As the world becomes increasingly reliant on technology, more and more businesses are turning to virtual assistants to help with their administrative tasks. Whether it’s to help handle their customer support, organize files or plan their schedule, virtual assistants can help to lessen the burden of these tasks.
While there are many benefits to be had from a virtual assistant, it’s crucial to ensure that you can trust them to handle your sensitive information before you start working together. In this article, we explore some steps you can take to check if your virtual assistant is trustworthy.
Ask for references
One of the most effective ways to determine the trustworthiness of any employee is by asking for references or testimonials from past clients. Testimonials can provide valuable insights into their work ethics and professionalism, giving you a good idea if they can be trusted with sensitive information.
It’s also helpful to ask for contact information of the clients who have left testimonials, so that you can follow up with them if necessary. Plus, virtual assistants are much less likely to send false testimonials if you ask for contact details to back them up, even if you don’t intend to reach out.
Do a background check
While references and testimonials are certainly helpful in the vetting process, they can’t quite paint a full picture of the virtual assistant’s background. A background check will be much more extensive, confirming their employment history, education and flagging anything on their criminal record.
It might seem intrusive to conduct a criminal background check, but it’s crucial in order to maintain the integrity of your business. Many employers will require these checks when taking on someone new, and it should be no different with a virtual employee. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Hire through an established agency
If you’re nervous about doing all of this research, it could be a good idea to hire a virtual assistant through an established agency. This way, the agency will have already done all of the hard work for you, ensuring that they’re a suitable candidate for your business.
What’s more, if you find that your new virtual assistant isn’t a great fit for you, most agencies will facilitate swapping to a replacement. This can save a lot of time compared with hiring another person entirely.
Just make sure that you check out the virtual assistant agency first, checking that they’re authentic and have a track record of working with a mix of businesses, as not every virtual assistant may be suitable. For example, you might want someone with experience in certain software, or someone who is familiar with more advanced financial concepts.