How to Find an VA Who Actually Fits Your Vision (Part 3 of 4)
You have made the decision that now is the time to hire and outsource your business needs to either a Virtual Assistant. While you’re likely excited about that, you’re also probably wondering where you even begin with that while also moving things forward in your business. Outside of my work as a service provider, my corporate background comes with over ten years of recruiting experience. And as part of this series on the blog, I'm sharing all of my advice on hiring an VA to help you avoid getting buried in an overwhelming application process.
Be sure to go binge Part 1 and Part 2 of this series to get a sense of who to hire before you start the actual hiring process
What To Know About Yourself Before You Start Looking for a VA
There are a few things to prepare prior to ever telling your community that you are hiring. No this is not a deep clean of your business rather a space to gain clarity on the pieces that you are ready to pass off.
Not every VA is built the same and that’s a good thing, but it is important for you to know who you are looking for before you start spending time meeting with potential matches.
To do this well, I suggest blocking off intentional time and reflecting on your current business and the vision that you dream about.
To help get you started here are a few questions that could help you gain a clearer understanding on who you are looking for:
What is one dream or goal I keep putting on the back burner that I am so ready to hit the ground?
What is working well in my business?
Where are opportunities that I can grow?
Do I need better systems?
How is my team doing? Would a stronger accountability system benefit them?
How are my current launches, products, content, (fill in the blank on what you do)?
Where can I elevate my client experience?
Are there any recurring balls that I keep dropping?
How are my software systems? Is there one that I could use specialized help with?
After you complete this step you should see the gaps where a VA can step in and support your vision. You can use this to build out a mini job description to get you started in your talent search.
Starting Your Search and Accepting Applications
The position you are looking to fill is not necessarily going to be one you post and share on job boards like Indeed, but rather non-traditional places and community outreach.
After spending years recruiting, I am more than confident in telling you that traditional job boards would not be a good investment to start at, especially with the amount of money you'd have to spend just to get your position posted.
As a Virtual Assistant myself I have found three places that my clients come through:
Word of Mouth and Referrals: Your community knows good people! Once you know who you are looking for, tell your people, they want what is best for you while also knowing how you work. That insider knowledge will help your time narrowing down applications.
Social Media: Facebook, Instagram and even Threads are great places to look and share your hiring. Word to the wise - you are going to receive major interest and I’d say plan to spend a decent amount of time reviewing applications.
Community Groups: When I started my business, I completed an online training course through The Start and Grow with Sara Wiles. What sets her program apart from others is the built-in matchmaking lead program where business owners can submit their needs and those leads are sent directly to her students. Through her training I gained confidence in my onboarding and abilities to understand the needs of business owners and the gaps I could fill. Finding a trusted community where you can plant those seeds with pre-vetted candidates is a great resource for you to consider.
Preparing for Applications
This could be the recruiter in me but if you are looking to share on social media I can’t recommend enough to create a quick “application” for someone to submit.
This can be done through a Google form but gives you a place to gather information and navigate who you actually want to talk to rather than spending the wheel on calls that aren’t a match right from the beginning.
Use your questions from your reflection time and create questions to help you find your VA! This does not need to be anything elaborate as a discovery call/ interview should definitely take place.
Discovery Call + Interview Tips
Ask about their experience with similar businesses
Gauge their familiarity with tools and systems that you use
Talk through communication styles
How are they on problem solving or thinking outside of the box
Elevate soft skills and just over all flow of the conversation
Watch for Red Flags such as:
No onboarding process: A VA should have a clear and structured way of bringing you on as a client. If they can't walk you through how they get started with a new client, that's a sign they may not be as organized or experienced as you need them to be.
Conversation is very surface level: A discovery call should feel like a strategic conversation, not small talk. If they aren't asking thoughtful questions about your business, your goals, or your challenges, they likely aren't thinking about how to actually support your vision.
No clear boundaries: Boundaries are actually a green flag in disguise. A VA who has defined working hours, communication expectations, and scope of work will bring that same structure and clarity to your business.
A discovery call is just another word for an interview, but this interview is going to find you calm to your chaos and hopefully your strategic partner to take your vision to reality.
Take your time and talk to anyone you are interested in. From my professional experience just a soft reminder, your first hire might flop and that’s ok especially as you are working through and finding what you need or want. Follow your intuition and see where that leads you.
Where to Go From Here
The process of onboarding will be between you and your new VA. I would imagine a contract, invoicing and most definitely an onboarding call to build the foundation will take place.
If you have questions or need guidance on your hiring process I am happy to offer a 15 minute strategy call and see how I can support your hiring efforts. Book a call here or connect with me on Instagram where I am happy to answer questions as well.
At the end of the day the right Virtual Assistant should feel like a strategic collaborator and not another contractor.