You’ve probably heard about all the benefits of hiring a virtual assistant. It’s more affordable than hiring in-house. Virtual assistants are much faster at producing the results you want. You’re convinced. Now what? This blog will look into the criteria so you can work alongside excellent talents from around the world. Let’s dive into how you can hire the best virtual assistants by exploring the must-have qualities for the job.
Who are Virtual Assistants?
Virtual assistants (VA) are real not necessarily artificial intelligence algorithms. They are real people who provide online support, helping businesses with a wide variety of tasks. International companies and groups often hire VAs from offshore locations like the Philippines, Australia, and India. This practice ushers in global talent that can provide you with quality services at a fraction of the cost.
We at Managed Outsourced Virtual Employees (MOVE) call our virtual assistants another name: virtual employees (VEs). This is because of their professional qualifications that allow them to cater to a diverse clientele from all over the world, continuously learning and honing their craft. These excellent skills come with the scalability and flexibility that you want since our VEs are independent contractors or freelancers. Additionally, our vetted VEs come from the Philippines, providing you with expert support at a fraction of the cost.
What to Look for in Your Virtual Assistants: Hard Skills
To grow a business you’ll need people who know what they’re doing. Here are some skills to look for in your potential team members:
Communication Skills
A Harvard Business Review survey reveals that 82% of their respondents believe communication skills are the most crucial factor when hiring virtual assistants. Remote workers have to make up for the fact that there is no office for them to go to when they need to meet or ask questions from their team members. VAs can overcome this obstacle by being prompt about communicating their progress and whether they have any questions or concerns. Furthermore, the International Journal of Information Management mentioned that communicative virtual assistants can add to a company’s cost savings.
Problem-solving Skills
The 2020s are shaping up to be a decade of numerous fast-paced business trends. From the artificial intelligence developments to the shift to cloud computing— there’s a lot virtual assistants have to learn about. Problem-solving skills allow your selected virtual employees to troubleshoot issues when they don’t necessarily have the expertise in that area. Consequently, they can think of their feet and provide excellent support even in specialized areas in the industry.
Technological Skills
Technology comes with the territory for a virtual assistant, so an aptitude for using it to its fullest can garner you and your company great results. McKinsey & Company affirms this stating that virtual assistants can automate 60% of their tasks with the help of technology and boost productivity. You and your team will have to embrace the latest innovations. Choosing people who are already equipped with knowledge of the basics and more can provide you with an edge.
What to Look for in Your Virtual Assistants: Soft Skills
Time Management
According to Eagles Flight, time management and productivity are intertwined. Global Workplace Analytics also released that 85% of online employees consider effective time management as an important factor in successfully accomplishing their goals. Thus, if you want your employees to produce excellent results you’ll need to find people who have good time management on their side.
Self-Motivation
Highly motivated individuals are more likely to go above and beyond when it comes to work. Owl Labs states that 68% of virtual assistants believe self-motivation is an essential quality in their field. Moreover, self-motivation can push remote workers to attain company goals even in their flexible environments.
Reliability
Some online businesses will tell you horror stories about virtual assistants who ghost their employers. Protect yourself from these risks by doing background checks and asking for references to back up your potential candidates’ claims.
Confidentiality
As mentioned above remote work is highly connected with technology. Thus, the ability to keep confidentiality in the digital workspace is incredibly crucial. Interview questions can easily screen applicants for potential confidentiality breaches. Deloitte’s insights include an emphasis on confidentiality for employers to avoid security risks.
Find Virtual Assistants Easily
With MOVE you can access global talent with all the qualities listed above. Working with a virtual assistant will greatly streamline your company’s operations and provide you with more time to work on your most important projects. Avoid the obstacles or long processes that come with recruiting, managing, and training your virtual employees. Contact us for more information.
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