Snag Your Dream Team in Record Time: 6 Steps to Hiring Virtual Assistants

Let’s chat about virtual assistants!

As my business began to grow, I ventured into building a virtual team. At present, I have about 50 virtual assistants on board, and it looks like we'll be expanding that number in the coming months.

If you're in the market to recruit virtual assistants, I've shared some insights on how to accomplish this successfully. Additionally, I've outlined what you might anticipate as both your business and your virtual squad expand.

Before we go further, let's clarify what a virtual assistant is for those who might not be familiar with the concept.

What's a Virtual Assistant?

Based on the insights from Investopedia, a virtual assistant is defined as an independent contractor who offers administrative support to clients from a location outside the client’s office. They usually work from a home office and can remotely access essential planning tools, such as shared calendars.

When it comes to hiring a virtual assistant to support your business, here are several key steps you should follow:

Find Clarity

Before you start advertising for a virtual assistant, it's crucial to have a clear understanding of why you're hiring one. To gain this clarity, consider the following approaches:

•  Identify the tasks that you dread—those necessary evils of your job or industry.
•  Compile a list of activities you genuinely enjoy and are passionate about, to the extent that you'd do them without compensation.
•  Make a note of all the tasks that contribute to your income, regardless of your feelings toward them.
•  Write down tasks you've been postponing because you lack either the time or expertise to tackle them, yet you recognize their importance for business growth.

Completing these lists will provide you with a clearer picture of the roles you aim to fill or the tasks you need assistance with through hiring virtual assistants.

Define Your Budget

The process of hiring involves financial commitments, and managing those commitments requires thoughtful budgeting. Consider how many assistants are necessary for your needs. Are you looking to provide them with a full-time role, or is a part-time arrangement more suitable? Sometimes, the requirement might be project-specific, such as support for an event or a major online marketing campaign where additional help is needed. Alternatively, it could be a one-off task, like engaging a contractor to develop a website.

The compensation for virtual assistants will vary based on their expertise and the hours they can dedicate to your projects. It's essential to ensure that your budget can accommodate fair compensation for their services.

Where Do You Look for Virtual Assistants?

There are many places you can go to look for virtual assistants. It can be something as simple as asking around for a referral, like “Do you know someone who knows how to do this and is looking for some extra cash?” Or you could visit sites like Fiverr, Upwork, and sometimes even LinkedIn and look for candidates that fit the bill.

If you're looking for someone for a one-off job, Fiverr is a good place to start. On Upwork, part-time freelancers thrive, and you can find some of them on LinkedIn.

If you are looking for virtual assistants outside the US, I recommend VirtuDesk. This is a reliable company to go to because they train their people, interview them, and do an overall good job of outsourcing the best people in the Philippines for you. It is my go-to agency, and that is where most of my virtual assistants are from. So if you are looking for social media managers, video editors, content creators, executive administrators, etc., I recommend checking them out.

Another one is PowerISA. If you’re looking for an ISA (inside sales agent), I would suggest this. They outsource to Mexico, where they have people who speak English proficiently.

Now, if you’re looking to hire within the US, I’d probably look at Indeed or WizeHire. Obviously, if you’re going to hire within the US, that means you’ll probably pay more. Virtually, I have a team of about nine people throughout the US, and they are all great performers who also work with my VA team overseas.

These are only some options. However, I highly recommend VirtuDesk, as that’s where I gravitate the most.

Filtering the Candidates

As you post your job openings, be prepared for an influx of applications. Filtering through these to find suitable candidates requires a strategic approach. Here's a method I've found effective:

In addition to requesting resumes, I ask candidates to submit an introductory video. This provides insight into their personality, communication style, body language, word choice, and creativity. Recognizing that comfort levels on camera vary, I don't base my entire judgment on this video. It's primarily a tool for gaining a deeper understanding of the applicant beyond their resume.

I also ask for samples of their past work, which plays a significant role in my decision-making process. The quality and relevance of their previous projects can be very telling. Additionally, implementing a practical test that candidates must pass can further narrow down the field.

When it comes to interviews, diving into personal questions such as their favorite color, hobbies, preferred TV shows, and passions can reveal much about their personality and potential cultural fit. These insights can inform not just whether they're right for the role they've applied for, but perhaps another position within your team that aligns more closely with their passions and skills.

Remember, finding the right match sometimes means looking beyond the job description to see where an applicant's true interests and talents lie. This approach can lead to discovering candidates who might excel in roles you hadn't initially considered them for.

Hire and Communicate

Once a new team member is onboarded, the focus shifts to their training to ensure they're equipped to meet the demands of their role effectively.

In the case of my real estate division, for instance, after hiring a tech director, I allocated the first month for them to get acquainted with specific technologies we use, such as AgentLegend, FollowUp Boss, Chime, Ylopo, and various automation tools. This initial period is crucial for them to engage with available training resources, often provided by the tech companies themselves, to learn the ins and outs of these systems.

Following this comprehensive training phase, a review is conducted by myself or another experienced team member to identify and address any knowledge gaps, ensuring the new hire meets our standards and expectations.

It's vital to have a clear plan for where this training will be sourced from, whether internally or through external providers, as continuous learning and development are key to growth.

Communication plays a critical role in the integration and ongoing success of virtual assistants within the team. I enforce a rule that ensures the quickest possible communication paths are established with new joiners, advocating for the use of iMessage by requiring each assistant to possess an iPhone. This facilitates immediate and effective communication regardless of geographic location, utilizing tools like email, iMessage, or other platforms like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram Messenger. The goal is to maintain open and healthy communication channels that reinforce team cohesion.

Expand and Delegate 

As the business and team expand, introducing a structured organizational framework becomes imperative to maintain clarity in roles, responsibilities, and accountability. For my team, I utilize a virtual staff organization chart tailored to 'A Brilliant Tribe,' which evolves as we grow and occasionally requires adjustments to reflect changes in team structure or business needs.

The philosophy of delegation becomes increasingly important with growth. Continually ask yourself, "What tasks can I delegate to enable greater focus on critical areas that require my direct attention?" This mindset shift towards delegation not only prevents tasks from being overlooked but also empowers team members by entrusting them with responsibilities, thereby fostering a more productive and engaged workforce.

Adopting these practices of focused training, effective communication, structured organization, and strategic delegation lays the foundation for a successful, scalable virtual team, enabling both individual and collective achievements within the business.

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