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To hire a virtual assistant, list the recurring tasks you want off your plate and the hours they take, pick a hiring channel (freelance marketplace, job board, or managed service), give your finalists a short paid test, interview two or three of them, and sign a written agreement covering access, confidentiality and pay before the first day. Hiring a virtual assistant is legal in the US whether the person lives here or abroad. The legal work is classifying the relationship correctly and collecting the right tax form.
The steps below are written for a small business owner hiring a first assistant. Each step says what to do and what usually goes wrong.
Step 1: Write down the work before you write a job post
For one week, note every task you do that someone else could do with instructions. Inbox and calendar, scheduling, CRM updates, quotes and invoices, follow-up emails, social posts and data entry are the usual first list. Our list of 47 tasks to outsource helps if you get stuck.
Then add up the hours. Under about 10 hours a week, an hourly freelancer usually fits better than a dedicated hire. Around 20 hours is a part-time role, and 40 hours is full-time.
The common mistake is hiring for “help” in general. A vague role attracts vague candidates, and you cannot tell after a month whether it is working.
Step 2: Choose where to hire
| Channel | Examples | Who finds and vets | Who pays the assistant | If it fails | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freelance marketplace | Upwork, Fiverr | You, using reviews and profiles | You, through the platform | You hire again | Projects and a few hours a week |
| Job board for Filipino workers | OnlineJobs.ph | You | You, directly | You hire again | Owners who have hired remotely before |
| US managed service | BELAY | The provider | The provider | Provider rematches | US-based support at US rates |
| Offshore managed service | Armasourcing | The provider, you choose from a shortlist | The provider | Provider replaces | A dedicated assistant without running recruiting or payroll yourself |
OnlineJobs.ph, for example, lets you browse resumes on a free account and charges $69 a month for the PRO plan you need to hire and message workers, and you negotiate pay directly with the person (OnlineJobs.ph pricing, checked 14 November 2026). For what each channel costs in total, see how much to pay a virtual assistant.
Step 3: Screen for the job, not the resume
Ask every applicant the same few questions in writing. Written answers show you their English, their attention to detail, and whether they read your post. Then check the basics that break remote work:
- A stable internet connection and a backup plan for power or connection outages
- A quiet place to take calls, if the role touches the phone
- Availability during the hours you need, in your time zone
- Real experience with the software you use, not just familiarity
Step 4: Give a short paid test
Pick a task from your real list: clean up a messy spreadsheet, draft three follow-up emails, or set up a week of calendar events from a list. Pay for it. A paid test shows you real work, and paying for it respects the candidate’s time.
Step 5: Interview two or three finalists
Keep the interview practical. Ask them to walk you through how they did the test, what they would have done with more time, and what they would ask you before starting. Ask how they handle a task they do not understand. The answer you want is that they ask you early.
Step 6: Get the paperwork and access right
Is it legal to hire a virtual assistant?
Yes. US businesses can hire a virtual assistant who lives in the US or in another country. The question that matters is how you classify the relationship. The IRS groups the evidence into three categories: behavioral control (do you control what the worker does and how), financial control (who controls the business side of the job, such as how the worker is paid and who provides tools), and the type of relationship (written contracts, benefits, and whether the work is a key part of your business). You can read the full test on the IRS page Independent contractor (self-employed) or employee?
If you pay a contractor who is a foreign person directly, the IRS asks them to give you Form W-8BEN when you request it. Keep it on file. Whether you have any other filing to do depends on your situation, so confirm with your accountant. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Through a managed service the paperwork is different: you sign a service agreement with the provider, and the provider engages and pays the assistant. With Armasourcing you receive one invoice from us and do not run payroll for the assistant.
Access and confidentiality
- Sign a written agreement that covers duties, hours, pay, confidentiality and who owns the work.
- Share logins through a password manager, never by email or chat.
- Give the assistant their own accounts where your tools allow it, so you can remove access in one step.
- Grant access to what the role needs and add more later.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for email, banking and anything with customer data.
Step 7: Plan the first 30 days
| Week | What happens |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Tool access, a walkthrough of how the business works, two or three simple recurring tasks |
| Week 2 | Hand over the full recurring list, with a short written process for each task |
| Week 3 | Review quality and speed against what you agreed, and fix gaps in the instructions |
| Week 4 | Decide: keep, adjust the role, or replace |
Write a one-page process for each task before you hand it over. Our SOP template is a quick way to start.
Is hiring a virtual assistant worth it?
It is worth it when the hours you get back are worth more to you than the monthly cost, and when you will actually hand the work over. Price your own hour honestly (what you earn when you are selling or serving customers), multiply by the hours the assistant takes off you each month, and compare. The time leak audit helps you find the hours, and virtual assistant vs employee compares the cost with a local hire.
It is not worth it if the work changes every day, cannot be written down, or needs you in the room. Fix the process first, then hire.
How hiring works with Armasourcing
We are an offshore managed service for Filipino virtual assistants. You tell us the role on a call, we recruit and vet candidates and send you a shortlist of two or three, and you interview and choose. Our published guarantee is a working assistant in 5 to 7 days (hire in 5 to 7 days guarantee). Roles are part-time (20 hours a week) or full-time (40 hours a week) on a flat monthly fee. There is no deposit and no recruiting fee, and if the person is not the right fit within 110 days we replace them at no extra cost (our guarantees). For US businesses, the details are on hire a virtual assistant in the USA.
Book a 15-minute call to describe the role and get a quote.
Frequently asked questions
How do I hire a virtual assistant for my small business?
List the recurring tasks and hours you want to hand off, choose a channel (freelance marketplace, job board or managed service), give finalists a short paid test, interview two or three, and sign a written agreement covering duties, pay, access and confidentiality before they start.
Is it legal to hire a virtual assistant from another country?
Yes. US businesses can hire virtual assistants who live abroad. Classify the relationship correctly using the IRS three-category test, and if you pay a foreign contractor directly, ask them for Form W-8BEN. Through a managed service, you contract with the provider and the provider engages the assistant. Confirm details with your accountant.
Where is the best place to hire a virtual assistant?
It depends on how much of the hiring you want to do. Freelance marketplaces such as Upwork suit short projects. Job boards such as OnlineJobs.ph suit owners who want to hire and pay a Filipino assistant directly. Managed services suit owners who want the recruiting, payroll and replacement handled for them.
How long does it take to hire a virtual assistant?
Hiring on your own takes as long as your posting, screening, testing and interviews take, and you repeat it if the hire fails. Through Armasourcing, our published guarantee is a working assistant in 5 to 7 days.
Is hiring a virtual assistant worth it?
It is worth it when the hours the assistant takes off you are worth more than the monthly cost and the work can be written down as repeatable tasks. If the work changes daily or needs you present, document the process before hiring.
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