Hiring a virtual assistant can save organizations significant amounts of total operating costs.
Virtual assistants offload all day-to-day activities from administrative to creative and technical tasks. It is projected that by 2027, there will be 86.5 million freelancers in the United States alone, which makes virtual assistance an important consideration for job seekers and business owners.
If you’re torn between hiring virtual assistants and regular employees, this article will give you insight into the unique ways a virtual assistant compares to a regular employee.
1. Time Factor
Generally, the hiring and training process of a regular employee is often time-consuming and tiresome for a small business owner. Hiring a virtual assistant who you can delegate a non-strategic task is, therefore, essential. This will give you more time to concentrate on creating strategies that help to achieve great organizational goals.
Hiring virtual assistants from different time zones also increases business operating hours. Most business owners use this tactic to increase their business coverage. It also helps when carrying out time-sensitive activities and communicating with clients.
2. Costs for Staffing and Operations
One remarkable benefit of hiring a Virtual Assistant is the reduced overhead cost. Since you’ll hire a VA on contractual terms, you’ll pay them according to the number of hours worked or after they complete a specific task. You’re also not compelled to give them benefits such as medical insurance and paid leave.
Virtual assistants work remotely; therefore, you can hire the best skill sets and talents from anywhere in the world. You’re not, thus, limited to the scarce talent options in your country.
Hiring regular employees is expensive because they require extensive onboarding training. Employees are also entitled to other benefits such as office space and supplies, medical insurance, and paid leaves, apart from salary.
3. Work-Life Balance
Every employee yearns for a stress-free workplace where they can attain optimum productivity levels. But this isn’t always the case in most workplaces. In fact, 71% of adults in the US are said to have exhibited symptoms of work-related stress.
With such glaring statistics of work-life imbalance in regular employment, many workers now prefer working from home, where they can achieve both work and life fulfillment.
A competent virtual assistant will conduct all their roles effectively from anywhere they wish to work. This gives them enough time to take care of themselves and interact with other business people, friends, and family, hence a healthy work-life balance.
4. Accountability
Virtual assistants are responsible for completing their assigned duties at a given time. This is because they earn hourly or when they complete specific projects. They must deliver high-quality work and meet deadlines to maintain a good relationship with existing clients. Working without supervision helps them build a strong work ethic and self-motivation.
Working with regular employees can offer better accountability scores, albeit on tenser grounds than with VAs. Regular employees are in physical contact with their managers and thus under direct supervision. This may sometimes pressure them to perform well and meet management expectations, thus making them more accountable than VAs.
5. Equipment
Virtual assistants purchase and manage the required work equipment, making it cheaper and quicker for you to bring them on board as you won’t need to budget for their equipment. Since they’ve been offering the services for years, they know which equipment is reliable and up-to-date to help them work effectively. This means they operate with the latest, most effective equipment ideal for optimal output.
On the other hand, if you’re hiring a regular, full-time employee, you’ll have to budget for secure, up-to-date equipment. This can be an advantage to them, but it could be costly for your business to pull this through successfully.
6. Increased Productivity
Specialized virtual assistants complete tasks faster than people who try to self-train and carry out the task themselves. Therefore, they increase business productivity and reduce the number of existing staff.
Virtual assistants earn from completing their tasks on time and diligently. Therefore, they maintain high productivity standards to ensure they remain competitive and relevant for a long time. This makes them more productive and focused than regular employees who are entitled to fixed salaries.
7. Work Schedule
Due to their flexible work schedules, virtual assistants can work during non-traditional hours, which helps them assist clients from different time zones.
This is also beneficial, especially if you are devoted to other tasks, such as caring for family members. However, it poses a challenge when you fail to separate work and personal time.
Rigid work schedules are unfavorable to regular employees who work best at different times. This may affect their work performance.
8. Communication
Virtual assistants communicate with their employees digitally through phone, emails, and chats. This makes communication more convenient and efficient since they can communicate at any time, regardless of time zone or location.
However, VAs encounter language and cultural barriers, which affect their ability to have strong relationships and foster a sense of teamwork.
On the other hand, regular employees require one-on-one communication, making it difficult for them to work remotely.
9. Taxes
Another benefit of hiring Virtual assistants is that they are responsible for paying their taxes. It’s their responsibility to understand the tax laws and regulations of their country. Therefore they must set aside a part of their income to pay taxes and keep their records.
On the other hand, regular employees’ taxes are withheld by the employer, which simplifies their tax payment process. However, compared to virtual assistants, they are limited to tax credits and deductions.
10. Labor Laws
Labor laws in the United States are important as they protect employees. However, they hinder employers because mechanics are applied when firing employees. Employees who feel their employment termination is unlawful can sue the employer.
This is a challenge to the business owner who keeps underperforming employees on pay due to fear of being sued.
However, when you work with virtual assistants outside the US, this labor law does not apply. Thus you can fire an employee who doesn’t meet your standards without fear of a lawsuit.
Strike the Balance Between VAs and Regular Employees
Virtual assistants are attractive for businesses that are seeking cost-effective and flexible support. Although they differ from regular employees, both can add significant value to a company depending on their unique requirements.
When hiring employees, it’s a business’s responsibility to weigh each option’s drawbacks and benefits and decide which option best suits its needs. By making thoughtful and informed decisions, businesses can position themselves for success and growth in today’s competitive marketplace.
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