How to Hire the Right Virtual Assistant
Last year, opening the doors to Alight Collaborative took me from solopreneur to multipreneur for the first time, but I felt prepared for the challenge ahead.
I planned to sacrifice some of my personal life – and I did.
I expected to work all hours of the day and sometimes night – and I did.
I wanted to give it my all – and I did.
But if I thought running one business was hard – running two led me straight to a mini breakdown.
As I recovered, one thing became abundantly clear: It was time to get help.
So I did. (I’m SO happy to say we’ve added a Virtual Assistant to the team!)
In my open-hearted vision for Alight, I want to be able to do 3 things:
grow a community of unapologetic creatives
provide help to my fellow entrepreneurs
host events where we can connect and make the lonely life of leading a business – a little less lonely.
But I couldn't do all that if I kept doing what I was doing. I may have made it through this first year okay, but I want MORE from next year. I want ease and creativity to return – and I don't want to feel so alone in running everything.
That's why I hired help.
I recently hired my first VA or Virtual Assistant. A Virtual Assistant is a self-employed worker who provides support and administrative services to clients remotely. VAs can offer different specialties and provide support with things like scheduling, inbox management, content management, social media and more.
If you’ve ever thought about hiring VA help, I wanted to write this blog post for you. Here is how I knew it was time, how I found a VA I could trust, and what I learned from the process.
It May Be Time For You To Hire a VA For Your Business If…
You feel overwhelmed all the time, and you’re working all hours of the day – every day.
Your work-life balance is all out of whack.
Your days seem frittered away with time-consuming tasks.
You feel some of your goals for your business falling through the cracks.
You don’t have the time or energy to do everything you’d like for your business.
You can afford a VA (OR you could if you got more of your time back!)
The Kinda-Sorta Unconventional Thing I Did First
Before I hired a VA, I hired a VA coach. Steph of Scaling With Heart is one of my past and repeat photography clients. She is a VA coach who runs a virtual assistant business and coaches other VAs to run theirs. (I highly recommend her if you’re looking to hire your own VA or if you’re a VA that is looking for a business coach.)
Steph and I have similar personality types, so I trusted her. I knew she was detail-oriented like me, and as an experienced coach, she could help guide me through the process. I had told her for some time that I would reach out to her when I was ready.
Then, the mini-breakdown happened.
With Steph’s guidance, we could put together a plan, identifying:
the qualities and abilities I was looking for in a VA
the business tasks that I could hand off to a VA
the processes that needed to be put in place before I hired one
When we completed the coaching process, Steph connected me with her network of trusted VAs and sent me some referrals based on what I was looking for in personality and skillset.
Now for the fun part.
Finding My Perfect-Fit Virtual Assistant
“What you look for in a VA depends on your particular value system. You want someone whose personality will align with yours in some ways and complement it in others.”
Thanks to the list of VA traits that Steph and I had composed, I knew what I was looking for!
I needed someone:
Trustworthy– someone I can depend on and trust to have my back.
Resourceful – someone willing to learn/grow and who would take the initiative.
Warm and friendly, but not a pushover – someone who will kindly draw boundaries when necessary.
Communicative – For me, too much is better than too little!
Reassuring – for my much-needed peace of mind.
With business acumen – someone capable of handling certain situations in a professional manner.
Detail-Oriented – It’s my love language.
Committed – a long-term true partner in the business.
Invested - a person of integrity who truly cares and has my best interest at heart.
From Steph’s referrals, I interviewed several candidates before hiring Olivia!
Olivia, my new virtual assistant and right-hand woman, used to be a Registered Nurse. I’ve known several nurses, so I knew the traits they often have. Her being an RN assured me that she could work hard and delegate. It was also evident right away that she was heart-centered and people-oriented.
During the interview, if she didn't know how to do something, she would enthusiastically tell me, “I don't know...BUT I CAN FIND OUT. I will figure that out!” And I loved that about her.
That reaction alone told me she was the VA I sought, but during the call, she continued to check more boxes. She asked me what I was looking for, showing me she had a clear process. She even established some boundaries with me on our call, telling me, “We're only starting with three tasks. After I perfect those, we can add more.”
She was so smart and committed – I knew this was the VA I had been looking for.
Red Flags, Deal-Breakers, and Big Fat Nopes
Telling you about my interview with Olivia can easily make it seem like hiring a VA was smooth sailing. I can assure you that it was not. Remember, I had interviewed other VAs before finding Olivia.
Here are the red flags that had me nope-ing out:
1. Inflated skills
One VA had listed skills that, when I asked about them, it became apparent that she had inflated them and couldn't do that skill to its requirement.
2. No questions
The same VA didn't ask me what I was looking for or what I needed/expected from her. She was super kind but left me wondering a lot and feeling uneasy about working together. I felt like she was nervous and unsure – and I didn't want to be her guinea pig.
3. Lacking initiative
With one VA I interviewed, if she didn't know how to do something, she just said, "No, I don't know how to do that." She never once gave me the impression that she was willing to learn new things to support me.
4. Awkward conversation
I didn't connect with one VA— the conversation felt forced and unnatural. I realized that if I felt uncomfortable, my clients would probably feel that way, too – if/when they had to interact with that VA. That alone made it not a good fit.
5. Repeat rescheduling
One VA rescheduled on me. Twice. After the 2nd time, I abandoned ship. They were too busy for me or didn’t value my time. Either way? Not a good sign.
The Immediate Benefits of Adding a VA to the Team
When you hire a VA, it’s important to remember that the entire weight doesn’t lift overnight. It might even feel a little bit heavier at first.
Right now, it's a lot of work to put systems in place, train her, and ensure I'm providing her with everything she needs. In many ways, it is easier to do things myself – but that's not a sustainable long-term plan.
Investing more time now means getting that time back later and for the long term. I’m fortunate to have had a VA coach who told me to expect all of this. Otherwise, I might give up.
Her advice to me may be helpful to you: Expect to invest a good 3-6 months into the transition before the process starts getting easier and smoother.
But that said – my VA is amazing already. I passed studio rental communication on to her, and she told me, "Don't worry about this task anymore, Alicia! I will be sure to let you know if I have questions!"
That was the best thing I'd heard in a long time. Immediately, my shoulders eased, and my jaw unclenched – and that alone makes it worth it.
In the past, I’ve always worried about forgetting something I needed to do or letting some important task slip past me. Now, the mental load and those worries aren’t my sole responsibility. I have another set of eyes and hands in my business, which has been the best gift.
I’m looking forward to giving her even more from off my plate!
Step by Step: A How-To Guide For Hiring a VA
1. Make a list of tasks that annoy you.
Start a running list of tasks you do for your business:
Things that eat away your time (with little return on that time investment)
Things that you hate doing and that don't require YOU personally
Things that someone could take off your plate or help with
Knowing the tasks you need/want help with will help you identify what type of person you need to join your team and help you envision how quickly you can benefit from their support.
2. Write out the steps.
Next, write out the steps needed to complete those tasks. You can make videos as you do that process, explaining what you're doing, how, and your thoughts behind your actions.
Writing the steps or making a video are great ways to plan ahead. When you do hire someone, you'll already have some of these early tasks/explanations built up, which will help speed the process along. Future You will so thank you!
3. Create a list of questions.
As you look at your tasks and processes, ask yourself:
What are you looking for in skillsets/abilities?
What qualities and attributes do you want them to have?
What do you expect from them?
4. Ask about their process.
As you speak with potential VAs, ask them questions. Ask what they'd recommend based on what you’ve already shared. You can gauge how well they’re listening and gain some sense of how well they’ll support you.
5. Don't be afraid of scaring them off.
Doing your due diligence in the preparation phase may mean scaring some people off during the interview phase. That’s OKAY! It's great, even. Because what you don't want to do is downplay what you need and then have to fire them down the line – and start the whole process over again.
The Hardest Part
The hardest part of hiring a VA was getting into the right mindset. For years, I had thought, “It’s my business – only I can do the things I do.” But that kind of thinking and behavior simply isn’t sustainable.
I had to begin by changing my mindset and asking, What can someone else truly help me with?
When you start looking at your work tasks from that new perspective, the tasks you can share or hand off will become more apparent. You don’t have to do it all alone. And trust me… once you hire your first VA, you’ll wish you had done it sooner.