Employee Reference Check Administrative Assistant: Fill & Download for Free

When I was a kid the local library was my favorite place in the world. As soon as I was old enough I started putting in applications to work there. Every six months, like clockwork, I'd go put in a new application. Finally, when I was 19, I was hired.I thought that the only perk of working at the library would be being surrounded by books and awesome people. That was good enough for me, but the goodness didn't stop there.Employees were allowed to check out more than the library's 50 item limit. My mom bought me a little rolling suitcase for my birthday one year because she was afraid I'd break my back carrying an oversized, overstuffed backpack to and from work every day.There were no fines! Unless we lost an item. If we did (and I did once) we had to pay the replacement fee.When the new movies were done being processed, they were left on a shelf in the back for employees to have first dibs. Sometimes it would be weeks before a popular new movie made it to general circulation.Our library's movie collection was really small, so we didn't allow holds on movies. Employees, however, could leave a note to the circulation staff and have the clerk at the desk check the movie out to them if it came across the desk.We were allowed to take in-house only reference books home overnight as long as we brought them back the next day.During lunch breaks I would sometimes venture to the genealogy room and spend the whole hour flipping through old family history books and delicately unfolding newspaper clippings to read about what our town was like in the past.Another thing I considered a perk was that I was able to meet and interact with so many members of our small community. It was fun “knowing everyone in town”.It also made my heart happy every time I saw patrons outside of the library and they referred to me as Library Girl. I felt like some sort of superhero, especially when a patron came in looking for something, not knowing the specific title or author and I was able to figure it out and help them find what they wanted.Eventually they moved me to the back where I worked as the administrative assistant. I was disappointed that I didn't get to interact with the public every day (something I never thought I'd truly enjoy since I was incredibly shy), but there were perks to working in the back, too.I got to open the boxes full of new books. The smell of new books on the shelf is divine, but the smell of a whole box of freshly printed books is pure heaven.One thing I didn't love was being the first person to write in and stamp on the pages. It felt like I was committing some huge sacrilege every time I opened a brand new book to page 33 and stomped a stamp in the bottom corner.When the much-anticipated final book in a hugely popular series arrived in a box on my desk the first thing I did was open it up and read the last two pages. I hadn’t read the whole series, but I remember silently gloating all day because I was the only one in the library who knew how it ended.My job at the library sparked a lifelong curiosity and furthered my love for books. I'd say those were the biggest perks.

If you are prepared AND have reasonable expectations, yes.In terms of preparation:Outsourcing can be very difficult if you use an online marketplace, because you have to weed through hundreds if not thousands of freelance remote assistants. Typically, they aren't vetted by anyone, so you must take time out of your already busy schedule to sift through your choices.Your criteria to decide who you'd like to work with can be daunting, and marketplaces leave it up to you to find the right fit. Many executives and founders give up quickly, because it's just too much work.Can you afford to work with a lone virtual assistant who has no backup in case they're out sick, on vacation, or just dropping the ball? Will you be checking references yourself? Will you be conducting all the interviews? Can you set aside 5 to 10 hours a week (indefinitely) to find, hire, onboard, train, and manage a remote assistant?More to the point: isn't a lack of time why you need to hire a virtual assistant in the first place? Many executives and founders give up their search fairly quickly, because it's just too much work.However, using a managed service provider to do everything for you takes the pain, frustration, and time out of the process. Managed service providers are not marketplaces made up of freelance remote workers. Rather, they are comprised of employees who are overseen by project managers (we call them Engagement Managers) and direct supervisors. They always staff backup assistants so your workflow is never interrupted, and they vet, train, and manage your remote assistant (their employee) on the best practices and processes that executives and founders need on a daily basis.Here are a few aspects of screening and hiring a virtual executive assistant that some say you must deal with, but that aren't necessary when using a managed service provider:Confirm that they understand the pay rate and the hours they’ll work.Tell them about you and what you’re up to in your business.What are their other commitments?How long were they at their previous job, and why did they leave?What are their hobbies?Do they have a family?How do they handle difficult situations?What do they do when they have questions or don't know how to complete a task?Why do they want this job?Doesn't it sound refreshing to hand everything over to a managed service provider?This article functions as a guide to help you prepare for working with a virtual assistant from a managed service provider that will inherently make it easier and faster to onboard and start working with a virtual administrative assistant.When you outsource routine, repeatable tasks to a virtual executive assistant, you buy yourself time to accomplish tasks that only you can accomplish.With a managed service, hiring a virtual administrative assistant becomes an overnight process that starts as soon as you're ready. But before you begin, here are a few things you must do in order to be ready to work effectively with your remote assistant.1. Establish Your WorkflowAt Prialto, we ask every potential client (whom we call members) to fill out an online Needs Analysis Survey. This survey helps our project managers identify the tasks in your workflow that your virtual administrative assistant will take off your plate. Since all of our assistants are educated individuals who are hired and trained to be virtual executive assistants, there's no need to figure out which assistant to pair you with. No matter who you get, they'll be the best option.The Needs Analysis Survey also helps establish your preferred communication methods, support hours needed, time zone, current tasks to be delegated, future tasks to consider, and map out your overall administrative process. If there are gaps or needs in your systems and processes, our Engagement Managers step in as knowledge partners to help create and manage enhanced workflows that will move your business forward.2. Create Solid SystemsOnce you've taken the survey, our team puts together a personalized Implementation Plan that maps out how your dedicated virtual administrative assistant can support you best.If you don't already have systems in place that you've mastered, that's okay. Our Engagement Managers are your source of systems creation. They can devise a training program and document everything in your unique Member Manual, which is located in a secure internal wiki. We use this wiki to train your backup assistant should your dedicated, primary assistant ever be unavailable due to sickness, vacation, or whatever else that may happen. You are always covered.If you already have systems in place, all the better! We can hit the ground running even faster. And if you've written a training manual that details a process, you are truly a rock star!3. Use Remote Collaboration ToolsSince a virtual administrative assistant is a remote worker, our team uses remote collaboration tools (like Jitsi and Skype) to communicate with members for Onboarding Calls and afterward. Obviously, we use email as our preferred method of checking in with members, since everything can be documented better that way. But there are other means of giving instructions, asking questions, and responding to issues in real-time. Slack is an incredible online collaboration tool that many companies have adopted. Don't use Slack? No worries. Our team is familiar with using alternatives to Slack, and setting you up on whatever tools you prefer to use.We also collaborate via cloud storage services, and can even help you choose the right cloud-based service provider if you'd like. At the end of the day, we make effective collaboration simple. We use the best most reliable tools, and are always ready and able to help members harness the capabilities of remote collaboration.4. Check In DailyEvery day, each of our virtual administrative assistants sends their members a Prialto Daily Review via email. This review provides a daily breakdown of the tasks your dedicated remote assistant has accomplished on your behalf.All you have to do is browse the brief email. If there are issues or if you have questions, shoot your virtual administrative assistant a reply email. If you'd prefer to deal with your Engagement Manager, email them with anything from updated instructions that will further streamline your processes and tasks to clarifying expectations to canceling a task altogether and replacing it with another.If everything looks great and you're satisfied with your assistants progress, you can choose to rate their service or simply do nothing at all. We know you're busy, so we take as much as possible off your plate.The Prialto Daily Review email is a great way for you to assess your future needs, and to decide what additional tasks you'd like to delegate.There are many benefits of outsourcing your repeateable, routine tasks. We have no doubt that you will benefit from outsourcing administrative and back office tasks to a managed, dedicated virtual assistant who is trained to handle the your specific tasks. If you aren't a great communicator due to time or personality, that's okay! We've got your back.In terms of expectations:Working with a virtual administrative assistant is all about the long-term, so don't give up if it seems difficult or overwhelming at the onset. If you hang in there, you'll soon be more productive and better able to compete in your industry.

I once had an Administrative Assistant that I had to let go. During her interview she acted normal, but very reserved. I attributed it to her age and upbringing.The first two weeks went fine. She was efficient and communicated well with me. Then I started getting complaints from her coworkers that she was strange. The complaints escalated.She accuse one person of sabotaging her. She accused another of being out to get her. All the while, she worked well with me. The final straw was threats of violence she made against one of the employees who complained about her.I was forced to take action before the situation got worse or she got physical. I got permission to let her go. My boss and I told her privately to clean out her desk and leave. She angrily accused me of being abusive and left.She obviously had mental problems. In retrospect, I don't think I could have done anything differently except check her reference more throughly.