There is a growing trend of people turning away from traditional office standards and preferring to hire virtual assistants in distant countries or VA’s. The global boom of telecommunication makes distance irrelevant in doing business. Depending on the strength of the connection, work can be done faster, heavy traffic can no longer be an excuse, and overtime work won’t be as stressful.
The relatively new trend however, still has some looming questions that need to be answered.
Why even hire a VA?
Why go through the trouble of hiring a virtual assistant half the world away? One of the biggest reasons businesses hire VAs is savings. By hiring someone who works over the internet, you don’t have to allocate office space or provide equipment for them. The only thing you would be paying for are the actual services they offer. They also don’t require taxes or health benefits, and most VAs work from home, relieving you from healthcare obligations.
Performance and Quality
What guarantees do you have that the VA you’re hiring will care about your business as much as you do? Even though you can only interact with them through a computer, there’s still one thing VAs and full-time employees have in common. You still pay them; their success is based on your success. VAs have as much reason to support you as full-time employees would. Because of the competitive nature of the market, they may have even more reason to do better.
Are You Hiring Professionals?
This one is entirely up to you. Navigating through the internet for potential workers can be gamble. This is the time when you should employ old school methods to new systems. Look for applicants with a professional and competently run website.
Most VAs entertain and even encourage video conference interviews before hiring. This gives them the chance to show their stuff and avoid questions of their ability in the future. Since you’re already talking to them through their medium, you can even ask them for their portfolio which you can browse at your leisure.
A virtual workforce may be the way of the future as communication technology continues to advance. Sharing and creating information is easier than ever, and the working man is adapting. Don’t get left behind especially when the situation involves the same risks with more benefits.
