Employee vs VA – Which is Best for You?

Virtual assistance is rapidly becoming a popular method for recruiting help in many businesses, especially as the 'Work From Home' trend took off during the COVID-19 pandemic - this new way of working has shown both employees and employers that it is possible to get things done without the need to have someone physically present in the office.

Remote and in-office work arrangements each have perks and drawbacks, and the best choice really depends on what you need. If you are considering bringing someone new to your team, it is worth considering whether a Virtual Assistant (VA) or an in-office employee would be better for your company and your company's needs.

At Liruss Virtual Business Services, we will match you with one of our VAs based on your needs and our VA’s talents, whether it is for financial help, general administrative support, and/or creative help with social media, blog posts and website design – this way, we can make sure are receiving the right support to complement your business.

Let’s take a look at the perks of each hiring style:

Virtual Assistants

Virtual Assistants typically work remotely, whether from home or from a dedicated remote office. They can be hired individually or through a Virtual Assistant company, and while their roles mirror those of in-office employees, they offer a unique set of advantages.

·       Flexible Working Hours

Virtual Assistants (VAs) can offer flexible working, making them a good choice for project-based tasks, as you can work with them long-term, short-term, and work around budgets. Take us, for example; we can offer you the choice of how many hours you would like to use on a weekly or monthly basis, allowing you to increase or decrease depending on your needs.

·       Not Just One-Trick Ponies

Virtual assistants can help you with many tasks, including general administration, finance, and creative projects. This flexibility is useful for employers because you can use them for a variety of needs instead of hiring for just one specific role; they can change responsibilities or take on more hours to manage new projects as your business grows. Many of our VAs have a vast range of experience from administration to content creation, so if, after your inbox has been sorted, you need a blog post done, your VA will be able to help!

·       Opens up More Opportunities

The flexibility to work from home allows your new team member to work from anywhere in the world, giving you the best opportunity to find your next recruit as you're not stuck advertising for the role to a specific location – you may be based in Brighton and the perfect content creator for you could be all the way up in Scotland!

At Liruss, you're not just hiring remote help; you're gaining access to VAs who we know inside and out, including their strengths, personalities, and work styles, which allows us to place you with the best VA for your wants and needs.

·       Money Saving

There are a few ways Virtual Assistance can save you money: the fact that they do not need to be in your office is a money-saving trick straight off the bat! There is less office maintenance (along with no need to buy eight different types of milk!) They usually have their own equipment, and probably one of the biggest reasons is that they are flexible with their work.

Virtual Assistants can be hired as freelance, part-time, full-time, and on a project-to-project basis, allowing them to work the hours you need, instead of a salaried employee only doing around four hours of work during a 9-5 workday.

Depending on you and your business, an in-house employee may be a better fit for your needs – let’s explore what that can offer:

Employee

Employees, as we all know, are usually hired to work within a certain department of a company, and they tend to work alongside a team in an office setting. Employees are usually hired based on the experience they have in the role you are looking to fill.

·       Time Tracking

Time management is always an important tool within any company, and you certainly want to make sure your new team member is making the most of their time with you; having a person in the office can make it easier to monitor their daily, weekly, and monthly productivity, as they are there with you throughout the day.

·       Communication

Catching up with an in-office employee is usually without obstacles, as you can approach them in person throughout the day – this minimises waiting to hear back via text, email, or messenger. However, this can be a drawback as an office member will probably only be accessible during the time they are in the office with you.

·       Employee Evaluation

Every new employer wants to take care of their team member and make sure they are thriving and fitting in; seeing them in person will make it somewhat easier to understand their personality, work ethic and how they are progressing within your team.

It is clear to see that ‘Employees ‘and ‘Virtual assistants’ bring huge and fulfilling advantages to the table, but to answer the question, ‘which is right for me?’, well, that decision is entirely up to you, how you feel, and which you think would best fit your desires and needs.

Hiring a new employee can be time-consuming, as not only do you need to create a job advert, but you need to upload it, scour through (sometimes) hundreds of applications, arrange interviews, conduct interviews, phew! It can be hard work! But if you choose to work with a company like us, we can take away a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to finding you the right person to work with. We know our VAs well and will always make sure we place you with the right person depending on your needs.

All our Virtual Assistants track and log their hours, which can be shared with you, are trained in multiple areas, and have access to their own phones and emails, making it easy for you to keep in contact throughout the day.  

So, if hiring a Virtual Assistant has piqued your interest, and you’d like to learn more about how we can support your team, get in touch today!