Are you looking to on-board a Virtual Administrative Support Assistant? You are in the right place! 

Discover their responsibilities and learn how to hire the best administrative assistant in 2024.

In this blog, we will discuss:

• Introduction

• Who is an Administrative Support Assistant?

• Skills and Qualifications to Look for in an Administrative Support Assistant

• What are the Benefits of Hiring an Administrative Support Assistant?

• Getting Ready to Hire a Virtual Administrative Assistant

• Hire an Administrative Support Assistant with OWL

• Final Thoughts

Key Takeaways: 

• A virtual administrative assistant plays a key role in ensuring smooth business operations, offering flexibility, cost savings, and other benefits.
• Hiring a virtual administrative assistant is cost-effective and can help you scale your business, generate high ROI, and significantly reduce labor and operational costs.
• Hiring a virtual assistant can significantly help you save operational costs. According to an article published in Forbes, outsourcing can save companies up to 70% in the long run.

The Goal-oriented nature of the present corporate world demands seamless business operations while maximizing efficiency to stay competitive and agile.

However, high-performance demands for business growth are challenging, especially for entrepreneurs and small SMEs. Small businesses struggle to manage their daily operations as they can’t afford to hire a full-fledged in-house administrative team. 

As a result, pending tasks pile up, and the team is buried in an endless list of tasks and administrative duties.

Hiring an experienced virtual administrative assistant is the only cost-effective solution that can help you save on labor and operating costs while maximizing efficiency and saving your team’s valuable time.

In this blog, you will get an overview of how an administrative support assistant can provide your business with a strategic edge and what is the right way to hire a remote administrative assistant.

Also read: Why Your Insurance Agency Needs a Virtual Assistant

Who is an Administrative Support Assistant?

A virtual administrative assistant plays a key role in ensuring smooth business operations. Unlike traditional in-house admins, virtual VAs work remotely and offer flexibility, cost savings, and other benefits. 

They are trained to manage a wide range of administrative tasks, including schedule management, calendar management, document management, meeting coordination, handling emails, and booking appointments.

In addition, competent virtual admins are also capable of helping you with complex data entry tasks and exceptional customer support, making them an ideal resource for all small business owners. 

Also read: 5 Key Benefits of Outsourced Administrative Support to Boost Your Bottom Line

Skills and Qualifications to Look for in an Administrative Support Assistant

Before you decide to hire a virtual administrative assistant, here are some key skills and traits that you should look for in an ideal candidate: 

• An expert administrative assistant should have top-notch organizational skills, including time management, great communication, project management, and more. 
• The VA needs to be technically proficient, as they will be using multiple online software for communication and work purposes. He should have a good understanding of software like Asana, Trello, Slack, Zoom, and other relevant tools. 
• Since VAs are responsible for a diverse range of tasks, they need to master the skill of attention to detail and pay close attention to all their responsibilities. 
• A VA must be able to adapt to new tools, situations, and workflows. This flexibility makes them more productive in challenging work environments and empowers them to perform exceptionally well. 
• The virtual assistant valued across every industry is the one with exceptional problem-solving capabilities. You should always look for profiles that are critical thinkers and can solve problems independently without constant supervision. 
• As a rule of thumb, always prioritize candidates with past experience in the job you are hiring for. This will allow you to delegate the tasks right away without giving the candidate any formal training. 
• Every remote job requires the individual to build a strong working relationship with the team members; therefore, we strongly endorse hiring a virtual administrative assistant with good interpersonal skills. Your ideal candidate needs to be friendly and easy to approach to ensure seamless integration with the team. 
• The most important traits to look for in an administrative assistant are honesty and reliability. Since the VA will be working remotely, you need an individual who is responsible enough to meet the deadlines and ensure the confidentiality of your sensitive company data.

Also read: Why Your Insurance Agency Needs a Virtual Assistant

What are the Benefits of Hiring an Administrative Support Assistant?

Cost Savings and Efficiency

Hiring a virtual assistant can significantly help you save operational costs. According to an article published in Forbes, outsourcing can save companies up to 70% in the long run.

By onboarding an administrative assistant, you no longer require extra in-house employees, which allows you to save on recruitment, training, and other variable expenses. 

Expertise and Specialization

It is nearly impossible for entrepreneurs and SMEs to hire competent in-house teams to handle diverse administrative tasks. However, hiring an experienced administrative assistant is affordable and allows you to tap into the global talent pool of extremely skilled professionals. 

At a fraction of the cost of hiring an in-house team, you can have all your admin tasks executed with complete precision and efficiency.

Also read: Top 5 Tools Every Remote Team Needs for Effective Communication and Productivity

Flexible Scalability 

One key benefit of having a team based on virtual assistants is the ability to scale easily. This empowers you to keep up with your admin needs throughout the year, regardless of the workload.

The flexibility that comes with hiring a virtual assistant enables you to: 

• Deal with overstaffing during slow periods
• Ensure smooth business operations during the busy season

Increased Productivity and Innovation

Virtual administrative assistants can help reduce the extra workload on your in-house employees, making them more productive, efficient, and innovative. 

Here’s how your business can flourish when your employees get the necessary support from administrative VAs: 

• VAs help create a positive work environment by handling extra work, enabling employees to focus on their core responsibilities. This assistance creates a more productive and engaged environment. 
• You can achieve clear communication, improved teamwork, and reduced conflicts by defining clear roles.
• By off-loading extra workload, a VA significantly helps your in-house team, even during busy periods. This extended support helps create a flexible work environment that contributes to a healthier work-life balance and improved time management.

Also read: Why Outsourcing is the Smart Choice: Top 11 Benefits for Businesses in 2024

Getting Ready to Hire a Virtual Administrative Assistant

Hiring a virtual administrative assistant is necessary if you want a competitive edge. However, fully understanding the process and preparing accordingly for it is also essential.

Here are some tips you can follow to hire the best virtual administrative assistant for your business:

Identify Your Needs

The first step to hiring a VA starts with assessing your business needs. Determine and identify specific tasks and responsibilities you need to fulfill. We recommend creating a list of a detailed job description. For example, if you want to hire an expert virtual administrative assistant, list relevant job responsibilities like managing schedules, handling emails, meeting coordination, etc. 

Understating your needs will help you create an accurate job description and significantly increase your chances of finding the perfect VA. In short, you need to enlist the following things in your job description to ensure you find the perfect resource for the job:

• The nature of your work
• Preferred languages 
• Skills and qualifications required for the job
• Task and responsibilities to be fulfilled 

Set Your Budget

Always finalize your budget before you start the hiring process. While remote VAs are cost-effective options, setting your budget will help you find the perfect match, as the hourly rates are greatly affected by multiple factors, including the VA’s location and experience. 

Remember, an average VA based in the US will charge around $15 to $30 per hour; however, virtual assistants based in developing countries, such as the Philippines, will charge significantly lower. 

You can see the list here to see how much you can save on hiring a virtual administrative assistant.

Consider all these factors if you want to minimize your expenses. 

Leave It to the Professionals

We recommend partnering with reputable virtual assistant companies to increase your chances of onboarding qualified administrative VAs.

The entire point of hiring a VA is to offload the extra workload; however, deciding to pick one by yourself can create the following issues:

• It can put an even further load on you and your team because the hiring process involves selecting, training, and managing the onboarding process.
• It is possible that even after spending ample time, you will end up with an incompetent VA due to your inexperience in hiring a remorse assistant.
  

The best move forward is to leave the hiring process to the professionals as they have:

• Access to thousands of pre-vetted lists of virtual assistants.
• The ability to provide background and reference checks.
• The expertise and resources to ensure a smooth and hassle-free hiring process. 

In addition, partnering with an outsourcing agency also gives you access to the global pool of hundreds of candidates who are already experienced individuals with years of relevant industry experience. These profiles require minimal training because they already have your required skills. 

Also read: 5 Essential Tips for Hiring the Best Virtual Assistant for Your Business

Hire an Administrative Support Assistant with OWL

Are you ready to unlock a new level of productivity with our holistic admin and support services?

As one of the leading outsourcing companies in the US, we offer comprehensive administration support solutions, ensuring smooth operations, cost savings, and flexibility for your organization.

We have a proven record and have worked with various industries, including Healthcare, Legal, Real Estate, Finance, Retail, Technology, and many more. 

Our Admin and Support Services Include:

Calendar Management

Our VAs ensure that your organization stays one step ahead so you never miss a meeting or a deadline. From managing your calendar to phone calls, we ensure you are always ready and prepared for the day!

Document Management

Document management is one of the key responsibilities of an administrative VA. They are responsible for organizing, Managing, and storing day-to-day documents within an organization. This is a crucial job role as it helps manage other administrative tasks with ease. 

We provide access to competent and experienced VAs who are specialists in managing documentation and creating filing systems, ensuring every file is easily accessible.

Project Management

When you trust us with your hiring process, we don’t disappoint. We connect you with expert administrative assistants from across the globe who are qualified enough to manage complex projects.

Our VAs are professionally trained and have sound knowledge acquired through specialized training and certifications. They streamline your projects and track progress throughout all phases of project management, from ideation to completion.

Personal Virtual Assistant

Our years of experience serving various industries have made us capable enough to connect with you several relevant profiles per your specific needs. Tell us about your needs, and we will find you a perfect match expert enough to handle everything from scheduling to research to project management.

By partnering with us,  you get access to a skilled global administrative assistant, enabling you to not only maximize your business efficiency but also empowering you to: 

• Eliminate Training and Recruitment Costs 
• Reducing the need for extensive office space 
• Access Cutting-Edge Technology and Expert Talent

For more details, visit our page and feel free to reach out with any questions.

Also read: In-House vs. Outsourcing: Which One is More Effective for Your Business?

Final Thoughts

In summary, having an experienced virtual administrative assistant on your team can be very beneficial for business growth. 

By leveraging added flexibility, cost savings, and efficiency, you can streamline your day-to-day business operations with ease. This strategic partnership allows you to delegate non-core tasks to your VA while you can focus on what matters: your business goals.

Therefore, we recommend that you take the next step and experience the benefits of a virtual assistant. Contact us now and hire the best administrative support assistant according to your specific needs and budget.