before, it may feel daunting to begin searching for the right VA. 

Here is a quick primer on the dos and don’ts of hiring VAs – and what you need to know when working with a staffing company during your search.

Be Deliberate 

As with every other hire, it is not a race but a marathon. Whether you choose to post a job ad independently or work with a staffing agency, be sure you are mindfully considering every applicant instead of panic-hiring the first person who seems remotely qualified. 

While it might seem frustrating at the moment not to be able to bring on the help you need ASAP, it will be far better in the long run to find the right candidate. Working with an experienced VA staffing agency can take a lot of the guesswork out of this process, which brings us to…

Consider Working with an Agency

While you could post a job ad for a virtual assistant on job boards or your company website, there is a whole host of benefits to be enjoyed by working with a virtual assistant staffing company instead of going at it alone. 

When you work with a VA staffing company, some of the work has already been done for you; good agencies will have already completed the chores of interviewing, researching and vetting the VAs they endorse, ensuring you have only quality candidates to choose from. Staffing companies also pay their VAs, so you won’t have to keep track of multiple invoices for all your VAs – just one for the staffing company. 

Carefully Vet Your Agency

That said, not all staffing agencies are alike, and it is important to vet your staffing company just as rigorously as you would vet VA candidates. Keep an eye out for these red flags when interviewing VA staffing agencies:
 

• Low VA compensation rates
• Lack of oversight
• Absence of agency support for VAs 
• Obscure and non-transparent candidate vetting processes

That last point is especially important, as many VA staffing agencies will purport to have “only the best” virtual assistants working for them. Suppose there is transparency around how they interview and select candidates. In that case, you can be more easily assured that you are actually working with the best, rather than just falling prey to marketing buzzwords.

Don’t Hire Just for Potential

HR professionals are in the people business – and who does not always want to see the best in others? It is all too easy to see the potential in someone and assume that a position could unlock someone’s hidden potential. Unfortunately, this mindset will be detrimental to your hiring process. 

You are hiring VAs to support your business and take things off your plate, and working with someone ill-suited to giving you that support is a headache you and your department do not need.

Don’t Leave Your Agency Out of the Loop

When working with a VA staffing company, you are not just benefitting from the support of the top VAs in your industry; you are also benefiting from the support from the VA staffing company you are working with. If you find your VA is not a good match or if you need to bring someone else on board to help with short- or long-term projects, your agency should be your first call.

The agency you work with should be well-equipped to answer logistical questions, adjust your scheduling and staffing needs, and collaborate with you to best address the needs of your organization. Remember: the goal of hiring virtual assistants is to ensure your organization reaches its full potential, and your VA staffing agency should be invested in helping you hit that goal.

Don’t Wait to Hire Until it’s Too Late

Right now, more companies than ever before are tapping VAs to offset the workload of existing employees – particularly as layoffs rise. If you feel as though your company’s workload is beginning to reach critical mass, do not wait; get a VA staffing agency onboard and begin searching for VAs with the skills that can support your company’s needs.

Hiring virtual assistants is the smart organizational support move of the future. Whether your organization or department is strapped for time, or there is a huge project looming on the horizon that needs more attention than your current staff can give, hiring virtual assistants can give you the chance to catch up, take a breath, and enjoy work again. 

Laith Masarweh is the Founder of Assistantly.