What to Know Before Hiring a Virtual Assistant (So It Sticks)

Maybe you've tried this before. It started with relief and ended with you taking the work back.

Your new hire waited on you for every decision. So you decided virtual assistants don't work for your business.

Most of the time, the hire wasn't the issue.

What to know before hiring a virtual assistant

Before hiring a virtual assistant, know the work you're handing off, the outcome you want and where the steps live.

A good hire gives you hours back every week. A rushed hire costs you time, money and confidence, and it pulls you away from the work clients pay you for.

If getting ready takes a little longer, that time pays you back. Here are the 6 things to know first.

#1 Start with 1 task that eats your time

Your first hand-off should be a task you repeat often that doesn't need your personal touch.

I'll never forget the first task I handed to a virtual assistant.

I was always rushing from 1 client call to the next, scribbling notes everywhere. I planned to sort them out later…
and it never happened.

By Friday I'd be staring at a pile of notes, trying to read my own rushed handwriting. What did I promise this client? What was that detail we talked about?

Later quickly turns into too late.

So I started speaking my notes into my phone after each call and sending them off. Within hours, they were typed up and filed in my system.

It was a small task. It was also eating a lot of my time, and that made it the perfect first hand-off.

Still sorting your list? Here's how to scale your small business by getting work off your plate.

#2 Know the outcome, not every step

You don't need to know how to do a task to hand it off, you need to know the result you want.

Many founders think they have to master a task before they can hire for it.

Think about your car. When it breaks down, you take it to a mechanic. You don't know how to fix it, but you know exactly what you want back. A car that runs.

The same goes for social media, new software and every trend you feel you should be learning. Every hour spent learning work outside your expertise is an hour away from the work clients pay you for.

#3 Don’t look for a clone

Hire for the skills you don't have, not for someone who works the way you do.

It's tempting to look for someone just like you. Same habits, same strengths, same way of thinking.

But a clone gives you more of what you already have. Someone with different skills brings what's missing, and sees the work with fresh eyes.

#4 Write down the work before you post the job

Clear steps and clear expectations let your virtual assistant work on their own from the start.

Your job post can stay general. The work they walk into can't.

When I post a job, I ask applicants to put a specific word in the subject line. It shows me right away who read the post carefully and who has an eye for detail. I look for personality over skill set.

Once they start, the steps have to be there. Without them, every question lands back on your desk…
and you've created yourself another job managing them.

When the answers live in the Super Toolkit, your VA stops asking where things are and starts asking better questions.

→Related read, How to Build a Business That Runs Without You

#5 Know the difference between renting a VA and building a team

With an agency you're renting a person, and with a direct hire you're building a team that's yours.

VA agencies are a business, and every business needs a margin. That's fair.

But stop paying the agency, and you lose your VA. They can move your VA to a client they see as bigger. And nobody touches your setup, so your VA lands in the same mess you were in.

With us, your VA is paid directly, and we don't take a cent. They work for you, so the team you build is yours.

Here's a closer look at what VA agency fees really cost founders.

#6 Give your VA a setup they can lead in

A virtual assistant stays and grows when they have the steps, a daily Scrum and room to lead.

A new VA dropped into a mess doesn't feel like relief to anyone. It feels like a second job, for you and for them.

Many VAs come from jobs where speaking up got them in trouble. The setup has to make it safe again. That's why our Leadership Program trains your VA to think ahead and own the work.

→Related read, Why Do Virtual Assistants Quit?

That's why we set up the work first. Then we find, hire and onboard a full-time virtual assistant we train to lead.

Toby went from burning through virtual assistants to a full podcast in a month. Corey took her first laptop-free vacation.

This time, it sticks.

Thinking about your first VA?

Take the 5 Minute Capacity Check and see what's ready to come off your plate.

TAKE THE 5 MINUTE CAPACITY CHECK

Key Takeaways

• ✓Know the task, the outcome and where the steps live before you hire.
• ✓Start with 1 repeat task that eats your time.
• ✓You don't need to know how to do a task to hand it off.
• ✓Hire for the skills you don't have, not a clone.
• ✓With an agency you rent a person. A direct hire builds your team.
• ✓Super Toolkits and a daily Scrum are what make a VA hire stick.

Frequently asked questions

TAKE THE 5 MINUTE CAPACITY CHECK

Hear how Karen Laws is 150% happy with every VA she's chosen.