Hiring a virtual assistant

What a virtual assistant does

Owners often find that a VA frees several hours a week for higher-value work such as sales, quoting jobs or managing the team.

EZTime digital HR forms let you send, sign and file employee documents online.

Decide what to hand off

1. Track your own time for a week and note repetitive tasks.
2. Mark tasks that do not need you personally.
3. Group them into a role: for example, customer inbox plus appointment booking plus invoice follow-up.
4. Estimate hours per week.
5. Write simple step-by-step instructions for each task.

Clear task lists make hiring easier and help the VA succeed quickly. See workflow automation: some tasks may be better automated than delegated.

Employee or independent contractor?

Many VAs work as independent contractors, but the label does not decide the question. Under federal and state tests, factors such as how much control you have over how and when the work is done, whether the work is ongoing and central to the business, and whether the worker runs an independent business all matter. A VA who works set hours under your direction, using your systems and only for you, may be an employee. Misclassification can lead to back taxes, back pay and penalties. See independent contractor vs. employee and our glossary entry on independent contractors.

U.S.-based vs. overseas VAs

Some businesses hire VAs in other countries. Consider time zone overlap, language and communication, data privacy obligations, and the legal and tax rules of the worker’s country, which can differ from U.S. rules. Payments to foreign contractors have their own documentation, such as Form W-8BEN collected from a foreign individual or Form W-8BEN-E from a foreign business entity. If customers’ personal or health information is involved, check that the arrangement complies with your privacy obligations. Get advice from your accountant before hiring internationally.

Where to find a VA

• Referrals from other business owners.
• Freelance marketplaces and VA agencies.
• Professional networks and local business groups.
• Job posts on your website and social media; see hiring social media post examples.

What to put in the job description

• The tasks and approximate hours per week.
• Required working hours or time zone overlap.
• Tools and systems they will use, such as email, calendar, accounting or scheduling software.
• Communication expectations, such as response times and check-in frequency.
• Pay rate or range, and whether the role is employment or a contract.
• Skills you need, such as strong written English, bookkeeping basics or social media experience.

A clear description attracts candidates who fit and reduces back-and-forth. Our job description template can help you structure it.

Interviewing and testing

1. Review samples of written communication.
2. Interview by video and ask behavioral questions about past work; see behavioral interview questions.
3. Ask how they organize tasks and handle deadlines across clients.
4. Give a short paid trial task that reflects the real work, such as answering three sample customer emails.
5. Check references.

Protect your data and systems

• Give access only to the systems the VA needs.
• Use individual logins rather than shared passwords, with a password manager and multi-factor authentication.
• Sign a confidentiality agreement; see our confidentiality agreement template.
• Avoid sending sensitive information such as card numbers or Social Security numbers by email or chat.
• Remove access promptly when the engagement ends.
• Follow our small business cybersecurity checklist.

Onboarding a VA

1. Share written task instructions and examples.
2. Set up accounts and test access before the first day.
3. Agree on working hours, response times and communication channels.
4. Start with a few tasks and add more as they settle in.
5. Schedule daily check-ins for the first week, then weekly.

Tracking hours and paying

If your VA is an employee, they must clock in and out like any other hourly employee, and non-exempt VAs must be paid for all hours worked, including overtime. If your VA is a contractor paid hourly, agree on how hours are recorded and invoiced, set a weekly cap, and review invoices against the work delivered. Clear records protect both sides. See how to track remote employee hours and our contractor timesheet template.

Managing for results

Agree on clear outcomes, such as inquiries answered within two business hours, invoices sent by Friday or social posts scheduled weekly, and review them regularly. Give feedback early and specifically, and update task instructions as you go. A good VA becomes more valuable over time as they learn your business. See how to manage remote employees.

Typical first-month plan

Building up gradually lets you check quality on each task before adding the next, and gives the VA time to learn your tone, customers and systems.

Common mistakes

• Hiring before deciding which tasks to hand off.
• Labeling an employee-like role as a contractor.
• Sharing master passwords.
• No written instructions or expectations.
• Micromanaging instead of agreeing on outcomes.

How EZTime helps

EZTime lets remote workers, including virtual assistants on your payroll, clock in from a phone or browser, track time by client or task, and gives you timesheets to review before payroll. Learn more about job and client tracking.

A task handoff list

See how to ask for payment professionally for reminder templates.

Security checklist

• Use a password manager to share access.
• Give the minimum access needed.
• Turn on two-factor authentication.
• Remove access immediately when work ends.
• Avoid sharing sensitive personal or health data unless necessary and permitted.

Measuring the value

Track hours the VA works and the hours you got back. If you spend those hours on sales, customers or managing staff, the value is usually clear. If the VA’s work needs constant correction, improve instructions before deciding it does not work. See time management tips for managers.

Planning the first two weeks

Start a new assistant with a small set of well-documented tasks rather than everything at once. In week one, share written instructions or short screen recordings for two or three recurring jobs and review the results daily. In week two, add tasks gradually and move to a shorter end-of-day summary. Keep a shared document of questions and answers; it becomes the training guide for anyone you hire next.

VA readiness check

Tick each item already in place.

Frequently asked questions

Where to go next