Hiring an administrative consultant should allow you to run your business more smoothly.
Because of carelessness or a simple oversight during the hiring process, however, the opposite may occur.
Administrative consultants work with you as business partners.
This means that you have to collaborate extensively, updating each other on the project's status.
Hiring an administrative consultant for your business can greatly affect your work pace and quality.
Whether the change will be positive depends on how well you avoid making these mistakes during the hiring process.
Mistake #1: Hiring without clear work guidelines Some business owners post generic ads that provide hardly any information.
This prompts a deluge of applicants sending applications that may not reflect the type of qualifications that the business owner requires.
You owe it to yourself and your potential candidates to clearly state the responsibilities that the position entails.
This eliminates time wasted on irrelevant job applications.
For the business owner, making a list of tasks forces you to think about which aspects of your business you can and should outsource, as well as whether you really need an administrative consultant.
A clearly written contract also sets limits as to the scope of the job, your expectations, and other equally important details.
Make sure you state these as early as possible to avoid any future misunderstandings.
Mistake #2: Hiring indiscriminately You'll be surprised how many employers complain about them, when the fact is that they hired them without any interview whatsoever.
The essential qualities of an ideal candidate are dependability, professionalism and drive.
Without these characteristics, an administrative consultant might bring you more problems instead of helping you to solve your present concerns.
Qualifications and experience play a critical role, too, especially if you do not have the time to train the candidate.
A valuable administrative partner does not just follow orders but also suggests improvements for your business operations, so it helps greatly if your candidate shows initiative and confidence.
Moreover, make sure your candidate really has these characteristics during your interview instead of taking their word for it.
Even if a candidate appears competent and professional, it could be that he is simply not a good match for your job.
Asking the right questions during the interview will help determine your candidate's compatibility with the job.
Mistake #3: Expecting too much More often than not, a virtual administrative consultant will have several clients besides you, so you can't expect him to be at your beck and call every hour of the day.
Neither should you expect your administrative consultant to have expertise in unrelated fields such as web coding, press release writing, and image manipulation.
In fact, you should hear alarm bells when your candidate promises to deliver on all these requirements.
Besides the necessary communication tools and finances, it is just as important to be mentally prepared for hiring an administrative consultant.
Manage your expectations as to how an administrative consultant can free up your schedule; prepare to entrust part of your beloved venture to another human being; and above all, find the patience to look for the ideal candidate for the job.
Because of carelessness or a simple oversight during the hiring process, however, the opposite may occur.
Administrative consultants work with you as business partners.
This means that you have to collaborate extensively, updating each other on the project's status.
Hiring an administrative consultant for your business can greatly affect your work pace and quality.
Whether the change will be positive depends on how well you avoid making these mistakes during the hiring process.
Mistake #1: Hiring without clear work guidelines Some business owners post generic ads that provide hardly any information.
This prompts a deluge of applicants sending applications that may not reflect the type of qualifications that the business owner requires.
You owe it to yourself and your potential candidates to clearly state the responsibilities that the position entails.
This eliminates time wasted on irrelevant job applications.
For the business owner, making a list of tasks forces you to think about which aspects of your business you can and should outsource, as well as whether you really need an administrative consultant.
A clearly written contract also sets limits as to the scope of the job, your expectations, and other equally important details.
Make sure you state these as early as possible to avoid any future misunderstandings.
Mistake #2: Hiring indiscriminately You'll be surprised how many employers complain about them, when the fact is that they hired them without any interview whatsoever.
The essential qualities of an ideal candidate are dependability, professionalism and drive.
Without these characteristics, an administrative consultant might bring you more problems instead of helping you to solve your present concerns.
Qualifications and experience play a critical role, too, especially if you do not have the time to train the candidate.
A valuable administrative partner does not just follow orders but also suggests improvements for your business operations, so it helps greatly if your candidate shows initiative and confidence.
Moreover, make sure your candidate really has these characteristics during your interview instead of taking their word for it.
Even if a candidate appears competent and professional, it could be that he is simply not a good match for your job.
Asking the right questions during the interview will help determine your candidate's compatibility with the job.
Mistake #3: Expecting too much More often than not, a virtual administrative consultant will have several clients besides you, so you can't expect him to be at your beck and call every hour of the day.
Neither should you expect your administrative consultant to have expertise in unrelated fields such as web coding, press release writing, and image manipulation.
In fact, you should hear alarm bells when your candidate promises to deliver on all these requirements.
Besides the necessary communication tools and finances, it is just as important to be mentally prepared for hiring an administrative consultant.
Manage your expectations as to how an administrative consultant can free up your schedule; prepare to entrust part of your beloved venture to another human being; and above all, find the patience to look for the ideal candidate for the job.