Five steps to hiring the right virtual employee
Key takeaways:
- As with any employee, you want to make sure you hire someone you trust.
- Think about the tasks you want to delegate. If there’s more work than one employee can handle, consider hiring multiple workers.
- Consider the experience you want your employee to have. Is years of experience in an industry more important than number of years with a single company?
- Conduct a thorough interview of all candidates, even if you’re working with an outsourcing or offshoring company.
- Consider your company culture and how new employees will fit.
- Check references.
- Begin with a trial period to test out a new virtual employee before making a full-time offer.
- Once you’ve found the right candidate, sign a contract to seal the deal.
Hiring the right virtual employee can be challenging. As with any remote worker, you want to develop a high level of trust. A virtual employee won’t be working onsite so you’ll have less control over how tasks are completed.
The good news is there are steps you can take to ensure you’re making the right virtual hire. From pre-search considerations to checking off action items throughout the search process, here’s how to feel confident when hiring virtual employees.
Pre-search considerations
Before you jump into the hiring process, there are a few things you should consider. It’s important to think about the tasks you want to delegate to your virtual employee. Are you seeking administrative support? Do you need assistance with human resources? If you need help with more than one area – such as payroll and customer support – you should consider hiring more than one person.
It’s also a good idea to decide on the preferred schedule for your virtual employees. Offsite workers can be especially useful for office or reception coverage after hours. If you work with a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firm, they can hire employees all over the world to meet your round-the-clock needs.
Lastly, consider what type of experience you want your virtual employees to have. Is it important that they have several years of experience in the specified job function? Or is it more important to see they’ve stayed two or more years at one company, demonstrating loyalty and commitment? Entrepreneur suggests you consider company loyalty over the number of years of experience. Yes, it’s important to hire someone who’s capable of completing the tasks at hand but in the long run, longevity may be more of an asset as you can train most employees in new skills.
Follow these five steps to make the right virtual hire
Now that you know what you’re looking for, you can begin the hiring process with confidence. Follow these steps to ensure you’re making the right virtual hire for your business.
1. Conduct a thorough interview
Even if you’re hiring a virtual assistant through a BPO company, it’s still a good idea to interview any potential candidates to make sure you feel comfortable with them. Ask them how their experience and skill set make them a good candidate for the role. Make your interviews experiential by asking about specific situations that might arise on the job.
2. Consider your company culture
Skills and experience are certainly important but there is more to consider when choosing a virtual hire. It’s important to go with a candidate who will fit your company’s culture. Will the potential candidate work well with you and your team? What can they contribute to the work environment? These are significant questions to keep in mind when going through the hiring process.
3. Check references
It’s a good idea to check the references of any potential virtual employee. If you’re working with a BPO firm, they may check potential employee references on your behalf. If that’s not the case, you’ll want to ask for some references. This process can help reassure you that you’re making the right call with a new hire.
4. Begin with a trial period
Once you’ve settled on a candidate you feel confident about, you can request a paid trial period. A trial period can be a way to test out an employee before signing a contract. You’ll be able to see how the employee performs on the job as well as how they interact with the rest of your team. If it’s not a good fit, you won’t be obligated to make a full-time employment offer at the end of the trial.
5. Sign a contract
Assuming the trial period goes well, the next step is to sign a contract. If you’re working with a BPO firm, they may handle the contract process. If not, you’ll want to have a standard contract ready for your new virtual employee to sign.
Taking these steps removes the guesswork from the virtual hiring process. Ideally, you’ll hire someone who fits seamlessly into your business and manages their role successfully.
Virtual hiring with DOXA
DOXA is a global business services firm that provides tailored virtual hiring solutions for small to medium businesses. Whether you’re looking for one employee or a whole team, Doxa7 can match you with the virtual global talent you need to scale your organization. We conduct thorough candidate searches and offer you interviews with your top three candidates Contact us today to learn more.
