Update: It appears Virtual Assistant Staffing is out of business. Please see our full list of virtual assistant companies for well-rated alternatives.
Virtual Assistant Staffing is a unique virtual assistant company based out of Seattle. However, don’t expect to see an office of VAs down the street from Amazon – it’s a highly decentralized operation; a loose network of home-based freelancers from all corners of the world.
The company was founded in 2010 by Michael Hellickson, and specializes in a stringent recruiting process to make sure each client is assigned the perfect virtual assistant. And if you’re not happy with the choice, they even have a 100% money-back guarantee.
But I’ll admit I was kind of turned off by their website so I submitted a quick query to see what would happen. In less than 12 hours I had a response from the founder to set up a call to learn more about the business.
Virtual Assistant Staffing is for people looking for ongoing business support, but aren’t sure where to turn. These guys take the time to get a deep understanding of your needs and expectations in a virtual assistant, including an in-depth job description and phone interview.
Then, they put the word out about your job to their massive global talent network. Michael explained the recruiters will go through over 100 resumes in certain cases, pre-screen them all and do multiple interviews and tests to narrow down the applicant pool.
The ultimate goal is to find the right person for the job, because long-term relationships are beneficial for all parties involved. And while long-term is definitely the aim, there is no long-term contract or minimum time commitment.
The total cost for this expert recruiting service? Zero. They’ve done everything they can to make the virtual hiring process as risk-free as possible.
Once they’ve found your VA, Virtual Assistant Staffing handles all the payroll and HR requirements and you just pay them biweekly as you would any other contract business service. The company uses the popular Time Doctor tracking software so you can keep tabs on your remote staff.
The company will fill positions ranging from 2.5 hours a week all the way up to full-time, and offers the first week free as an incentive to try out the service.
On an ongoing basis, you can expect to pay around $7 an hour for a low-end VA, all the way up to $40 for someone with advanced technical skills. And while it is entirely dependent on the skills you’re looking for, the average probably centers on the $10-11 per hour range. Generally the more hours you need, the lower the rate you can get.
Virtual Assistant Staffing has filled nearly every kind of position imaginable, from general VAs and telemarketers, to web developers and designers. In terms of business model, the closest competitor is Virtual Coworker, but where VAS is global, they operate only out of the Philippines.
The company has earned the endorsement of financial speaker and author Robert Allen, as well as a host of other clients. Have you worked with Virtual Assistant Staffing? If so, please share a quick review of your experience below and help others with their decision.