The internet has created many things since it was first introduced. As time goes on and the internet continues to grow and change, more and more conveniences are being created. For example, a person now has the option of gaining a degree from a top college, from the comfort of their own home. Also, many jobs that once required staying late at the office every day to finish paperwork and group projects, can now be completed from home or anywhere else. Not only are many jobs easier now, but the internet has also created an entirely new way to work. It is now possible for someone to work for a company that is located half a world away from them. This is called telecommuting. All work for a telecommuting job is completed from wherever the person is located and then submitted to their employer via an online resource. This could be email, video call, conference call, shared online documents, or any other possible method. There are several different types of telecommuting jobs. This includes fact-checkers, researchers, writers, editors, formatters, video editors, scriptwriters, coding, website design, data entry, and many others. One of the most popular types of telecommuting positions is that of a virtual assistant, VA for short. This type of position can entail many different things including making phone calls, taking calls, sending emails, editing correspondence, scheduling appointments, and many other typical assistant duties. It can also include managing social media pages, updating a website, looking for information, creating listings on resale sites such as eBay, and other similar tasks. Really, the list of possible tasks for a VA seems endless. If it can be completed remotely, a VA may be asked to handle it. People hire a virtual assistant for a myriad of reasons. It may be that they are overwhelmed with keeping up with daily tasks. It could also be that they need certain tasks to be completed while they work on something else. Regardless of the why, it is important to know the best course of action to hire a virtual assistant before getting started with the process. This is the information that you will find here.
There are a few different places to find your future VA. You can look at freelancing work hubs, post the position to online job boards, or you can search for websites and social media pages. All of these have their own unique benefits. If you stick solely with the method of posting to a job board, there are two things to keep in mind. First, it can take a while to start getting responses. This is not to say that you will have to wait an exponential amount of time, only that, if the need is urgent, it is best to utilize more than one method. Second, this method brings the applicants to you, rather than having to search for each possibility. If you opt to search websites and social media pages, you have the opportunity to only contact those who you think will be a good fit rather than having anyone who might be interested apply. This would also give you the opportunity to get a feel for each possible hire before actually reaching out to them. If you choose to utilize a freelance work hub, it is a mix between the first two options. It is a similar process to posting to a job board, but there are a few key differences. First, the response level will invariably be different than posting to other job boards. Freelancers actively search these hubs every day for positions that fit their specialties. Also, you have the option of pursuing freelancers and looking for those that match what you are looking for. This is a large part of why this option is a mix between the first two. We contacted the people behind getdelegate.com and they informed us of their process that we’re happy to share with you all.
If you really want to bring in the applicants, you can utilize all three options together. However, before you begin with any of them, there are a few things you must first do. It is important to outline all of the common tasks that will be asked of your new virtual assistant. Some positions are quite classic in what they require and others are incredibly specific. Also, some people only need a VA for a specified amount of time while others are looking for something more permanent. It is important to have all of this information available for potential applicants. Of course, if you are posting the position to a regular job board or a freelance work hub, you will need to include this information in the listing. You also need to go ahead and determine your budget. It is incredibly important that you determine exactly how much you are willing to pay your new virtual assistant. Also, you must determine if you are going to offer the position for an hourly rate or fixed price for each day worked. Both are acceptable, but an hourly rate is generally the best option. Fixed price is generally only used when the need for the VA is short term and none of the required tasks take an exorbitant amount of time and energy. It is also important to note that, if you are using a freelancing work hub, and you reach out to a particular freelancer, they may only be willing to accept one or the other; fixed-price or hourly.
Unless the hire is incredibly urgent, take your time and make certain you are hiring the best possible candidate. Some people prefer to set up a special email address for applications to be sent through, but others find this too cumbersome. Choose the way that is best for you. Once you have made the necessary decisions and began the process of finding possible candidates, you will need to have a method of sorting through the applications. In other words, you need to determine what makes the ideal applicant, in your opinion. Only you can make this particular determination.