You’ve made a big move by hiring a Virtual Assistant and, for some companies, it might even be their first hire. Now you’re left asking yourself, what next? The next step is to welcome your VA to the team and go through an onboarding process with them. 

Correctly onboarding your new Virtual Assistant, once they have been hired, is vital and sets the tone for the rest of their time working with you. Ensure things go smoothly by taking the time to get organised before your VA begins working with you. We’ve made a to do list with four key tasks you should do to optimise the onboarding process with your new Virtual Assistant. 

Prioritise An Onboarding Meeting 

Organise an initial meeting and use this time to share details about the company, its history and how it operates, as well as give your VA an overview of any team members or clients you might have. No two people or companies are the same, therefore, your Virtual Assistant might have had a very different working environment experience from what you are used to. Laying out the ways of working and, in particular, your personal style of working, can give them a better understanding of the type of working environment they are now a part of and allows them to feel like they are really part of your team. During this meeting, it is also worthwhile giving your new VA an understanding of what drives the business, the core values and goals which can allow them to get excited about how they can support you in achieving these ambitions. 

Discuss Responsibilities 

A discussion on the responsibilities would more than likely have been had during the initial job interview, as well as being a key feature on the job spec, but this does not mean it is something that you no longer need to bring your VA through again. Ensure you have a structured list of the types of tasks your VA will be doing for you and be prepared to discuss these in detail.  

Give Your VA Platform Access 

Get your new hire set up with an account, or share login details, for any platforms they will be expected to use. If there are a number of platforms, social media accounts and management tools they will be using, put the details in a Word Doc or Excel Sheet so your VA can refer back to these whenever it might be needed. Don’t just assume your Virtual Assistant has used these platforms in the past either, put together a brief overview of how to use each site and, if you really want to start things off with a good note, provide screenshots or video clips explaining how to use them. 

Take Time To Train Them 

Although the team at Virtual Assistants Ireland are highly skilled and diligent workers, each individual still requires time to settle in a new position. Set time aside in your busy schedule to train your VA in, which will play a massive role in their development and success. Don’t throw them in the deep end and then be shocked when they don’t do it exactly the way you expect it to be done. Be sure to answer any questions and ask them if there is anything else you can do for them to help them get started. 

If you still have some questions about the VA onboarding process, contact Virtual Assistants Ireland today to speak with one of our experts - we're here to help!