Where to find a good Virtual Assistant
As a busy professional, you don't have endless hours to search for a VA, much less the hours to hire a VA, onboard them, and then realize that they don't have the skill set that you need. Finding the right VA for your business, company, or brand is essential to allow you time-freedom to move your business forward instead of operating where you are. There are some good things to know before you hire a VA but this blog will primarily focus on how to find a good VA to support you!
Identity Tasks for a VA
Before you begin searching, clearly identify the tasks and processes that you currently perform that would be possible to delegate to a VA. This might look different in each industry and company, but retrieving the mail or cleaning your lobby would not be tasks for your VA to handle. However, scanning your mail and having your VA file virtually (or deleting the junk) might help you tremendously. Having a VA find, hire, and manage the relationship with a cleaning service for your office might save you a lot of time as well! Take some time to think through what tasks are vital to your role and must be performed by you, tasks that take you too much time or too much mental energy to complete, and tasks that are easy to do but not essential you perform. The second two sets of tasks will be great to delegate to a VA in order to free up your time and energy. This will help to shape your job description and the skill set needed
Draft a Job Description
VAs come to the table with all kinds of skill sets, but not every VA will be a fit for you and your business. Starting with a clear job description and set of expectations will help a VA to determine if they are the right fit for you. As you move forward in a relationship with a VA, the job description will become a tool to reference back to and shape as you go along.
Sourcing Virtual Assistants
There are many places where you can find Virtual Assistants, each with its own pros and cons.
Networking
Posting a job description to your network on social media or utilizing Indeed or Upwork to find a VA can require a lot of your time but can give you ownership over the process. Posting your job, evaluating applicants, and interviewing candidates can bog down your time and take up a lot of space in your workload.
Staffing Agencies
Utilizing a VA staffing agency to find a VA can be a great way to find a VA. The agency will perform specialized sourcing searches to identify a VA to fit your description. Most agencies will allow you to be as much or as little involved in the interview process as you'd like. Once a VA has been identified, the onboarding and relationship management becomes your responsibility. If the VA does not work out, you are back to the drawing board.
VA Companies
A third option is a VA company, like us at Hiraya & Co. Companies hire or contract out work to dedicated, specialized VAs and take on the process of searching, identifying fits, hiring, and managing the VAs. This is the most hands-off option for finding a VA but typically generates the most time freedom and gain for you as a busy professional. VA companies also work to help manage your relationship with the VA, stepping in to help troubleshoot, provide training and resources, or whatever else is needed for a successful partnership.
Finding the right VA for you and your business can be a tricky deal. If you take the time to dedicate to a specified search and critical evaluation of your needs and the potential fit of a VA, you can find great success ahead. Hiring a staffing agency or VA company can be a more time-saving approach to finding the right VA to fit your needs.
Are you a brand looking to hire a VA? Sign up for a free consultation and let us identify for you how we can help!
