How to Hire a Virtual Assistant: A Complete Guide for Businesses

Hiring a virtual assistant (VA) can help provide small businesses and entrepreneurs with essential administrative support to save time, increase productivity and reduce costs.

Around 40% of VAs offer specialist services such as digital marketing, social media management and bookkeeping, positioning them as more than admin workers but key players in business operations. The number of VAs offering niche services could grow by 20%, as more businesses look for remote support.¹

By delegating time-consuming tasks, you can focus on expanding your core business to meet your goals.

This article explains everything you need to know about how to find and hire a virtual assistant, including their roles, benefits, costs and how to find the right VA for your business.

How Do I Hire a Virtual Assistant?

Hiring a virtual assistant requires a few steps, but it can be tricky to find a good VA if you don't set clear expectations. Before you create a job post, create a list of tasks so you know exactly what you want them to handle.

Start by writing a detailed job description outlining the exact tasks and skills required. Be as specific as possible to attract the right candidate.

Where to Hire a VA

There are three main ways to hire a VA: directly, through an agency, or via a managed service provider.

You can hire a VA for general or short-term tasks via freelance platforms like Upwork, Fiverr or Freelancer.com.

For more specialized or long-term VAs, try dedicated VA platforms, or staffing agencies like Belay Solutions, where you can find US-based, premium VAs with strong experience, Time Etc for VAs trained to work with entrepreneurs and small businesses, or The Virtual Hub for pre-vetted VAs based in the Philippines. VirtuDesk and Zirtual also help you hire VAs for admin tasks.

What Should I Look for When Hiring a Virtual Assistant?

Finding the right fit goes beyond checking off a list of skills. A successful VA relationship will depend on qualities such as

• Attention to detail
• Reliability
• Initiative
• Strong communication
• Tech-savvy

Always check references or reviews to look for candidates with a proven track record so that they can become a valuable long-term asset to your business.

How Should You Hold VA Interviews?

Once you’ve received proposals, review them to evaluate the candidates' experience, skills and rates. Conduct interviews to assess their communication skills and English fluency, knowledge of your preferred tools, and their approach to managing remote work, including reliability and initiative. A video interview will help you determine quickly whether they are likely to be a good fit for your business.

Questions to ask include:

• What experience do you have with [task or tool]?
• What time zone do you work in?
• How do you prioritize your daily workload?
• How do you handle deadlines or time-sensitive tasks?
• Can you describe a challenge you’ve solved for a past client?

How to Set a Trial Period for a VA

Once you’ve chosen a candidate, before making a long-term commitment, it’s advisable to set a trial period of 2-4 weeks. This gives you the opportunity to see whether the VA fits the role and gives them the chance to see whether your business is the right fit for them.

During the trial, assign real tasks with deadlines. Evaluate the VA’s responsiveness and accuracy and check how well they communicate and adapt to your workflow. If the trial goes well, consider moving to a more stable, long-term agreement.

Provide the tools the VA needs to succeed, such as standard operating procedures, templates and guides as well as access to shared calendars, project management platforms and apps to stay connected and organized.

Before they start any work, make sure the VA signs a formal service agreement as well as a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) if necessary.

Read on for more:
How to Onboard and Manage a Virtual Assistant How to Hire a VA: What to Consider Before Getting Started How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Virtual Assistant? How to Pay for Virtual Assistant Services Discover Wise: The Smart Way to Pay Virtual Assistants

How to Onboard and Manage a Virtual Assistant

A managed VA service provider will handle the hiring, onboarding and management for you. If you hire directly, you’ll need to onboard and manage your VA yourself.

Onboarding Process

A clear onboarding process sets your VA up for success:

• Share standard operating procedures (SOPs) for key tasks.
• Provide training videos or guides.
• Set expectations around working hours, communication, and deadlines.
• Introduce them to your team.
• Use a shared document or project board to track progress.

VA Communication Tools

To communicate effectively with your remote VA, use messaging tools, shared calendars and project management platforms to stay connected.

These include:

• Zoom or Google Meet for video calls
• Trello, Asana, or ClickUp for task management
• Slack for real-time messaging
• Google Workspace including Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar and more
• Microsoft 365 for Word, Excel, OneDrive and more
• Dropbox for file sharing
• Basecamp to collaborate on documents
• LastPass to share account login detail securely

Set regular check-ins, such as daily emails or weekly progress video calls.

Tips for Monitoring VA Performance

Tracking your VA’s performance is essential to ensure they complete tasks accurately, efficiently, and in line with your business goals.

Set clear KPIs including:

• Response times
• Task turnaround speed
• Accuracy rates
• Customer satisfaction ratings
• Provide constructive feedback regularly and review performance monthly or quarterly.

How to Hire a VA: What to Consider Before Getting Started

Before you start to hire a virtual assistant, you need to be clear on what tasks you want them to carry out for you. Decide if you need a part-time or full-time VA based on your workflow. Be sure to keep critical or commercially sensitive tasks in-house.

What is a Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant is a remote worker who provides administrative, technical, or creative support to a business or entrepreneur. VAs can handle everything from managing emails and calendars to data entry, social media management, customer support, and bookkeeping.

Small businesses and startups hire virtual assistants to gain access to skilled support without the overhead of hiring full-time, in-house staff. VAs are typically freelancers or contract workers rather than employees, offering more flexibility and saving on the cost of hiring employees. Many VAs offer part-time services for multiple clients, making them an ideal solution for businesses that require additional support for specific tasks or projects.

What Tasks Can I Delegate to a Virtual Assistant?

The fastest way to expand your business is to delegate low-value tasks that are necessary but don’t directly contribute to increasing revenue, so that you can focus on high-value tasks.

List the daily, weekly and monthly tasks required to run your business. Identify which of these don’t require your direct involvement. Common tasks to delegate include:

• Email and calendar management
• Data entry and research
• Customer service support
• Social media scheduling and posting
• Invoice creation and follow-up
• Travel planning and booking
• Content formatting or basic graphic design

Focus on delegating repeatable and time-consuming tasks that don't require specialized decision-making.

What Skills Will a VA Require?

The skills you need your VA to have will depend on your business needs. Some common skillsets include:

• Strong written and verbal communication
• Content management
• Proficiency with tools like Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, or Slack
• Knowledge of customer relationship management (CRM) systems, project management platforms or ecommerce tools.
• Bookkeeping and invoicing
• Social media marketing tools

Whether you want to hire a virtual assistant for Internet marketing or to hire a dedicated virtual assistant for research, or other tasks, will determine the skills you need to look for.

What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant?

Hiring a virtual assistant can transform how your business operates:

• Time saving: Delegating routine tasks frees up time to focus on strategic work.
• Cost efficiency: You only pay for hours worked, saving on the cost of employee benefits, office space or equipment.
• Increased productivity: VAs specialize in repetitive or time-consuming tasks, increasing efficiency.
• Scalability: You can scale the amount they work up or down based on your business needs.
• Access to global talent: Tap into a worldwide pool of skilled professionals with varied expertise.

You can also read our full guide to discover all the benefits of hiring a virtual assistant

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Virtual Assistant?

How much does it cost to hire a virtual assistant? This will depend on the kind of work you need done, the skills required and the amount of direct management and training you want to take on. It typically costs less to hire a VA in the Philippines and India, although a US-based VA will work in a similar time zone, which may be important for time-sensitive work.

While you may be able to find VAs for as little as $2 per hour, they may deliver lower-quality work. It's better to invest more for better results.

As a general guide to hourly VA rates:²

• Entry-level VAs charge $5–$15/hour (often from countries like the Philippines or India)
• Mid-level VAs charge $15–$30/hour (experience in specific tasks or tools)
• Specialist VAs: $30–$75/hour+ (for advanced tasks like marketing or bookkeeping)

Set a monthly budget and an hourly cap to avoid racking up costs your business cannot afford.

How to Pay for Virtual Assistant Services

If you hire a VA in another country, paying them on time, securely and in their preferred currency is key to maintaining a professional relationship. This is simple using an online money transfer service, such as Wise Business.

Wise is not a bank, but a Money Services Business (MSB) provider and a smart alternative to banks. The Wise Business account is designed with international business in mind, and makes it easy to send, hold, and manage business funds in 40+ currencies. You can get major currency account details for a one-off fee to receive overseas payments like a local. You can also send money to 140+ countries.

Read the guide on how to open a Wise Business account

You should also ensure that VA invoices or contracts clearly state payment terms, including the schedule or date, rate, payment method and currency. Keep records of all payments for tax and accounting purposes. With the right tools and clear communication, paying VAs abroad can be seamless and stress-free.

Discover Wise: The Smart Way to Pay Virtual Assistants

Hiring a VA can help your business streamline operations, scale up efficiently, and reclaim time for high-value tasks.

Wise Business is an easy and cost-effective way to pay VAs abroad. There are no monthly account fees, and you benefit from fast payments and low transfer fees, as international payments are processed at the mid-market exchange rate (the same one you'll see on Google).

Wise’s multi-currency account allows you to hold and manage over 40+ currencies in one place, ideal for paying VAs in multiple countries.

Open a Wise Business account online

The Wise Business account also offers free business tools and easy integration with accounting software, to help manage payments to VAs and streamline bookkeeping.

	Editor & Business Expert:
	Panna is an expert in US business finance, covering topics from invoicing to international expansion. She creates guides and reviews to help businesses save time and make informed decisions. You can read more useful business articles on her author profile.

	Author:
	Nicole is a professional journalist with two decades of experience in writing and editing, she has also run her own freelance business for the past five years. Her expertise spans the financial and technology industries, including payment processing and small business banking.

Sources:
¹Virtual Assistant Statistics (Updated 2024)
²How Much Should You Pay a Virtual Assistant in 2025? | HireBasis
All sources checked September 2025