What You Need to Do Before Hiring a Virtual Assistant (It’s Less Than You Think)

Does this sound familiar? An overworked exec or entrepreneur spends too much time stuck in the weeds of day-to-day busywork. They know a virtual executive assistant could take those admin tasks off their plate, and they’re going to find one – just as soon as they get the business in order, document some processes, figure out which tasks to delegate, make a training plan…

So, never. They’re never getting out of the weeds. 😖

We get it. A lot of busy people are flying by the seat of their pants, handling things as they come up. And though that works for them, it’s not a system an EA can step in and take over. So they put off finding an assistant, thinking they need to get organised before bringing in help.

Meanwhile, they waste valuable time and energy on work that’s not making them happy or moving the business forward.

If this sounds like you, we’d like to share a secret: you’re making this harder than it needs to be.

You’re already overwhelmed. Why add another layer of tasks to your list before getting someone to help you? That’s like cleaning before the maid arrives. It just doesn’t make sense.

Instead, reverse the process.

What you need before you hire a virtual executive assistant

Let’s start with the things you don’t need to start using a virtual assistant.

❌ You DON’T need documented processes for all your admin tasks,

❌ You DON’T need an onboarding or training plan,

❌ You DON’T even need to know exactly what tasks you want help with.

So what do you need? We told you, it’s less than you think.

😊 You need a positive attitude and the willingness to learn new ways of doing things in your business.

😊 You need a basic business plan. That means understanding what you do, how you do it and your goals for the future.

😊 You need to commit to the relationship. A good EA can do almost everything, but they’re not psychic. You still need to show up, communicate, and give feedback.

How to use a virtual executive assistant

Most overwhelmed businesspeople who don’t hire an EA say it’s because they don’t know what they would do with one.

You know you’ve got too much on your plate, but what can you safely scrape onto someone else’s? And how do you know she won’t drop it on the floor and leave a big spaghetti stain on the rug?

Start by running a self-diagnostic with this Diagnose the CEO quiz. That will give you a general idea of where you need support. Some of the most common tasks a virtual assistant can take over include:

• High-level inbox and calendar management so you’re only dealing with the important stuff

• Personal task management and scheduling so you get your to-do list done

• Meeting management, including preparing agendas, taking notes and sending out follow-up messages

• Full-team accountability, keeping everyone on task and moving toward goals

• Helping you review goals, measure progress and hold yourself accountable to reaching milestones

• Organising events, either in-person or virtual

• Setting up systems and processes and documenting SOPs

• Arranging gifts for employees, clients or your personal relationships (never miss another anniversary!)

Raise your hand if you’re thinking, “All that sounds great, but my ‘system’ is a pile of sticky notes and my ‘process’ is putting out fires as they come up. How can I train someone to do this for me if I don’t spend a few months getting organised first?” 

Developing systems and processes are actually part of the job. The only thing you need to start is to know that you need help.

How to get started with a virtual executive assistant

To set your EA relationship up for success from the start, we recommend a five-point process.

1. Any service provider your business hires should want to know about your business – your history, your goals and your struggles. If they treat the first meeting like a waiter taking your order for the services you want, that’s a red flag. 🚩 Working with them will mean figuring out processes on your own, and who has time for that? (Not you.)
   
   Also spend that first meeting getting to know them. You should feel comfortable with who they are and confident that they’re helping other businesses solve challenges like yours.

2. The reason you shouldn’t have to figure out your processes before you hire an EA is because your agency should help with that. They’re the experts. Once you’re working together, a good agency will dig in to learn what makes your business tick.
   
   They’ll get to know the tools and systems you use now, even those that aren’t really “systems” at all (hello, sticky notes!).  And they’ll make lists of the tasks ripe for delegation.

3. Only once this foundation has been laid should they present you with a game plan. (Anyone who says they know what you need without examining your business first is just guessing.)

This game plan documents your strategy – your goals, what actions are needed to achieve them, and the structure that supports those actions. At this stage, your agency will introduce you to systems and processes that get things done faster, more efficiently and with less of your time involved.

1. Meet your new EA! See, we told you the process works better backward. Now that you have a strategy and structure, your EA can hit the ground running, and you don’t have to train them.

2. Remember when we said you need commitment to make this work? Here’s where that comes in. Be prepared to check in with your EA via video or phone on a regular basis - perhaps as often as daily. This is vital to building your relationship with your assistant so you can stay on the same page and working toward your goals.

This is the exact process we follow at Zembr. We call it The Zembr Experience, and it’s helping busy people all over the world spend more time growing the parts of their business they love.

If you work with a virtual assistant from Zembr, you can skip the stress of people management and get an additional layer of accountability.

Once a week, you’ll get a detailed written report of key performance indicators, how your EA spent their time and any challenges they met along the way. Once a month, your EA’s team leader will check in with you for feedback and troubleshooting, and twice a year our operations leader will invite you to a video chat to talk about what’s working, what’s not and any changes you need to make to your EA’s services.

What are you waiting for?

Stressing out over building systems and processes before bringing in an assistant is like making a five-course meal before going to a restaurant. Just stop. You don’t need to impress us with how well you’ve got it all together. Come on in, in all your glorious messiness, and let us help you sort it out.