Why Your Filipino Virtual Assistant is Leaving
A virtual assistant provides a helping hand that an extremely busy entrepreneur, businessperson, manager, or CEO needs.
Without one, it can be virtually impossible to go through the day as smoothly as possible.
However, a high turnover rate of virtual assistants is a major problem faced most especially by overseas clients whose virtual assistants are situated thousands of miles away.
Does this mean that employers should simply stop seeking virtual assistants and instead go back to hiring assistants in the traditional manner?
Well, that’s always an option for someone who is willing to get subjected to the high costs of hiring a full-time employee, devoting precious office space to a traditional assistant, and some office drama.
There are clearly so many irresistible perks that come with hiring a virtual assistant.
Unfortunately, it’s not the perfect solution as there are also some cons to it, and something that never fails to catch most especially unsuspecting employers off guard is the relatively high turnover rate.
So why do virtual assistants call it quits?
For the most part, it’s due to one or more of the following:
Moving on to greener pastures
Virtual assistants love what they do. However, love alone isn’t enough to keep them alive. It’s not unlikely for virtual assistants to seek other employers if they’re not happy with their salary.
And by the way, it’s not just a low salary that can easily drive them away but also a delayed salary!
Lack of employee benefits
Just because they’re working from the comfort of their respective homes doesn’t mean they’re no longer worthy of the benefits traditional office workers get.
Sick leave, vacation leave, taxes, social security, medical or dental benefits — if these and others are not around, virtual assistants usually refuse to stay around.
Virtually impossible work schedules
Unlike smartphones and smartphone apps providing digital assistance, virtual assistants are carbon-based beings that need to eat, rest and sleep, and also spend time with their loved ones.
Unrealistic work schedules and even constantly-changing shifts can leave virtual assistants with no other choice but to leave.
Chronic vague instructions
Virtual assistants do not have degrees earned from Psychic University. Needless to say, they’re not mind-readers — they need to be told clearly what they need to do for them to be able to impress.
If constant instructions provided to them are unclear, then it’s clear what their next step would probably be.
Unfortunately, it’s not just the personality, work ethics, and day-to-day oversight of employees that are causing them to lose their virtual assistants in the blink of an eye.
Check out the following:
Cultural traits
Take for example Filipino virtual assistants: Filipinos are known to be kind and shy, and that’s why most of the time they stay away from being assertive for the benefit of having a better employment experience.
Instead of creating tension by expressing their thoughts pertaining to work, they may simply look for different employers.
Failure to stand up to the challenge
While working as a virtual assistant comes with amazing perks, there are also a few downsides to it, some of which many virtual assistants (especially newbies) are unable to stand.
Some common examples include the lack of a sense of community and the inability to deliver every single time.
Conclusion
If the conditions are right, employers can rest assured they can depend on their trusted virtual assistants for a long, long time.
There are a few simple steps that one may take to keep his or her employee from many miles away around.
For instance, when hiring virtual assistants from the Philippines (which is a treasure trove of some of the most diligent, honest, and dependable virtual assistants on the planet) it’s a good idea for entrepreneurs, businesspersons, managers or CEOs to get in touch with reputable Filipino-owned agencies like Unique Workers instead of directly hiring a virtual assistant through the online job market.
In a nutshell, treating virtual assistants with great care is all that’s necessary for them to take good care of their employers.