Interviewing & Hiring my first Virtual Assistant
Interviewing & Hiring my first Virtual Assistant
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After sharing last week’s Part 1 of hiring my first virtual assistant, I want to investigate how I finalized my first hire! Now that I have all my tasks standardized and know what I need help with, it was time to interview, hire, and train my virtual assistant.
Again, entering uncharted territory, I took a realistic approach to what would work for me and what I needed to free up my time. Don’t forget that hiring a VA frees up your time as much as you give someone an opportunity. So make sure it works for YOU!
Did you miss Part 1? Read it here →
Interviewing, Hiring, & Training a VA
— PART 2 —
As I mentioned in Part 1, I had all my tasks recorded and documented standardized to prevent confusion and decision-making while things were being finished. Knowing that guarantee of near flawless execution for these tasks, it was time to start interviewing.
The Interview Process
This was unique, unlike other interviews I’ve done, whether on the phone or in person. I would be virtually interviewing someone via video chat and email for the interview, but it doubled as a sneak peek into how I would communicate with them daily if they were hired. This was a huge benefit.
With this format, I could understand how I could successfully (or unsuccessfully) communicate with them. Some immediate things I looked out for a while interviewing were:
How quickly they responded to emails
How their listening skills were through a video call
If they were timely in joining the virtual call
This gave me a great insight into how they operated regularly in the same format as the VA position.
Factoring a Fair Hourly Rate
While interviewing candidates, I gave them a list of all the tasks I had compiled that they would be responsible for. I wanted them to review for any glaring questions they had.
After they reviewed them, I asked them what their hourly rate would be based on 15-20 hours of work a week. I did not have a set rate that I wanted to pay someone yet, but I did have a range of what I wanted.
The formula for hiring a virtual assistant:
How To Measure Success
When I ultimately settled on my candidate for hiring, I provided a contract proposal with the agreed hourly rate and a signed NDA to get started. I also set expectations for the following:
Tracking hours
How to ask questions
Where to provide daily updates
How to be transparent about what I would check regularly
I told my VA early on, “I’ll know you are doing your job because I’ve done all these same tasks you are doing.” If things weren’t being completed, part of the “machine” would break down, and I would notice.
What, When, & How
Remember, the key is to set the standard of what, when, and how you need tasks completed. It all went back to the beginning of standardizing everything in the training documents.
Is a VA right for you?
After reviewing the hiring process for my first virtual assistant, you may wonder if a VA would suit you. Here is what you need to ask yourself:
Do you have at least 10 hours of work every week you can assign?
Are most of the things you need help with repetitive tasks?
Can these tasks be trained via video recording and screenshot guides?
Will you easily be able to measure if tasks are being completed?
Do you find you don’t have enough time to do bigger tasks that you’re required for?
If you answered yes to all of those questions, you might be in the market for hiring a VA!
I would be happy to help guide you in the right direction. Feel free to comment below or DM me on Twitter.