BlogTrainingVA Onboarding: 5 Valuable Tips for Virtual Assistant Training

VA Onboarding: 5 Valuable Tips for Virtual Assistant Training

We provide five tips for effective virtual assistant onboarding and training — covering setting expectations, creating a training plan, using technology, providing feedback, and building a positive relationship. We also include advice on creating an effective onboarding process.

Dan Trujillo
virtual man on screen giving thumbs up onboarding a virtual assistant

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There’s always a light form of virtual assistant training when onboarding VAs into your business. Here are five tips to make the process go well.

With a rising demand for various virtual assistant services, more and more businesses and entrepreneurs are taking on VAs at a rapid pace. However, just because the need is high doesn’t mean that certain aspects of the hiring process should be glossed over.

Virtual assistant training is an important process to get right. If you don’t, your VA will be unlikely to fulfill your expectations, because they simply won’t be prepared.

Read on for five valuable tips to make sure your virtual assistant training goes smoothly.

1. Maintain Regular Communication

With a virtual assistant, you can’t, of course, meet in person. But that doesn’t mean communication isn’t still important.

Especially in their first few weeks, schedule regular check-in calls, ideally with video, so you can see how things are going for them and keep them informed of the next steps.

If you’re hiring a virtual assistant from another country, keep time zones and potential language barriers in mind. Clear communication is everything when it comes to remote work, so keep it consistent and simple from the beginning.

2. Have a Clear Schedule

There’s nothing worse than starting a new job and having no idea what you’re meant to be doing. On their first day, make sure your VA knows what they’re doing that day and the next few days.

Give them enough time to find their feet, but also schedule appointments in their calendar so that they have some direction. In the first few days, you’ll need to offer more assistance than you’re used to, but any good VA will find their feet soon enough.

3. Don’t Rush Training

Virtual assistant services are vast, so there might be a lot to get through. Even if it seems like a lot, however, it’s important that you don’t try to take shortcuts. Onboarding a new employee can take time, sometimes even months.

Knowing how to train virtual assistants can take some patience. Nonetheless, it will pay off in the end by how much time you free up by offloading tasks to another person. Your business will thank you in the end!

4. Be Methodical With Access

Virtual assistant onboarding is not just about training them. It’s also about integrating them into your processes. Think about every account they will need access to or software they need a profile for in advance.

Do what you can to set up these profiles for them earlier on so it doesn’t waste time on their first few days. Plus, it ensures that you don’t forget anything important in the meantime.

5. Ask for Input

Hiring a virtual assistant is not just about delegating tasks. It’s about welcoming someone into your business. Ask for their input about what works for them too.

Employees like to feel valued in their workplace, so listening to how your new VA likes to communicate, or seeing how they’re finding their training can help you make your business a hospitable place to work, even remotely.

Ready to Get Started with Virtual Assistant Training?

If you’re keen to put these tips into action with your own virtual assistant training, why not schedule a consultation with our team today? We have a range of virtual assistant services that are just waiting to take some of the strain off your business.


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Dan Trujillo

Dan Trujillo

Writer at MyOutDesk

Dan, based in Sacramento, California, has over 5 years of experience copywriting for the virtual assistant industry. He produces content for social media, blogs, case studies, and publications with MyOutDesk.

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