5 Important Factors to Consider When Choosing a Virtual Assistant

You’re thriving in your business but starting to feel overwhelmed and a bit stressed out. Maybe you’ve finally decided that you want to devote more time to your family.

You’ve realized that it’s time to bring in a personal assistant.

Getting a virtual assistant can help make it easier for you so you can look at the big picture, enjoy life, or pursue other interests. The personal assistant can spend time completing time-consuming and boring duties, allowing you more energy across the day.

Your assistant can also serve as an extra person’s perspective. You will appreciate having somebody working in conjunction with you who can give an extra viewpoint or perspective that you may have overlooked.

When looking for a personal assistant, keep the following factors in mind:

1. Make a list of everything you wish to delegate. First, select what you want assistance with. Begin by observing how you spend your time during the day or week. What are some simple, repetitious tasks that you could outsource to others?
   • Do you need support with admin duties like meeting agenda planning, inbox management, or scheduling appointments?
   • Do you want help making travel plans, scheduling appointments, or creating itineraries?
   • Would your personal assistant be responsible for personal things like making a cup of coffee, going to pick up food, or running errands around the house?
   • Will your personal assistant be able to help you manage and build your business? Creating processes or meeting with clients are two important qualities when looking for long-term assistants.
2. Decide on a budget for the position. Then, consider how much money you want to set aside each week to hire a personal assistant.
   • What benefit would a personal assistant provide to you or your company?
   • What are the additional expenditures that may be incurred if you hire a part-time or full-time assistant (such as workers’ comp, health insurance, benefits, and taxes)?
3. Are you looking for an independent contractor, a part-time or full-time employee? Will you be employing locally or remotely? Determine how much assistance you need to start with, and whether that assistance will be provided in person.
   • Will an assistant who works virtually for you have to be accessible at a certain time so that you can speak with them?
   • Do you have the money to hire a personal assistant part-time, full-time, or as an independent contractor?
   • You would not typically need to offer benefits to an independent contractor.
   • They may require less on-the-job training as a specialist, but at a higher hourly rate.
   • Hiring a part-time assistant would be less expensive than hiring a full-time assistant, both in terms of compensation and potential health benefits.
   • In general, folks want full-time employment. Hiring a part-time helper may narrow your potential pool.
   • Would you like your assistant to work in-person or to operate remotely? Hiring remotely helps broaden the pool of people who qualify.
4. Create a job description. It is critical to consider how the assistant will spend their time working for you, as well as what certifications or skills you may require for the job.
   • What kind of expertise do you want your personal assistant to have? What qualities do you want in candidates for this role? Remember that some skills (such as attention to detail) are difficult to develop.
   • Will the candidate be able to advance to a full-time position if the employment is part-time?
   • What type of on-the-job training or incentives will you provide to people applying?
5. Use the recruiting process to learn more about the applicants. Anyone can make a resumé appear good, but it doesn’t always indicate they’re the best applicant for the position.

   • Provide a sample job for your applicants to do so you can observe how they operate. Consider giving the candidates a task that will force them to display the qualities you’re searching for.

   • Pick a task (or many tasks) that your assistant might perform on a regular basis. Ask them to walk you through their process of completing these tasks or achieve a specific goal.

The greatest thing about employing an assistant is that you can entirely personalize the role to your own needs.

Your daily life can be made easier if you find and train the right person!

You’ll have more time and energy to devote to your company, family, or self development if someone else handles things that shouldn’t even be on your radar.