Hiring a Virtual Assistant (What and How to Delegate)
After the 1st edition, we thought to talk about how it is like bringing the virtual assistant on board. In this edition, we are also going to talk about ideal tasks to delegate, training of virtual assistants, and what results to expect.
Here, we go…
Bringing them on board
I would estimate around a 3-week on-boarding period with your virtual assistant to train them on the tasks you’re handing over and giving them a chance to familiarize themselves with the business.
Step 1
Welcome them! Making them feel like the part of the team is vital with a welcome message and a call on their first day. Do it via Skype, Google Hangout, or other online communication if a phone call is not feasible.
Step 2
It involves a training session where you need to walk through the tasks and processes; they will be handling. During the process, the virtual assistant can put up questions that you need to answer.
Step 3
Also, you should create a checklist of steps which the virtual assistants can take as the reference to go back again for any questions. We use zoom.us for this, it works best for recording the screen activity while you perform the tasks. It is one of the best communications and screen sharing tool we have worked with so far.
Step 4
Create a list of tasks ready. Ideally, tasks can be broken down into weekly, daily, and monthly basis. It is also helpful to determine the priority of the activities so that everyone is on the same page.
Step 5
Be available. It will be great if you stay logged in on Skype or any preferred IM just in case the virtual assistant has questions for you. It may not be important later but initially, it is essential to gain a better understanding of the tasks. We believe communication is the key to have a successful onboarding.
Step 6
Continue to build and grow the relationships with the virtual assistants. You can delegate different tasks that you have going on and make them feel like a part of the business – as they already are.
Tasks for Delegation
Although there are myriad of things you want the virtual assistant to do, it might get difficult to mention them all when being asked. What you can do is… for one straight week, write down everything that you do in a day.It will also help in segregating items that are time-consuming, items that need to be kept within the to-do list and items to be removed.
Here is a comprehensive list of things that you might want to delegate it to the virtual assistant:
- Scheduling social media posts
- Updating membership sites
- Gathering data and doing research based on the requirement
- Inbox management (sorting emails and replying to emails)
- Content updated on the website (you should provide content)
- Calendar management/customer relationship management
Training the Virtual Assistant
The training of your virtual assistant is one of the essential things to do. After hiring, you probably know what are the tasks that you’ll be delegating to them. And for that, you must keep aside some free time to train your new staff.
When you start working with the virtual assistant, try to answer a maximum of the questions. Start with the daily tasks, then move to the weekly and then miscellaneous for guiding on each session.
Wait for a second! If you think you don’t have enough time to be doing something like this for 2-3 weeks? Listen up as it is crucial. You will surely have 30 minutes – 1 hour for a few weeks to train someone who will be instrumental for your business growth.
So, what do you think? Does the process seem overwhelming? Time-consuming? Completely worth it? But, it is worth every second.
If you are planning to take the magical experience of hiring a virtual assistant, Fusion Business Solution is your go-to business partner. We provide full time, part time, and hourly virtual assistants for saving your day, the virtual way. Reaching out to us is very easy; all you need to do is send us a short email on support@fusionfirst.com and our super-responsive team will be with you. Call us on USA Line: +1-240-979-0061 & UK Line: +44-788-331-8386
