Business is going well – so well in fact, that it’s time to bring on some additional help.

A virtual assistant, or VA, is an increasingly popular solution for getting the assistance you need without going through the time, risk and expense of hiring a part-time or full-time employee.

But we know that hiring a VA can be daunting… even a little scary.  And there are a lot of people hanging out their “virtual assistant” shingle.  So how do you find the right one?

Hiring a VA is a little different from hiring an employee.

In many cases, it’s the business owner who’s looking for a VA, and will be expecting that person to take over several of the owner’s current day-to-day tasks, which we all know can be varied, challenging and spontaneous!  There’s also a psychological component to overcome.  The word “virtual” in the title makes people leery.  And then there are the misconceptions about who a VA is and what they do.

Like anything, there’s a skill that comes with hiring a VA – and it pays to learn that skill. Because when you get it right, a great VA can become the cement that holds your team – or company – together.

Let’s take a look at what you can do to ensure that you end up hiring the rockstar VA that every business owner dreams of.

Know what you need from your VA

One of the reasons small businesses go the virtual assistant route is that you can only wear so many hats at once before something starts to slip.

Often business owners know that they need immediate help, but they don’t have the resources to bring on a full-time, in-house staff member.

A VA can be a life-saver – but only if you know what you need from them.

Before leaping in to hire an assistant, spend a month or so documenting any recurring tasks that can be outsourced, and make a note of any procedures in place for completing these.

Collated together, these tasks will become your VA’s job description, and will help you contract with the right person for the job. If they’re primarily phone-based tasks, you’ll want someone with a great phone manner. Or if they’re to do with software and technology, you might prefer someone with experience in the digital space.

As a bonus, making note of these regularly repeating tasks can help show you your business’ inefficiencies – and highlight areas for automation.

Know that VA doesn’t stand for “superhero”

Well, we like to think it does.  But if that’s what you’re expecting, it’s even more critical that you set out clear expectations from the beginning.

Your VA is there to take off some of the multi-tasking pressure you face daily. As a business owner, you’re probably used to doing it all – sales, accounting, equipment purchasing and even changing the light bulbs in the office.

The thing is, while you can do all these things, you’re not going to be an expert in them all. And, if you’re honest with yourself, that’s not really why you started your own business.  Most business owner we work with are frustrated by a lack of time, energy and knowledge to get it all done and get it done right.

Most virtual assistants have a specialty:  some are highly skilled copywriters, others focus on social media, others on bookkeeping.  Some are rockstar administrative assistants, but they may have no human resources knowledge.

Understanding your needs is critical before contracting with a VA.  Don’t set them – and you – up for failure with unrealistic expectations.

If you’ve put together a procedure document (see the next point), you’ll probably be able to pick out trends and key skills. Use these to guide your hiring, and know that ability in other areas is a bonus. And if you still need help in other areas? Well, you can always bring on a second part-time VA or call in the services of an expert freelancer.

If you find that you are truly ready for support in a wide range of specialties, consider a Virtual Business Manager.  A VBM may serve as a liaison between several VAs or other freelancers.  In some cases, like with PrideGroupCo, a VBM brings a team of experts together to meet multiple business needs.

Remember, we’re building a relationship

It’s common for business owners to expect virtual assistants to hit the ground running. But like all employees, you’ll need to allow some time for onboarding – just as you would with any other staff member. Your new VA might be an expert VA, but they’re not yet an expert in your particular business or your preferences.

We typically advise clients that it takes three to six months to solidify a relationship with us… we need to get to know you and your style.  You need to get to know us and our style.  We’ll have some hiccups, but during this time we’re forming a new relationship.  Once we get the foundation set, then the fun begins and you (and your clients) will see us just another part of your team.

Develop procedures for every task

As a business owner, you have an intuitive understanding of how your business works. You know your industry, your clients and your work like the back of your hand. This kind of internalized knowledge is great – but to grow your business you need to be able to share it.

So develop procedures for each piece of work you’ll need your VA to do. In reality, this may be one of the first tasks you work with your VA to accomplish.

Using documents and videos to explain exactly how to perform each task, your VA can learn more quickly as they document the process and walk through it.

Add key milestones and daily performance metrics to help steer you away from the time-suck of micromanagement – which is a tempting rabbit hole for first-time managers of VAs.

Best of all, as your business expands or there’s staff turnover, these procedures will be readily available to all new staff, rather than being locked away in your or your VA’s minds.

Be selective in your hiring

While many companies abide by the adage “hire slow, fire fast” when it comes to full-time salaried staff, it’s not uncommon for someone to hire a virtual assistant based on a few emails, a quick Skype conversation or even a starred review from a stranger. But your VA could be handling tasks as diverse and important as bookkeeping, account management and maintaining your digital presence. It pays to be selective in your hiring – and it may well cost you if you’re not.

Don’t let the “virtual” part of Virtual Assistant mislead you. You’re dealing with people, not robots! All VAs have different skill sets, personalities and ways of working. The ideal virtual assistant is someone who can work both autonomously and collaboratively, taking initiative where needed yet otherwise sticking to company procedure. They’re there to reduce the time you spend on simple, repetitive tasks – so that your schedule’s freed up to get back to the passion of your business, doing revenue-generating activities and doing what you love!

It’s not just the Harvard Business Review that recommends being “absurdly selective in who you hire.” We abide by exactly the same thinking, which is why at PrideGroupCo we pride ourselves on connecting great businesses with great assistants. We’re here to help you succeed, and we have the resources to do it. If you have any questions about hiring a VA, just give us a call or schedule a discovery session to meet your new team.