Freelancer.com is hugely useful when looking to employ freelancers and crowdsource work. Given the fact there is now over 20 million users, it is the widest pool of resources in one platform.
With over 950 job categories available on the site, the variety of what highly skilled freelancers can achieve is massive. However, rather than just a single job, there are even some roles that comprise a wide number of activities to help your business.
One of the most powerful of these jobs is that of the virtual assistant. Many people lead busy lives. Topping the list are business owners or people running a company of any size. This can be daunting and challenging. A multi-skilled virtual assistant (VA) could be exactly what your business needs.
However, given the multitude of activities this job can entail, how do you find the best one for your business?
Variety of Skills
If you look at this directory, the first few pages displays the highest rated virtual assistants on Freelancer.com. Looking at these profiles, one thing becomes immediately clear: Virtual assistants have a huge number of skills and experience to offer.
Have a thought of what you might require most from your next hire? Do you have a specific need for someone to build you a Wordpress site? What’s to say this cannot also be completed by your potential VA? How about hiring a VA with some SEO expertise for your business? All these skills can be in the next VA you’ll hire. Therefore, make sure you also understand that hiring a freelancer in this category can be for far more than an administrative position.
Time and Location
Virtual assistants are sometimes required to act with little notice and potentially at any time of day, so it is worth noting their location and operating hours. While it can be beneficial to employ a VA in the same timezone as yours, it may also be advantageous to employ someone who lives in a country a few hours further behind. They can then start their day and immediately have a number of activities to work on, and can then carry on your business for you after you have finished for the day.
Hours and Pay
Think about if you should pay by delivery of milestones or on an hourly basis. Make sure they work with the Freelancer Desktop App so you can check their tracked hours.
Reviews
Potentially, more than any other factors, reviews from past employers will be absolute key when hiring virtual assistants. Sure, you can see their skills and attributes in their profile pages but these can be hard to prove before employment.
Everybody will claim to be hardworking and dynamic (whatever that word means, it is the most overused word in employment). It will only be by looking at their previous employer’s reviews that you can trust that a potential virtual assistant has the skills and professional quality you’re looking for.
Repeat Hire Rate
On the freelancer’s profile page, this metric is displayed on the third column where the Hire Me button can also be found. It tells you the percentage of times the VA has been rehired by a previous employer. An employer will only rehire freelancers if they are extremely satisfied with their work and the outcome of the job.
There are many times where an employer will only need to hire a freelancer once, so take a look at the other metrics in the candidates’ profiles. But the Repeat Hire Rate is a very good sign of the virtual assistant's professionalism and abilities.
Ready to hire a virtual assistant now? Jump to this page and see the top VAs hired this month.
