5 Spooky Virtual Assistant Mysteries, Debunked!

We’ve all done it. Right before an important decision or purchase, we scour the internet for information. These days everyone claims to have the correct answer. We even tend to trust strangers on the internet reviewing a product more than claims from a company themselves. With all the information out in the world, how do you decipher fact from fiction? Today, we’re going to debunk some of the most common mysteries about virtual assistants over the last few years and provide you with the truth once and for all.

Mystery #1 – Only large, fancy organizations need virtual assistants.
Incorrect. Back in the old days, the only firms that had work to delegate and enough money to afford virtual assistants were either enterprise-sized or monopoly companies. Not anymore. Small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs need help more than ever. They’re working against the clock to push their business into every arena. No matter what industry or size of an organization, virtual assistants have become a lifeline for companies. They take the repetitive and time-consuming tasks off the plate of busy business owners and allow them to focus on the big picture. Debunked!

Mystery #2 – Virtual assistant services are extremely expensive.
Wrong. When compared to the annual salary of a full-time employee, a virtual assistant is extremely cost-effective and a highly strategic move for your company. Virtual assistants have proven their worth over the past decade and usually save companies up to 80%. You can forego the costs of purchasing office equipment such as laptops, phones, and there is no commuting time to worry about as most virtual assistants work from the comfort of their own homes. The cost of a talented virtual assistant in the Philippines is between $6-$9 per hour and the quality of work is excellent. Debunked!

Mystery #3 – Training a virtual assistant takes too long.
A key element during the interview process is to make sure your job description is clear and specific. Once that’s done, make certain your virtual assistant has been accurately pre-screened, fully vetted, and has a good track record of success with your chosen virtual assistant company. Virtual Coworker’s chosen method of pre-screening candidates is a 3 step process which includes gathering important information such as confirming work at home capabilities, completion of a skill set form, reference checks, and video interviews. Once a candidate has passed all screenings then they’re ready to move on to Client interviews. This way we are 99.9% certain that our candidates have the correct skills to fast-track any training thrown their way and all the tools to succeed in their new job role. Debunked!

Mystery #4 – You can only delegate simple administrative tasks to virtual assistants.
False! Aside from physically running your errands, almost any business task can be outsourced. Virtual assistants today are more akin to freelancers than they’ve ever been before. The current top 5 most outsourced job roles are email marketing, publishing & graphic design, web development & social media marketing, search engine optimization, and accounting/bookkeeping. Debunked!

Mystery #5 – Virtual assistants cannot be trusted with confidential information.
Just as you wouldn’t give a new employee the business credit card number on their first day, you also have to build trust with your virtual assistant. This may seem daunting since you don’t have their physical presence in your office but never fear, there are many steps you can take to feel more secure with your virtual assistant. If they will be in charge of sensitive information, such as payroll, legal documents, medical records, or have access to documents containing social security numbers, for example, you can have them sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) upon hire. There are also applications like LastPass or OnePass that allow for secure transfers of information such as passwords. Virtual Coworker takes confidentiality very seriously. Our Contractor Agreements include confidentiality & intellectual property clauses and many of our Clients also have our virtual staff sign their own NDA’s. Debunked!

As with anything else, there are always some false truths out there surrounding virtual assistants. Just remember, virtual assistants can be utilized by a variety of organizations, they are cost-effective, quick learners who are easily managed, offer a wide variety of job roles, and can be trusted with sensitive information.