Virtual Assistants (VAs) are game-changers for businesses, offering essential support like managing schedules, handling customer inquiries, and streamlining administrative tasks. They provide flexibility, cost-efficiency, and a range of specialized skills.
However, finding the right VA can be challenging.
Businesses often struggle with navigating the vast sea of freelancer websites and networking platforms, where it’s easy to get overwhelmed by choices and inconsistent quality.
Balancing the need for efficiency with the search for the perfect fit requires careful consideration and a strategic approach. This is why you should always go for a platform that specializes in matching you with a virtual assistant that meets your needs.
Why turn to specialized VA services?
Here are five key benefits of opting for specialized VA services:
- Expert Matchmaking: These services use specialized algorithms and expert knowledge to pair businesses with VAs with the needed skills and experience.
- Quality Assurance: They vet VAs rigorously, ensuring you work with professionals who meet high standards of competence and reliability.
- Time Efficiency: Outsourcing the search process saves you time, allowing you to focus on your core business activities rather than sifting through countless profiles.
- Industry Expertise: Specialized services often have VAs with industry-specific knowledge, providing you with professionals who understand your sector's unique needs and challenges.
- Ongoing Support: Many of these companies offer continuous support and management, helping to address any issues and ensuring a smooth working relationship.
What is Virtual Coworker?
Virtual Coworker is an outsourcing agency that provides Philippines-based virtual assistants to businesses across the globe.
The platform claims to scout the top 1% of candidates with skills and expertise in many industries. It also features an online time tracker tool that lets you monitor the productivity of your hired remote assistant.
What does Virtual Coworker offer?
Virtual Coworker offers to connect you with remote professionals who can fit various job descriptions. Here are a couple of options you could consider:
- Virtual Assistants: Data entry, administrative tasks, CRM management, calendar management, etc
- Web Developers: Web design, back and front end development, HTML, CSS, etc
- Bookkeepers: Payroll management, collections management, bank reconciliation, financial statement preparation, etc
- Digital Marketing Managers: SEO, SEM, Ad campaign management, performance marketing, etc
- Social Media Managers: Content creation, social account management, online branding support, influencer outreach, etc
- Customer Service Specialists: Email Support, query resolution, back office support, troubleshooting, etc
How are Virtual Coworker VAs priced?
Virtual Coworker’s pricing plans depend on the specific service you opt for. Here are a few of its starting rates:
- Virtual Assistant: $7/hour
- Executive Assistant: $7/hour
- Social Media Manager: $8/hour
- Lead Generation Specialist: $8/hour
- Bookkeeper: $8/hour
- Web Developer: $10/hour
Apart from these hourly rates, there’s no additional cost for hiring a professional from Virtual Coworker. Additionally, you have the flexibility to either hire a full-time or a part-time dedicated assistant. Virtual Coworkers' staff work 20 to 40 hours per week in your preferred time zone.
However, please note that these rates are subject to change. To get your actual quote, you need to specify your needs.
Where are Virtual Coworker VAs from?
Virtual Coworker professionals are primarily from the Philippines.
How credible is the company?
We can’t make any claims about Virtual Coworker’s credibility, as there are no Trustpilot ratings that we can refer to!
How do I hire a VA with Virtual Coworker?
Here’s the process of hiring a remote professional from Virtual Coworker:
- You need to get on a consultation call with Virtual Coworker’s sales team to specify your needs
- Based on your specified requirements, a dedicated recruitment specialist will source and vet candidates for you
- Once done, the specialist will send you a list of the most suitable candidates and their hourly rates. You can interview them to hire the best one
- A dedicated customer success manager from Virtual Coworker will help you with the onboarding of your assistant
What are some pros and cons of Virtual Coworker?
Here are some pros and cons of hiring with Virtual Coworker:
Pros:
- You can hire high-quality VAs: Virtual Coworker claims to hire only the top 1% of candidates. But that’s not all—each of its professionals is also thoroughly vetted and precisely tailored according to your delegation needs. So, their service quality tends to be reliable.
- Virtual Coworker’s VAs offer a range of services: The platform provides remote professionals for various jobs like graphic designing, content writing, accounting, bookkeeping, admin duties, and so on. Thus, it’s ideal for all sorts of businesses.
- You can hire dedicated assistants: The professional you hire via Virtual Coworker will work only for your organization. This dedicated approach ensures they are fully engrossed and devoted to your business.
- Its services are priced decently: Virtual Coworker’s hourly rates are much more affordable than other VA platforms. This makes them suitable for businesses with tight budgets.
- You can hire assistants that work in the same timezone as you: All Virtual Coworker assistants operate in the same timezone as your business. This reduces the chances of miscommunication and maximizes efficiency.
- You can avail of time trackers for extra support: The platform comes integrated with a time tracker that helps you monitor and manage your hired VA’s productivity without manual effort.
Cons:
- The platform has low credibility: Virtual Coworker’s credibility is low. So, it may not be suitable for delegating high-stakes tasks.
- The platform has a long-drawn hiring process: Virtual Coworker’s hiring process is lengthy. You also need to interview each of the selected candidates on your own. However, there are many platforms whose hiring process is quicker and fully managed.
Our review—what do we think of Virtual Coworker?
Virtual Coworker is a platform that sources its staff from the Philippines. While this ensures their quality is top-notch, it also makes sure businesses can hire the right talent at a reasonable price. But then again, it’s the same with any Philippines-based VA platform. So, how is Virtual Coworker any different?
Unlike its competitors, Virtual Coworker’s range of services is pretty vast. The platform fulfills administrative and niche-specific delegation requirements—a significant pro.
However, the catch lies in its credibility. Virtual Coworker has no ratings or testimonials on any independent review sites, making it difficult to gauge its quality and effectiveness. So, it’s best to look for alternatives with the same variety and cost-effectiveness but with higher credibility.
Hire a 1% Executive Assistant
Founded by serial entrepreneurs, Leverage Assistants is a white-glove service that helps you find 1% assistants and then teaches you how to build leverage with them.
If you’re interested in a strategy session to learn how to use an assistant, click here.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
