How I hired my own virtual assistants
Here is exactly how I handled hiring virtual assistants. I have hired many over the years. Not everyone does it this way. It has worked well for me.
Interview. I interviewed and chose the person I wanted to hire. We agreed on start date, pay, schedule per day, etc.
Pay through PayPal. For the first few days I paid my virtual assistant at the end of each day. New hires worry about scams so a daily payment for a few days makes them comfortable. After a couple of daily payments we switched to paying weekly, every Friday. Many other options to pay besides PayPal.
One shared document. We kept one shared Google Doc, or use a free Trello board: the duties for the week, their notes, my notes. That was our whole system. I talked through everything and documented all the exact steps for the virtual assistant before they started any work. I always said: "If you are confused, stop immediately. Call or message me."
How to create a shared Google Doc →How to create a free Trello board →
A time tracker, sometimes. Sometimes I had a virtual assistant download a time tracker so I could monitor their laptop activities while they were working. I used a product called Time Doctor, loaded on their computer. If you are going to use Time Doctor, tell them this during the interview.
Days off. I only gave paid days off for full-time workers and not part-timers. I normally gave off the major USA and Filipino holidays. On top of that, one paid day off for every month worked. It didn't matter if they used the day off for vacation or sick leave. Extra days off beyond this were unpaid.
The 13th month. The 13th month: stay a full year and you get an extra month's pay. This 13th month is "somewhat customary" in the Philippines. I typically paid the 13th month, pro-rated for part-time workers.
No contract. We agreed by email.
This is the system I followed and it was successful. Not legal or tax advice.
— Matt, founder of StaffCastle
