7 Factors to Consider Before Hiring a Virtual Secretary
Admin work can seem manageable when you’re just starting out, but it can get exhausting quickly, especially as your business grows. Paying for secretary services is the obvious solution, but having a full-time assistant is often costly, especially for entrepreneurs operating on a limited budget.
An ideal alternative is to hire a remote secretary or virtual office assistant.
Why a Virtual Secretary?
Just like an in-house secretary, a remote assistant can take on a wide range of tasks. These may include:
- Scheduling appointments
- Responding to emails and messages
- Making phone calls
- Making travel arrangements
- Researching leads
Online secretary services free up time for entrepreneurs to focus on more important tasks that can’t be delegated. What’s more, virtual secretaries can work on a part-time, full-time, or as-needed basis, depending on your needs.
Their services are also far less costly than full-time employee salaries. Because they work as independent contractors, you do not have to give them the same benefits as an in-house assistant. They also won’t need office space or equipment, as they work from home.
When looking for a virtual secretary for your business, you might feel overwhelmed by the number of companies advertising their virtual secretary services online. To simplify the process and ensure you hire the right person for the job, consider the following factors:
1. Areas of Specialization
A virtual office assistant is likely to have a niche. They might provide conventional virtual secretary services, like taking minutes of meetings and answering calls. They might specialize in content, marketing, project management, bookkeeping, or specific industries.
If you want help with general admin tasks like order entry and appointment scheduling, a virtual secretary who offers conventional virtual secretary services would suit. However, if you need someone to create social media graphics or website images as well as do clerical work, you’d be better served by a graphic design virtual assistant.
2. Virtual Secretaries & Time Management Skills
A good virtual secretary must not only work hard—they must also work smart.
Ideally, a virtual assistant should be organized, and they must know how to prioritize tasks. They should also be proactive in managing the time spent on tasks and looking for ways to boost their efficiency.
3. Fluency in English
If written and spoken English fluency is a must for you, you might want to ask your potentials if they have certifications of proficiency in this language – or bilingual agents if that is important for your callers.
If they don’t have these skills, you may ask for them to provide samples of their work to see what their scripts and voices are like. An interview over video or voice call can provide you with a good idea of how well they speak.
4. Your Virtual Secretary’s Personality & Values
For a stress-free working relationship, hire a virtual secretary whose personality meshes with yours and whose values are aligned with those of your business.
Friendliness and empathy are especially important for customer-facing tasks, as your virtual office assistant will be representing your business.
5. Ability to Work Independently
While you may train your virtual secretary by providing them with learning resources, you shouldn’t have to do much hand-holding. After all, the purpose of hiring one is for you to be able to work on other tasks.
For this reason, you should choose a virtual secretary who is willing to learn and who is capable of performing tasks with minimal supervision.
6. Availability & Responsiveness
On what days and during what hours do you need virtual assistant services? Make sure that the virtual secretary you hire is comfortable with working your hours. They should be responsive and answer messages or calls promptly, especially when deadlines are looming.
7. Virtual Secretary Rates & Costs
Asking your potentials how much they charge during interviews will make sure you don’t go over budget. Note that the amount they charge for their services depends on many factors, such as their virtual assistant skills, knowledge, experience, and or their company.