It comes as no surprise when one says that hiring a virtual assistant has more pros than cons. However, like any important business decision, this requires some keen insight into taking the right calls. This is even more important since the ‘norm’ of hiring virtual assistants is now gaining a lot of popularity.

In order to make sure that you hire a virtual assistant who is capable of doing the right job, you need to be prepared. This means that you should educate yourself with all the prerequisites before making any move. A virtual assistant Perth or any other city needs to be compatible with your business and your way of working. Here are five easy steps to hire a virtual assistant in Australia.

Step 1: Compile your requirements 

Before you hire a virtual assistant, it is crucial to understand what your requirements are and how a virtual assistant can help you achieve your business goals. You should also know what a virtual assistant is usually good at. If you want someone to make core business decisions for you, then going down this route is not the right choice. You can hire a virtual assistant to help your company with admin tasks, accounting, content writing, sales, cold calling, drafting emails, etc. 

You should sit down with the other core members of your business and compile what your business really needs. If you are on the verge of scaling up or if you need extra hands to steer the ship, it might be time to get a VA.

Step 2: Look for a virtual assistant firm 

The next thing to do is to find a company that can help you hire a virtual assistant. If you are based out of Australia, you can easily get a firm to hire a virtual assistant. The best way to find a good company is to look for them online. Read online reviews and what other businesses have to say about the firm. You can also contact different firms directly and ask them relevant questions. Do not go directly for a company that has the most options (although this is a good sign). There are other factors as well, the most important being the quality of the virtual assistant.

Step 3: Set up a communication channel 

Before you go ahead and start shortlisting different candidates, you must ensure that your business is ready to take in a new resource. This usually means that you should be ready with all the prerequisites. The most important of these is to set up and streamline a channel of communication. This is especially helpful with remote virtual assistants. You need to be able to communicate with your new hire so that both parties understand each other well.

Step 4: Interview different candidates 

Once you have a company you can hire a virtual assistant from, it is time to shortlist your favourites. Then, you can interview them if the firm allows that. Many virtual assistant companies have a different way of doing business. However, most will make sure that you – their client – gets the right candidate. This candidate should, firstly, be fit to work under your orders and help you boost your business. 

The best way to know whether a candidate is good enough is to look at their past experience. You must also take a special look at their communication skills and other soft skills.

Step 5: Take the call 

Finally, you can go ahead and hire the virtual assistant of your choice. Make sure that you have all the resources ready to enrol the new person and make them feel at home. One of the best parts of outsourcing to a VA is that they work remotely. This way, you save on a lot of operational costs. The benefits clearly outweigh the disadvantages. You just need to be careful in the selection process. The rest of the journey will be quite pleasant.