As business owners, we understand that hiring is a crucial decision that requires careful consideration. It’s natural to feel uncertain about when the right time is to hire your first virtual employee, especially with the rise of remote work. That’s why we’re here to help you explore some situations where hiring an offshore employee might be the right choice for your business. Let’s dive in together and find the best solution for your needs.
Why Virtual Staffing Became Popular
There are many reasons why virtual employees’ popularity has steadily increased over the years. There’s the new working ethics from Millenials, Gen Z, and Gen X. Ultimately, these are all beneficial to businesses that can keep up with the times. Hiring a virtual staff has been the most cost-effective choice for those businesses, especially startups.
That’s because they can do various tasks without the need to come into a physical office. They can also be located anywhere and are easily accessible through the Internet. Businesses also get access to a large talent pool from hiring offshore. Lastly, it’s easier to negotiate pay and benefits due to the advantages of the US and AU currencies over most currencies.
So when should you hire a virtual staff? Keep reading to see which situations you find your business is in.
When You’re Overwhelmed
One of the most common reasons business owners consider hiring a virtual employee is when they feel overwhelmed. If you’re struggling to keep up with your workload, consider outsourcing some tasks to a virtual assistant. However, it’s important to determine whether the overwhelm is temporary or a long-term issue.
For example, if you’re going through a temporary surge at work due to a project, it might make sense to hire one temporarily. On the other hand, observe if you’re constantly overwhelmed and struggling to keep up with your workload. It might be time to hire someone virtually on a more permanent basis.
A virtual assistant can handle tasks such as managing emails, scheduling appointments, and data entry. Outsourcing these tasks can help you focus on more important things. This could be generating leads or identifying processes in your business that require improvement. That freedom is yours!
When You Want to Minimise Overhead Costs
Hiring a virtual employee can be a cost-effective way to get the help you need. This also eliminates overhead costs of a physical office and additional staff. They don’t require office space, equipment, or benefits, which can save you significantly.
If you have considered minimising overhead costs, determine which tasks you can outsource. Because at the end of the day, you still need to put time and effort into training your virtual employee.
When You Need Specialised Skills
Consider hiring a virtual employee when you require specialised skills that are not available in-house. For instance, if you need graphic design or social media marketing assistance, you should consider outsourcing an offshore assistant with those skills. You’ll have access to a larger talent pool and help you obtain the specialised skills you need, without recruiting a full-time employee.
When determining whether to hire a virtual assistant for specialised skills, it is crucial to identify which skills you need. Then, decide if it makes sense to hire to fill the void. For example, if you’ll only need occasional help with social media marketing. It makes sense to hire a freelancer instead of a full-time social media manager. It depends on how often you’d like to publicly advertise your business.
When You’re Ready to Scale
For instance, if your business is on consistent growth and you’re facing difficulties in managing the demand, it may be time to hire a virtual employee to help with customer service. After hiring to scale, this is a perfect opportunity to focus on growing your business. It takes off the stress of getting bogged down in day-to-day operations as well.
When You Want to Expand Your Business Globally
Consider hiring a virtual employee in the region you want to expand your business globally. Hiring someone familiar with the culture and language can improve your chances of success. Plus, looking for an offshore assistant can give you access to a global talent pool. Check out our blog post here to learn why the Philippines is a great cost-effective choice.
When You Want to Improve Your Work-Life Balance
Hiring a virtual employee can help you improve your work-life balance by outsourcing tasks that take up too much of your time. If you’re feeling burnt out and overwhelmed, you can still be on top of your operations by hiring a virtual staff. Outsourcing these tasks allows you to free up time with your family or pursue hobbies outside of work.
When You Need Flexibility
One of the benefits of hiring virtual assistants is the flexibility it provides. Outsourcing might be the right choice if you need someone to work outside traditional business hours or on a project basis. Virtual employees can work from anywhere worldwide, often more flexible than full-time employees.
This fact goes hand-in-hand with improving one’s work-life balance. According to an article from Apollo Technical, businesses with a remote setting had a 47% productivity increase. This study shows that having people thrive in an unrestricted environment makes them more likely to go for the extra mile. Everybody wins!
When You’re Ready to Delegate
Finally, hiring a virtual employee can be a great way to delegate tasks and free up time for more important things, such as strategic planning. If you’re spending too much time on administrative tasks like data entry or scheduling, why not hire someone who’s honed in those tasks?
With your freed-up time, you can focus on growing your business and taking it to the next level. Suppose you need help to keep up with emails or manage social media pages. In that case, consider hiring a virtual assistant to help with the customer-facing side of your business.
Hiring a Virtual Employee: The Bottom Line
Determining when the right time is to hire your first virtual employee can be challenging. But there are many situations where it might make sense. Whether you want to improve your cost-effectiveness, need specialised skills, or improve your work-life balance – hiring a virtual employee can help you grow your business and take it to the next level.
Ready to take your business to the next level?
If you’re looking for a reliable outsourcing business, look no further than The Outsourcer. We specialise in connecting businesses with our talented Filipino employees that will skyrocket your business to newer heights. Our VAs range from digital marketing, graphic design, accounting or bookkeeping, PPC, SSM, Google Analytics, and more!
Our highly skilled team is dedicated to delivering exceptional results. So you can rest assured that your business is in good hands. So, what are you waiting for? Contact The Outsourcer today and start outsourcing your business needs with confidence!