We find many businesses downsizing and cutting hours in order to make sure their company remains profitable. However, there is still a whole lot of work that needs to be done and that is why many choose to hire virtual assistants. With the virtual assistant, you will be handling all of the assignments via the phone or by email, so during the interview, make sure they understand exactly what you expect to be done. Below, we are going to tell you how Vas work and what you should look for in a virtual assistant …
What is a Virtual Assistant?
Starting out, we are going to give you a brief explanation of what a virtual assistant is. Long story short, a virtual assistant, or VA for short, is an individual or company that offers support services to other companies via a remote location. This is a term that has been around since the 1990s as the ability to work virtually due to the many technology advancements, such as document sharing and high-speed Internet made it possible to work virtually.
Top Qualities to Look for in Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants come in handy, because you can outsource tasks that you don’t have time to do. Here are some qualities to look for when hiring a virtual assistant for your company.
Discretion
You may not feel as if your company requires a whole lot of discretion, but believe it or not, it is important. You don’t have to run a law firm in order to want to keep all of that personal information private. Even if you are running a small business, it is important that you do not share your expenses, payments, or clients with the entire world.
Therefore, it is important that you have a virtual assistant that is discreet and trustworthy. In fact, some companies choose to have their VA’s sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Responsiveness
You definitely want a virtual assistant that is responsive. During the interview process, analyze the potential virtual assistant and see how responsive they are. The best VAs will be quick to respond to phone calls, requests, and emails. If you are on a short deadline, this will come in handy.
Of course, on the same note, it is important that your virtual assistant gets some rest, and you shouldn’t expect them to work during holidays as that’s time for them to spend with their family. Overall, responsiveness is one of the most important qualities that you need to look for.
Attention to Detail
Before you hire the virtual assistant, call up their past employers and take a look at their past work. If they have good attention to detail, there will be limited errors. A great way to find out if they have good attention to detail would be to take a look at their e-mails – if they are packed with careless mistakes and typos, that’s probably not someone you want to hire.
Organization
Organization is definitely a quality that you want in a virtual assistant. Having a virtual assistant that is sloppy can lead to a nightmare and is certainly not someone you want at the heart of your company. We have witnessed business owners that hired virtual assistants to work for their company, only to find out that they had to go behind them and re-do important tasks because the VA wasn’t organized.
Conclusion
Of course, there are many important qualities that you’re going to want to have in a virtual assistant that works for your company, but discretion, responsiveness, attention to detail and organization are four of the most important ones. If you are able to find a virtual assistant that possesses these qualities, you will be on the right track.