When you initiate the process of hiring your first virtual assistant or even adding someone to your team after you’ve been in operation for a while, it is ideal to recognize good talent when you see it.
Many people who have gone through the process of hiring a virtual assistant or other members of their digital team will have many crash and burn moments where they hire someone who wasn’t right for the job. Sometimes even with your best efforts to keep this from happening, you will encounter a situation where you have to fire somebody and continue the search for the ideal assistant.
However, you also need to be able to identify the person who is a right fit for your business as soon as possible so that you can lock them down and begin building a positive relationship. Here are some key signs that you are working with someone who may end up being with you over the long haul.
Your Personality and the VA’s Personality Just “Click”
This is one of the primary reasons that I recommend you get on the phone with the new virtual assistant as soon as possible. Sometimes personalities that seem to come across well in email don’t actually communicate well over the phone. This doesn’t mean that you have to obligate yourself to a weekly or a daily phone call with this person but do a 10 or 15-minute interview over Skype so you get a sense of how they work.
Bear in mind that most people will present their best selves on a Skype call so in the event that you are already having communication challenges early on, this is probably a red flag. However, in the event that you connect with the person and they understand your vision and goals – this is a good sign to move forward with a test project.
The VA is One Step Ahead of You
It’s one thing to hire a virtual assistant to carry out a task from beginning to completion. It’s a whole other thing when you have someone on your team who recognizes the purpose of the brand, products or service that you are building and works hard to be one step ahead of you.
For example, let’s assume that you assign your virtual assistant to fix something on your website and they come back having done some additional research on the site and have suggested three other places where they could make quick and easy fixes. This is a great example of somebody who has invested in your business, not just for the opportunity to make money but to truly help you present the best possible version of yourself.
Someone who is intuitive and thinks ahead in terms of next steps can be extremely valuable.
Your VA is Honest, Even When They Make Mistakes
One of the greatest frustrations as a virtual assistant is having a client who expects that the VA will be perfect all of the time. Every single person makes mistakes and some of the communication breakdowns that frequently occur between clients and virtual assistants have to do with poor directions or poor communication on the part of the client. However, there will come a time when your virtual assistant will make a mistake, miss a deadline, or misunderstand what you meant.
However, what’s important in this situation is how the VA responds, tries to fix it and changes things for the future. Even in the event that the communication breakdown was the client`s fault, a good VA will recognize opportunities to fix this in the future, such as clarifying instructions, putting together a standard operations manual or using templates to make your life easier.
If the person is constantly dodging responsibility or simply puts the blade back on you when there has been a breakdown that was clearly their fault, this is a red flag that this person is not invested and owning up to their own mistakes.
Everyone makes mistakes. Being honest about them is important. Having a great virtual assistant or team of digital supporters can be critical to building your business today and maintaining your sanity.
Make sure that when you see good talent – you reward it, recognize it and thank the people in your team who provide it. As they grow with your company, they will also grow in talent and commitment.