How to Outsource to a Virtual Assistant & Save 10+ Hours a Week
By: Scott Stockdale
Tags: Outsourcing, Virtual Assistant, Productivity, Money, Startup

1. Document step-by-step instructions in a Google doc

Writing step-by-step instructions gave me a sense of how long each task should take.

Take podcasting. To produce Entrepreneurs Can Party, there are a bunch of tasks. These include promoting episodes on social media, emailing guests, and guesting on podcasts.

Now, I have a Google doc that documents every single task. My VA can access it anytime, and each task is broken into steps. For “producing a podcast”, there are over 30.

Documenting these steps out was the most tedious thing I’ve ever done. Now it’s in place, though, I’ll never spend time training future VAs.

You don’t have to write them down. One of my previous podcast guests does screen recordings using Screencast-O-Matic. He then links to these tasks in a Google Doc.

His VAs can find these training videos in one place and watch them in their own time.

All images by the author

2. Write a Day One Orientation Document

This document gives instructions to your VA on their first day of work. It tells them what tools to download, what documents to read, and an overview of your rules.

At this stage, it’s helpful to think about money. How much are you willing to pay? Will it be on a monthly basis?

Although it’ll feel a long way off, it’s important to consider these questions before you hire. You’ll be able to put the right systems in place.

3. Write a first-day email

You can send this to your assistant when they start working with you:

4. Load tasks into Asana

Asana helps teams organise, track, and manage their work. I’ve used their free plan from the beginning.

Similar platforms include Monday.com and Trello. You could also Notion or Clickup.

5. Create an account on onlinejobs.ph ($69)

I’m not affiliated with onlinejobs, but I wish I was with all the people I send their way!

I used onlinejobs.ph for a number of reasons:

Many VAs in South-East Asia are loyal, dependable, and well-mannered. They also speak excellent English. Because of the low costs of living in South-East Asia, wages are cost-effective. The time zone difference means I wake up to completed work from my VA.

It’s worth noting there’s a monthly fee of $69 for full access to the platform. (You only need it for a month.)

I’d recommend paying. It means you have more control over the hiring process and can message applicants directly.

If the fee’s an issue, you may want to use a different platform. Fiverr and Upwork are popular choices.

Here’s how I summarised the choice to one of my Udemy course students:

6. Post a job on onlinejobs.ph

Here’s a link to the job I posted in April 2020.

At the top, it specifies I’m looking for someone on a part-time basis. The salary is $200-$250 a month.

In the job overview section, I provide details and perks of working for me. I wanted to attract the best talent. For example, I made it clear the VA could work whenever they want. They would also have the opportunity to learn new skills.

I also gave instructions on how to apply. This separated those who tailored their applications from those who bulk responded.

By asking them to change the subject line, I was able to discount half of the applicants (over 20 people).

7. Create a sample project in a Google doc

Once I posted the job, I created a sample project. This contained four mini-projects.

I asked candidates to complete the mini-projects 24 hours before our interview. (I only sent the sample project to applicants who’d completed the previous tasks.)

The four mini-projects included:

Testing their internet speed. I wanted them to use speedtest.net and attach a screenshot. Internet speeds in South-East Asia can be slow, so I was looking for upload speeds over 5 MB. Producing a one-minute audio clip of them talking about their favourite hobby. This tested their audio-editing skills. Finding a specific piece of information from my website. This tested their ability to follow simple instructions. Including a link to their onlinejobs.ph profile. (Not really a project.)

8. Send a pre-interview message through onlinejobs

Once I received an application, I sent the candidate a pre-interview message.

This message provided a link to the sample project. I also asked them to select an interview slot from a Google Sheet (which I linked to).

Finally, the message informed them of the following: I’d only interview them if they’d completed the project to a good standard. It also had to be completed at least 12 hours before their scheduled interview.

As the sample projects poured in, I reviewed each one. I also kept an eye on the interview timetable to make sure there weren’t any clashes.

Having an interview timetable means you can batch your interviews in one day. I interviewed seven people back to back, giving myself a 15-minute break between each.

I’d recommend scheduling the interview day at least a week after you post your job. This gives candidates enough time to submit their applications.

9. Interview selected applicants

After whittling down the applicants, I conducted interviews over Zoom. Here are the questions I asked.

Some of the questions were practical, such as “tell me about your last job?” Others were more conversational: “If you could have a conversation with anyone — living or dead — who would you choose and why?”

Here’s what I made note of:

Did the applicant turn up on time? Note: Being an hour early (as one of my applicants was) and staying in the Zoom waiting room is just as bad as being late. In my opinion, candidates should be no more than ten minutes early.

Note: Being an hour early (as one of my applicants was) and staying in the Zoom waiting room is just as bad as being late. In my opinion, candidates should be no more than ten minutes early. How prepared are they? The VA I hired gave good answers and dressed smartly.

The VA I hired gave good answers and dressed smartly. Can you see yourself working with this person? This is one of the most important questions!

10. Respond to applicants after the interviews

Once the interviews were over, I knew who I wanted to hire. These were the next steps.

I messaged back the applicants I knew for sure I wouldn’t be hiring.

I thanked them for their time, gave them feedback, and wished them luck in their search.

I emailed the VA I wanted to hire

Once she accepted, I also messaged the applicants I had on my reserve list to tell them the bad news. I gave them feedback too.

I emailed my new assistant again after she accepted

I told her the good news!

11. Onboard your new assistant

I made it clear to my new assistant that she didn’t have to complete anything before our first meeting.

However, she’s the best! She checked the documents and emailed a day later with the following:

We had our first meeting on Monday. In it, we made sure she had everything set up. It took us less than twenty minutes.

These days, I spend less than 30 minutes a week communicating with my VA, either over Zoom or email. She also sends me a daily report. This details the tasks she’s done, how long they took her, and any notes I need to be aware of.

Below is a typical example. I’ll usually reply with something like, “Thanks for this. It looks great!”

We also have a weekly check-in. This Zoom call takes less than 15 minutes. It gives us an opportunity to raise any questions, schedule changes, or flag concerns.

They’re very informal. We usually spend the first five minutes catching up.

The First Week

I recommend keeping your schedule as clear as possible for the first week.

Why? You’ll want to provide your assistant with feedback, and this can take time.

I try and give feedback on tasks as soon as I can. It’s not always possible, but I aim for less than twenty-four hours. This way, my VA can quickly make amends.

I also recommend the “sandwich method”. I begin feedback with praise, layer improvements inside, and round it off with more praise.

It’s worth noting you don’t have to give feedback on everything. Once you get into a routine, your daily communications can be as simple as, “Your work today was great!”

By providing constructive feedback from the beginning:

1: It’s less likely your VA will make the same mistake twice. This will save you both time in the long run.

2: Providing detailed feedback signals you’re serious about the relationship.

3: You’re developing their skills which VAs will appreciate.

The first week is also a good time to finalise systems. For example, it took us a while to find a company to send money to Vietnam.

We also tweaked the work I gave each day. Initially, I spread it over the week. Now, it works better for us to front-load and not work on the weekends.