Published on September 19th, 2024 | by Dr. Jerry Doby

Are You Using Your VA Efficiently?

Virtual assistants (VAs) offer businesses the best of both worlds. They have the skills and experience businesses need to grow, and they work remotely, which means they carry a much smaller price tag than in-office alternatives. However, to realize the potential VAs offer, businesses must know how to use them efficiently.

Craig Goodliffe, CEO and Founder of Cyberbacker, is an expert at implementing strategies that maximize VA efficiency. His organization helps businesses around the world connect with highly skilled remote partners who have been trained to manage a wide range of key business operations. The Cyberbacker process ensures that businesses get a good fit with a skilled VA who consistently delivers what the business needs to grow.

“Time is the most valuable thing we all have,” Goodliffe points out. “No business leader should spend time on tasks that aren’t revenue-producing. When you understand how to properly leverage a VA, you can shift your focus to more important tasks that have the potential to drive your organization’s growth.”

Remote worker empowerment strategies: Identifying inefficiency traps

Businesses that shift from traditional assistants to VAs gain access to a much wider talent pool, especially when they are open to working with employees from other countries. As businesses make that shift, they must be careful to avoid underestimating the capabilities of foreign employees. Inexperience with foreign cultures can lead to confusion about a VA’s skill level and, consequently, impact efficiency.

“Business leaders do themselves a disservice when they think VAs from foreign countries can’t perform on the same level as local talent,” Goodliffe warns. “I constantly see entrepreneurs working with VAs from developing economies like the Philippines as if they lack education or ability. What I’ve learned personally is that, in most cases, those VAs are better educated than their state-side counterparts and are more committed to figuring out how to do their job well.”

Business leaders who prioritize process over results can also negatively impact VA efficiency. If leaders are focused on what VAs are doing every minute of the workday rather than on what they have accomplished at the end of the day, they will negatively impact efficiency.

“When you’re working with someone virtually, results are key,” Goodliffe explains. “You set targets and manage expectations. Give your VAs deadlines and let them deliver without being concerned with how many times they check on their kids during their work shift.”

Remote worker empowerment strategies: Optimizing performance

Regular performance feedback is critical for optimizing VA efficiency. While providing freedom and flexibility is valuable, VAs also want to know that they are moving in the right direction and meeting goals. Set realistic expectations and hold VAs accountable for achieving them.

One practical step is holding weekly meetings where VAs can report on deliverables. Checking in regularly not only ensures goals are being achieved but also allows you to identify areas where skill development would be beneficial, both of which will boost efficiency.

“The regular one-on-one meetings we have with our VAs have provided many opportunities to help them become more efficient,” Goodliffe reports. “Often, we have them simply talk about their job, what their responsibilities are, what their expectations are, what they feel about them, and how they believe they can do them better. Just talking to them and asking them great questions is the best way to optimize performance.”

Goodliffe also points out that it is important to treat VAs as valued members of the team. Because VAs are remote, showing appreciation can be more challenging than with in-office team members, but investing in meaningful connections — even when it takes more effort — will pay dividends.

“If you want to optimize efficiency, your VAs need to know you care about them,” Goodliffe says. “We put pictures of each of our VA team members up around our office to show that we see them as critically important. We celebrate birthdays, work anniversaries, and other milestones in life together. The clients we have worked with who don’t do those things don’t get optimal results, even when they are working with highly skilled VAs.”

As with in-office assistants, the most important factor in optimizing VA efficiency will always be hiring the right fit. Cyberbacker walks its clients through a simple but thorough process that starts with clarifying the tasks the business wants its VA to accomplish. Once a job description assessment is complete, Cyberbacker presents a pool of qualified people who can skillfully and efficiently accomplish the tasks.

“Many people fail with their VAs because they don’t invest in a process that positions them for success,” Goodliffe says. “It can take more time to find the right fit — you might hire one out of 100 when you start working with VAs — but when you make that connection and start seeing results, it’s priceless.”

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.