There’s more to do than ever in today’s world. Business requires more from us than ever, leaving us less time to take on less important work.

That’s why many people are turning to virtual assistants to get help. It’s why the rate of virtual assistant hires increased by 41% in 2020.

If you’re hiring a virtual assistant on your own, you’ll need to know how to weed through your candidates to find the best choice. Below are four tips for hiring a virtual assistant that everyone should know.

1. Create a Detailed Job Description

There are many roles a virtual assistant can take, and every assistant may not have all those skills. Every employer requires something different, so you need to let job candidates know what you expect.

That makes your job description a vital element to finding the right assistant. Think of all your needs and include them in your job post. If you want the cost of hiring a virtual assistant to be worth it, make sure you hire someone with enough skills to justify the cost.

2. Start With a Simple Test

You don’t have to hire a virtual assistant straight away once you find a candidate for the job. The last thing you want is to commit to hiring a person and find out later on that they aren’t good at what they do.

A trial task is a great way to see how someone works. Mention in your job posting that you require a small trial for the job. You can use your trial to filter out the wrong candidates.

3. Look for Industry Experience

While your virtual assistant may not have any work directly relating to your industry, some industry knowledge still may be beneficial. As you start to rely on your assistant more, you may want to give them more responsibilities with more work.

If this work needs specific industry knowledge, it’s wise to hire someone with experience in your industry. They’ll need to spend less time learning and can get up and running more quickly on their new tasks.

4. Find the Right Hiring Platform

You don’t always find the right candidates for virtual assistants on typical hiring platforms. Many people offering assistant services do so on freelance platforms. If you want to expand your pool of candidates, you need to create job postings on those sites.

Platforms like freeup.net allow freelancers to create profiles and apply for freelance jobs. Since a virtual assistant is a freelance gig for many people, it’s a good choice to pick these platforms to find help. You won’t always need someone to work for you full time, which means your virtual assistant can handle multiple clients at once.

Hiring a Virtual Assistant Takes Time and Patience

You can’t afford to make the wrong choice when hiring a virtual assistant. You’re relying on your hire to help you through the day and take care of your smaller tasks. Use the tips above to find a virtual assistant that can help take work off your shoulders.

Are you looking for more tips that will help you manage your productive days? Check out the blog to learn more about getting things done.