Get a Certified Virtual Assistant

Outsourcing is a great way to cut back on business expenses and help a company stay above water in these tough economic times.

Since the most affordable online assistant services are normally offered from distant geographical locations, most companies or entrepreneurs turn to offshore outsourcing for their employment needs.

Sadly though, there are lots of horrible stories. Oftentimes expectations are not met or work delivered is substandard.

Getting the right people is a real challenge, more so if you are looking at overseas resources.

In my years as a certified virtual assistant, I’ve learned some offshore hiring practices that have worked.

Here are tips to successful outsourcing for offshore hiring:

1. Spend time looking and get a certified virtual assistant person or team

With so many offshore virtual assistant providers out there, it would be time consuming to actually check them all out. You can ask for referrals from friends but if no one you know has tried outsourcing, it is smart to do actual background checks before hiring anyone or any company for their services. Ask them if they are certified virtual assistant, by asking their membership for any association like IVAA or NAVA.

Always ask for portfolios or samples of their work, whether you’re dealing with a freelance individual or a VA services company.

For background check on freelancers, you can ask for their resumé and call their previous employers for information on the quality of their work and attitude.

For VA service companies, you can check their reputation through online reviews or if possible, contact people who have provided testimonials for these companies. This will give you an idea if their company would serve your needs well.

2. Take advantage of free trial offers

Most virtual assistant services offer free trials. This is a great way for you to test the quality of service the company or their staff can provide. It is a chance for you to gauge if they can meet your standards.

3. VA companies vs individual VA freelancers

I have nothing against freelance workers (heck, I used to be one!) but hiring from a reliable virtual assistant company offers more security when hiring from a different geographical location.

A reputable company or agency will be a safer choice given the fact that they can be held accountable if any issue arises. A reliable company would always have a support or contact person available even after a project is completed, which is advantageous for obvious reasons.

If you experience any problems with a freelance VA, you need to directly deal with the VA. This is one less headache to deal with if you signed up with an outsourcing company.

4. Get a virtual assistant that you can work effectively with

Besides affordability, one of the reasons for outsourcing or hiring a VA is to free up more time. So it is vital to find the right person to work effectively with. Here are some things to consider when finding an effective offshore assistant.

• Communication & writing skills

Miscommunication is a common problem in any workplace. It is a good idea to find out if a virtual assistant you’re potentially hiring can effectively communicate with you. You can conduct interviews over the phone and correspond a few times by email to test their communication and writing capabilities.

• Work attitude & cultural exposure

These two things affect the execution of their work. A virtual assistant, who knows her business ethics and is a bit familiar with the Western way of doing business, would likely be able to deliver work with integrity and quality.

5. Get a multi-skilled VA

Aside from basic computer skills, you should find out if your VA has other useful skills. Some VAs also proofread, write copy, compose articles, use Photoshop, Podcast etc. Learning your VA’s work experiences can help you discover her other skills.

Following these five steps will help you get quality people to work for your company.

Besides cutting down on expenses and getting more results, successful outsourcing also translates to more security for your company and more free time for you. So from now on get a certified virtual assistant to make your business place in right track.