We’re using several virtual assistants right now. We’ve got one in Israel, one in America, and one in the Philippines. They’re all working well for us.
Our virtual assistants help us in two key ways:
First, they get the work done. That’s essential.
Second, they introduce variability into our payroll. Moving attorneys to variable pay has been fairly simple for us. Figuring out how to move the rest of our team in that direction has been harder.
How to Use a Virtual Assistant
Our virtual assistants do a variety of things, and they each charge at very different rates (US and Israel high, Philippines low). They each have a unique background and different training that prepared them for their particular tasks.
Our virtual assistants do a number of tasks for us:
- One assistant makes all of our client survey calls. She connects with the client (from Israel on our phone system), runs through a script of the survey, documents the results, and sends a recording of the call to all of the employees involved in the case. That’s her primary focus for us.
- The second assistant handles the filing of our documents. The documents are scanned at a central location and uploaded to a shared storage area. The assistant goes through the documents and identifies the client and type of document. She then moves the document image to NetDocuments and does the necessary indexing.
- The third assistant helps out with booking travel arrangements and meeting rooms. She reserves tables in restaurants and follows up on miscellaneous projects requiring updates.
Could one assistant handle all of these responsibilities? Possibly, but the less expensive work (filing) would be handled by a more expensive assistant. We’d also be more vulnerable to the comings and goings of assistants (which hasn’t actually been an issue, but who knows).
What kind of tasks might your assistant handle? There are few limitations. If you’re willing to create and document the system, manage the employee, and supervise the work, then nearly anything is possible.
Virtual assistants can answer the phone, return client calls, schedule meetings, arrange depositions, transcribe dictation, draft documents, handle bookkeeping, interface with vendors, build websites, manage social media, book speaking arrangements, and do pretty much anything else you can imagine.
Tips for Working With Remote Assistants
For us, having someone work remotely isn’t a challenge. Our entire team works remotely and has for some time, so adding virtual assistants to the mix hasn’t been an issue for us.
However, remote workers are not for everyone. The arrangement requires a high level of trust along with extensively documented systems.
On top of that, you’ve got to manage your virtual assistant. You’ve got to keep things moving and make sure your assistant is productive even when you can’t look over his or her shoulder. It’s challenging at first.
Pro tip: If you’re the kind of manager who worries about whether your employee is screwing around on Snapchat, then this probably isn’t going to work out for you.
Be careful not to hire a virtual assistant (or anyone else) before you have sufficient revenue to justify the decision.
Of course, using virtual assistants is more challenging if you’re not running your practice in the cloud. If your data is still stuck in local servers, then having people work in remote locations involves all sorts of data management challenges.
The key to a productive virtual assistant is figuring out what you need done, documenting the system, and then taking the time required to train and supervise the person you select.
Virtual assistants are a key piece of our operation. They get the work done while helping us keep our payroll variable. They’re an essential piece of our operation and may be just as valuable to you.
