Employing staff and third party service providers always involves some risk of delegating responsibility and therefore control over to someone else.
These steps help prevent costly mistakes and ensure the client, not the agency, takes accountability for oversight.
Client Responsibilities When Working with a Virtual Assistant
1. Onboarding & Training
Provide a clear job description with specific tasks and expectations.
Conduct an initial training session to align on workflow and tools.
Give access to necessary tools, software, and documents with appropriate permissions.
Set up standard operating procedures (SOPs) for repetitive tasks.
Define KPIs and performance benchmarks.
2. Daily Work Monitoring
Assign tasks with clear instructions, deadlines, and priorities.
Use a task management system (e.g., Asana, Trello, ClickUp) to track progress.
Check for updates or progress reports at the beginning and/or end of the day.
Review completed work for errors before approving or implementing it.
Maintain open communication via email, Slack, or a dedicated messaging platform.
Require time tracking and daily logs (e.g., via Time Doctor, Hubstaff).
Conduct quick daily check-ins to clarify doubts and prevent miscommunication.
3. Weekly Monitoring
Review VA’s task completion rate and accuracy.
Hold a weekly review meeting to address issues, clarify expectations, and give feedback.
Audit financial transactions, reports, or sensitive work to catch discrepancies.
Monitor client communication to ensure professionalism and brand alignment.
Identify recurring mistakes and adjust training or SOPs accordingly.
Confirm that data backups, document organization, and system access are managed properly.
4. Performance Management & Quality Control
Provide regular performance feedback and set improvement goals.
Document errors and corrections to track improvement over time.
Implement a double-check system for high-risk tasks (e.g., financial transactions).
Rotate work reviews among different team members if possible.
Escalate serious mistakes to the agency for correction or replacement if needed.
By following these steps, the client takes an active role in managing the virtual assistant, reducing liability for mistakes while keeping productivity high.
Comments