Writing a virtual assistant (VA) job scope

Before you think about how to find your virtual assistant, take the time to write down the scope of the role.

A scope will help you to write a detailed job listing – you want to avoid answering questions over and over.

It will also help you focus on exactly what you’re looking for, so you don’t waste time contacting VAs who aren’t a good match.

Finally, it’s handy to have in front of you as a guide when you’re speaking to a potential VA on the phone.

Your scope should cover:

A summary of your business

Answer the questions a VA might ask, such as…

Where are you located?
What are your business hours?
How long have you been operating for?
How busy are you / how many clients do you deal with each week?
What stage is your business at now and what do you hope to achieve by bringing on a VA?

How many hours a week or month you need

This can be a range, e.g. 3-10 hours a week or 10-20 hours a month
Is this for a one-off project or ongoing?
Do you need someone to be available on set days and hours, to be on call between certain hours?
Can your VA work whatever hours they choose as long as they complete tasks before a deadline? If so, provide an indication of the turn around you are after – e.g. 24 hours
Are there tasks that need to be done every business day?
Do you need someone who is generally available to take calls from you or your clients during business hours Mon-Fri, or cover your weekends?

Your hourly rate budget

What can you afford based on your hourly rate and the chargeable time you expect to gain from outsourcing for the hours above?
I don’t include this in job listings – I always ask candidates to advise their hourly rate when they apply

How soon do you need someone to start

Also, what is the deadline to apply?

Must-have experience

This will help reduce the number of candidates applying and help you to stay focused when you cull to a shortlist

Nice-to-have experience

e.g. list all the software you currently use

Tasks and/or responsibilities

What will your VA be doing?
What part of your business will they take over?
You can break this up to a “must-do” list and an if-there’s-still-time list, so your VA can prioritise and still stick to your budget by capping their hours each week.

Once you’ve got your scope and shareable job listing sorted, you may want to check out the process I recommend for choosing a virtual assistant once you’ve been inundated with candidates.

Is there anything else you think is critical for a job scope?