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How to Hire a Virtual Assistant With Zero Prior Hiring Experience
- Keneisha Salmon-Graham
- May 13
- 8 min read
Updated: May 13
By Keneisha S. | Founder, Virtual Kendesk Global Services | virtualkendesk.com
5 min read
You have never hired anyone before. The very thought of it — posting a job, reviewing applicants, conducting interviews, and writing contracts — feels like something big companies with HR departments do, not solo entrepreneurs running everything from a home office.
I hear this from business owners every single week. And I want to tell you something important: hiring your first virtual assistant is not nearly as complicated as your mind is making it out to be.
In this guide I am walking you through the exact process — step by step — so that by the time you finish reading, you will know precisely what to do, in what order, and how to avoid the mistakes that most first-time hirers make.
Whether you have five hours a week to give back or fifty, this is where it starts.
Step 1: Get Clear on What You Actually Need Help With
The biggest mistake first-time hirers make is starting with 'I need a VA' without finishing the sentence. A virtual assistant can do hundreds of things. Your job before you hire anyone is to get specific about which things you need done.
Spend 10 minutes writing down every task you do in your business that is:
Repetitive — you do the same thing every week or every day
Time-consuming — it takes longer than it should given your level of expertise
Something someone else could learn to do with clear instructions
Not your zone of genius — it's necessary but it doesn't require you specifically
Common first-hire tasks for small business owners include email management, calendar scheduling, social media posting, invoicing and bookkeeping support, customer enquiries, data entry, research, and document creation.
Once you have your list, circle the top three to five tasks that are costing you the most time right now. Those become your VA's starting point.
ACTION: Create Your Delegation List Right Now. Open a new document or grab a notepad. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Write down every task you did this week that someone else could do with clear instructions. Highlight the ones taking the most time. That is your hiring brief.
Step 2: Write a Simple VA Brief (Not a Job Description)
You do not need a formal job description. You need a brief — a clear, simple document that explains what you need done, how often, and what good results look like. This is what you will share with potential VAs so they can tell you immediately whether they are a good fit.
Your VA brief should include the following:
1. The tasks — List the specific tasks from your delegation list, not vague categories. 'Manage my inbox' is vague. 'Check my Gmail each weekday morning by 9am, reply to standard enquiries using the provided templates, and flag anything that needs my personal attention' is a brief.
2. The hours — How many hours per week do you estimate these tasks will take? Be realistic. Most first-time hirers start with 5–10 hours per week.
3. The tools — What software or platforms will they need to use? Gmail, Google Docs, Canva, Xero, your website CMS? List them all.
4. The communication — How will you communicate with your VA? Slack, WhatsApp, email? How often? Daily check-in, or weekly summary?
5. The results — What does success look like in the first 30 days? Define it clearly so both of you know what you are working toward.
A good brief does two things: it attracts the right VA because they can self-select based on their skills, and it repels the wrong ones, saving you time in the screening process.
Step 3: Find Your VA (The Right Platforms for Each Budget)
There are more places to find qualified virtual assistants than most people realise. Where you look depends on your budget, the type of tasks you need done, and your preference for working with a freelancer versus an agency.
If you want a done-for-you solution:
A virtual services company like Virtual Kendesk Global Services handles the matching, vetting, and management for you. You get a pre-screened VA who is already set up and ready to start — ideal if you have no time to run a full hiring process yourself.
If you want to hire a freelancer directly:
Platforms including Upwork, Fiverr Pro, and OnlineJobs.ph are the most widely used. Post your brief as your job listing, set your budget, and review applications. You can typically find qualified candidates within 48–72 hours.
If you want a referral:
Ask in your entrepreneur communities – Facebook groups, LinkedIn, and local business networks. A referred VA comes with an implicit endorsement. This is often the fastest route to a great match when you are starting out.
"The first person who comes to mind when you ask 'who do I know who is incredibly organised and reliable?' — that is probably your first VA."
Step 4: Screen Candidates in Under 30 Minutes
You do not need a multi-stage interview process for your first VA hire. What you need is a quick, structured way to identify who can actually do what they say they can do.
Here's the three-step process I recommend:
1. The application task — Before scheduling a single call, ask candidates to complete a small task from your actual brief. Send them 5-10 minutes of information and ask them to do one real task — perhaps organise an email thread, create a simple spreadsheet, or proofread a document. This immediately tells you who reads instructions, who takes care with their work, and who disappears.
2. The 20-minute video call — Ask three questions: What is one task like this you have done before, and how did you approach it? How do you stay organised when managing multiple clients? What would you do if you made a mistake on a task? Walk me through your process. You are not looking for perfection. You are looking for self-awareness, reliability, and communication style.
3. The paid test task — Before offering a contract, pay the shortlisted candidate to complete one real task – something from your actual delegation list. This tells you infinitely more than any interview. Budget $20–$50 for this. It is the best investment in the hiring process.
What to Look For:
Green Flags: Clear communicator; asks clarifying questions; meets the test task deadline; owns mistakes without excuses; references specific tools and processes
Red Flags: Vague answers in interview, misses the application task instruction, cannot explain how they organise their work, overpromises on skills they have never used commercially
Step 5: Set Up Your VA for Success From Day One
Most first-time VA hires fail not because the VA was the wrong person — but because the business owner did not set them up properly. If you want your VA to perform well, your job is to make it easy for them to do so.
In the first week, provide your new VA with:
A written document of every recurring task with step-by-step instructions — this becomes your first Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
Access to all the tools and platforms they need — email accounts, passwords (use LastPass or 1Password to share securely), and any relevant software
A clear communication schedule — when you will check in, how quickly you expect responses, and what communication channel to use for what type of message
A 30-day target — three to five specific outcomes you want achieved in the first month so both of you have a shared definition of a successful start
Permission to ask questions — new VAs need to ask questions. Make it clear that asking is not a sign of incompetence. It is a sign they are taking the work seriously
The first 30 days are about building the working rhythm, not expecting perfection. Give clear feedback – what is working and what needs adjustment – and you will have a VA who gets stronger every week.
Step 6: Protect Yourself With a Simple Contract
Even for a part-time VA working 5 hours a week, a basic service agreement protects both parties and sets professional expectations from the start.
Your VA contract does not need to be complicated. At a minimum it should cover the following:
The scope of work — the specific tasks from your brief
The rate and payment schedule — hourly, weekly, or monthly, and how they will invoice you
Confidentiality — your client information, business data, and any sensitive materials remain private
Notice period — how much notice either party gives if the working relationship ends
Intellectual property — any work created for your business belongs to your business
Virtual Kendesk provides a complete service agreement with every engagement. If you are hiring independently, a freelance contract template available on Docracy, Bonsai, or Honeybook will give you a legally sound starting point.
The 4 Most Common First-Timer Mistakes — And How to Avoid Them
Mistake | How to Avoid It |
Hiring too fast because you need help urgently | Spend one week writing your brief and delegation list before posting anywhere. Rushing the hiring process costs more time than taking it slowly upfront. |
Not giving clear enough instructions and blaming the VA for poor results | Write a step-by-step SOP for every recurring task before the VA starts. If they cannot follow it, the SOP needs improvement — not the VA. |
Micromanaging every hour instead of trusting the process | Agree on outcomes, not activity. A VA who completes all tasks correctly by the agreed deadline does not need to check in hourly. |
Paying the lowest rate and being surprised by low quality | Budget for quality. Experienced VAs who save you 10 hours a week at $25/hour cost less than the revenue you lose doing those tasks yourself. |
Recommended Tools to Set Up Your VA Workflow
These are the tools I recommend for every first-time VA client. I only recommend products I genuinely believe in.
Product | Price USD | Why You Need It |
LastPass Password Manager (Premium) | $36/yr | Share tool access securely with your VA without revealing actual passwords. Non-negotiable for security. |
$35–$65 | Upgrade your setup as you delegate more and reclaim desk time for creative, high-value work. | |
$25–$55 | For your weekly VA video check-in call. Look professional and build rapport with your remote team. | |
$45–$55 | Clear audio for onboarding calls and video briefs. Your VA hears your instructions better, reducing mistakes. | |
$15–$25 | Track your delegation list, VA tasks, and weekly reviews in one dedicated book. Undated — starts any time. | |
$60–$150 | Essential for focus during client calls while your VA handles background admin simultaneously. | |
$80–$150 | Send physical documents to your VA digitally for data entry, filing, and record-keeping. | |
$65–$80 | Professional video for onboarding calls. First impressions with a new VA set the relationship tone. |
Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I genuinely use or believe in.
Your 6-Step Quick Recap
Step 1: Write your delegation list — every repetitive, time-consuming task you currently do
Step 2: Create a simple VA brief — tasks, hours, tools, communication style, 30-day target
Step 3: Find your VA — Virtual Kendesk, Upwork, Fiverr Pro, OnlineJobs.ph, or referrals
Step 4: Screen with a task test — application task, 20-minute call, paid test task
Step 5: Set them up for success — SOPs, tool access, communication schedule, 30-day targets
Step 6: Use a contract — scope, rate, confidentiality, notice period, IP ownership
Final Thoughts
Hiring your first virtual assistant is one of the highest-leverage decisions you will make as a business owner. Not because it frees up time — although it absolutely does — but because it forces you to get clear about what your business actually needs, what your role really is, and what running a grown-up business looks like.
The entrepreneurs who delegate well are not the ones who have more money or more resources. They are the ones who got over the idea that doing everything themselves is somehow more professional, more responsible, or safer.
It is not. It is just slow.
You have read the steps. You know what to do. The only thing left is to start.
Ready to Stop Doing Everything Yourself?
Book a free Clarity Call with Virtual Kendesk. In 30 minutes we will map exactly which tasks to delegate first, what kind of VA support you need, and how to get started this week — no pressure, no pitch.
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