HELP! I've Hired A Bad Virtual Assistant

[GetShitDone]

I've hired a Phillilipines-Based VA and I feel that he's done a few things wrong:

- Not responding to customers promptly (clients have to follow up or I have to nudge him to do it)

- Not responding to potential leads promptly

- Not answering my emails (I have to nudge him to respond)

- Not remembering to follow certain instructions

- He even forgets to send daily/weekly reports that I ask for (Again, I have to nudge him for this)

I've even created a "Task Manager" for him to manage tasks I give him so he doesn't forget and he isn't using it.

I pay him semi-monthly to work full time, but I feel like he has another job on the side.

I even told him that he'd get paid a commission for every sale that gets generated from the appointments he books for us. Nothing generated yet.

I feel like he's getting too comfortable and seems to require tons of micromanaging.

Is there anything I can set in place to light a fire up under his butt to make sure he gets things done? (Eg. some sort of 3 strike rule, KPI process where if he doesn't hit KPIs, X happens, etc)

 

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[Silverfox148]

I've always wondered about VAs since I read about them in the 4 hour workweek. A "rockstar" VA as I have heard them mentioned would seem to be top of the line individual in terms of managing themselves and their time, if this is the case why would they be working as a VA?

 

[GetShitDone]

I've always wondered about VAs since I read about them in the 4 hour workweek. A "rockstar" VA as I have heard them mentioned would seem to be top of the line individual in terms of managing themselves and their time, if this is the case why would they be working as a VA?

It almost feels like I'm going to need to hire a "VA Manager" who manages my VA at this point.

That's how bad it has gotten.

I feel like I need to nudge this guy 24/7 telling him 2-3 times to do things.

Seems like emails, tasks, messages, etc all go over his head and he needs a nudge.

Crazy.

 

[Kak]

Stop nudging and start communicating.

I would just be 100% honest with him. I am asking you to do X and you are currently doing less than that. I am paying for X. Please pick up the pace so we can get X done.

This is NOT personal at all. You hired him to do a job, that job isn't getting done.

If he doesn't respond well and adapt to the new rules, I would just look for a better VA... Be up front with the new one about what displeased you about this one.

 

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[1step]

Fire him and find another, no reason a VA would need someone to hand hold them. They should be relieving stress not causing it

If this turns into a consistent problem you may want to look in the mirror

 

[GetShitDone]

Stop nudging and start communicating.

I would just be 100% honest with him. I am asking you to do X and you are currently doing less than that. I am paying for X. Please pick up the pace so we can get X done.

This is NOT personal at all. You hired him to do a job, that job isn't getting done.

If he doesn't respond well and adapt to the new rules, I would just look for a better VA... Be up front with the new one about what displeased you about this one.

Okay, sounds good. I'll write up an email. Do you suggest to create a KPI structure that if he doesn't hit, he's fired?

Fire him and find another, no reason a VA would need someone to hand hold them. They should be relieving stress not causing it

If this turns into a consistent problem you may want to look in the mirror

I agree. The reason I haven't fired him is due to the fact that I've spent so much time training him and that he's "adapted" to how the business works so to speak.

So I think that's why I'm giving him so many second chances.

 

[biophase]

Okay, sounds good. I'll write up an email. Do you suggest to create a KPI structure that if he doesn't hit, he's fired?



I agree. The reason I haven't fired him is due to the fact that I've spent so much time training him and that he's "adapted" to how the business works so to speak.

So I think that's why I'm giving him so many second chances.

Fire him. You have sunk costs. All that training means nothing.

The fact that you have to make this post should tell you that you should’ve fired him the second you thought about writing a post about him.

 

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[Jon L]

I had a VA for a bit when I was doing a particular business. She was the exact opposite of yours. She did things I didn't know I needed, communicated with me in advance, knew what I was trying to say even when I couldn't get the words out right, etc. Fire this person and go find someone like that.

 

[Rabby]

You definitely shouldn't have to "manage" them into doing their job. If they're not doing things that you specifically instructed them to do, you probably need a different VA.

 

[GetShitDone]

Fire him. You have sunk costs. All that training means nothing.

The fact that you have to make this post should tell you that you should’ve fired him the second you thought about writing a post about him.

I'll definitely take this into account regarding the firing.

I had a VA for a bit when I was doing a particular business. She was the exact opposite of yours. She did things I didn't know I needed, communicated with me in advance, knew what I was trying to say even when I couldn't get the words out right, etc. Fire this person and go find someone like that.

1) Did you have a certain vetting process that got you this great VA?

2) Did you have anything "in place" to make sure they were motivated to do their job?

Thanks, I really want that type of VA.

You definitely shouldn't have to "manage" them into doing their job. If they're not doing things that you specifically instructed them to do, you probably need a different VA.

Agreed.

For my future VA, do you have any suggestions on what to have "in place" to motivate them? (Eg. commission structure, 3 strike rule, etc)

 

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[Phikey]

VAs are hit and miss. It took me 3 goes to find one that was good at the job and another go to find one that was good at the job and consistent. You need to hire and fire fast. Have a few in the pipeline, give them a 3 day trial task and then a probation period where you can let them go quick. I always found out within 1-2 weeks if they were ok. Then it's about whether or not they can be consistent with the good work.

Once you find a good one (like I did), hold onto them and treat them well.

Other tips:

1. Set clear expectations - create a really clear SOP/guide for the tasks they are doing (especially if repetitive like customer service) to make it really clear what's expected.
2. Explain tasks clearly and don't leave a lot to the imagination - I like doing a loom video and walking them through the task and one iteration of doing the task (especially if it's repetitive)
3. I use Hubstaff for the team to track time. Not sure what you're using here but I can see if they're just sitting there with the timer running - it tracks activity and takes screenshots.. I've only had to check these a few times
4. Don't just expect they will figure things out and think for themselves - they are a VA and if you're paying them under $8 an hour then they will act like a robot at work. I got very lucky and my VA for the last 4 months has been exceptional. She does all my sales work (emails, follow ups, managing Piped, email and schedule management as well as ad hoc tasks like research and data entry. We've now bought a new ecom store and she's doing customer service, order fulfilment, website design and research. She thinks for herself and provides great suggestions. It took a while to find her but once I did it was great. At the start I gave her basic tasks to test her ability and conscientiousness. With time I gave her more work, more responsibility and the ability to think for herself.

If any of my team are clearly messing up and dropped their game then I'll have a chat and give them a 30 day period to fix the behaviour. We create a google doc and make it very clear what the problems are and what we expect them to do. We then put a date in the calendar for 30 days ahead with a call scheduled there. During that c all we review how things have gone and if they've picked up their game.
This has worked perfectly the only 2 times I've had to use it.
For a VA, it's not worth it. Just drop them and pick up another one. Until you find a good one, I wouldn't recommend keeping one for more than 2 weeks.
I sound like an a**hole here - I've been burnt multiple times by VAs that strung me along with sob story after sob story to explain why they consistently miss 3/5 days of the week of work. They can only have so many aunts with a broken leg in hospital.

A final tip I found is to build a relationship with them. Find out what work they like doing. I found out mine loves graphic design and video editing so after giving her a few of those tasks she became much more motivated and creative with all her tasks.

 

[Jon L]

1) Did you have a certain vetting process that got you this great VA?

2) Did you have anything "in place" to make sure they were motivated to do their job?

Thanks, I really want that type of VA.

I tried a few. This particular one stood out and I stuck with her until she got pregnant and had to stop because she was starting a family.

I think there's nothing quite like a trial run. You can ask all the questions you want, but seeing someone in action is worth its weight in gold.

I had nothing in place other than pretty clear communication: This is who I am and what I need, followed by frank discussions about what's working and what isn't working.

I now have people overseas that do development work for me. They're all great at what they do and don't need much motivation. When there's an issue, I'll bring it up matter of factly. 'Here's an issue, let's figure out what we should do about it.' Having open dialog about stuff avoids the more difficult conversations. (I usually assume that the issue is caused by poor communication on my part, poor processes, or something like that. That's usually the case anyway, and when its not, it allows everyone to save face and address the root of the issue.)

But, that's only true if the employee is a keeper. If they're not, they typically need a psychologist and not a boss. At least not in the role they're in, anyway. (while I know that's funny, its not really intended to be. Therapy can be really helpful in learning to be a good employee)

 

[Rabby]

I'll definitely take this into account regarding the firing.



1) Did you have a certain vetting process that got you this great VA?

2) Did you have anything "in place" to make sure they were motivated to do their job?

Thanks, I really want that type of VA.



Agreed.

For my future VA, do you have any suggestions on what to have "in place" to motivate them? (Eg. commission structure, 3 strike rule, etc)

"Stick" type motivators seem overly oppressive to me, so I personally wouldn't recommend them.

For "carrot" type motivators, keep in mind that VAs are not necessarily closers. They aren't motivated by the same things, and probably aren't competitive like hardline sales people (if they were, you would hire two of them and let them compete for a bonus each week).

So if you want to add incentives, make them relatable to service / consultative work. Average response time under <time span> for the whole week gets you <bounty>. 3 or more positive reviews gets you <bounty>. That sort of thing.

Their base pay should cover their needs. If it doesn't, they lose motivation and find a base pay that does... 'cause they're not those crazy sales people. Keeping their base pay also becomes a motivation, because they are typically "s" and/or "c" types on the DISC scale, and they like to keep things running smoothly.

 

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[GetShitDone]

VAs are hit and miss. It took me 3 goes to find one that was good at the job and another go to find one that was good at the job and consistent. You need to hire and fire fast. Have a few in the pipeline, give them a 3 day trial task and then a probation period where you can let them go quick. I always found out within 1-2 weeks if they were ok. Then it's about whether or not they can be consistent with the good work.

Once you find a good one (like I did), hold onto them and treat them well.

Other tips:

1. Set clear expectations - create a really clear SOP/guide for the tasks they are doing (especially if repetitive like customer service) to make it really clear what's expected.
2. Explain tasks clearly and don't leave a lot to the imagination - I like doing a loom video and walking them through the task and one iteration of doing the task (especially if it's repetitive)
3. I use Hubstaff for the team to track time. Not sure what you're using here but I can see if they're just sitting there with the timer running - it tracks activity and takes screenshots.. I've only had to check these a few times
4. Don't just expect they will figure things out and think for themselves - they are a VA and if you're paying them under $8 an hour then they will act like a robot at work. I got very lucky and my VA for the last 4 months has been exceptional. She does all my sales work (emails, follow ups, managing Piped, email and schedule management as well as ad hoc tasks like research and data entry. We've now bought a new ecom store and she's doing customer service, order fulfilment, website design and research. She thinks for herself and provides great suggestions. It took a while to find her but once I did it was great. At the start I gave her basic tasks to test her ability and conscientiousness. With time I gave her more work, more responsibility and the ability to think for herself.

If any of my team are clearly messing up and dropped their game then I'll have a chat and give them a 30 day period to fix the behaviour. We create a google doc and make it very clear what the problems are and what we expect them to do. We then put a date in the calendar for 30 days ahead with a call scheduled there. During that c all we review how things have gone and if they've picked up their game.
This has worked perfectly the only 2 times I've had to use it.
For a VA, it's not worth it. Just drop them and pick up another one. Until you find a good one, I wouldn't recommend keeping one for more than 2 weeks.
I sound like an a**hole here - I've been burnt multiple times by VAs that strung me along with sob story after sob story to explain why they consistently miss 3/5 days of the week of work. They can only have so many aunts with a broken leg in hospital.

A final tip I found is to build a relationship with them. Find out what work they like doing. I found out mine loves graphic design and video editing so after giving her a few of those tasks she became much more motivated and creative with all her tasks.

Wow, awesome post man.

My favorite parts were :

1) The Hub Time Tracker - I haven't even used a time tracker yet! And this is why I'm paranoid as hell that he has a job on the side or is just sitting there and not having enough work.

2) 30 Day Problem Fix - I like this as it's straight up and you can hold them accountable for those 30 days. Maybe I'll implement it for this next month.

I've been doing the other things you mentioned, but the above 2 are most needed.

It's incredible what a VA can do if you pick a good one WITH the right measures in place as you mentioned.

What constitutes of the "Trial run" though? Don't you have to train them before they do any work? Unless I assume you give them very basic tasks..

I tried a few. This particular one stood out and I stuck with her until she got pregnant and had to stop because she was starting a family.

I think there's nothing quite like a trial run. You can ask all the questions you want, but seeing someone in action is worth its weight in gold.

I had nothing in place other than pretty clear communication: This is who I am and what I need, followed by frank discussions about what's working and what isn't working.

I now have people overseas that do development work for me. They're all great at what they do and don't need much motivation. When there's an issue, I'll bring it up matter of factly. 'Here's an issue, let's figure out what we should do about it.' Having open dialog about stuff avoids the more difficult conversations. (I usually assume that the issue is caused by poor communication on my part, poor processes, or something like that. That's usually the case anyway, and when its not, it allows everyone to save face and address the root of the issue.)

But, that's only true if the employee is a keeper. If they're not, they typically need a psychologist and not a boss. At least not in the role they're in, anyway. (while I know that's funny, its not really intended to be. Therapy can be really helpful in learning to be a good employee)

Great points. Seems like you've made it when it comes to VA efficiency. I have the same q I asked above regarding the trial run, what do you give them for a trial run without training them? And I assume you pay them during the "trial" run?

"Stick" type motivators seem overly oppressive to me, so I personally wouldn't recommend them.

For "carrot" type motivators, keep in mind that VAs are not necessarily closers. They aren't motivated by the same things, and probably aren't competitive like hardline sales people (if they were, you would hire two of them and let them compete for a bonus each week).

So if you want to add incentives, make them relatable to service / consultative work. Average response time under <time span> for the whole week gets you <bounty>. 3 or more positive reviews gets you <bounty>. That sort of thing.

Their base pay should cover their needs. If it doesn't, they lose motivation and find a base pay that does... 'cause they're not those crazy sales people. Keeping their base pay also becomes a motivation, because they are typically "s" and/or "c" types on the DISC scale, and they like to keep things running smoothly.

Good points. My VA works on 4 of my clients. Maybe I can say "If 1 client drops out, a portion of your base pay may go away". Then again, that seems like the oppressive mechanism. But it could work and it kinda makes sense as they're making their base pay from that client specifically.

As for response times, that's brilliant - I just need to find a way to measure that instead of checking 1-by-1 each response time. Especially for LinkedIn Inbox Messaging which is what they mainly do.

 

[Phikey]

What constitutes of the "Trial run" though? Don't you have to train them before they do any work? Unless I assume you give them very basic tasks..

Basically just a way that allows you to quickly test to see if they can follow basic instructions and meet a deadline. It depends on what you need them for. If they are doing customer service then you can give them a list of common questions and maybe they can provide answers to them based on a customer service SOP you might have - or based on a FAQ. Basically replicating their real workflow if you were to actually hire them. You will weed out a lot of VAs in this stage as you find that they are incompetent or unreliable.

I usually give them 3 different tasks of varying length and difficulty to complete and give them a fixed payment amount for it.
Make sure you:

• Make it really clear the steps of the task (I like to summarise with bullet points and then create a loom video) - to see if they can follow instructions
• Make it really clear the deliverable and the format they need to do it in - to see if they can deliver per expectations
• Make it really clear the deadline for the task - to see if they can deliver by the due date

For my junior marketers I have a google sheet template that has 3 different trial tasks in there that I can just clone and send to the new candidate. They just work through the different sections and because I've had so many of them do this task before, I know what I'm looking for.

For a VA, usually I'll have some basic tasks that any VA should be able to do. e.g.

• Go research and find 20 different surf towns in Latin America that have Airbnbs for under $1000 per month, a gym, a yoga studio, a coworking office, all in the one town. Deliver this in a google sheet and add columns for the average temperature in July, the language spoken, and a link to the location on google maps. Do this by Wednesday 5pm PST
• Here's a list of 15 products. For each, go on the web and find 5 competitors with the same product. Do this by Wednesday 5pm PST.
• Here's a list of all my tasks for the week with the duration of each. Here's access to my calendar. Go and add these into my calendar so my week is all planned out. Do this by Wednesday 5pm PST

 

[Kak]

Okay, sounds good. I'll write up an email. Do you suggest to create a KPI structure that if he doesn't hit, he's fired?

No, just have a candid discussion. Be honest that you hired him to get this task done. It is the entire point of his employment. So let’s step this up.

You don’t have to be a dick or threaten with ultimatums. Just honest. If he doesn’t understand the honest truth in a week or so, start looking to replace him.

 

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