Client: How to connect with VAs

You’re ready to hire your first VA! You know what you want, but now how do you get it? There are a lot of different options to use when finding the perfect VA. 

• Word of Mouth

  • You trust the car guy your friend recommends more than the car guy advertised on the billboards. Word of mouth and recommendations from people you trust can make a big difference in who you go with. While “I’m looking for a virtual assistant” doesn't seem to come up organically in every conversation, there are a lot of places that you can go locally to get recommendations like networking events and local entrepreneur organizations. 

• Facebook/LinkedIn

  • Technology keeps us connected, and few more so than Facebook and LinkedIn. There are groups specifically for VAs looking for work (Virtual Assistant Savvies is my top pick)- join them and you’ll have a plethora of people right at your fingertips! 

• Agencies

  • If you’re looking to have a little less personal of a relationship with your VA, going with an agency might be the way to go. Companies like Belay and Zirtual take the management portion off of your plate. You are connected with an account manager that will select the best VA off of their roster to work with your needs, and if you have any issues you will work with the company to resolve them. For people who are hesitant to hire a contractor directly, this is a great option to get the help without the responsibility. 

• Remote Work Websites

  • Wanting the HR experience? Set up an official job posting on sites like WeWorkRemotely, Remote.io, or Idealist.org (if you’re a non-profit). Perfect if you’re looking for very niche qualifications or a more global applicant pool. 

• Upwork/Fiverr

  • For those on a budget or project based, you can look to outsource to Fiverr or Upwork. Though the applicants can be very hit or miss, once you find one you like working with you can keep going back on your own time without a long term contract. 

Application Set Up:

• Before posting for a VA, it’s important to know how you want to accept the applications that come in to you. Maybe you’re a wiz with web forms and you want to create a database from the applications. Or you’d like them to submit your resume to your email. Perhaps you want them to call you. Regardless of how you do it, you’re going to want to get standardized on what information is important to you to know when comparing options. Here are some examples of information you might want to require when receiving information on VAs:

  • Name

  • Email address

  • Website

  • Local time zone

  • How many hours they have available per week

  • Hourly rate

  • How long it takes them to turn around a project

  • What they specialize in

  • What tools and programs do they have experience using

  • Past clients

  • Preferred communication method

  • How long they have been a VA

  • When they could start

• Don't have time to make a list? Use our Virtual Assistant Intake Form!

• What to say

  • Now that you’ve decided where you are going to look, it’s time to craft the perfect posting for your new VA. You want something that is going to be informative and shows your personality. Take a look at some great examples below:

  • These examples work because:

    • They say what the company is and how to contact them

    • The pay is included

    • They list the top tasks they are looking to have done

    • How many hours they want

  • Things you’ll want to include in your posting:

    • Your name

    • The name of your company (if you have one)

    • Your social media/website

    • If you are looking for a contractor/employee

    • Top 3 - 5 recurring tasks you want done

    • Rate

    • Hours per week (can be a scale if preferred)

    • How to apply & contact info

    • Closing date for applications

      • And wait for the applications to roll in!

• Interviewing potential VAs

  • You’ve narrowed down to your top choices, and now it’s time to interview. You’ve got the Sparks Notes version of who they are, so now is the time to ask the big questions. Not sure what to ask? Use our VA Interview Questions sheet. 

  • Start off the interview introducing yourself, telling a bit about you and what you do, what your organization does, and then go into what your needs are. Open up the space to let them ask direct questions about the job itself, then proceed with your interview questions. Give them time at the end for any closing comments or additional questions, or follow up on any responses they had that you’d like clarification on. Finish by letting them know the timeline for next steps, whether thats telling them a decision will be made by a certain date, or when you would be conducting next round interviews.

  • While you may receive a lot of applicants that look amazing, try and keep the number of interviews between 2 - 5. Any more than that and you’re wasting valuable time interviewing when you only need to find one person. If you did a great job with your intake questions, you’ll have enough information to know who your favorites are. 

  • When you have interviewed and selected your top two, ask them for a copy of their contracts. Take a look and make sure you are comfortable with what you would be signing, or push back on changes you would want made. They won’t make the changes? They’re probably not the right fit.