A work at home business assistant can assist you with all online functions relating to your business, from appointment scheduling to web communications. The web can already handle many activities that were previously limited to the office building, and more activities are being transformed their online version. With this, a tele-communicating assistant has become a viable, affordable alternative for many businesses, and with a few simple steps, you can also benefit from a virtual employee.
Here are the steps in hiring a work at home business assistant:
- List down all your assistant needs and budget. Start at the end and foresee all the tasks you need assistance with once your business is ay full capacity, such as clerical work, bookkeeping and outsource management. Determine if your assistant is for a short-term project or full-time. List them in terms of timeline then compile your short-term needs into a want ad, keeping it specific enough to discourage unqualified applicants.
- Post your need in the Web. Try classified ad sites, job search boards, outsourcing agency and social networks. Develop a relationship with a recruiter as you will be requiring his services repeatedly in the future. A terrific way to look for applicants is by recommendation by colleagues. Do not bother with print ads as the assistant you want should be savvy enough to be searching for opportunities exclusively on the Web. To prevent your email app from being deluged with resumes, set the filter to forward them to a dedicated folder.
- Evaluate the resumes. Categorize applicants as excellent, adequate and rejected. Focus on existing skills, experiences and location. Check on the quality of the resumes themselves; a sloppy resume reflects a mediocre attitude.
- Interview the applicants. Use the phone, instant messaging or other communications tools and ask all the questions relevant to the job; if possible, meet up with them. Inquire about their previous job experiences, existing equipment, ability to handle specific tasks and their salary range. See how they handle phone conversations and email correspondences. You know you have a potentially great applicant when he can offer services you haven’t thought of yet (they have more motivation to upgrade their virtual skills).
- Set a probationary period. Start transferring files and tasks and evaluate his performance in handling them. Don’t dump all the tasks at once: not only will they be swamped with the work, you might also give away critical information to a total stranger. If they continue to perform within acceptable levels, transfer more and more of the work. Test their abilities by ordering non-routine tasks like scheduling business meals and contacting new clients. After one month, decide on whether to keep them.
A work at home business assistant can be great opportunities for certain people, like those who need to stay at home and those with start-up online companies and limited budgets. Web developers continue to produce new online tools and apps so that more and more office work can be done at home, so keep an eye out for these developments.
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