Ask BuSo Anything: Working with a Virtual Assistant

[Ryuzaki]

ABA - Ask BuSo Anything
Working With a Virtual Assistant

Ahhh... dealing with V.A.'s can be one of the most complicated yet rewarding tasks. From finding where to hire, negotiating rates, pre-qualifying, and then assigning work, there's a lot that goes into pulling this off successfully.

I have a lot of questions myself, and I'm thankful to know that BuSo has all of the answers and more. If this is an area you have experience in, get involved and help out the rest of us trying to play catch up!

The ABA Format
Our idea for these threads is to index the questions and answers in the OP so they'll be killer resources we can come back to over and over again. If you can, try to format your questions so they make for easy indexing, like using bullet points if you have more than one question per post. We also want to keep the signal high and the noise low, so use that "like" button instead of just posting "thanks." And remember...​

"The only stupid question is the one we don't ask!" - Your 6th Grade Teacher

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[Ryuzaki]

I've hired VA's to do a task here and there, but never as an on-going arrangement. Things that I'd be concerned about with long term employment would be:

• Do you attempt to compartmentalize aspects of your biz from your V.A.'s so that no one person ever sees too much of the entire picture?
• When paying by the time period instead of per task, to what extremes do you go to ensure your employee is working as they should? Besides just results, do you ask for time tracking? Randomized screen shots? Mouse and keyboard movement logging?

 

[SheIsaBlogger]

What are the easiest parts of having a content based blog to outsource? Keeping in mind I have a certain "voice" and I have done all of the writing myself so far.

 

[lifer]

I've hired VA's to do a task here and there, but never as an on-going arrangement. Things that I'd be concerned about with long term employment would be:

• Do you attempt to compartmentalize aspects of your biz from your V.A.'s so that no one person ever sees too much of the entire picture?
• When paying by the time period instead of per task, to what extremes do you go to ensure your employee is working as they should? Besides just results, do you ask for time tracking? Randomized screen shots? Mouse and keyboard movement logging?

I've had experience with an ongoing VA before and I used TimeDoctor , instead of using Odesk's time tracking software with success. A VA usually doesn't have issue using this software, however I wouldn't recommend if you're obsessed with micro-managing. The software does detect their activity level and take screenshots automatically at whatever intervals you set.

 

[lifer]

I would like to know what's the most effective way to make a job post?

What are the going rates for specified VA's? Devs? Writers? etc. thanks in advance

 

[stackcash]

Coming from a psuedo-VAs standpoint, I think it's important for anyone seeking to outsource their work to have a clear view of their needs and what they want the end product to look like. We all too often receive inquires from potential clients who don't really know what they need and just expect us to fill in the blanks for them.

We do our very best to fill in those blanks as often as possible... but we can't create the idea for the client. This is why it's so essential to provide a clear outline of what's expected prior to agreeing on price - and definitely prior to the commencement of any work.

Know what you need. If you don't know, ask questions (but don't expect free work). Clear outlines are the best way to get exactly what you want.

 

[MetaData]

Which tasks are the easiest to outsource, what are the quick wins that most people should be looking into?

 

[stackcash]

What's the best way to take an inventory of your daily/weekly/monthly activities to determine what needs to be outsourced so that you can focus on higher ROI tasks?

 

[Romac]

I would like to know what's the most effective way to make a job post?

I mostly use oDesk. They allow me to describe the job and to ask some custom questions. I like to add secret tests into the application that help me weed people out and to test them for the specific skills I'm looking for.

Here are some examples I've used...
Hiring a writer for a funny niche site: There's a meme in the niche that's a question so I included that question in the application to see who would try to answer it seriously and who recognized it as a meme. If they picked up on it I know they're familiar enough with the niche.

Hiring a researcher: This one's easy. I just picked some questions that only have one answer that most people wouldn't know off the top of their head and I went from there. I've also asked questions that could have a few possible answers to see which they went with.

Hiring an editor: I included a lot of awkward phrasing and weird grammar in the last paragraph of the job specs and asked them to re-write it.

Hiring for a task that needs very close attention to detail: I make sure the application somehow includes some very specific details and I make sure they acknowledge them in the application process.

It's good to keep the job posting short and sweet out of respect for their time and to ensure people read it more carefully. You can get into more details after you have a shortlist of people.