UPDATE: It appears Virtual Hires is out of business. Please consider one of these alternatives.
Virtual Hires is a remote-staffing agency based in the Philippines.
Since 2008, they have specialized in providing full-time virtual employees in four categories: writers, virtual assistants, link builders, and site administrators.
Virtual Hires calls these virtual workers “mavens” and show a few samples of what a typical virtual assistant might look like. The human touch is nice because it personalizes the experience and also gives a little background on the employees including their college studies and an IQ score. Virtual Hires positions their workers as educated professionals, not just warm bodies doing menial tasks.
The downside of Virtual Hires is that it is similar to hiring an in-house employee. They have to go out and find a qualified candidate for you, which can take up to two weeks. It’s good that they take their time finding a good fit for your business, but not an ideal solution if you need someone to start right away.
Where many of the other virtual assistant companies offer their services with no long-term obligation, Virtual Hires requires a minimum four month commitment. I found that pretty intimidating and imagine it is a big barrier to entry for many potential clients who might like to test out the service without signing up for a four month contract.
Also, I found it strange that Virtual Hires does not disclose their pricing on their website, when most of their competition is very open about their hourly and monthly rates. Perhaps it is because different workers earn different salaries and those are passed on to their US clients. Oddly enough, the only mention of pricing is that a 20% surcharge will apply if your Virtual Hires maven is needed during US business hours (night-shift in the Philippines).
One thing to be wary of is that as of this writing, their website has not been updated since 2008. Aside from their home page, it seems like other pages on their site are missing their title tags.
This might not be a huge deal, but it makes them look less professional than other virtual assistant companies. I sent them a note using the contact form on their site to inquire about pricing but never heard back, which I would consider another red flag. Honestly I’m not sure if they’re even still in business.
If you’re considering a virtual assistant in the Philippines, be sure to check out OnlineJobs.ph and Virtual Staff Finder.
If you’ve worked with Virtual Hires, please post a review and comments here.