You’ve just hired a virtual assistant – congratulations!
Now what? 😂
How do you properly onboard your new remote employee so that they’re set up for success?
In this today’s blog, we’ll share five tips for onboarding your virtual assistant. By following these simple steps, you can help ensure your new hire hits the ground running and is productive from day one!
Define what a virtual assistant is and what they can do for you.
A virtual assistant is much more than a helping hand…they are like your personal assistant, who helps you tend to any tasks without being in the same physical space.
Virtual Assistants can help you with everything from managing your email, setting up calendar appointments, creating, editing and formatting documents to researching content for projects – all these mundane but important tasks that take up our precious time. That said, with the right VA on your team, these tasks will become a breeze!
You can rest easy with the knowledge that when you hire a virtual assistant they will not only save you time and free up valuable mental energy but they will also add value and expert skills to an organization. Allowing you to focus on what makes your business soar.
Set expectations from the start.
Setting expectations from the start is essential for any successful relationship, especially when you are seeking help with something.
When you know what you need and how often, it makes it easier for the one providing assistance to understand the scope of the project and better give their time and energy to you.
Plus, when clear expectations are in place, it becomes much simpler to deal with setbacks because both parties know exactly what’s expected of them. This will give your work relationship a higher chance of success and will also save you a lot of stress down the road.
Give them a test run – assign them a few tasks to see how they work before giving them more responsibility.
Assigning a few tasks to test someone out before giving them more responsibility is a great way of getting to know their skills, capabilities, and working style.
Instead of making a splash on the deep end, taking your time for a slow wade-in can help you assess the situation more accurately.
We’ve all jumped into something head first only to stumble, so taking small and manageable steps could help both you and your new associate be successful in the long-run. It’s all about gaining that precious knowledge!
Communicate regularly – check in with them frequently to see how they’re doing and give feedback.
As an important part of any successful team, effective communication is key. Checking in with your colleagues frequently can go a long way.
Not only can it give you an opportunity to provide feedback when it’s needed, but it also helps increase their motivation and morale—which in turn can boost productivity and strengthen team bonds.
As the old adage tells us: ‘A problem shared is half-solved.’
Regular check-ins are an essential way to ensure that everyone on the team feels heard, appreciated and valued. When used effectively, communication can be a powerful thing – so make sure you don’t neglect its importance!
Be patient – it takes time to build trust and get used to working together, but it will be worth it in the end.
Learning how to work effectively with a new team or colleague can take time, and that’s okay!
While it may be frustrating at first, patience and a good plan of action would be a good investment. Taking the time to understand each other’s skillset, experience and communication style will go a long way.
That initial effort to bond and foster trust pays off in the end – your team gains confidence, you develop better problem-solving skills, and progress towards shared objectives becomes smoother.
So, don’t give up when things start out bumpy – set reasonable goals, check in with each other often, and have some fun along the way. You’ll find that the rewards of building strong relationships with colleagues quickly outweigh any temporary struggle!
Learning how to work with a virtual assistant takes time – but investing that effort upfront is worth it in the long run. You’ll have to define your expectations from the start and give them a test run before trusting them with bigger tasks. Remember to communicate regularly, so you can both work on building trust, and don’t forget to be patient while getting used to working together. Don’t be discouraged if something goes awry – take a step back, take a breath and try again! A great virtual assistant can be an invaluable asset for any business – just make sure you put in the hard work ahead of time, and you’ll reap the rewards later!
If you haven’t found a reliable virtual partner yet, get a virtual assistant with Your Workforce Online. We’re not an agency. We’re a team of virtual assistance experts who work together to provide you and your business with a wider variety of skill sets and capacities through a single service.
We make ‘getting help’ easier!
Click here to book a free discovery call – and feel free to download the Ultimate VA Task Checklist from the bottom of this page. You’ll get a glimpse of what kind of help we can offer and plan ahead based on your needs.