Loading ...Dear Gritty VA:
I am interested in hiring a Virtual Assistant. My ideas are getting clearer, but I still haven’t completely thought through how it would work. I need to know that I can trust someone enough to give them access to my personal information and count on them to be reliable and competent enough to assign projects. My identity and reputation are at risk. What kind of references or assurances can I ask a candidate for? What can I do to safeguard myself if I do hire someone? –KP
You’ve got several question topics in here at once; I’ll see if I can answer all of them in one shot…
As far as know how it works, that’s the beauty of working with professionals. You don’t have to figure out how it works. When you hire a Virtual Assistant, you are working with a professional, not an employee. As a business owner, your Virtual Assistant is going to have her (or his) own systems and processes for getting things started and helping you determine what can be delegated.
As you consult with Virtual Assistants to find the one who is right for you, they will explain how these things work and how they can help you get started with their service.
As far as what assurances or guarantees you can expect, much of that is going to depend on how you go about your selection process. Each Virtual Assistant is an independent business owner. That means, you are going to need to do your homework, review websites and then talk with those Virtual Assistants who pique your interest and present themselves as the best qualified to meet your needs.
None of us ever has any foolproof, 100% guarantee that we won’t have any problems with a service provider we select. As a consumer, all any of us can do is try to make the most educated decision possible based on value, quality, competence and fit.
That requires us to do our homework. Beyond that, there simply will need to be a minimum level of trust extended or else there is no basis for the business relationship.
Of course, I don’t advise any client to hand over vital, secure personal or business information right off the bat. Remember, Virtual Assistance is an ongoing, collaborative relationship. As you continue to work together, your relationship and trust level evolves. If at some point it makes sense to give your Virtual Assistant access to certain security informaiton in order to conduct work on your behalf, that’s something you can decide then.
To help you select a qualified, competent and professional Virtual Assistant, I wrote a guide to help business owners know what to look for and why: How to Hire a Virtual Assistant.
