subject: Virtual Office Management Tips For New Assistant [print this page] When we have selected a new member for our virtual office management team, I'll get them to sign a confidentiality agreement and we also have a form where we get them to send out all of their details as well: contact, address, all those sorts of things and they will send back a signed confidentiality agreement and all of their personal details to get them to scan it in and email it back to us and then we print it out. We have a file for every person who works with us and all of the details are stored in there.
Also right at the outset, I like to set the expectations for them. We have an intro call just before they start, where I'll talk them through everything, here's your work description, making sure we're all clear and on the same page and I'll go through my expectations.
I have a list of expectations in terms of managing my online virtual office. I can't remember them all off by heart but, I expect you to be open and honest at all times. I expect you, if there is an issue, I don't mind mistakes, but all big issues once started out as small issues, so I want to make sure anytime something small pops up, you tell me at that instant. If you don't tell me at that instant, and I find out later on that you knew something was up and you tried to hide it, I don't like that sort of thing.
What are some other things? I want to make sure they've got a thirst for learning, I want to make sure that they're continually growing and learning. This is something in your virtual office management business that you want to sit down and say, what is important to you, what are your important values that you want your key star players to exhibit.
I do this even when I hire staff for my office here. I'll sit down and go through this with them. I think people appreciate it because you're saying, here is what I'm expecting from you. If you don't think that you can meet these expectations, tell me. I make them relatively easy, open and honest. If you're an A player, that's a no-brainer. A players, all these things and all of these extra hoops that I make people go through, it's looking for that A player. An A player will go the extra distance and you're looking for A players.
Expectations on the flip side - I don't want to be sitting there saying, hey, I need you to do this, I need you to do that. I also say, hey, here is what you can expect from me. You'll get me open, honest and upfront. I don't beat around the bush. If something needs to be said, I'll say it when it needs to be said. I'll tell them, there are a few other different things. One of them is I say, I'll pay you on time every time. A few key things I say, you meet my virtual office management expectations and I'll meet your expectations. It's a really good way to start working with someone.
