The pandemic didn’t just pave the way for offices to go virtual. It also made virtual assistants popular.
Statistics show that more than half of the workforce say they’d prefer to be remote at least three days a week even after COVID-19.
“After having experienced working from home, we can’t blame employees for not wanting to go back to daily traffic jams and long commutes,” says Winston Ong, CEO of BruntWork, one of the fastest rising outsourcing companies in Australia.
The solution is a new kind of assistant, one that’s virtual and offshore, who received extensive training to meet the needs of the nomadic labor force.
What Is a Virtual Assistant?
Simply put, a virtual assistant is a freelancer who provides administrative services for clients remotely.
“It appears that anything that can be done on a phone or computer can be delegated to a virtual assistant,” says Ong.
Virtual assistants are known for providing quality work for a fraction of the cost of traditional local employees. “The quality of work is not surprising as most have college degrees, valuable skills, extensive work experience, and a disposition to work effectively in a remote environment,” shares Ong.
How Employers Utilize Virtual Assistants
Some entrepreneurs with a lot on their plate have more than one virtual assistant to cater to all kinds of tasks. These include content writing, search engine optimization, social media and newsletter production, and general administrative tasks like managing calendars and email accounts.
Though virtual assistants are generally skilled and can do almost anything, business owners shouldn’t expect them to do all tasks well. “When an employee is not onsite, employers need to spell out the process and all expectations,” shares Ong.
Most employers forget, but tasks need to come with a detailed step-by-step standard operating procedure to determine exactly how they should be completed. The procedures must be so detailed that anyone could pick one up and complete a task without training.
The Inherent Need for a Virtual Assistant
Employers clamor for virtual assistants is so glaring that outsourcing companies like BruntWork have experienced dramatic growth. In March 2022, the company reported 384% growth in monthly recurring revenue as its global client base increased the rate of new hires through the company as a way to increase productivity and reduce costs.
Ong stresses outsourcing companies provide entrepreneurs who hire virtual assistants the most important resource anyone can have—time.
