The world is continuously evolving. With the presence of technology, the volume of demands is ever-increasing too. Businesses are running extra miles to discern and accommodate those needs. Just like your company is striving to accomplish, growth is pivotal to keep up with the inevitable changes. As a result, you’ll tend to utilize all your resources. This is where a virtual assistant comes into the spotlight. To hire a virtual assistant has become a well-known solution for businesses today.
Let’s dive into the basics of what virtual assistants are, why and how a business hires a virtual assistant, and how to choose the tasks to outsource. In this article, you can learn about the benefits you will gain in choosing to hire a virtual assistant. Give it a read!
What is a Virtual Assistant: Overview
A virtual assistant is an offsite administrative contractor who mostly works with administrative responsibilities. The tasks they handle can range from business development to content and social media management in remote settings. They are essentially an integral component in a company, in the sense that the extent of the roles they perform and the expertise they possess afford them the ability to be suitable for a variety of tasks at work.
What tasks does a virtual assistant perform?
As noted above, a virtual assistant assumes the administrative tasks. They have a wide range of abilities and execute different tasks based on their expertise. They may work as independent freelancers or for employment firms. While some assistants have just one employer, others simultaneously hold multiple job contracts. The following are the typical tasks that a virtual assistant performs:
- Taking calls and scheduling appointments
- Managing accounting and bookkeeping
- Developing and keeping track of databases
- Engaging in research
- Creating accounts on social media
- Mobilizing graphic design expertise to create marketing materials
- Editing and proofreading documents as needed
- Exceptional customer service and support
Why Hire Virtual Assistants
Who doesn’t want their company’s operations to be effective? To hire a virtual assistant is one of the wisest decisions you can make to grow your business and keep up with industry needs. Here are some key reasons for employing VAs:
1. Gains in Productivity
Everyday office tasks that need addressing could hamper your overall efficiency. Hence, if you hire a virtual assistant, you can focus on your company’s core goals.
VAs are superior at handling administrative responsibilities. They already possess the crucial skills, so you won’t need to worry about the caliber of their work. You don’t have to divide your time performing routine duties like returning calls and emails, setting up appointments, managing your calendar, and such. Virtual assistants can complete these jobs for you effectively.
2. Lower Labor Costs
Lower costs are one of the core benefits when you hire a virtual assistant. The most sought-after duties that VAs may handle are extensive. Think about it: If you hire a first-time employee, you’ll have to invest yet another fraction of time and resources to train them.
By contrast, when you hire a virtual assistant, you can produce goods of higher quality for less money. There’s no need to worry about the VA’s taxes, pay, benefits, or similar expenses like you would with a full-time employee. With VAs, you just need to pay for their time; their fees are fixed prior to the arrangement.
3. Better Adaptability
The remote work setup of virtual assistants means they are ready to assist you around the clock. In particular, when you outsource VA services to another country, they can keep working after you.
4. Enhanced Worker Efficiency
The exact purpose of a virtual assistant is to offload some tasks from your plate so you can focus on flourishing the efficiency of your business. It creates a balanced ecosystem in the workplace where major to minor tasks are worked out equally. VAs can therefore produce higher-quality work than others. They are more committed to completing their tasks because their workload depends on their hours, tasks, and contracts.
5. Generate Leads
Producing leads takes a lot of time and effort, albeit with only uncertain results. With the expertise of VAs in digital and website marketing, you can gain more than lose in marketing your products and services. Plus, it allows you to scale your operations with less risk.
6. Improved Customer Service
If the abovementioned succeeds, you can satisfy more clients with more accessible services. Chatbots control most of the chat services by AI, while VAs can provide live responses to accommodate the clients’ inquiries.
7. Peace of Mind
Hiring a virtual assistant can massively reduce the workload. Having someone to whom you can faithfully delegate the tasks is equivalent to rest and peace of mind. Multitasking is productive, but it can lessen the efficiency of your work. The answer is to hire a virtual assistant so you can finally focus on the more important things.
Essential Virtual Assistant Qualities
Think about the qualities that a successful VA must have to determine the best for your company. Be wise in choosing the quality of service.
Check out this reel of tips we made to help you decide on how to hire a virtual assistant with the best qualities.
How to Choose the Tasks and Processes to Outsource
Every company has an enormous list of activities and procedures that go into running it. Start by classifying these duties and procedures. Doing so would assist you in deciding which ones to outsource and which ones you should continue performing.
- Tasks that you should take on: High-value jobs you enjoy and are actually competent at are the ones you should complete.
- Tasks that you should offshore: Low-value jobs are not the most productive use of your time, regardless of whether you are good at them or love performing them.
- Tasks you don’t prefer to do: Your least favorite tasks are those that someone else will perform for you.
- Tasks you can’t complete: You are incapable of performing certain activities because you lack the knowledge and expertise required.
How to Hire a Virtual Assistant?
Yes, there’s a need to know how to hire a virtual assistant. It’s important to be mindful of choosing the right VA, with the very reason being that you will entrust them with delicate job responsibilities from and for your company’s end.
Here’s how to plot a hiring process so that you attract, assess, and hire the best virtual assistant:
1. List down the process you want to delegate.
Although the VAs’ expertise is wide-ranging, it doesn’t mean you can arbitrarily bombard them with whatever tasks, whenever you want. Define your certain process to ensure fewer errors. In the same manner, your desired process will be followed religiously.
2. Prepare a job description.
After the latter, it’ll be easier for you to sort out the job description for the virtual assistant. All the tasks delegated should be of a similar level. This will also justify the same hourly rate. This part should also contain the following details:
- Background of your company (i.e. industry, products and/or services, target customers)
- Educational attainment and the level of skills and experience required
- List of duties and responsibilities
- List of applications and software required to use
3. Post your job description online.
Upon posting your job description online, you’ll start accepting applications. There are hiring sites that specifically hire virtual or remote jobs. There are also websites that connect employers with freelancers, remote workers, and virtual assistants. In this case, you typically have to pay a fee to have access to a candidate database or to share your needs in order to connect with potential candidates.
Discover the Heights Awaiting Your Company with Outsource-Philippines
Overall, you’re more likely to gain than lose when you hire a virtual assistant. The process and factors to consider can be overwhelming to get started, but here’s a complete guide you can follow to organize your thoughts and other inputs about hiring. It’s also important to be knowledgeable before anything else, so you can ponder upon the blog.
Are you prepared to expand your company to new heights? Discover what Outsource Philippines can offer you with our first-rate virtual assistant services! We provide you with the best quality VA services to boost your company to the highway of success. What are you waiting for? Contact us today to get started!
