Bringing a virtual assistant into your business can be a scary idea. But the benefits often outweigh the risk. Being so far away the only connection you have is an internet connection, this alters the paradigm. It means the values and morals of your virtual assistant are of great importance.
Check out the list below of characteristics we look out for in every virtual assistant:
- Reliability- Since the employee is not physically present they need to be able to work with minimal supervision and guidance, or work entirely on their own but still produce consistent and precise work and generate the desired results over and over again.
- Accountability– This is the ability of your virtual assistant to be responsible to someone. Making mistakes is a natural part of any work but they should be able to own their mistakes, accept consequences and work collaboratively to improve. A virtual assistant who is accountable and can admit mistakes allows can ensure that mistakes in the future can be avoided.
- Punctuality– A virtual assistant that is prompt tells you a lot about the person. It shows they are organised and in control of the situation. It also shows they value you and the work they do. Moreover, someone that is punctual means they can get work done in the needed time frame.
- Confidence– As a business owner, you know how you want your business to be perceived. Your virtual assistant may be the face of your business and how they interact with you and your clients. You want someone who is both self-confident in their ability and how they present themselves to your clients.
- Optimistic– A virtual assistant with a positive, go-getter, can-do attitude can help you grow your business in leaps and bounds. They are open to change, and solution orientated rather than looking at the problems they focus on the future and seek to find a solution rather than dwelling on the problem.
- Diligent- Not being able to keep daily track of your virtual assistant can be a worrying thought but finding a virtual assistant that diligent in in their tasks, thoughtful and careful in their responsibilities and driven to get work done can help to ease the worry.
- Modesty– Although being proud of your accomplishments is important, being modest and realistic about their abilities is just important. Modesty speaks to about how your virtual assistant will interact with you and your clients. An over-inflated ego and someone that brags is irritating in both the workplace and in everyday life.
- Trustworthiness– Since your virtual assistant may be miles away, it requires a lot higher degree of trust. You are sharing your personal and business secrets with someone. Trust has a proven track record in the in the professional world. Your virtual assistant should be someone that can build a trusting relationship with your clients so that your company can grow.
- Discretion– The idea of discretion is intimately involved with trustworthiness. Although you may not be running a medical practice, you may still want to keep the personal details of your clients or your payments and expenses private. A virtual assistant should understand the importance of discretion.
At Beyond VAs, we hire professional virtual assistants to support with the growth and management of small and medium sized businesses. We specialise in matching our clients with the right virtual assistant. We also conduct reference checks and background checks as well as an intensive interview and induction to ensure that our VAs are skilled and more than able to provide online support.
These are just some of the traits that we look for. If you would like to ensure that your virtual assistant is a continuous asset to your business then get in touch with us.