Business Growth | Executive Assistant

How to Launch with Your Virtual Executive Assistant in 4 Guided Steps

Hiring your first virtual Executive Assistant is exciting! The decision means your business is growing and that you now need help accomplishing the goals you have set. However, if you’ve been doing it all on your own for so long, how do you pass along work to someone else, and where do you begin?

At VEA, we’ve got you! After our team has HAND-MATCHED your EA (no computer matching here!) to your needs, we’ll walk you through a customized onboarding process.

In just four steps, you’ll be on your way to delegating the menial tasks that can hold you back from focussing on higher-value work. In this blog, we’ll cover:

  • Step 1 – EA selection
  • Step 2 – Kick-off
  • Step 3 – Three-week check-in
  • Step 4 – Falling into rhythm

 

Step 1 – Selecting Your EA

hand matching your virtual executive assistant

Before your EA is selected, you will meet with a VEA Onboarding Concierge. In this 30-minute onboarding meeting, your Onboarding Concierge will take you through a custom-designed questionnaire to find the perfect match for you. The Onboarding Concierge will ask specific questions to identify your top three priorities, in addition to the software and technical knowledge that your EA will need to possess.

Once you have completed your onboarding call, the onboarding concierge will review your criteria with VEA Pod Leaders. We will select the best candidate for you based on your personality, tasks, and software requirements. Careful consideration goes into selecting the best candidate for you based on our years of virtual assistance experience.

If you would like us to select your EA and start right away, we can accommodate that. If you prefer to interview the candidate first, we can coordinate an interview for you.

Step 2 – Kick Off

Kick off for starting with your Virtual Executive Assistant
You have selected your EA and it’s time to get started! Once you have selected your EA, you will receive a kick-off email from your VEA Onboarding Concierge. This email outlines your agenda for your first meeting with your EA including.
  • Kick-off date
  • Top three priorities you want your EA to focus on in your first month
  • Passwords and software access to share
  • Contact information for our IT expert should you need technical assistance
In your first meeting, your EA will confirm your weekly meeting schedule. We recommend scheduling daily check-ins in the first two weeks of working with your EA. Block a time in your calendar and commit to meeting your EA daily at that time. This allows you to build a rapport with your EA while transferring knowledge and delegating tasks in a manageable way. Be prepared to communicate your needs and expectations clearly. Communication is key to a successful partnership with your EA.

Each meeting should have a theme. For example,

  • Monday can be dedicated to sharing login information, reoccurring tasks, and Standard Operating Procedures.
  • Tuesday can be about email management and discussing your email preferences with your EA, and so on.

Holding daily meetings for two weeks will help your EA get up to speed quickly.

This time spent with your EA allows you to free up your time in the rest of your day. You’ll be amazed by how much information you can share in just 15-30 minutes! We encourage you to visualize your EA sitting beside you as an extension of your business as you go about your day. You EA is here to help you trade in tedious tasks so you can accomplish great things!

Weekly Summary Report

At the end of your first week, your EA will start submitting Weekly Client Summary Reports to you every Friday that will include updates on:

  • Number of hours used (month-to-date)
  • Tasks completed
  • Future items they can help with

Step 3 – Three-Week Check-In

Three week check-in with your virtual executive assistant
By now, you are probably seeing some of those projects and tasks that have been sitting on your to-do list forever getting completed! Your Onboarding Concierge will reach out to arrange a 5-10-minute check-in phone call to see how things are going.

We want to know early on if your expectations are being met and if your EA could use any additional training. We’ll also ask for a progress report on your top three priorities. Your honest input and feedback are always welcome!

Once the three-week check-in call is done, your Onboarding Concierge’s role is complete. They will introduce you to your EA’s Pod Leader. The Pod Leader will be your go-to contact moving forward for questions or feedback that fall beyond your day-to-day work with your EA.

Step 4 – Falling Into Rhythm

A rhythm to show how the first month should go with your virtual Executive Assistant
At the four-week mark, you should feel like you have fallen into a regular rhythm with your EA. Your day has structure and ease, tasks are being completed, and you have time to focus on the areas of your business that you most enjoy. You also have more free time, and you can go on holiday knowing that your business will being in good hands while you are away.
Book a Call for Virtual Executive Assistant Services

1, 2, 3, 4 and You’re Off to the Races!

The right EA will fit seamlessly into your business processes and become an essential part of your business operations. Our tried and tested four-step onboarding process ensures that getting started is easy and sets you up for a successful EA experience for years to come.

To get started with a Virtual Executive Assistant, reach out any time to book a discovery call!

Alison Scholefield

Onboarding Concierge