I had never heard the term “virtual assistant,” which a colleague of mine suggested that I hire when faced with the need to fill some critical roles. So I interviewed some VAs from the Philippines, which has earned a reputation as fertile ground for seeding international talent.
I was very impressed by the skillset and business acumen of candidates and was relieved to find there were no language and cultural barriers. While it sounds futuristic, the VA concept is actually part of the decades-old business model of outsourcing work. VAs are proving to be very efficient between advances in technology and remote work becoming mainstream since the pandemic.
All of the tools are in place for companies to work effectively work with a VA. I’ve assigned mine tasks that include everything from managing my calendar to marketing and producing content. I even learned something new from her. She uses Zapier, which sounds like some sort of cool laser weapon, to link separate calendars into a single dashboard and color code appointments. I’m not looking to save money so much as have a reliable, intelligent assistant. I’m hiring for skill and personality.
Counties like the Philippines, as well as Ukraine, which I have previously written about, have honed the outsourcing model to where they’re able to provide a plug-and-play structure for U.S. companies. They’re used to putting together marketing campaigns, writing material and doing graphic design just like someone who’s stateside. VAs are helping level the playing field for talent all around the world.
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