Virtual Assistants (VAs) are remote employees who handle a wide range of administrative tasks, from booking appointments to general data entry. Some VAs also offer specialized services, such as accounting or graphic design. Although a majority of virtual assistants are independent contractors, you may hire virtual assistants as part-time or full-time employees. If you are ready to hire a virtual assistant, here is how to identify, attract, evaluate, and hire the best virtual assistants.

Define The Position Clearly

You’ll need to provide the following details before you hire a virtual assistant:

• Type of employment: Do you need to hire a freelance virtual assistant or a permanent team member? And is this going to be a part-time or full-time position?
• Compensation plan: What is the most effective type of compensation plan? For instance, it’ll make sense to pay per hour (for small and independent tasks), pay per project (when there is a specific deadline), or monthly/annual contracts (when long-term virtual assistants are to be hired to different duties).
• Skill requirements: What are the primary, basic, and preferred skills for the position? For instance, should you hire a virtual assistant with expertise in tasks such as bookkeeping or online research, or would you rather hire a generalist who has the expertise to perform a wide variety of admin tasks?

Create A Virtual Assistant Job Description

Once you are clear as to what exactly you’re looking for, it will be time for you to communicate that clearly to job seekers.

• Provide the details of your company: Since the tasks of a virtual assistant aren’t restricted by geographical boundaries, your job advertisement may be seen by people from all walks of life and all over the world. To help them know more about your company, you should include useful information, such as the values, mission, or vision of your company along with a brief description of your key clients and teams.
• Describe the profile of your ideal candidate: You should entail a comprehensive job description of what is expected of the virtual assistant, what skills are required, etc. For instance, it’ll be useful if they’re aware of task management and collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Trello.
• Explain your way of working: Job seekers should be encouraged to apply by sharing any information and job details that will help them find out if they are a good fit. It is very important to be clear and transparent about the work schedule, compensation plan, and expectations.
• Highlight your selling points: Would you pay for coworking spaces at their geographical location? Would you provide a cutting-edge tech stack to remote employees? Are you ready to provide fully customizable and flexible working hours? Are there any benefits and perks associated with the remote employment opportunity?

Post Your Jobs

Ideally, you should post your jobs to hire virtual assistants where they are most likely to be there virtually. For instance, you can advertise on job boards or websites that are dedicated to remote work.

You can post your job requirements on FlexJobs, Remote.co, Remotive, Skip the drive, and Working Nomads. Similarly, you can connect with candidates on Guru, Upwork, Fiverr.com, Zirtual, and Virtual Staff Finder.

Evaluate Virtual Assistant Candidates

You can use tools such as Skype, Microsoft Teams, Hangouts, or Zoom to meet and interact with candidates in person. You can also ask for samples or use a wide range of pre-employment tests to make better hiring decisions. Once you have selected the ideal candidate, the next step is to onboard and train them for the position. You can use tools such as DocuSign or HelloSign to manage remote employment documents.

We hope that this guide on how to hire a virtual assistant was useful to you in countless ways.

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