If you’re thinking about hiring a virtual employee (and you should be!), you’re probably wondering how to go about finding one.
It’s possible to try on your own through Craigslist, or another job board that lists worldwide.
We’ve tried posting positions on those sites and occasionally come across a decent candidate or two.
But even when you’re lucky enough to find what looks like a good prospect, that’s just the beginning of the process.
Checking references is a little more challenging for virtual employees.
Making sure they have the appropriate computer, software, internet connection, and workspace is a lot more challenging.
Testing their skills, their communication style, their grammar, and writing – these things are essential and they take quite a bit of time.
This is the exact reason why we started HireSmart.
We realized that by partnering with a Philippine Staffing Agency, we could remove most of the stress and time pressures for our clients wanting to hire virtual employees.
Because it’s not about just finding any old person to join you and your team.
It’s about finding the right person with the right skills, personality, and work ethic to fit seamlessly into your team.
That’s our mission and our goal for every new hire and we’ve proven ourselves to be excellent at doing just that.
Our clients are surprised and delighted when they realize all the benefits of working with us.
Here are some of the value-added benefits of employment agencies, in addition to providing you with a shortlist of candidates.
Employment agencies offer a range of services including screening and vetting candidates, conducting background checks, and verifying employment history.
These services can be particularly valuable when it comes to hiring virtual employees, as it can be difficult to gauge a candidate’s suitability for a role when they’re applying remotely.
One of the key benefits of using an employment agency to hire a virtual employee is the time and resources that it can save.
According to a blog post on the HCMWorks website –
"recruiting is a time-consuming and resource-intensive process that can take weeks or even months to complete."
Working with an employment agency means you can offload most of the work of finding and screening candidates.
This frees up your HR staff (especially if you’re the owner and HR) to focus on other priorities.
Another advantage of using an employment agency to hire a virtual employee is their expertise and experience.
This expertise is especially valuable for hiring virtual employees because the particulars for remote work are a bit different than for in-person roles.
Also, and significantly, employment agencies offer valuable support and guidance throughout the hiring process.
As noted in a blog post on the GoHire website –
"working with an employment agency can make the process of hiring a virtual employee much smoother and more efficient."
Finally, working with an employment agency can help to reduce the risk of a bad hire.
As a business owner, you know that hiring the wrong person can be expensive in terms of time and money.
Using the screening and vetting services of an employment agency increases the chances of finding a candidate who is a good fit for your business.
There’s no need for you to go through the process of hiring a virtual employee by yourself.
HireSmart is here to help.
If you’re ready to unlock the value and resources of our high-quality employment agency, click here for a free consultation.
Finding the right Virtual Employee to fit your business probably seems daunting.
At HireSmart, we walk our clients through the process daily, so we know lots of tips and tricks that work great.
It’s not really that complicated and mostly it’s the same things that make an in-person employee a successful hire.
Here are a few items we think are most essential to hiring the right virtual employee to meet your specific business needs.
Define the role and responsibilities clearly.
The first step in finding the right virtual employee is to define the role and responsibilities clearly.
This helps you identify skills and experience necessary for the job.
As Joel Gascoigne, CEO of Buffer, a social media management tool, explains –
"Before you hire anyone, it's critical to be clear about what you're looking for. This starts with defining the role and responsibilities in detail. Without this, you can't effectively evaluate candidates."
By defining roles and responsibilities clearly, you make sure you’re considering appropriate candidates that understand what’s expected of them.
Look for the right skills and experience.
Once you’ve defined the role and responsibilities, it’s time to look for the right skills and experience.
Shane Pearlman, CEO of Modern Tribe, a digital agency, says –
"When hiring remote employees, you want to make sure you're hiring people who can handle the job. This means looking for people who have the right skills and experience to get the job done."
When reviewing candidates, make sure to focus on their relevant skills and experience.
Once that’s established, HireSmart will help you identify candidates who have the required background to succeed in the role.
Assess communication skills.
One of the most important skills for a virtual employee is communication.
You need to hire people who can effectively communicate, especially when they're not in the same room as you.
When evaluating candidates, make sure to assess their communication skills.
Look for candidates who are responsive, clear, and concise in their communication.
This will help ensure that your Virtual Employee is able to collaborate effectively with your team and your customers. This is something that we have dialed in.
Our clients’ selected virtual employee gets a 1-week mentoring and certification from me. My guarantee is if I would hire that candidate for my business, they aren’t going to waste my clients' time. This is part of the HireSmart difference.
Consider cultural fit.
Cultural fit is another important factor to consider when hiring a virtual employee.
As Joel Gascoigne explains –
"Culture fit is crucial when it comes to remote work. You need to make sure that your remote employees share your company's values and work style."
Look for candidates who align with your company culture and can work well with your team.
Each selected candidate that HireSmart presents to our clients is skilled, but there will always be one or two who understand your business, your values, and maybe even your sense of humor.
Those will be the best candidates for your business.
Conduct a trial period.
Finally, it’s important to conduct a trial period before making a long-term commitment to a virtual employee.
Part of the HireSmart process is a 1-week certification. We work with our clients chosen candidates to do 3 things:
This process has allowed us to have a very high standard and a 97.3% success rate for placements.
We want to give you every opportunity to hire a Virtual Employee who stays with you for the long term.
If you’re ready to take advantage of our tried and true process for hiring a virtual employee who is an excellent fit for your business, click here for a free consultation.