The Filipino Virtual Assistant exemplifies the high standard of work produced by the Philippines’ skilled labor force. Since 2003, the Philippines’ outsourcing industry has consistently grown at a rate of 20% per year, owing mainly to Filipinos’ capacity and willingness to produce world-class services.
Hiring a freelance virtual assistant is becoming a standard practice for businesses worldwide. This provides the necessary assistance to any business owner. However, as with any other industry, freelance VA is not always filled with butterflies and rainbows.
Suppose you are an owner looking to expand your international workforce through outsourcing Filipino VA. In that case, it may be wise for you to be aware of and avoid these red flags. This ensures that you receive the best support possible when VAs in the Philippines.
Red Flag #1: Uncertain of the specific tasks you wish to assign to your Filipino virtual assistant
A virtual assistant from the Philippines is available to assist you. While knowing when you require assistance is beneficial, it is even more helpful to know precisely what service you need.
This is a frequent error of judgment made by employers seeking to hire VAs in the Philippines. To avoid any misunderstanding when hiring Filipino virtual assistants, it is best to establish distinct processes for the tasks you wish to outsource.
This way, you can teach your Filipino virtual assistant the exact procedure for completing the task. Developing efficient processes that enable your VA to work efficiently is critical in avoiding this red flag.
Red Flag #2: Employing a virtual assistant in the Philippines to assume responsibility for a business outcome based on a high-level briefing
Hiring a Filipino Virtual Assistant for the incorrect jobs is a big no-no in the industry. The following is an illustration of this:
- Someone to manage social media to increase brand awareness for the business
- Someone to write articles about brands to boost their online visibility
- Someone who can help with customer service
- Someone to oversee the administrative office’s operations and simplify operations
What do these job requirements in the preceding paragraphs have in common? These are all jobs that require you to “figure it out.” While this may appear straightforward, the thought process is as follows.
You’re hoping to hire a Filipino virtual assistant with experience who can ascertain precisely what needs to be accomplished to achieve the desired result. However, this is highly unlikely to assist you in locating a virtual assistant that is capable of producing a satisfactory result.
To avoid this red flag, you must specify the tasks you want your freelance virtual assistant to perform. Certain virtual assistant agencies in the Philippines can connect you with virtual assistants who have previous work experience in a business setting. Then, asking them to devise a more efficient method of achieving the desired result may work.
Red Flag #3: Provide Imprecise Job Briefs to Your Virtual Assistant
What distinguishes virtual assistance jobs from traditional staffing solutions is that work must be broken down into specific individual subtasks.
For example, you may require a web developer to complete the following tasks:
- Create a design mock-up
- Create a page for form responses
- Make changes to a website’s navigation
Sometimes, businesses will request something without fully comprehending what they are asking. This circumstance occurs more frequently than you might believe.
How does this affect your Filipino virtual assistant’s service delivery? It frequently results in wasted time spent asking a plethora of questions for them to ascertain what you truly desire.
Red Flag #4: Ignoring the ROI on Why Hire a Filipino VA
It is a reality that hiring virtual assistants to join your team costs money, time, and energy, even if only to outsource routine tasks. Certain business owners frequently overlook the return on investment associated with this strategy.
Filipino virtual assistants are available to assist you in filling in the gaps in your internal processes. To do so successfully, you must first recognize your requirements and hire them.
VA is a long-term investment, not a one-time engagement, as some owners believe. It is similar to recruiting international workers to operate your business.
Final Thoughts
VAs from the Philippines may choose to remain with a business for various reasons. While job-hopping and brief contracts have become the norm, Filipino virtual assistants are still hired and stay for an extended period with an organization. This is feasible once they are handled well, receive adequate salary and benefits, and have opportunities for career advancement.
Here at GoVirtuals, we can alleviate your stress and save you time by offering the best virtual assistant in the Philippines. We can even help you find the tasks that you can delegate to us, so you can have that quality time to focus more on growing your business. Additionally, we manage candidate selection, employment, payroll, quality assurance, and other talent acquisition concerns.
Likewise, we meet the criteria for talent that fits your business. Furthermore, we offer training to keep our Filipino virtual assistants current on the latest tools and approaches.
And if you require one or more Filipino virtual assistants but are unsure where to obtain them, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to schedule a complimentary call with one of our Outsourcing Specialists.
by Deanna Visperas of GoVirtuals.com
