How to Hire a
Virtual Assistant
A simple, seven-step process for business owners in the USA, Canada and UK.
Hiring a VA isn't hard, but hiring the right one takes a clear process. Follow these seven steps and you'll avoid the most common mistakes: vague job descriptions, no training plan, and sharing passwords unsafely.
Step 1: Write down what you want off your plate
Track your week for a few days and note every repetitive task. Group them (inbox, CRM, support, marketing). Our list of 40 tasks to delegate is a good starting point.
Step 2: Estimate hours and working times
Add up the time. Then decide when your VA needs to be online. For example, 9am–5pm Eastern, or UK office hours. Overlap with your day matters more than anything for quick replies.
Step 3: Choose freelancer or managed service
- Freelancer marketplace: you find, vet, train and manage the person yourself. Can be cheaper per hour, but if they leave, you start again.
- Managed VA company: the company recruits, trains, supervises and replaces VAs. You pay a monthly fee and get an account manager.
If you don't have time to screen candidates and manage quality, a managed service usually saves money overall.
Step 4: Check skills with a real task
Interviews tell you about communication. A short paid test tells you about the work. Give each candidate the same small task (for example, "clean up these 50 CRM contacts" or "draft replies to these 5 emails") and compare the results.
Step 5: Set up secure access
- Use a password manager to share logins, so you can revoke access instantly.
- Give access only to the tools the VA needs.
- Have the VA sign an NDA. At MyVirtualExpert, every VA signs one before starting.
More on this in is it safe to hire an offshore VA?
Step 6: Onboard in the first week
- Day 1: tool access, a short welcome call, and 3–5 simple tasks.
- Days 2–3: screen-recorded walkthroughs of your processes; the VA turns them into written SOPs.
- Days 4–5: hand over daily recurring work; review together at the end of each day.
Step 7: Measure and adjust
Agree on a simple weekly report: tasks completed, open items, and questions. After 30 days, look at what you've stopped doing yourself and decide whether to add hours or new responsibilities.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Hiring before you know what the VA will do.
- Emailing passwords instead of using a password manager.
- No written instructions, so every task relies on memory.
- Only checking in when something goes wrong.
Want a dedicated VA working your business hours?
Book a free 30-minute call. We'll map your tasks and recommend a plan. Part-time from $699/month, no contract.
Frequently asked questions
With a freelancer, often one to three weeks of posting and screening. A managed service like MyVirtualExpert typically matches and onboards a VA within 24–48 hours.
Share logins through a password manager so you can control and revoke access, rather than sending passwords by email or chat.
With a managed service, you can ask for a replacement. MyVirtualExpert replaces VAs at no extra cost and hands over your SOPs.