How to Hire a Good Virtual Assistant (The Ultimate Guide)
Figuring out how to find and hire a good virtual assistant can be a struggle. I’ve been there many, many times.
Yup! Even the hiring expert experiences hiring roadblocks sometimes.
I’ve been ghosted. I’ve been left behind for full-time jobs. You name it. I’ve experienced it.
In fact, having these hurdles is what led me to become a hiring expert in the first place.
Freelancers sometimes have a bad rep for their unreliability. And the reasons can vary.
Sometimes they’re new to freelancing full time and don’t quite know what they’re getting into.
Other times they don’t receive enough income from their handful of clients, so they end up needing to take on a full-time job.
As a result, their schedules can change unexpectedly and turnover can be high.
I struggled to replace my first VA for more than two years. And when a friend reached out to me with similar stories, I knew my struggles weren’t unique.
She said she’d been through multiple VAs in a short amount of time.
So I figured if we were having trouble finding great support, others would be struggling too.
I’ve since learned some things along the way that have helped me consistently hire great people to add to my team.
And I want to share my tips on how to hire a virtual personal assistant you can actually count on.
Tips for Hiring a Virtual Assistant You Can Count On
You can find a good virtual assistant in several places: Facebook groups, LinkedIn, or freelancing platforms like Upwork.
But, the truth is… it’s not about where to find a good VA; it’s ALL about how.
Here are a few tips on how to hire a good virtual assistant — on your very first try.
➤ My first tip is to hone in on the responsibilities of the virtual assistant.
Can we rely on VAs to be the solitary solution to ALL areas of our business where we feel stretched too thin?
This is a common issue I see when creative entrepreneurs and bloggers hire help for their businesses.
They think they need a VA for ‘everything’ when really VAs are meant for more administrative jobs. (I created a whole article on that topic alone, which you can read here.)
That’s why it’s extra important that you hone in on your specific needs, and create your job post for a VA around them.
➤ My second tip is to make sure you communicate the responsibilities and qualifications in your VA job posting (and make them appropriate for the role).
Make sure you’re not setting expectations for the job too high and the qualifications aren’t so specific that you end up scaring off potential candidates.
It’s about balancing the responsibilities and qualifications to match what you need. So get really clear on what you need help with and create a job posting that reflects that.
➤ My third tip is to make sure you lead in a way that’s effective for the VA to do their job to your satisfaction and in a way that’s inspiring.
From my experience and from feedback from freelancers, an inspiring leader knows how to give constructive feedback effectively.
Many creative entrepreneurs don't want to hurt the freelancer’s feelings and in turn, don't speak up when things aren't to their liking.
But freelancers want to deliver and meet your expectations. And if you don't tell them, especially in the beginning, they can't adjust.
On the other hand, it can go a long way to tell them when you are happy. Business owners sometimes neglect to give positive feedback and only give feedback when they’re unhappy.
But you want to do a little bit of both so you can both have a fantastic experience. I talk more about positive delegating in this post if you want to dig in deeper.
➤ My last tip is to make sure you understand your strengths and limitations well so you can hire a VA that’s compatible and complements your skills to fill in places where you’re not so strong.
I recommend taking at least one personality test so you understand exactly what holds you back, and where you thrive.
And try not to select people who are too much like you. This could be a means of disaster, and you could end up duplicating weaknesses.
Now You Know How to Hire a Virtual Assistant That’s Perfect For You
To sum up, if you want to know how to hire a virtual assistant that’s the most compatible for your business, here are the three main steps:
1. Right role.
Make sure a virtual assistant really is the right role for what you need help with right now. My first VA was really a writer/editor. In fact, she freelances only as a writer/editor now because we worked together and both realized how amazing she was at writing. She could do VA work but it wasn't her Zone of Genius. She came alive when copywriting.
2. Right job posting.
This is critical! I would say it accounts for about 80% of hiring success. It doesn't matter what questions you ask in an interview if the job posting isn't super attractive and created with freelancers in mind. Ultimately, finding and attracting high-quality candidates always comes back to having a knock-out job posting.
3. Right process.
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses and having realistic expectations is half the battle when hiring a VA. And while so many people focus on where to find them, I’d encourage you to focus more heavily on the how.
Once you nail all of these, you’ll be able to find your next virtual assistant in no time!
And if you want to save time and avoid the headaches of trial and error, be sure to check out my signature course, The Hiring Fix, and hire right on your very first try!
