How to Find a Perfect Virtual Assistant for Your Business?

A Comprehensive Virtual Assistant Hiring Guide for Amazon Sellers that Struggle to Find the Best Talent

Hey, guys! I am excited to welcome you to the new series of articles that I am doing on how to automate your hiring process, and this is the first part! 

In this series, I will talk about how to automate your recruitment process and how easy hiring can be if you follow the right process.

This article will focus on what is the perfect hiring process, what it should include, and how we can make it effective to acquire the best talent.

The second article of the series is a practical version of all the theoretical stuff we will discuss here.

Read The Second Article Here: From Posting Jobs to Recruiting the Best of the Best – This is the Hiring Automation System You Have Been Looking for All Along!

At the heart of the series is a hiring automation system that my friend, Barak Almog, has developed. 

Barak is a regular guest on my YouTube channel, where he always shares some gems from his experience of online entrepreneurship.

You are welcome to watch these videos if you learn more quickly by watching than reading. 

I am embedding the video of the first part of the series right here, but you can catch the second and the last part by clicking here.

But that’s not all!

I and Barak have also created a FREE A to Z course on how to hire personnel effectively for your business.

You can access the course 24/7 and learn easily applicable tips and tricks to enrich your business with outstanding talent.

Besides that, there are going to be various discount offers throughout the article, so let’s kick-start learning the perfect hiring process! 

But before that, let’s first hear who Barak is straight from the horse's mouth.

Barak Almog’s Story

Hello. I am Barak Almog, and I have been living in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for three years now.

I am 42 years old.

I did my MSc in Data Science from a university in Israel, after which I undertook a high-tech job.

However, after some time, I decided to quit the job and went to travel for a year.

When I got back from traveling, I started my first Amazon seller’s account.

I was a noob back then and struggled a lot because I didn’t know anything about how things worked. 

But I didn’t give up and kept working hard.

Within a year, I got so good at it that I stepped into the freelancing world and also appointed my first virtual assistant.

It’s not like I didn’t make any mistakes.

In fact, I made a whole lot of them!

However, I took my lessons from these mistakes and moved on.

In the next year, I taught myself how to delegate tasks and, in the process, created a customer service system for Amazon sellers.

It went on for a year before I sold the system alongside the course that I had prepared for it.

In the period that followed, I learned that there was a high demand for a full Amazon FBA system in the market, and hence, I created it in 2020.

Now, I will admit here that I wasn’t the best Amazon seller, but I knew the system and my automation skills really very well, so I was able to produce some advanced systems and provide value. 

I gradually expanded my operation and started creating automation systems for the hiring process.

It was also the time when I opened my hiring and outsourcing automation agency, SellerFrame.

After that, I resorted to coding again because I wanted to create advanced automations for eCommerce, which is kind of my comfort zone.

I absolutely love computerizing and automating various processes for businesses.

Another thing that I love is the Philippines.

As I said earlier, I live in Chiang Mai, so if any of you are around or planning to visit the city, I would love us to go for a cup of coffee!

A Sneak Peek into the Hiring System

Ladies and gentlemen, that was Barak Almog for you! 

I love the story of this man particularly because instead of pushing into the Amazon marketplace when he was failing at it, he found out what he could do best and did it with flying colors! 

Anyways, thanks to Barak for sharing his story.

I will be taking it up from here and guiding you through this article, where we will talk about the perfect hiring process.

By the way, I have a little bonus to share before we start.

As Barak mentioned about SellerFrame above, which is his automation agency…

Well, he has been generous in providing a special discount offer on his automation systems to my followers! 

And hey!

That’s not the only good news!

Barak is also offering 10% OFF on his done-for-you services.

To avail of the offer, just use the ‘VOVA10’ coupon code while buying a system, and the bonus will be yours! 😉

Now, let’s get on with the business.

First of all, I am going to give you a glimpse into how does the automation hiring system that Barak has developed looks like:

This is basically the main interface of the system.

What you see in the screenshot above are the stuffed columns containing different types of information about the people applying for virtual assistant positions.

These are actually the candidates in Barak’s funnel that he is scrutinizing to hire, and I am sharing this with his permission. 

The hiring automation system has been created in Airtable with the help of various automation tools powered by Integromat (now Make).

I will not be going into the details of these both tools in this article, but let me show you what these Integromat automations look like: 

Barak has been using this system for three years now, and it has worked pretty well for him.

Perhaps the stats below will give you some idea of how impressively the system has fared so far for him: 

It’s pretty awesome, isn’t it?

For Barak, this system has effectively managed 527 VA hiring processes for 11 different positions, out of which 61 were hired and 460 rejected!

I know that’s exciting, and honestly speaking, you will love learning more about this system and the thought process that goes behind it.

However, I think before we talk about automating the hiring process, there is a need to talk about hiring as a practice in itself. 

Why Shouldn't You Outsource Your Recruitment Process?

Barak and I share the view that most businesses don’t put the necessary emphasis on the importance of finding befitting talent for their business.

Hence, they outsource the hiring process and leave their organization at the mercy of an agency they barely know about.

That’s not an ideal thing to do. 

Experienced business owners know the importance of the quality of people they bring to the team.

They know that better talent will cultivate more positive results for the business than average talent.

Moreover, they understand that the employee experience, i.e., satisfaction, performance, etc., is more important than the customer experience.

It is because satisfied and happy employees directly impact customer experience which determines whether the business is doing great or better left untouched. 

Despite that, many entrepreneurs see the recruitment process as more hard, complex, and more demanding than it really is.

Resultantly, they just outsource it to an external agency and prefer not to deal with it.

We believe that it is a mistake. 

The reluctance to engage in the recruitment process sometimes costs heavily to the businesses.

The failure rate of external recruitment is high.

The candidates that look like a great promise on paper turn out to be a great disappointment.

The following could be the potential reasons for this phenomenon:

1. Lots of candidates are simply good at selling themselves: They have resolved the mystery around what attracts the businesses the most. So they present themselves as a perfect remedy for all ailments. But the truth is, they are not. And a good entrepreneur will know it, if he or she hires themselves. 

2. Lots of candidates survive the process but can’t handle the job pressure: Such candidates shrewdly mark all the tick boxes during the hiring process, but when put to the test, their talents melt away like ice under the sun. 

3. The high pay attracts many unfit candidates: It is true. The high pay attracts many unfit candidates like a bulb light attracts moths. Amidst this swarm of candidates, unfortunately, it becomes really hard to find a deserving person, and usually, agencies end up recruiting an average person just to do away with the process. 

In addition to that, most business owners choose the following approach while recruiting talent for their organization: 

It is what it says, “a simplistic approach is prone to failure!”

What many businesses do is they just post job ads on Facebook, LinkedIn, or any other platforms, and subsequently, five or six person reach out to them.

After that, they see which candidates stand out and invite them to the interview.

Once the interview is done, boom… congratulations, you are hired!

This approach is flawed because it doesn’t give you a comprehensive overview of a candidate.

As I highlighted above, the candidates that are good at selling themselves will always outstand and perhaps will beat the talent you need.

You won’t want that, right? 

Now, let me show you some important points that should motivate you to choose another approach to hiring quality people for your team: 

With raw talent in your team, no force in the world would be able to beat you.

And if you thought you could handle an entire business alone, we both would encourage you to reconsider!

Besides that, a perfect hiring process powered by an advanced hiring system would take your earning potential to the next level.

It will not only make you an effective leader but also will make doing the business fun and enjoyable for you.

All these things are very much realistic and possible, but only if you hire yourself! 

However, let’s see the whole matter from a different angle, which is…

What If You Don't Want to Deal With Hiring?

In order to initiate a conversation on this topic, let me quote Barak here:

I have provided VA hiring service to many of my clients.

In my experience, if you ask me to hire a VA for you, I would say it’s not ideal.

I have come to believe that business owners should undertake the hiring process themselves.

It benefits them in many ways.

~ Barak Almog

According to Barak, outsourcing your hiring process is not an ideal situation because it takes a heavy toll on your business.

He provides the following reasons to justify his stance, and I completely agree with him: 

1. It is expensive: When you buy a VA from any other agency or entirely outsource your recruitment, you will have to pay extra bucks in both cases. These expenses are unnecessary and can be cut off by hiring yourself. 

2. The VA hired by an agency will be loyal to the agency, not you: It is usually not possible that a VA that an agency hires for you will honestly do the job for you. His loyalties will always remain with the hiring agency. 

3. You cannot decide on your own team: Perhaps a huge drawback of outsourcing your recruitment process is you don’t have any say on who comes into business and who doesn’t. That means your team is not REALLY your team! 

4. An important aspect of your business gets compromised: A virtual assistant is an asset to your business. If you aren’t prudent about your business assets, then be ready to pay the cost for it. 

All in all, business owners must learn to recruit their own people.

I myself have been hiring virtual assistants myself both for my Amazon business as well as for the YouTube channel.

And honestly speaking, I really enjoy the process! 

It is way more efficient than asking other agencies to hire for you.

It might be taxing in the start, but when you get used to it, that’s when it starts becoming a worth-taking adventure.

What I really like about hiring your team yourself is the bond that you get to create with your team.

It makes you and the team feel that you are part of something big and your goals are mutual. 

Therefore, it is safe to say that the simplistic approach while hiring talent for your organization is not advantageous and should be replaced by an effective, result-oriented process. 

How is that process going to be?

We will discover soon.

But let me first quickly mention some important aspects that often leave owners confused.

For example:

Who Should We Hire?

It might sound strange, but most sellers find themselves confused when it comes to hiring a specific person to do a certain job.

They don’t know exactly what kind of work they want to extract from a certain person and how they should find them.

Hence, sellers often come across a situation where they ask, “Who should we hire?”

Well, the good thing is: the solution is simple and easy.

What sellers need to do in such circumstances is outline the tasks they want to get done rather than focusing only on the job title. 

Take, for example, Social Media VA.

It is a very broad term and may or may not fulfill all of your requirements in its most general definition.

That’s why if you want to hire a professional to handle certain aspects of your job, you need to answer this simple question: what tasks do you want to pass on? 

While answering this question, highlight the tasks and specific requirements that you deem necessary.

Perhaps the following example will help you understand:

You see, this is a simplified and elaborated job description for a Social Media VA, which gives both the employee and potential candidates an idea about what they seek and can expect from the job.

Where Do You Find High-Quality Candidates?

So, you have got the whole job description ready.

Now, where should you look for perfect candidates?

The following are a few options that are preferable to employers all over the world: 

1. Job seekers' marketplaces

2. Freelancers' marketplaces: Fiverr/Upwork 

3. Facebook groups 

4. Friend referrals 

5. Colleagues' referrals 

6. LinkedIn

Okay, now you have got all the basics to kick-start the hiring process!

So, let's dive into it. 

What is the Perfect Hiring Process? 

The perfect hiring process is one that eliminates biases, thoroughly assesses a candidate's abilities, and ensures that the selected candidate is the best fit for the role and the organization as a whole.

The traditional hiring method is often focused on the charisma and presentation skills of the candidate, which might not necessarily be the best indicators of performance, team compatibility, or potential.

Barak's hiring process seeks to correct these flaws by incorporating a comprehensive approach that covers multiple aspects of a candidate's profile.

The process is as follows.

Let me discuss each step separately.

Step #1: Job Ad

The first step is always posting the job ad.

In the job ad, try to mention the tasks as precisely as possible.

Besides that, you can also mention some loose and some strict requirements that are important for you to see in a candidate. 

In addition to that, there are a few important things that you need to keep in mind while preparing a job ad:

1. Professional feel – Make sure your job ad is free of any spelling, grammar, and structure errors. Mistakes like these negatively impact your job post and may scare away a perfect team player. 

2. Short bullets – Avoid writing an essay-like job post. As I said earlier, try to make the ad as precise as possible. To do that, mentioning tasks in bullet points can be very effective. Please refer to the social media VA job post screenshot above for an example. 

3. Friendly tone – You should not sound very demanding in your ad. Make sure your job post echoes a friendly tone. Remember, hiring is marketing, and skilled people have many other options. Hence, give them a strong reason to choose you, and what could be better than a friendly, less-serious job advertisement? 😉 

4. Benefits/Perks – Do not forget to put in something about what potential employees can get once they are appointed. Mention the perks and benefits you are willing to offer and it will perfect your job ad. 

Step #2: Application Form

Okay, so you have posed the job ad, and now you want candidates to reach out to you with their basic personal and professional information.

How do you do that?

Provide email to receive CVs, cover letters, etc., right? 

Wrong. Don’t do that! 

It only prolongs the process, and who has the time to respond separately to all the candidates after all?

Therefore, a job application form is a perfect deal here.

It allows you to collect all the basic information you need from a candidate.

It empowers you to receive only the information that you need, which automatically eliminates unnecessary info.

Moreover, if a candidate doesn’t fulfill a strict requirement – i.e., zero experience, no equipment – you can reject them then and there.

Lastly, you can get an initial feel regarding the candidate, meaning if anyone strikes you as impressive, you may want to get him in the funnel for the next step, which is…

Step #3: Skill Test

Once you find someone who has the basic requirements, the next step is sending them a skill test.

Skill test does not only let you check the skill level of a candidate, but it does more than that. It allows you to observe a candidate’s attention to detail besides how well he uses the advanced tools.

For example, if you are looking for a graphic designer or content creator, you will be able to see how good they are at using tools like Canva, Photoshop, etc. 

Furthermore, you will get to see if a candidate follows the instructions or not.

His computer and internet skills also get exposed in many ways while completing the test.

You can create the test in any way you want in order to see the candidate’s capability.

For example, you can add some creative tasks to see the independent thinking or set a deadline to check the motivation level of a candidate. 

Once you receive the documents, you can decide whether you want to interview this candidate or reject them. 

Step #4: Personal Interview

The last step before hiring or rejecting is the personal interview.

Usually, an interview is just an honest conversation between a candidate and the employer.

However, much can be learned from that conversation.

You can see the character and attitude of a candidate.

By speaking with them directly, you can also learn about their dedication, motivation, and eagerness to take the job. 

You have to remember that these people have passed the skill test, so they are almost very much capable of doing the work you want them to do.

What distinguishes the interview from the rest of the steps is that it gives you a real-time opportunity to observe a candidate’s various sets of skills, with the exception of work skills.

Communication skills are a good example; if a candidate passes the test but is unable to convey his motivation and required attitude for the job in the right words, that maybe be the red flag right there!

Similarly, you are free to look for all the things that you might consider a red flag. 

Barak prefers a chat interview over a Zoom meeting.

For him, one of the red flags is a candidate’s typing speed. “If a candidate is taking five minutes to respond, I know they are not worth it,” he believes. 

Ladies and gentlemen, that was all about the perfect hiring process for you!

It was a good one, right?!

Yes, It All Sounds Perfect, But…

The only problem is: No one has the time for bureaucracy! 

In the midst of a fast-paced world, sellers usually do not have the required time to work on a process like this besides managing their business and personal lives.

Creating the process, recording details, checking submissions, inviting to interviews, and scheduling meetings – for sellers, it’s just asking for too much. 

But what if I tell you there is a way you can do each of these things from a single screen in the easiest way?

What if you didn’t have to skip important tasks of your business just to hire virtual assistants yourself?

What if a virtual assistant hiring automation system could perform all the above tasks with a few clicks?!

Believe me, I am not fantasizing  – it’s real!

If you want to see it for yourself, I invite you to the second part of this article by clicking here, or you can watch the second video of our ‘How to automate your hiring process’ series on my YouTube channel!  

I will meet you in my next article.

Until then, goodbye! 

Yours, 

Vova :)