Hiring a virtual assistant is a great way to build a business because they give good value by delivering exceptional service at the most practical price. Virtual assistants can help you accomplish more while saving your precious time for core business functions.
While hiring a competent and experienced business assistant gives the most benefits, you should be aware of the likelihood of encountering issues while working with a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant, just like a traditional employee, is imperfect and may be inefficient in some aspects of the work.
Here are the five most typical issues that arise while working with virtual assistants. Learn what they are and how to overcome them!
Competitiveness
The restrictions of outdoor movements due to the pandemic and the rise of e-commerce brought about the demand for virtual assistants services. Hiring a virtual assistant saves business owners money and reduces their workload. The demand for virtual assistants lures a lot of traditional employees to pursue a new career path – to become virtual assistants. Right now, the virtual assistance industry is saturated with thousands of virtual assistants both qualified and rookies.
With the rising popularity of remote work, many people want to be virtual assistants. Working from home, the main selling point of working as a virtual assistant, promises flexibility in time and location thus, employing the right virtual one requires thorough review and screening of candidates.
Hiring and having a virtual assistant is not a “plug and play” process. Not all virtual assistants are the same, while the right virtual assistant can deliver what is expected from them, there are business owners who are not as fortunate. Some virtual assistants may require more training and time adjusting to the workflow of your business. Virtual assistants are experienced but may need time in settling into your business.
Competitiveness is one of the issues most business owners face when hiring a virtual assistant. A competitive virtual assistant can instantly adjust and deliver excellent results, on the other hand, an unskilled virtual assistant requires time and supervision.
How to avoid or resolve the issue:
It all starts in the recruitment process. Spend a reasonable time to examine, review, and get to know your candidates. Create a shortlist then screen again until you narrow down your candidates to just three. If you do not have the time to work on the thorough recruitment process, try engaging the services of remote staffing agencies or virtual assistant companies like VALUE Virtual Assistants.
Time Zone Difference
The Philippines and India are the top locations for virtual assistants. It means you will be working with someone from the other side of the world.
Some business owners see the time difference as an advantage in the aspect of customer service or e-commerce businesses. Responding to email inquiries is covered by your virtual assistant while you are soundly asleep.
For some, a virtual assistant’s differing timezone from yours may pose a challenge for both of you. Depending on the tasks and the urgency of an assignment, you can always negotiate the working hours with the virtual assistant before hiring.
If your virtual assistant is not willing to have flexibility in working hours, it may have a big impact on the virtual assistant’s deliverables and your business operations.
How to avoid or resolve the issue:
You have the option of:
- You may agree on your work schedule even before you engage the service of a virtual assistant. You should be prepared and willing to accommodate this change and assess if the virtual assistant can perform the duties on time and efficiently.
- Open your agreement to flexible working hours. Set a time for a regular schedule and a time to have a meeting with your virtual assistant.
Poor Communication
Poor communication is one of the challenges a business owner can encounter with working with an incapable and inexperienced virtual assistant. A remote setup has its advantages but in order for it to fully work, the presence of regular, appropriate and effective communication of the two parties – the client and the virtual assistant.
Even though virtual assistants function independently, they should be able to communicate with you about potential issues, possible solutions, and queries. Communication is likely to be the most difficult obstacle you will face, particularly if you employ someone who lacks sufficient training or has little experience working remotely.
A VA who cannot communicate properly causes a slew of problems, including job delays and the loss of essential information. Clients and virtual assistants alike are more prone to be misunderstood in the absence of clear communication. When this happens, both parties become unable to interact fully and may fail to carry out an optimum result.
On the other hand, if the shortfall comes from you not communicating, a virtual assistant who does not receive the advice or feedback she needs may become frustrated, and her work will suffer as a result.
How to avoid or resolve this issue:
- Set aside time for a meeting and prioritize frequent communication.
It is critical to regularly communicate with your virtual assistant, whether it is phone conversations, instant messaging, or video conferencing. This is particularly crucial when someone begins work with you for the first time. Make sure are reachable at urgent times. Schedule a regular weekly meeting for fast check-ins on your VAs’ work progress and overall well-being.
- Be specific and detailed in your instructions.
When a virtual assistant approaches you with a problem, try to figure out the reason they are having the problem before offering a solution. This will allow you and your VA to work together to troubleshoot issues and discover underlying challenges.
Lack of Productivity
Virtual assistants operate remotely, so it might be difficult to determine how productive they are on a regular basis. You trust them, yet you are concerned about what they are doing every day. Eventually, it may lead to distrust and micromanagement, making your virtual assistant feel demotivated.
How to avoid or resolve the issue:
- Be clear about your objectives.
Because virtual assistants operate remotely, both the VAs and their clients must be very clear about their objectives. Your VA should be aware of the responsibilities that are required and have a clear image of what needs to be accomplished.
Make it clear what the virtual assistant’s tasks are and your expectations, based on a set of standards, systems, and protocols. You can give virtual assistants targets to certain tasks and outputs. This will make them feel more at ease with their obligations and enable them to concentrate on the job at hand.
- If you enlist a virtual assistant short-time and based on hours, use a time tracker or productivity software.
Incompatibility In Workplace Culture
One of the most common issues virtual assistants face is that their workplace culture does not value remote employees. Their virtual assistants become disconnected and uncooperative. Virtual assistants must stay on top of corporate concerns, and if you are unable to involve your virtual assistant in the team, they may feel left out.
How to avoid or resolve the issue:
- Encourage a hybrid workplace culture.
Following these steps can help you create a hybrid-ready workplace culture, even if the majority of your staff works on-site.
- Identify remote employees or your virtual assistants as team members. Introduce your new VA to the rest of your team as part of onboarding. Invite them to non-work chats, virtual happy hours, and other team social activities.
- Include virtual assistants from the start. Instead of treating them like second-class citizens, seamlessly incorporate virtual assistants into your team’s processes.
- Create a remote working best practices manual. This will make everyone more virtual-friendly and help virtual assistants feel like part of the team.
- Use a project management system to assist on-site and remote team members to stay organized and informed.
- Make virtual assistants feel as valued as on-site team members.
WHY DO YOU NEED A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT?
You should be aware of the potential problems when you work with a virtual assistant. Fortunately, many of these problems are preventable or handled quickly if they are identified early on.
Hiring a virtual assistant may be one of the smartest business choices you will ever make. Before making that choice, there are a few things to bear in mind regarding working with a virtual assistant. Keep in mind these basic practices to avoid further issues and overcome the hurdles of dealing with a VA
We can help you grow your business and free up time for jobs that matter.
For a free consultation in establishing your staffing requirements and whether or not employing a VA is ideal for you, contact VALUE Virtual Assistant.
