Hiring virtual employees shows that your business is expanding. You have more customers approaching your business, and you need more support – but how do you make sure you hire a great assistant?
After all, there are tens of thousands of virtual assistants to choose from, and if you’ve never hired remotely you may have some reservations.
Here are five common mistakes business owners make when hiring virtual employees.
1. Common Mistakes Business Owners Make When Hiring Virtual Employees: Not Setting Clear Expectations
Before you start the hiring process, think about what you really want from your virtual employees. Are you looking for a part-time graphic designer, or a full-time PA with some design skills? Write down a list of the weekly roles you would like completing, and be sure to include this list when you contact a virtual assistant agency. This means you are more likely to be paired with an assistant who has the skills (and the availability) that you need.
2. Micro-Management
Many business owners end up micro-managing their virtual employeews as they are worried they are slacking off, but this tends to be a big mistake; research has found that virtual employees generally work harder than office employees. Also one of the main reasons most people hire virtual support is because they need more time, so don’t waste that time!
3. Dealing With Too Much Admin Yourself
You didn’t start a business so that you could spend most of your time setting up appointments, responding to emails and chasing up vendors. So concentrate on the tasks that really need your attention, and hand over the admin work to a part-time or full-time virtual assistant. This will make it easier for you to grow your business (and your day-to-day work will likely be more interesting, too!).
4. Paying Too Little
Hiring virtual employees is just like hiring an office employee when it comes to money; you get what you pay for. If you have a low rate you will attract candidates with less skills, and if you have a high rate you will attract more skilled candidates.
Sure, most businesses have a tight budget, but budgets can be reshuffled slightly if you’re genuinely looking for a high quality employee. For instance, you could choose a part-time employee rather than full-time, or you could reduce spending in a less efficient area (maybe you are wasting money paying for empty office space).
5. Not Looking For Different Strengths
Finally you may want to consider hiring a virtual assistant with different strengths to you. Great business owners are aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and so they hire employees with different skillsets. This expands the general knowledge within the business, which can open up new, profitable avenues.
