Tips for working with a virtual assistant in a remote setting

As the world continues to move towards a more remote workforce, the demand for virtual assistants (VA) has increased.

working with a virtual assistant

As the world continues to move towards a more remote workforce, the demand for virtual assistants (VA) has increased. There are several advantages for both you and your organization in outsourcing work to a virtual assistant.

Despite these benefits, you still need to focus on maximizing the productivity of your virtual assistants.

To create a productive working relationship with your newly hired virtual assistant, utilize the tips listed below:

1. Give extremely detailed instructions :

While drafting instructions, avoid making presumptions and be as detailed as you can. Try to add step-by-step explanations so that there’s little room for misunderstanding. Properly written down SOPs can eliminate the need for a supplementary explanation from your side.

You may have hired a generalist VA who has experience working on a variety of tasks across different industries; as a result, he or she needs to get a complete understanding of your workflow. Be careful not to assume that even your specialized VA will be able to fill in the smallest gaps in your instructions.

The best way is to create visual content. Another way is to share marked-up screenshots.

2. Establish Communication Protocols :

To make sure you and your partner are on the same page from the start of your work relationship, establish communication rules.

Setting regular check-ins, specifying the preferred communication channel (email, chat, phone, video call, etc.), and laying out expectations for response time are all part of this.

3. Support them with the right training resources :

Facilitating your VA’s ongoing learning is an effective approach to getting the most out of your relationship with them. Provide them access to the latest courses and guides. This practice will benefit both your VA and your business.

Their acquiring of new skills and learning new things will certainly help your business remain competitive. Plus, the VA also stays up-to-date and contributes better. This makes it a win-win for both.

4. Allocate more time and regularly check the progress :

In the beginning, when your VA is learning, he/she might require more time than the standard duration for a task. So, try to set flexible deadlines till they get hands-on experience with the task. Once they’ve got into the flow, you can change back to a fixed deadline.

If a task is expected to take 5 hours, ask the VA to report back after 30 minutes-1 hour with their progress. As a result, you can:

assess their work to ensure they are going in the right direction,
update work instructions, or
cancel the task if it is far from what you expected.

5. Use Collaboration Tools :

With the right tools, remote collaboration with your VA can be successful. You can keep track of tasks, deadlines, and progress using tools like Basecamp, Asana, and Trello. They can also assist you in providing feedback, sharing files and documents, and improving communication. By using these tools, you can simplify your workflow and make sure that you and your virtual assistant are on the same page.

6. Follow up:

Give your VA space and room to complete their tasks, however, it’s also important to check on their progress. Remember to not follow up in excess. As you would have hired a VA after thorough research, you should trust them with quality delivery. To double the optimism for on-time delivery, simply follow up, perhaps a day or two before the deadline.

Final Thoughts :

Remember, it can take some time for VAs to adjust to your workflow. Give yourself and your virtual assistant some time to become acquainted with the new working style. These tips can help you work productively with a virtual assistant and effortlessly achieve your goals.