Colleen, owner of a growing marketing agency, describes her experience with HireSmart Virtual Employees as the "secret ingredient" more business owners should add to their recipe for success. With the help of two standout offshore workers, Brenda and Abby, Colleen has scaled her operations while maintaining the personal, high-touch service that keeps her clients referring others.
"Brenda…if I could have 10 of this girl, my company would be so big. I can't even keep up with her. She's so smart, and she's so fast and so good. And I just love her…I could walk away and go on vacation, and I know our business is in great hands with Brenda and Abby. Abby is communicating with all of our clients; our clients are communicating with Abby. It's beautiful. It's wonderful. It's perfect."
Why Offshore Staffing Made Business Sense
For Colleen, hiring locally wasn’t a sustainable growth strategy. She started by hiring someone nearby with a social media background, but as the responsibilities increased, so did the cost. That’s when she turned to hiring an overseas virtual assistant—qualified, professional support without the added overhead. Through HireSmart, she was able to hire offshore workers who were already pre-screened, trained and certified, and ready to contribute from day one.
"We're able to service our existing clients even more, which is really good," she said. "We have grown… We’re 100 percent referrals. So the fact that we're able to add on even more service to our existing clients… they’re getting better results, so then they’re telling more people."
How HireSmart Compares to Other Recruiting Agencies
Before finding HireSmart, Colleen tried other recruiting agencies but didn’t feel they prioritized fit or long-term success. What made HireSmart stand out was their personalized, thoughtful process. Each virtual employee selected through HireSmart completes 40 hours of foundational training and must pass a certification process before onboarding with the client. Colleen appreciated that her assistants were trained and certified before ever touching her systems or speaking to clients.
"That (other) company had a pool of staff, and they were just trying to farm out staff as opposed to 'here's what I'm looking for,'" she said. "When I met with Anne and I told her about my experience, what was different about HireSmart for me was, I felt like they put our needs first. I love that my assistants have to work for HireSmart first for a whole week and pass (HireSmart’s certification)... and Anne is going to be exposing them to a little bit of what they're going to be doing for us initially."
A Process That Works—And Keeps Working
With more than tenyears in operation, HireSmart has refined its matching process to a science. Anne Lackey and her team lead a rigorous screening process that filters out 99% of applicants, ensuring that only the most qualified individuals are considered.
"Our certification process is our key to success. It allows us to ensure they have the necessary skills and talent to serve our clients," said Anne. "If I wouldn't hire a candidate for my company, they won’t be processed through to our clients."
Colleen couldn’t agree more.
Building a Team With Heart
Colleen believes that the most successful offshore workers are those who feel connected to the mission. For her, the key to longevity isn’t just assigning tasks—it’s building a team that feels valued. To foster that connection, she leads daily team sessions where everyone shares something they’re grateful for—whether it’s a small win at work or what they baked over the weekend.
"Their heart must be in it if they are going to work harder and want to grow and learn from the experience… I'm building that kind of team. I'm building longevity."
With Brenda and Abby, she’s found exactly that. "I just hit the pot of gold."
Build Your Own Customer Service Dream Team
If you're ready to scale your support team with dedicated, well-trained talent, HireSmart can help. Every customer service virtual assistant is trained, certified, and ready to help your business grow—with less stress and more reliability.