subject: The Best Way To Work With Offshore Virtual Assistant Effectively [print this page] When considering hiring an offshore virtual administrative assistant, one thing you will need to think about is find out how to make the person work effectively for your company. Location and subsequently, time difference, is atop the list of challenges when hiring the services of an offshore virtual expert. Although it might be easily resolved, keeping track of your business improvement strategies and all the while monitoring whether your online assistant iis working on the task as instructed may be time consuming, if not energy draining. While a virtual administrative assistant can be a skilled worker, which explains why you hired him/her for the job, it is important for you to be able to work with the person effectively on a professional level in order to avoid wasting both of time. The following tips will help you select and hire your virtual assistants effectively:
Always Open Lines of Communication
Email and instant messengers shouldn't be limited only as a means for you to dispense the instructions. Its uses and features must be maximized and used to clarify concerns and other things in the duty list that your virtual assistant may be having problems with. Always encourage your virtual administrative assistant to ask questions whenever something is not a hundred percent clear to him/her. If you keep your instructions clear and easy to understand, then the job would be a lot quicker and easier. These communication tools shouldn't only be designed to monitor him/her hourly to check if he/she is working or otherwise, but it can be utilized to strengthen employer-employee relationship. At times, a word of encouragement could break the ice and inspire your assistant whenever he/she is experiencing writer's block or if he/she is a little stressed.
Use Project Management System or Collaboration Board
There are some free or affordable project management systems you could provide to your offshore virtual assistant so that he/she may be updated on the tasks you require. This is especially useful whenever you will be providing him/her with additional tasks. An activity timer or project progress chart might actually help update both of you regularly. Also, PMS and collaboration boards may contain a brief documentation of your work processes plus serve as a file storage and acquisition tool.
Provide Training Modules/Materials
There are often instances when your offshore virtual assistants are unble to gain access to the resources they need for the task; in these cases, you will be their access to information. Your knowledge about your enterprise may be instrumental in helping him/her finish the work. Whenever you can, try to provide your assistants with training materials or online tools they could use to work faster, and more efficiently. Or if there is a video tutorial related to what he/she was in fact doing regularly, you could share it directly.
Motivational Incentives
Your virtual assistant is actually your regular worker, who also has to be motivated to work. A reward strategy for a target accomplishment could mean a lot to him/her and encourage him/her to continue the job passionately day after day. More often, it may even minimize cultural barriers and keep everything in proper working order.
