There are many different virtual assistant services online that can help you with various things. But how to find one? Here are the necessary steps:

Identify your needs (and those of your business)

• Understand your business needs.
• Understand your personal needs.
• Understand what you want to achieve and the role that a virtual assistant can play in achieving this goal for you. Suppose a VA is handling sensitive information or entering into contracts on behalf of your business. In that case, they must have the proper training and experience to do so effectively and legally – ensuring they are qualified is one way to ensure this happens smoothly!

Decide what kind of virtual assistant you need

The first step is to figure out what kind of assistance you need. Do you want someone who can take the legwork out of your day-to-day tasks, or are you looking for someone with specific skills? Maybe you want an assistant who will work full-time and handle projects outside their area of expertise, or perhaps it’s better to hire a freelancer on an as-needed basis. Once you know what type of assistant service is right for you and your business needs, go ahead and make a shortlist of potential hires.

Ask for a phone interview (or more than one)

It would be best if you also asked for a phone interview before hiring a VA. It is essential if you’re unsure if you can work well with the assistant and want to see how they communicate. You’ll also get an idea of their personality and problem-solving skills, which are essential in any business relationship.

If you do decide to go with the virtual assistant, make sure that you keep in touch regularly and frequently check up on them. It might seem like extra work for you, but it will help ensure that work gets done correctly and quickly. If not, it will show on your end product or service because your VA was doing half of what was required for them to do!

Reach out to their references

You should also ask for references from other businesses, clients, and virtual assistants. You can find more information about the company by speaking with them directly. It will help you determine whether or not they’re a good fit for your business.

If you want to learn more about the quality of their work, consider asking for references from professionals in your industry – or those in similar fields who have worked with this particular VA before.

Check them out on social media

If you’re looking for a virtual assistant to help with your business, check out their social media profiles for a few minutes. Look at their online presence and see if there is anything that draws your attention.

Pay close attention to how they present themselves on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Look for any red flags (such as an outdated profile photo) or positive reviews from current or past clients that can give you an idea of what kind of person they are and how well they perform in the workplace. You can also use Google Alerts so that whenever something new pops up regarding your potential VA services provider, it will immediately send you an email notification!

The more information you gather about potential virtual assistants before signing them up will give both parties more confidence in the future with this partnership relationship between employer/employee vs. customer/supplier.

Get a contract in writing

You want to make sure that you get a contract in writing. It is crucial because contracts:

• Set the expectations of both parties. You and your VA will be working together, so everyone must know their roles and what they need from each other. A written contract can help avoid misunderstandings later on down the line and lay out who’s responsible for which tasks and when they’ll be completed.
• Are suitable for protecting yourself financially and legally (if things go wrong). If there’s any problem with your virtual assistant services—whether it’s a breach of confidentiality or simply not doing what they said they would—a contract can help protect you from getting stuck with all the costs associated with fixing those problems after the fact.

Define a trial period

Including a trial period in your contract, typically three to six months, is a good idea. The virtual assistant you hire should work on documents and projects pre-negotiated as part of the hiring process but not take on responsibilities beyond those. It is called “shadowing” because it allows you to see how well she works with your team and what she can do for you before investing more time or money into her services. It also allows both parties to see if they’re compatible in communication style and ability to collaborate effectively.

Hire the right virtual assistant for your business needs so you can focus on growing your business instead of focusing on admin tasks

Now that you know what to look for in a virtual assistant, it’s time to find the right person for your business. Here’s what you need to do:

• Ask around. If you have friends who work from home and are entrepreneurs, they might be able to recommend someone they use or at least tell you whom they would avoid if given a chance.
• Read reviews of virtual assistants online. There are plenty of sites where people can post reviews about their experiences hiring VAs, and VAs can also leave feedback about their employers, so this is a great way to get insight into who might fit best with your needs (and vice versa).
• Look at portfolios before deciding on an agency or individual VA. The more examples of work each has done, the better picture you’ll have of whether or not their style matches yours and whether or not they’re capable of handling all aspects explicitly related to what type(s) business matter(s) require attention.

Conclusion

Hiring a virtual assistant can be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make for your business. It will allow you to focus on growing your company instead of focusing on administrative tasks that don’t add value to your business. Just keep in mind that not every VA will work for every company, so make sure you do some research before making any hires!

At GoVirtuals, we ensure our clients that the VAs who will work for them match their business needs and are more than able to handle tasks. That is why aside from reviewing their applications and conducting interviews, we provide our top candidates a task to complete as a test. And the best candidate that would surface will be given a trial period.

Although we don’t micromanage, we evaluate their performances from time to time to judge their success. We create clear expectations and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

At GoVirtuals, we create a feedback culture for every virtual assistant to establish trust and open communication.

If you want to hire a Virtual Assistant so you can focus more on what matters most, book a discovery call today with one of our Outsourcing Specialists!