How to Identify and Recruit a Rockstar Virtual Executive Assistant [Updated 2022]
Many virtual assistants take on the role of the person they are supporting, being given complete trust to handle both personal and official tasks. They are the unseen force behind growth, ensuring everything runs well.
Many CEOs are searching for more flexible virtual assistants in order to more efficiently meet the needs of their organization.
But where can you locate a seasoned-rockstar-virtual-executive-assistant who can quickly gain your confidence and start returning your time?
As soon as you understand exactly what to search for, the process becomes simpler.
This article will provide an overview of:
? A virtual executive assistant's capabilities
? What qualities define a successful virtual executive assistant
? Finding a rock star executive assistant and working with them effectively
What Can a Virtual Aid Do For You?
Employing an executive aid is more of a necessity than a luxury for the majority of today's competent entrepreneurs and businessmen. The expectations of CEOs continues to rise, and if they aren't supported by a strong team, they may frequently become bogged down in the routine administrative work needed to manage a firm in today's market
Here are a few examples of the tasks a virtual executive assistant can complete to free up entrepreneurs’ valuable time so they can concentrate on tasks and decisions that only they can make strategically. Naturally, you can change your mind on what to hand off based on your own requirements!
10 Tasks An Executive Virtual Assistant Can Perform
? Research
? Travel Arrangement
? Organizing and Coordination of Events
? Email filtration
? Filtering calls
? Personal errands
? Scheduling appointments
? Bookkeeping
? Inbox handling
What Qualities Define a Competent Virtual Executive Assistant?
All successful virtual executive assistants have similar personality attributes that support their work. A virtual executive assistant genuinely stands out when they possess these soft skills and expertise, whether they are innate or learned.
We've learned a few characteristics that are shared by every competent virtual executive assistant as a result of our experience dealing with some of the best ones available:
? Handling issues in a novel way
? Emotional and social awareness
? Readiness for needs
? Resourcefulness
? A desire to see other people succeed
? Being able to prioritize and pay attention to details
Ask a series of questions that assist you in determining whether an applicant has all crucial skills when chatting with or interviewing possible candidates for your position.
You could inquire, "What is your biggest accomplishment?" as an example. If the response is more centered on the individual and focuses on what benefited them personally rather than anything they did that significantly benefited their client or a team effort, it's possible that they aren't naturally motivated to support the success of others.
For confirmation, enquire about samples and references and examine prior work.
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How Can a Virtual Executive Assistant Help You Work Efficaciously?
Collaborating with a virtual executive assistant requires more than just their skills and expertise. The entrepreneur must also be able to perform the following in order to ensure a great partnership.
1. Task delegation
You must be completely clear on the things you want your virtual executive assistant to handle so they can free up your time.
Keep a running record of all the tasks you perform each day, in order to accomplish this. Then, consider whether you are the only person who can complete this tactical task. If not, who else could complete it on your behalf.
Add personal responsibilities to this list without hesitation. Virtual executive assistants can take care of your personal errands like arranging the delivery of your dry cleaning and making bookings for anniversary dinners, as well as delivering gifts to your loved ones.
2. Take a step back and give up control
Delegation's most difficult aspect is giving up control. If you've been doing your own administrative work for a while, it’s easy to think that you are the only one who can perform it the way you like. However, a diligent virtual executive assistant is a Godsend. They can help you take a step back and convey your special preferences to an individual who will be capable of quickly grasping them and incorporating them to your tasks. As a matter of fact, any process can be emulated.
Even process documentation is possible with a competent virtual executive assistant. As you start collaborating with your virtual executive assistant, it’s a smart move to record every single step of each project. Naturally, it will be time consuming in the beginning, but over time, it will result in better execution and amazing time savings. As you assign duties that you have tailored to your personal requirements, it will also make you feel more in charge.
3. Trust
Obviously, if you haven't found someone who is entirely competent and whom you feel absolutely comfortable handing the wheel to, delegating and relinquishing control will both be incredibly difficult.
Next, we'll go through exactly how to discover a fantastic virtual executive assistant who will immediately gain your confidence.
Finding a Rockstar Virtual Executive Assistant: 3 Steps
1. Get ahold of them directly
An executive assistant who works remotely might be hired in a few different ways. They can be hired directly as an employee of your business, but you'll need the time and resources to find them (advertising, paying other staff to work on recruiting, conducting interviews, etc.), as well as to go through the legal requirements for hiring remote workers.
The training procedure then starts when the person is hired.
If you decide to explore hiring as an alternative, bear in mind that it now costs over $5,000 in recruiting and approximately $5,000 in training a new traditional employee.
2. Collaborate with freelancers
If you do not require someone full- or even part-time, hiring a freelancer may be the way to go. Although, be mindful that using independent contractors for lengthy projects is really against the law and might land you in serious trouble. The IRS takes underpayment of workers seriously, and the financial ramifications are severe if you are even mistakenly caught doing it during an audit.
Additionally, you'll still be required to spend some time in hiring because it is difficult to find a qualified remote EA with whom you click and who is accessible at all times. You’ll need to spend time going through the masses to find the right individual.
3. Use subscription staffing to hire your next virtual executive assistant.
Subscription staffing, a pretty modern alternative in the market, enables business owners and executives to contract with qualified virtual executive assistants in a compliant, fractional, flexible, and cost-effective manner.
This is extremely helpful for entrepreneurs searching for virtual executive assistants who are competent and knowledgeable.
Additionally, subscription staffing lowers the cost of hiring someone independently, particularly when taking into account the complexity of legality for remote employment.
This is how it goes:
Recruitment is a long process which typically takes weeks. With the help of this alternative, entrepreneurs and small business owners (subscribers) receive quick matching to competent virtual EAs.
Subscribers make a single monthly contribution (payment) without having to deal with payroll, contracts, or other legal concerns that come with hiring an in-house employee.
The possibility to collaborate with one or more persons on a part-time basis for as long as you require each month gives subscribers flexibility and agility.
Both parties can mutually benefit from using this model. The VA gets the freedom of a freelance position (as well as the opportunity to collaborate with some of the best companies) and it also gives businesses access to exceptional talent.
Best Time to Hire a Virtual Executive Assistant
You may now be trying to determine when the best time is to hire an executive assistant.
It actually comes down to personal preference and your situation. Many firms currently have a challenging or uncertain path ahead of them. Some interpret this to suggest that now is not the appropriate moment to bring someone onboard.
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