The traditional office is changing. With technology advancing and remote work on the rise, more companies are turning to virtual employees. It’s not hard to see why — you get flexibility, cost savings, and access to talent from markets where the dollar carries more weight. 

So, if you’re aiming to do it yourself (DIY) in the virtual market, here are 3 key steps to keep in mind: 

Step 1: The Candidate Research  

In traditional hiring, a salaried job listing tends to start with determining job duties, tacking “other duties as assigned” at the end, and posting to LinkedIn or Indeed. When hiring a virtual employee, you’ll very likely need to do more research — lots more. A VE can take on some of the responsibilities of many roles in most businesses, but finding out which tasks a VE should handle in your business will take time.  

Some things to consider: 

What a VE Can Do: Virtual Employees are great for tedious tasks that clog up your business’s work. Think of all the administrative matters that are time-consuming and pull you and your team away from essential duties. 

47 Tasks You Should Never Do 

Aligning the Job Listing: Chances are, if you’re considering a VE, you’re looking to supplement your staff cost-effectively. Likely, you have an open role you’re looking to fill with that VE. Aligning what they can with an existing job listing will require a lot of thought. First, cut out “other duties as assigned” first, ” and re-evaluate the entire “required experience” section.  

Fair Compensation: Knowing what is “fair” can be tricky in this situation. What’s the going rate for answering a phone call, for example, or putting a meeting on the company’s shared calendar?  

Considering all of these points before beginning the process of hiring a virtual employee will significantly reduce frustration when the process can finally begin. 

Step 2: The Virtual World Research 

Your research doesn’t end with the candidate details, though. There are two other significant points to consider when hiring a virtual employee: where to post the job listing and, by extension, what employment laws and governing bodies you’ll need to comply with when that hiring occurs. 

As far as listing your job, the standard job boards are, well, fine. LinkedIn and Indeed are successful for a reason, aren’t they? But you’ll likely get a mixed bag of both relatively good options and candidates who are overqualified, looking for full-time opportunities, or simply think they can do what a VE can do despite lacking the experience you need. Taking the time to dive deeper into the world of hiring to find specific, niche platforms where VEs can be more readily sourced will be a valuable effort. 

Thinking of Doing it All Yourself? 

It’s also important to consider the demographic of virtual employees. Many are in different countries than their contracted businesses. That means, as the hiring entity, your business will be obligated to adhere to any local, national, or global employment laws that might be in effect. If your company has retained legal aid, it’s a good idea to work with them to understand specifically what will need to be done to hire a VE directly. 

Step 3: Building the Virtual Onboarding Experience 

As mentioned earlier, not all VEs are based in the same country as their clients. When hiring a virtual employee, consider their experience when joining your team. Creating an effective onboarding program is indispensable to introducing a new VE into your business. Providing detailed training materials, establishing clear lines of communication, and offering continuous support are all crucial facets of an effective virtual onboarding strategy. 

Let a Staffing Agency Handle the Headache 

Unlike traditional hiring, you’re putting extensive research and effort into this hire before the work can even begin. And once it’s all said and done, the talent you’re acquiring is only part-time and has a specific set of tasks that they will do based on your contract. That doesn’t make the VE any less valuable, but it does raise the cost of hiring one by eating away at valuable time.  

Partnering with a staffing agency is a great way to avoid the hassle and costly waste of time and resources that go into directly hiring a virtual employee.  

Staffing agencies offer expertise in sourcing, screening, and placing qualified VEs, reducing the time and effort required for recruitment. By leveraging the services of a VE agency, businesses can save time, reduce costs, and access a curated pool of virtual talent tailored to their specific needs. 

A Tale of Better Staffing; How to Write It For Yourself 

Here at HireSmart Virtual Employees, we take great pride in setting you up with the right fit. We talk to you, find out your specific needs, and then recruit three candidates who meet your need skill sets. You interview each other and then choose the best fit. After that, we put that prospect through a one-week certification process to ensure they are the right match.  

Our certification process is our key to success. It allows us to ensure they have the necessary skills and talent to serve our clients. We have live trainers, so we can easily evaluate their skills. We track our success and adapt as needed. If I don’t hire a candidate for my company, they won’t be processed through to our clients. 

When you’re ready to take the next step in your virtual employee search, we’ll prepare a VE tailored to your specific needs. Click here to book your 30-minute consultation today.