Take your time in the search. But when you find great talent that’s also a great fit for you and your business culture, offer really fast! GoTeam CEO, Fiona Kesby shares her tips for choosing exceptional VAs, in this episode of All In!
Gem: Are you ready to go…
Gem and Jason: All In?
Gem: I’m Gem,
Jason: and I’m Jason. For today’s session, GoTeam CEO, Fiona Kesby will be sharing with us her tips on choosing virtual assistants who will exceed your expectations.
Gem and Jason: Hi Fiona!
Fiona: Hello, Gem and Jason. I’m really excited to be sharing with you my tips on choosing an exceptional virtual assistant.
Fiona: So tip one, it’s all about the resume. So is the resume well formatted and does the applicant have a history of longevity from previous employers? We’re looking for individuals who have spent at least two years on each previous job role.
Fiona: Tip two. It’s all about the testing. Now, the first testing is about English comprehension. So we all speak English really well, don’t we? Now, the key is the comprehension. Do people really understand what you’re asking of them? Can they read your instructions and reply back quickly and follow them? So set the standard really high for English comprehension. Now you can find many free tools online, and the key here is, test yourself and test your high performing team. And this will create the benchmark for when you test your team, offshore. Now, there’s also testing for typing skills. So if there’s a lot of admin in the role, then you’re looking for someone who is fast and accurate. And again, you can find lots of online tests there, too. Now, the best test that you can also do is a sample of the work they’re actually going to be completing. So, for example, if you are a recruitment agency looking for a recruitment administrator and you’re having resumes formatted, give them a resume to format and show them what it needs to look like and time them on how long it takes to do. Now, another example is if they are a graphic designer, then actually give them a flyer that you would like created. And again, time them and see if they can follow the instructions that you’ve got as well. Another way is to, if it’s a really technical role, is to email them questions on a word document and ask them to complete that. And this way you can, you can test for their technical knowledge and also how is their formatting, their punctuation, their sentence construction and grammar.
Fiona: Tip three. Use hobbies and interests as a benchmark so you could, for example, choose someone with similar interests to yourself, which can build a rapport really quickly. I personally look for really healthy all rounders. So for example, do they enjoy fitness or sports and taking care of their health? You know, do they love to read? Are they active learners? And then here’s the big tip. Run a mile if someone tells you that their main hobby is surfing the Internet. Yes, I have heard this a few times over the years and it’s probably going to mean that they’re going to spend their work time doing exactly that, surfing the Internet and watching YouTube videos.
Fiona: Now tip four, is set the bar high on quality and I mean everything from the quality of how their resume is formatted to their test results, to their appearance. Yes, meet them virtually online first and interview them, what their written communication skills are like, their verbal communication skills, and don’t compromise, ever. Remember, it’s a marathon. It’s not a sprint. Take your time in the search, but then when you find the right virtual assistant, offer really fast. Like anywhere in the world, really great talent goes really quickly.
Fiona: Tip five. Now, this is not something that I would say you have to have, but it’s a nice value add or bonus if you do come across that. And that is look for people who are virtual assistants who have lived or traveled to another country. So in our own team, we have team members that have either lived or worked or traveled to Malaysia, Singapore, the Middle East, the UK, the USA and Australia. Now it shows that they can step outside their comfort zone, have experience working with foreigners. Hey, they might even get your sense of humor as well. And sometimes they can actually understand my Aussie slang, which can be very challenging. So that’s it for today. I have more tips on the way to share with you all.
Gem: Thank you Fiona for sharing your tips on choosing an exceptional virtual assistant, for your business.
Jason: Yes, thank you, Fiona.
Fiona: Thank you, Gem. Thank you, Jason. I’ll talk to you again really soon. Have a great day.
Gem: I am Gem,
Jason: and I am Jason. And this is…
Gem and Jason: All In!
Gem: Where we talk about leading global teams, helping businesses to scale and being a catalyst for people to exceed.
Jason: All in this brought to you by GoTeam. From sunny Cebu in the Philippines.
About GoTeam (formerly Go Virtual Assistants)
GoTeam, formerly GO Virtual Assistants (GO-VA) Inc. is a registered Australian-Filipino owned company growing in the heart of Cebu City, as well as a growing number of key cities in the Philippines.
Our HQ is situated in an IT complex with modern facilities, although since March 2020, more than 70% of our team members have been working from home.
Our enhanced operations and streamlined services provide scalable opportunities that spell sustainability, growth, and success for any business venture. As your global team members, GoTeam’s goal is to create winnable games and strategies across all the work that we do, knowing that your success is our long-term fulfillment.
We help Australian, NZ, US, and UK businesses increase revenue, reduce costs, and scale through outsourced offshoring. This also creates for us the opportunity to be a catalyst for people to exceed.
AU (+61) 2 7227 8809
US (+1) 302 207 2767
PH (+63) 32 410 7523
HK (+852) 302 203 9009
9th Flr, i1 Bldg, Jose Ma. del Mar St, IT Park,
Cebu City, Philippines 6000
Website: https://go.team
Careers: https://go.team/ph
Email: sales@go.team
Email: careers@go.team
