How To Manage and Train Your VA For Success with Brieanna Baird - Podcast Episode 69

With that being said… A new podcast episode is live!

Today on the podcast, we are following on from last week’s podcast, where I talked about the benefits of hiring a Virtual Assistant. Today on the podcast Brie my assistant and I talk about how we have dealt with hiring our VA’s and the different challenges that arise. Brie does all of the recruiting, hiring, and training of our VA’s, which has helped us scale and given Brie the freedom to engage in higher-end tasks.  

TOP TIPS TO ENSURE YOU HAVE A SUCCESSFUL HIRING PROCESS:

• Communicate: The hiring process is super important when hiring a Virtual Assistant as it is vital to communicate the main tasks to your VA so there is no confusion later down the track. We have found that if the main tasks aren’t explained thoroughly, it can result in the VA negotiating their rate if they view it as more specialised or leaving the job. 
• Your VA will have networks: Once you have an interview with your VA, you may have found that some of the jobs don’t align with their skills. However, we have other VA’s through people that are in their network. 
• Create a Job Description: Any task you can think of from A-Z, include it in your job description! You can never be too thorough in your hiring process. Create a document including everything that you need them to do, run through it within the interview as well as send them the document. This way, you allow your VA to process the job, think about it and then get back to you. 

HOW DO YOU BEST CHOOSE YOUR VA? 

• Zoom! The best way to interview your VA is face to face on Zoom. A big issue you may run into if you are hiring from the Philippines or other countries is the language barrier. This can easily be assessed by asking questions and listening to responses. Within the first few minutes, you will determine if they can communicate well.
• Salary: Salary is often where a cultural issue can occur. We have found that negotiations can begin if outside jobs aren’t included in the job description from the interview stage onwards. Once you have agreed on a salary, ensure all of your jobs are included so that there are no misunderstandings.  
• Get examples of work: If you have a few VA’s that you think would be a good fit for your business and are struggling to choose, it is vital to assess them based on their work. Give them a task or two to complete to see if they are up to standard. 

WHAT IS THE BEST TECH/STRATEGY TO USE TO ONBOARD A VA? 

• Routine! Get straight into a routine when you hire your VA, it is never too early, and this is where the employer and the VA do the best learning. Brie sends out a Monday morning email to her VA’s, stating what the weekly tasks are, and each day she sends out a list of what needs to be done within the 8 hour day. 

Daily, weekly and monthly tasks are best managed using an app called Trello. Trello allows you to organise tasks in priorities, due dates, and columns to ensure you can see precisely where your VA’s are throughout the day. 

Whenever you have repetitive tasks, we use an app called Loom. Loom allows you to film what you are doing on your computer and record your voice to ensure your VA has a video they can watch over and over to save you time and questions. 

• Establish your main point of communication: All VA’s like to be contacted via different platforms. Whether through emails, Zoom, or Whatsapp, it is vital to ensure you have the central platform you come back to. Brie uses an app called Lark, a free app that allows you to voice call, video call, or messages.

TO HEAR MORE ABOUT EXACTLY HOW TO PICK YOUR PERFECT VIRTUAL ASSISTANT, LISTEN TO THE PODCAST! 

Having a VA allows you to focus on high-end and non-repetitive tasks, which will enable you to focus on scaling your business. Yes, it might take effort and patience to set your new VA up and get them working to your standard, but once they get into a routine, you will be thanking yourself for all of this free time you now have! 

If you have any questions for Brie regarding how she hires her VA’s, please DM me, and I will have her answer for you! 

If you missed last week’s podcast on what jobs you can delegate to your VA and where you can go to hire them, click here! 

CONNECT WITH Caralee:

Instagram: @caralee.fontenele

Facebook: @caraleefontenele

LinkedIn: @caraleefontenele

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN! 

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