Here’s what typically happens:
↳ You bring someone on. ↴
↳↳ You toss them a few bullet points.↴↴
↳↳↳ Maybe a login or two.↴↴↴
↳↳↳↳ You say things like, “Can you just handle it?”
And when they don’t magically perform like a mind-reading, detail-loving, social-savvy unicorn…you call it a bad hire.
Nah, fam. That’s not a bad hire. That’s a bad system.
Most people don’t have SOPs. They don’t have dashboards. They don’t explain expectations. They don’t even give examples of what “good” looks like.
And worst of all…they’re too “busy” to train but somehow shocked when things fall apart.
If you want a solid VA, you need to stop winging it.
Here’s the minimum:
- Record a few videos showing what you want. And yes, I mean narrate everything you’re doing step-by -freaking-step.
- Take the transcript and put it into ChatGPT or your AI of choice
- BUILD AN SOP
- Put the written SOP and the video in a Gdrive
- Build a task board (ClickUp, Trello, even a Google Sheet. Just pick something!!!)
- Give real feedback (not a vague “fix this”)
- Actually onboard them like a team member, not a last-minute band-aid to your chaos
The good VAs? They’re out there. But even the best can’t build your brand from scraps of half-thoughts in Slack.
So before you jump back on Upwork to try again, ask yourself:
Are you hiring help? Or handing someone a mess and hoping for a miracle?
If it’s the second one…that’s not a VA problem. That’s a YOU problem.
Train them for success because crossing your fingers and hoping it works out is not a strategy to get there.
Deuces,