You might not see them in the office Monday to Friday, but hiring your virtual assistants takes the same amount of effort and care as a traditional employee. Author of Virtual Freedom Chris Ducker believes there are three components to a good virtual hire:
- Skills
The applicant should clearly possess the skills required for the position.
- Potential for growth
The applicant should demonstrate that he/she is perpetually updating her skill set—a reference to some kind of training in the last year provided by the previous employer or individually is ideal
- Personality
Just as with an in-house employee, a virtual assistant should be in harmony with your personality and fit the vibe of your business. People skills are always important, regardless of a virtual relationship.
With Skype and similar software readily available, it seems foolish to conduct interviews via email. A face-to-face interview (of sorts) will help determine if he/she really is the right candidate for your business team. As Chris also notes in his new book, virtual staffing begs the question of whether it is better to hire offshore employees or stay local. With many small businesses, there are many advantages to locally outsourcing:
- Time Zones are often the major drawback of international virtual staff. Being able to communicate in real time about your business and keeping the same work schedule is a big plus.
- Language and Culture are particularly important when you are outsourcing a writer. Understanding the target audience of your business and their market mentality is far more difficult for a foreign virtual assistant. Cultural familiarity and expertise is not something that can be easily taught.
- Sometimes locality is enough. Many business owners hire virtual assistants locally because it is simply easier. They may already be aware of their work or style, and they often mesh with your needs in a way that cannot be replicated by foreign outsourcing.
Chris Ducker presented the Virtual Freedom webinar. It will prepare you to work with virtual staff, buy more time and be more productive in order to build your dream business. This webinar is now available in on-demand learning. Read more about Chris Ducker.
This article was authored by Elizabeth Rowe. Elizabeth graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (English Literature) at the ANU and a Masters of Media Practice at the University of Sydney. She is currently completing an internship with the Australian Businesswomen’s Network.
