The Five Best Skills To Look For In A Virtual Assistant

For any business owner or entrepreneur, things can get daunting and exhausting at any given moment.

With so many things to handle and manage, including holding stocks, responding to clients, holding meetings, checking inventory, and other matters, being short-handed can mess things up one way or another.

Anyone can never tell when a business might come in short with its employees. There are stretches when an industry has too much on its plate, demanding immediate action and longer work hours.

One moment the industry is doing well with its progress and workforce. They will be scrambling later due to the lack of employees.

Of course, the first method is to set up a job posting on sites and opportunity platforms. Then any potential candidate will go through skills training for a short duration.

They can work once the training is complete. However, it is not only up to the business to polish a candidate’s skills and capabilities.

It is only right and fair for any business owner to obtain additional assistance to keep the operation running without an issue or two.

Any business owner or entrepreneur must look for a decent and highly-skilled contractual worker willing to do the job. But that does not mean any person with a profile online deserves to get the position immediately.

Apart from an educational degree and other requirements, a potential VA or virtual assistant must possess several skills. Everyone has their set skills and talents, but the virtual assistant role demands specific ones for the job.

A business owner must look for the five best skills an aspiring VA should have as they apply.

Computer Skills

Computer Skills

Computer skills and literacy is the topmost priority in that long list of requirements. A candidate should know not only average but advanced computer skills and know-how.

It is not enough for them to run and troubleshoot basic computer hardware and software. They must also possess the advanced technical intellect that most businesses and organizations demand.

Not only that but workers should be updated with the latest trends in applications and programs that make industries work. Repairing and maintenance of systems and physical components come as a decent plus.

However, not all industries mandate this latter skill.

Computer skills also mean they have what it takes to focus on data entry and word processing. A chunk of their time will be for entering and taking note of the business’s information and documentation.

They will create numerous documents that will appear as professional as they can for the business’s clients. In addition, they will handle file organization, research, and top business marketing and correspondence.

Management

Management

The next top skill on the list is management. Any virtual assistant working for a client must possess management skills for several reasons.

They will tackle any task with minimum to no supervision at all. That means they will handle all the planning, setting, and responding to customers on the business owner’s behalf.

Decision-making is a neat bonus with this skill. Any potential VA you will hire must know what to do and when to decide to do an action without your permission or consent.

Multitasking

Multitasking

Speaking of management, the third-best skill that a virtual assistant should have is multitasking ability. By that, your VA should deal with several tasks or activities under minimum supervision.

At one point, they will handle the financial aspects of your enterprise. Later, they will deal with emails and client calls.

Running a business can be physically and mentally taxing to work on numerous things simultaneously. Not everyone has what it takes to commit to such an endeavor.

That is why multitasking must appear in their profile as you peruse through potential VA candidates. It allows you to check whether a worker can deal with several aspects of your business in time.

Accuracy

Accuracy

The next best skill a virtual assistant must have is accuracy. Whether they can finish work in a given time or less does not matter.

What matters is that they can do so while still delivering quality over quantity. Some individuals can commit to both with speed, critical thinking, and analysis as part of their working arsenal.

Having attention to detail is what separates virtual assistants from other workers. It allows them to check for any information or detail that will benefit the business, one way or another.

That asset is crucial once they begin conversing with customers and business colleagues.

Communication

Communication

Communication is the fifth primary skill to look for in a virtual assistant. They must have what it takes to communicate with the business owner or operator.

Once hired, they will later discuss things with the business’s partners and customers. Confidence in their verbal and non-verbal skills will be put to the test.

They must also know when to notice changes in conversations and must realize when to read the room. This feat allows them to decide, especially when dealing with customers later. Not many individuals can do so.

Speaking of communication, any potential virtual assistant must have above-average written and verbal English skills. They must know that not all customers can handle the language fluently.

So once they begin speaking the language, it is up to the virtual assistant to try and understand them as much as possible.  

A virtual assistant can obtain and hone these skills through several means, including seminars, courses, and training opportunities.

They must not rely on the business to train what they need to know to do the job, albeit it is a part of the hiring process.

As you look at aspiring virtual assistants, checking their profiles for any training and skills certificates they might possess goes a long way.

These documents do a lot more than make their resumes look better and more professional. They also mean they have what it takes to deal with anything you will throw at them.

You can also check whether they specialize in a specific branch or field, such as finance, data management, and customer service.

These specializations make them ideal for handling specific scenarios your business cannot deal with overall.

As A Final Note

We R Solutions boasts its workforce for having all the skills – including those on this list – that make working with us meaningful and highly beneficial for your enterprise.

Our top-tier virtual assistants can deal with any task while keeping our company’s vision and mission with professionalism and care.

We also train and keep them up-to-date with the latest technology, software, and applications to stay sharp and ready for any assignment.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *