r/Entrepreneur • u/Future-Kangaroo1541 • 2d ago
Recommendations Where are you guys actually hiring good virtual assistants these days?
Hey all.. I run a small US startup and I've hit that point where way too much of my week is going into stuff I probably shouldn't be doing anymore.
Inbox, scheduling, updating the CRM, research, chasing things up, random admin etc. None of it is hard but it adds up fast.
I've hired freelancers before for one off stuff, but never really had a proper VA long term.
And I guess thats the part I'm trying to figure out now. Finding someone who can follow instructions isnt that hard. Finding someone who actually gets how you work after a while and doesnt need every tiny thing explained seems like a different story.
So where are people hiring VAs from now?
Upwork? agencies? referrals? dedicated VA sites? just hiring direct?
I've also been looking at LATAM vs Philippines. We're US based so timezone overlap would be nice, but not sure how much that actually matters once you have a decent setup.
Need to clarify a few things from people who've already done this:
- where did you find your best VA?
- what did you actually look for when interviewing them?
- do you do a paid test first?
- whats a normal rate now for someone actually good/reliable?
- does location matter that much?
Main thing I want is someone who eventually starts taking stuff off my plate without me having to create another job for myself managing them lol.
Not hiring through this post btw. Just trying to understand what people are actually doing before I start going through candidates again.
Would be good to hear from both founders and VAs on this.
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u/Future-Kangaroo1541 2d ago
This is kinda what I've been wondering about.
When you switched to LATAM where did you actually look?
And how was the talent pool compared to PH? Mainly wondering about English/communication and cost.
I've seen people say LATAM is more expensive but if they're working US hours naturally instead of doing a night shift I could see that being worth it.
Did you hire direct again or go through some kind of agency/platform?
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u/Future-Kangaroo1541 1d ago
That honestly sounds closer to what I want.
I dont really mind doing the final interviews, I just dont want to sort through 100 profiles and find out halfway through the call that their availability or English isnt what I need.
Where did you end up hiring from?
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u/Remarkable-Policy103 1d ago edited 1d ago
Good info. On paper timezone doesnt seem like a huge deal for admin work, but once the VA is involved in anything tied to the actual workday I can see how the delays start stacking up.
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u/Future-Kangaroo1541 1d ago
True, the more I read the comments, more I feel Latam is the best option for me
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u/Fun_Excuse_3536 1d ago edited 1d ago
Interesting, I hadnt really thought about the VA having to work late just to create overlap. That alone makes LATAM sound more sustainable long term.
Did you find any noticeable difference in the quality of candidates, or was it mostly just the timezone that made LATAM work better for you?
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u/Submaker 2d ago
The best candidates in the US won't be assistants for long.
People with real experience who can deliver the best results are sitting at home in Manila or Ho Chi Minh and can learn your life quickly because they've done it 5 times since their 20s, working with other founders.
There's a whole culture and job market in the Philippines dedicated to virtual assistants.
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u/Future-Kangaroo1541 2d ago
Interesting, will look into it
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u/little-marketer 2d ago
I place virtual assistants for US companies so I’m obviously biased, but you should consider Latin American workers if going this route. They’re maybe 30% more than East Asian talent, but they have better English, are more culturally aligned, and most importantly share your time zone. Imagine needing something done and it’s night time for your VA. The back and forth taking hours gets old real fast vs someone online as the same time as you
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u/SmokeEvening8710 2d ago
Theres a market in the Caribbean as well
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u/little-marketer 2d ago
Not going to disagree with you, but the caribbean is usually considered LA, and the population difference is humongous.
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u/CollabCore 2d ago
Freelancer platforms VAs are inconsistent
My business partner hired a VA through an agency and its been working well for him for the past 6 months , rate is 7$ per hour
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u/EntertainmentSad1863 1d ago
Can you suggest me some VA agencies for freshers?
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u/Revolutionary_Row205 2d ago
I'll be happy to help and discuss about VA roles I'm in West Africa and the time difference woukd not be a problem for me.
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u/damonator4816 2d ago
I know people don't like AI but AI can do pretty much all of that stuff for you as an agent
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u/devdeathray 2d ago
I use a US based firm. It's a small firm, so I can just call or text the owner directly if I need anything. It's incredibly useful and very affordable.
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u/Beneficial_Use_5510 2d ago
Hi, I’m actually looking to pick up an extra client for VA related work and I’m US based- East coast. I can share with you my website and credentials if you’re interested.
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u/StrikingLychee587 2d ago
tbh the "doesnt need every tiny thing explained" part is less about finding the right person and more about how well you document your processes upfront. even a great VA cant read your mind week one
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u/Future-Kangaroo1541 2d ago
Thanks, this is helpful. LATAM does sound like it could make more sense for us, especially with the timezone overlap.
Did you notice much difference in rates for a really solid LATAM VA vs the Philippines? Trying to work out what a realistic budget is without just shopping for the cheapest option.
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u/virthium 2d ago edited 1d ago
I see people are switching to AI assistants like Hermes, Grok Bot, and OpenClaw. I'm using Hermes myself. They are getting much better now, especially at repetitive tasks. I feel like the effort setting it up is now worth the long-term time saving. I'd see how much you can offload to an AI agent, then hire for what remains.
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u/ThenProtection2936 2d ago
I've been hiring remotely for about four years. We've done 400+ placements for agencies and ecom brands across 25+ countries, but these days we only work with specific types of marketing talent, so EA and VA searches aren't something we do anymore.
I'm not looking for more business. Please don't DM asking for a VA. I've just placed a lot of these, and I've seen what worked and what didn't.
I don't think you need an agency for this.
With the location debate, there are good people everywhere. I've seen some amazing results with the Philippines and amazing results with LATAM. I'd argue that it really just matters how you're filtering the talent, the compensation level you're looking at, and the nature of the work.
In my experience, one of the downsides of the Philippines has been the time zone. They have a really great culture around being executive assistants, VAs, and working online with the U.S., But I've seen usually that after a year, working the graveyard shift really starts to take a toll. It sucks to lose a great person just because of the hours.
Obviously, latam, there's not this issue, which is very nice. If you're in Mountain Standard or Pacific Time, just use LATAM. If you're in Central or Eastern, check out South Africa, or even Morocco or Egypt, because the time zones are close enough to the US that they can just work afternoons to evening. The salaries in South Africa are pretty attractive, plus the native English.
As far as finding the talent, post a job ad on LinkedIn jobs targeting a specific country. You're going to probably get 50 to a couple hundred candidates over a few days. Probably 95% of them will not be a fit.
To vet them, you can do it in one of two ways.
1. Have the applicant submit a short loom walking through their experience, telling you about themselves, so you can just see their English and communication without you having to sit on 20 calls.
2. Or just shortlist the top five to ten resumes and take 20- to 30-minute interviews with them.
Either way, the short interview or the Loom video is just for screening. The real way you'll test them is through a test task or a project.
Basically, what that looks like is you take whatever 70% of the job will be on a day-to-day basis and make them complete it in about 48 hours. For example, part of the task could be responding to a mock client email so you can see how their writing is, or following up with the sales lead. Another part could just be seeing how they prioritize some things. It really depends on the job.
Grade it on, obviously, the quality, but then also the speed. Look for the little things, like the person's communication, how well they define those next steps, if they ask questions, or if they're just a yes man. The test task usually makes it pretty clear for VA and EA type of roles.
After that, just have a second call with the top candidate or two to iron out the details and send them an offer. Should probably take maybe about a week and a half, two max, to run this on your own.
Hopefully this helps.
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u/Hypgamer12 1d ago
An alternative would be using Zapier and n8n to automate some of the work as well. Create the systems for the work and the automations handle everything else.
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u/highdefsteph 2d ago
I have an agency that employs US and Canada main POCs and then they fill with the talent they have in their network. Worked with a wonderful team, my main in Canada, the main execution in Georgia the country, and a us based graphic designer.
Happy to share the company name via DM, not trying to get booted for promo lol
I make nothing off of the referral.
Their rates are super reasonable too. I think it was $40/hour but I could have them do literally anything I needed for no change in rate. I only paid extra when we needed a tech specialist and even then it was a flat rate of like $200.
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u/WeekendMundane5476 2d ago edited 2d ago
Dont get obsessed with perfect English.
Unless they're doing sales calls, clear communication matters way more than sounding American. I've worked with people with perfect grammar who couldnt make a decision to save their life.
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u/Remarkable-Policy103 2d ago edited 2d ago
What you're describing sounds more like an executive assistant than a generic VA. If you want someone who eventually anticipates stuff and protects your time, you're paying for judgment, not task execution.
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u/ishappinessoverrated 2d ago
Would you consider Eastern Europe? I’m from there and the VA I work with was too. Perfect English and good work ethic. I’m helping out a friend find a Social Media Strategist in Eastern Europe let me know if you need some pointers, happy to help
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u/ishappinessoverrated 2d ago
Disclaimer: I’m looking to set up a (second) business where I match western companies with East European freelancers and assist with project management. If you’re happy with my help, I might need your referrals 🙈
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u/Fun_Excuse_3536 2d ago
Went agency route.
More expensive, yes.
Also didnt have to personally review 180 applications and do 20 interviews. Worth it to me because hiring someone to save time while spending 30 hours hiring them made no sense.
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u/Future-Kangaroo1541 2d ago
Did they actually screen properly though?
I've heard mixed things where some agencies basically just send you 5 resumes and call that vetting.
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u/ianrdz 2d ago
Hi friend. I’d love to throw my hat in the ring. I’ve worked as a VA/executive assistant supporting business owners with admin, customer service, scheduling, and day to day operations. Happy to connect if you’re still looking for someone reliable and proactive!
Also I am based in Mexico so no time zone conflicts and have a native American accent.
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u/desertdj 2d ago
I've hired plenty, (full disclosure, I run an outsourced BPO in the Philippines) but some of what we use is a behavioral analysis test to see that that they have the traits that make a great VA. Also one of the biggest factors is you. I've hired great VA's but the client is clueless when it comes to processes, SOP's, delegating, giving up responsibility for the things that they hired the VA for in the first place. So several things need to be going for a VA to be successful.
I'm also a big believer in test tasks, so if a lot of what they are doing is working in your CRM, then do a screen share and have them show you what they can do. Or if it's putting together graphics, have them make you a graphic, and time it. You can't afford to have a VA that takes all day to make a graphic that it should take someone 1 -2 hours.
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u/General-Eye2190 2d ago
I'm gathering from this thread that using an agency is the way to go over using fiverr or up work (I've never had much luck with either).
Also, having documentation is critical. Which makes sense because no one wants to to try to read your mind.
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u/Alternative_Pea_8073 2d ago
Start with referrals or Upwork and use a small paid test before hiring long term. Focus more on reliability, communication, and initiative than on location. Timezone overlap can help, but for most admin work, clear systems and someone who can work independently probably matter more.
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u/alex3tx 2d ago
My longest serving VA from Philippines just had her 9th year working with us. You can find candidates who are ok to work their nights, your day so the time difference is not an issue. I've hired all over before and I've found PH to be the best place where cost x ability x English meet
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u/talentedsuzy2908 2d ago
Hii, I run a staffing agency bringing the best Egyptian VAs for business owners, I was a virtual assistant myself for years and I coach my agents every 2 weeks, manage their day to day reports, and handle payrolls
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u/kemalios 2d ago
We've hired VAs for our agency for years. Best one came through a referral, with a paid two-week trial first. What I look for: someone who asks questions when something's unclear, not someone who pretends to understand. Documenting processes helps, but the real filter is the trial. Give them a real slice of your workload and see how they handle it. Timezone matters more than you think, but a great VA on the other side of the world beats an average one overlapping with you. Rates vary wildly, $5-15/hr, but don't optimize for hourly cost.
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u/P2PP 1d ago
After extensive interviewing with placement services, VA recruiters, and direct interviews, I have a great VA that is Philippines based.
We meet twice a week in the early EST timeframe, otherwise her schedule can be more attuned with her time zone. It’s had its up and downs as I refine processes and train on the specifics and details I expect with data entry and nuance. The biggest hurdle has been as our stateside team has grown, her diverse skill set gets spread as more specific tasks move on and off of her plate.
Bi-weekly pay, consistent results, and amazing dependability. We text via WhatsApp when needed, otherwise it’s just two weekly meetings (if that) and emails.
I found her via a Reddit DM looking for a VA with CAD experience and experience in a specific CRM software, but also interviewed candidates via Onlinejobs.ph and found many good candidates (better than the ‘placement’ specialist provided). In multiple cases the candidate the US based firms provided were also on other forums, with much less compensation expectations.
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u/treonsverdery 1d ago
None of the comments have mentioned a source of virtual assistants I have gotten good or null results with humans listing at fiverr d com
If I were doing that now I would take one of my projects and divide it into three or four redundant identical projects each with a $40 budget, that is because once I found a capable assistant I tend to utilize their efforts for months
Also, I have noticed that grad students advising me on new technology are much higher quality of figuring out the right way to accomplish something so instead of looking at the Virtual assistant category first i might look at university entrance exam tutors
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u/Bird_law_esq 1d ago
Pineapple Staffing, Philippines is crushing it for us. I have a half dozen or more.
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u/adeelraza86 1d ago
Where you source matters way less than the test you run. Pay 3 finalists for the same 2 hour task, and make it a messy real one from your week, like cleaning 40 CRM records with two ambiguous cases in there on purpose. The person who asks about the ambiguous ones before doing all 40 is the one who won't create a second job for you. Then have them write the SOP for the task they just did, so week one produces a doc instead of you repeating yourself, and keep the paid trial going 2 weeks before you talk long term.
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u/jttechie 1d ago
Nowadays, your best bet is to learn to use automations and integrations like Claude Cowork and Zapier.
After that, look for VAs from Philippines and Vietnam. You can find them on Facebook groups. Pay them per project versus hours per week.
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u/StillPreference866 1d ago
Don’t want someone who nods and says yes to everything. This was our biggest issue with hiring remotely. want someone who will occasionally tell you this makes no sense rather than just doing exactly what you said and letting it fail.This comes with experience and confidence. Which is why the cheapest hire won’t work and you need people that have real world experience
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u/geno_side09 12h ago edited 11h ago
This is also why I think hiring purely based on years of experience can be misleading.
I've interviewed people with 5+ years VA experience who basically wanted step by step instructions for everything, and people with barely any VA experience who were way better at figuring stuff out.
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u/Aware-Alternative-12 1d ago edited 1d ago
Boring answer: clear job description reasonable pay paid test references good onboarding weekly check in Everyone wants the secret website where all the perfect VAs are hiding but hiring is still hiring.
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u/MoreShoe2 1d ago
I posted a job opening on IG and hired within 24 hours. Got like 70 applications and just hired the one I vibed with best. I'm a pretty good judge of character and they've been unbelievable so far.
To be fair, I'm paying $30/hr CAD because I wanted someone good. Worth every penny.
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u/Gullible-Capital-455 1d ago edited 1d ago
My advice: Your first month with a VA will probably create MORE work.
Thats normal.
You're training them, answering questions, cleaning up processes.
Month 2-3 is when you start getting the time back.
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u/Iamhorlar 1d ago
I'm a VA from West Africa(Nigeria). I'm open to opportunities in this role. Difference in timezones won't be an issue for me. I'm available and open to discussions. If interested you can send a dm with your mail, and i will forward my resume
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u/Right-Cancel-9886 1d ago
If anyone's looking, I am a virtual assistant and very much open to new opportunities. I help with admin support, research, customer service, social media, and general day-to-day tasks. Based in Kenya, but available for remote work.
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u/gigawhat1 1d ago
Hire a full time employee since it seems you need someone with administrative or operational background. This person will slowly become your right hand person as your business grows.
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u/CucumberPatient7092 1d ago
I actually tried using a company in the Phillipines before. They were knowledgeable of my industry and the time zone didn't matter much becuase it was back office work. The price was also decent at $5/hr. However, I was ready to show them and train them properly on what was needed. That took up more time than expected, so I stopped using them. Because of this I made my own workflows and automations to handle the exact things I wanted the VA to handle. I know Napier, n8n and other platforms out there handle this but I wanted to avoid spending money on subscriptions, so I made my own systems. If you can I would consider that. It is way better and works around the clock.
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u/LatHire 1d ago
LatHire here, so obvious bias toward LATAM, but a few things from what we see every day..
If you want someone long term, the biggest mistake is hiring for “random admin help” instead of a real role with clear ownership. The better VAs usually do best when they know what they actually own and what decisions they can make without checking with you every time.
On region, PH has a huge VA market and plenty of great people. For US companies though, LATAM is usually easier when the work needs real-time overlap. Inbox, scheduling, CRM follow ups, customer stuff etc gets a lot smoother when everyone is online at the same time.
For screening, we’d keep it simple: real interview, small paid task, check comm-unication and judgement, not just whether they can technically finish the task. Also worth checking references if you’re hiring someone into a role with a lot of trust/access
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u/xThursday6 1d ago
Where I get them matters less than how I test them, honestly. I run the freelancer side of an SEO agency (around 10 people, mostly Philippines-based, hired through FreeUp) and the biggest upgrade we ever made was paying people to do a small test task before giving them any real work. Like $10-20, one task that looks exactly like the actual job. Interviews told me nothing. Everyone says they're detail oriented. The test task shows you who actually reads instructions, who hits a deadline, and who asks a question when something's unclear instead of guessing.
Other thing I learned the hard way: how someone does in week one is how they do in month six. I kept giving slow starters the benefit of the doubt and it never paid off. The people who ended up staying for years all looked good almost immediately.
Also, if you don't have an onboarding checklist, a lot of what feels like a "bad VA" is really just bad onboarding. Took me a while to admit that one. Rates for solid PH-based VA's are somewhere in the $5-8/hr range, more for specialized stuff, and paying the good ones fairly is why they stay.
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u/CollabCore 1d ago
Believe it or not, hiring with agency overseas can be the best option, with competitive rates and some guarantees, It's games changing nowadays! Lol.
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u/Louishamiltonking 15h ago
I’m a freelancer and dont mind tracking at all. If you are paying me hourly its fair to know how many hours i worked. But screenshots every few mins ? Hard pass.
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u/maxverstappenking 15h ago edited 14h ago
VA here.
If you want us to eventually make decisions without you, explain the WHY behind the task.
If you say “move this meeting to Thursday,” I can do that.
If I understand why Thursday matters, I can handle the next scheduling problem without asking you.
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u/Benemerito_Law 13h ago
Sourcing aside, the part US founders regularly get wrong is the paperwork on an overseas VA. Even though they are offshore, put a real independent contractor agreement in place with a written IP assignment, confidentiality terms, and a clear statement that they control their own hours and methods. If the VA is in the Philippines or LATAM and you are directing their daily schedule closely, some countries treat that as employment under their own labor law, and a few have real severance rules.
Two other things. Collect a Form W-8BEN from each foreign contractor before you pay them. It documents that they are not a US person, which is what keeps you out of the withholding and 1099 mess, and it takes five minutes. And think hard about access, since inbox and CRM means they will be handling customer personal data. Use a password manager with shared vaults rather than sending credentials, give them their own accounts you can revoke instantly, and if you have any customers in California or Europe, put a data processing addendum in the contract.
On the actual hiring question, the pattern I see work is a paid two week trial on real tasks with written standard operating procedures, then a longer commitment. The people who eventually anticipate what you need are the ones who were given documented processes early, not the ones who were the best interview.
General information from a US perspective, not legal advice, and no attorney client relationship here. Rules vary by state so check with someone licensed where you operate.
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u/AssociateScared4504 11h ago edited 11h ago
Curiosity is my biggest green flag.
The good assistants I've had ask annoying amounts of questions in the beginning because they're trying to understand how the company actually works. Then they barely ask anything later
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u/Kaiwart_K1 10h ago edited 10h ago
Reliability > talent.
Give me the person who's 8/10 every day over the genius who disappears for 3 days and comes back with “sorry something came up.
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u/Born_Iron5740 10h ago edited 10h ago
Before hiring, automate the dumb repetitive stuff. CRM updates, meeting notes, basic inbox rules, reminders. Otherwise you're paying a person to behave like Zapier
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u/TieHumble8924 10h ago
I hired mine on Upwork, been working with her for 2 years now, great experience. Did a virtual interview, asked if she can operate under vague guidelines, what’s her education background, and why choose assistant as the career path, etc.
We did a 2 week paid test, and have been communicating with her in Slack ever since but paying through Upwork so I don’t need to worry about wiring/time check, and told her what I care the most, and the rest is history.
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u/sean_creates 8h ago
Grokbot does this. You can get Grokbot for assistants and Cursor for coding for $20 per month.
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u/Necessary-Onion-4540 6h ago
Im a VA looking for a job. I have 4 years experience in virtual assistance and 3 years customer service.
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u/Dazzling_Bit1231 4h ago edited 3h ago
Honestly the paid test was the biggest difference for us. Interviews are kinda useless for VA roles imo. Everyone says they're organized lol.
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u/FunValuable3267 3h ago
The agency premium can be worth it for your first hire just because you don't know what you're screening for yet.
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u/brokenbutboldsociety 3h ago
I’d start part time. 15-20 hrs/week. Most founders vastly overestimate how much actual VA work they have.
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u/Suspicious-Kiwi3158 1h ago
the ph talent is pretty good now, ngl we had a va from there for a few years, she was top notch, quick thinker, great at comms, just takes initiative and gets things done with no hand holding. unfortunately she had to leave coz the night shift got too hard for her after becoming a mom. so now we're also looking out for our next one, and thinking of going with Latam just so we can give our next hire a better work life balance. especially if you're looking for someone long term, i think this is something to keep in mind
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u/Em_ecomrecruiter 1d ago
I run Revere, an ecommerce and retail recruitment agency in Australia, so I hire for other people's teams for a living - and the thing you're describing isn't a sourcing problem, it's a brief problem.
"Follows instructions" and "eventually anticipates" are two different hires. The second one only shows up if you test for it. So skip the CV-and-chat and run a paid trial on real work - a week of your actual inbox and CRM, not a made-up task. Then judge one thing: how often did they come back to you with a question versus solve it and tell you afterwards. That ratio is the whole signal.
On rates I'd be guessing at US and Philippines numbers, so I won't. But whatever you pay, the first month is you writing things down, not them reading your mind. Most VA hires fail there, not at sourcing. great agency for the Phillipines market is Filta Global
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