Once you have decided on hiring a virtual assistant the all important question that pops up is how do you select the right candidate for the job? Of course since the position is that of a virtual assistant, one would naturally assume the Internet is the right place to seek out tips on “finding the right virtual assistant”.
Although the Internet has some excellent resources that give you a comprehensive guide on hiring a virtual assistant, the important criteria here is that the person you hire should suit your business requirement in addition to having all the essential qualifications.
The common consensus that surrounds the hiring of a VA is that they should come with tailor made qualifications and credentials. While most VA’s and VA agencies don’t shy from propagating this aspect, you should know that there are some VA’s who are just as capable and successful even without any of the typical credentials and offer service second to none.
What to look for in a VA
Keeping in mind that a VA is not a regular employee and the physical summation of the character is not a possibility, you have to depend on certain qualities to come up with the perfect candidate. Here are some essential pointers you should keep an eye on:
A Professional Front: This is a dead giveaway. When you correspond with a potential VA, look out for things like, the language used (grammar, typos, sentence structure), the information provided on the website. Simple things like this can tell you a lot about the VA.
Turnaround time on an inquiry: One of the most important indications to the professionalism of an individual, in this case a VA is the time he/she takes on replying back with any information asked or a general inquiry. The accepted turn around time for an email inquiry across the business circles is 48 hours.
Price of service: This is definitely a contentious subject. All of us love to strike a good deal, meaning getting the best while paying the least. However that rule is best kept for utility items and not when it comes to business services, especially when it involves your business. You want to be sure you are placing trust where it really belongs and if someone offers to work at highly discounted rates, then warning bells should sound. A good VA will charge you $30 - $ 50 and upwards depending on work and experience.
Quality service over quantity: While most VA’s are well educated and can perform a multitude of tasks and services, the sign of a good VA is not subject to the quantity of services offered. Rather it would depend on the quality of his/her services. Meaning, if a VA is not qualified for a specific task he/she may decide on referring you to someone else or partner with someone with the necessary skill set as opposed to taking on the job with no clue as to how it needs to be tackled.
Do some background checking: Agreed when you go in for a VA, you are at a handicap when it comes to doing a background check Having said that, what you can do is scout around on the Internet looking up for an online presence of the VA. Most VA’s join communities and forums and contribute regularly on blogs and other relevant websites. Of course if your VA does not have a website then you really should look the other way.
While these pointers will get the ball rolling, the real screening and test of a VA is subjective to the quality of his/her work and at the end of the day you are the better judge of that.
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