Virtual Assistant vs In-house Employee?
Which is right for you?
Employees are important assets to a business. They contribute effectively towards the successful functioning of an organization. But it’s not just about hiring people – it’s choosing the right people for you.
Since the rise of Virtual Assistant, the virtual assistant vs. in-house employee has been a discussion. Both types of team members can carry out your back-office tasks, but how do you determine which one is the better option?
Virtual Assistant: (Pros and Cons)
A Virtual Assistant is an administrative assistant working offshore. They act as an extension of your office performing your back-office tasks just like an employee would normally do. Hiring virtual assistants help businesses reduce general and administrative overhead by serving as flexible, reliable, and resourceful sources of talent.
Pros:
- Cost-efficient. Hiring Virtual Assistants is cheaper than hiring an in-house employee. You don’t have to pay employee-related tax, office supplies, equipment expenses, holiday and sick pay, and employee insurance.
- Flexibility of hiring. You can hire a Virtual Assistant for short-term, long-term or project-based periods without a lengthy HR process.
- No training cost. Virtual Assistants hone their skills and abilities to be competitive. This means saving in training costs and time, unless you want to provide further training.
Cons:
- Virtual communication. It could be challenging to maintain constant communication since Virtual Assistants work remotely in a different location as you.
- Technical difficulties. In the event that there are technical difficulties on the VA side, it could hurt productivity.
Employee: (Pros and Cons)
An employee is an individual who works full-time or part-time under a contract of employment. They are a permanent team member of your staff and has a specific duty to perform. You have to pay each permanent employee a salary (with a fixed monthly or hourly rate) and a range of employee benefits.
Pros:
- Personal interaction. Communication is easier with personal interaction. This is also ideal for building relationships between the employer and the employees.
- Address issues effectively. It’s easier to fix technical and work-related issues.
- Keeping track of productivity. You can easily monitor your people’s performance and attendance since they are physically at work with you.
Cons:
- Higher overhead expense. Hiring an in-house employee is more expensive as it comes with employee benefits such as holiday pays, insurance, taxes and others.
- Expensive investment. Employers handle the training of the employees which costs time and money. More so, it would incur more costs if the employee resigns and need to hire a new one.
- Lengthy HR process. Hiring an employee undergoes a lengthy process from interviews, assessments, completing documents to onboarding.
Finding the right fit: Virtual Assistant vs. Employee
The simplest way to find the right fit for you is to figure out your needs and priorities. You can start by asking yourself these questions.
- Do you need someone to work for a short-term or long-term period?
Employees are great for long-term support given that hiring one is already an expensive investment, while Virtual Assistants are great for both long-term and short term.
- Are you budget conscious?
If you’re a small business owner with a limited budget, hiring a Virtual Assistant is the more cost-effective option. If you have the budget and can pay for overhead expenses, then hiring an employee might be a right fit.
- What is the complexity of your daily tasks?
If your tasks are back-office and do not need physical interaction with your customers or other stakeholders, then a Virtual Assistant can get the things done for you. However, if if the tasks will be needed for your team to be on-the-job, an employee is the better choice.
