Ever find yourself drowning in a sea of spam, desperately searching for that one important email? Well, it’s not a new story in the corporate world. As per studies, professionals waste almost 21 minutes per day filtering spam messages and taking time to get back on track. How could you solve this issue?
Of course, an email management system is the answer. But will software suffice? No, perhaps. A software works with a predefined standard that might actually get terrible at least in some cases. Only a human can save you from that risk by scrolling through each mail carefully, prioritizing those, and replying with a personal touch. Now, the question is how could you find a Virtual Assistant for email management? Read on to learn the top 5 websites to hire an email management Virtual Assistant along with the pros and cons.
Why do we need Email Management?
Email is the most common workplace communication tool in the world with over 4.26 billion worldwide users. However, due to this high popularity, companies often find it difficult to deal with massive amounts of mail from companies, colleagues, customers, etc. That’s exactly why you need to have a robust mail management system in place. Here are some more reasons for that:
1. Increased Productivity
Piling up a large number of unread emails could often take a toll on productivity time and lead to distraction from work. A dedicated Virtual Assistant for email management would save the time and effort of employees so that they could focus more on core activities that improve productivity.
2. Watch out for important emails
Communication miss-outs could be really painful for companies. A robust mail management system helps you to detect crucial messages and provide timely responses.
3. Data Management
Protecting communication data from the wrong hands is nowadays a tough task. As the number of data threats is increasing day by day, an email management system not only organizes the messages but also serves as a protective shield.
4. Better Communication
A proper email management system ensures that important information through emails is not missed or overlooked. This way, you can avoid communication delays, which is often the major reason for project failures.
Role of Virtual Assistant(VA) in Email Management
You might be confused about whether it is worth hiring a dedicated person just to check the mail. Well, have a look at the key duties of a Virtual Assistant for email management:
- Detecting spam: The first duty of VAs is to identify the spam in the inbox. They should filter out promotional content and irrelevant newsletters to unsubscribe them.
- Professional Replies: One of the most important duties of Virtual Assistants is to give timely responses to emails in a professional manner. They usually set templates to reply to the general queries of customers, investors, and all.
- Provide Security: With the rise of cyber threats and crimes, an email management Virtual Assistant must take proper measures to protect from phishing emails. Similarly, the responsibility of data protection is also with the virtual assistant.
- Regular Updation: Virtual Assistants normally provide weekly or monthly reports on the number of emails received often with a break-even from customers, employees, investors, and so on.
Therefore, email management is a crucial role for any business. But it can also be time-consuming and stressful. That’s why hiring a Virtual Assistant to handle your emails can be a smart move. That brings us to the next section.
5 Best Websites to Find Virtual Assistant for Email Management
Well, stop Googling for it to save your money and time from promoted websites. We have done in-depth research and curated a list of the best websites for hiring a virtual assistant for email management, previously we also curated a list for SEO Virtual Assistants and Data Entry Virtual Assistants, don’t forget to check them too!
Aside, here are 5 websites that you can consider for that,
Pick 1 - Tawk
Tawk is one of the most popular websites for hiring a virtual assistant with over 3,600,000 global users. It was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Las Vegas, USA.
One thing that sets Tawk apart from its competitors is its live chat features. You can collaborate and assign conversations to members of your team. This way, you can make sure that the right person is responding at the right time.
It’s quite simple to get started. Just prepare a job listing mentioning any specifications or preferences. Then, send it to their team. Rest is assured by Tawk. Their official team will handle all the pre-screening activities. Finally, they will come up with a list of qualified candidates based on your selection criteria. Now, you can schedule an interview through a video call and choose the best candidate.
PROS
- Tawk is known for its all-in-one nature. Besides the hiring part, it offers features to provide real-time support for customers.
- You need not spend hours in Resume screening processes so that you can focus on the bigger picture.
- Tawk works through affordable monthly subscription fees without the need for any lock-in contracts. You can upgrade or downgrade the plans at any time.
- The official website states that Tawk will monitor the Virtual Assistant's log-in and log-out timings to ensure that he is working. That means you need not spend money on productivity tools.
CONS
- Tawk does not offer a screen-sharing feature, which can affect work collaboration.
- There is no review or rating for the VA profiles. You may have to rely on the performance of the candidate on interview alone, to hire one.
- The platform does not have a built-in payment mechanism. So, you have to set the payment method and terms with your VA separately which could possibly be a headache.
- Certain customer reviews report slight delays in receiving messages which could lead to communication delays.
Pick 2 - Wing Assistant
Another option you can consider for hiring part-time or full-time Virtual Assistants(VA) is Wing Assistant. The best part about Wing Assistant is that it uses AI to improve the work quality of the Virtual Assistants.
To use the platform, you must first create an account. Choose a plan based on the work you need the VA to do per week. There are 2 main pricing plans: $599 per month for part-time and $999 per month for full-time VA. Upon purchase, you can have access to a dedicated team of Virtual Assistants who can take over the work at any time.
The Virtual Assistants in Wing Assistant only work at a time so that they can focus better on your job. On top of that, they allocate a dedicated manager for each case for strict quality control.
PROS
- The platform provides you with a customer success manager and operations manager. These two officials will be responsible for the overall work quality so that you can sit back with peace of mind.
- The platform is known for a user-friendly dashboard that even beginners can get familiar with easily.
- Fast hiring is yet another highlighting feature of Wing Assistant. As soon as you purchase a plan, you are ready to get started with a group of VAs who can take up your job immediately.
- Wing Assistant uses AI technology to improve the quality of the work which is worth it for small companies who can't afford to accommodate the luxuries of top AI brands.
CONS
- Strong copyright detection and policy
- The pool of talent is comparatively low as the platform just accepts 0.5% of the applicants.
- Some reviews suggest that the portal may face technical issues rarely that affect the workflow.
- Wing Assistant does not allow you to directly interview candidates. So, there are chances that you may not be matched with candidates of your specific preferences.
Pick 3 - Upwork
Upwork is one of the largest marketplaces for hiring Virtual Assistants(VA) with over 70 million registered freelancers and 1 million clients. When it comes to virtual hiring, many often consider this as the first choice. It’s not just a matter of goodwill. Upwork comes up with a solid answer to all concerns of the clients so that they only need to pay for the work they approve. No lock-ins. No risk. Sounds too good to be true, isn’t it?
You just need to post a job description mentioning the key requirements. Then, you will receive proposals from interested candidates. Finally, you can have a look at the reviews of each profile and call out for an interview to choose the right one. Or, you can save time by making use of the advanced filtering features of the Upwork system to find the right fit for you.
PROS
- Upwork offers a talent pool of over 12,000 Virtual Assistants from around the world.
- Flexibility is the best part of Upwork. You will have no commitments related to the project, project duration, or even on the contract.
- The platform lets you access the work histories and reviews of each candidate before selecting them.
- Upwork offers a payment protection system. You only need to pay for satisfactory work and can even request a refund within a specific time, if you detect some shortcomings.
CONS
- Upwork’s large number of Virtual Assistants is a double-edged sword. It may take a long time to find the right fit from such a wide range of talents.
- The platform cannot guarantee the quality of services since anyone can create an account and send a proposal for your job.
- You have to dedicate the time to manage the work and ensure that they have sufficient quality.
- Fees added to your payments, such as service fees, processing fees, and currency conversion fees are comparatively higher as compared to other platforms.
Pick 4 - Fiverr
Fiverr is a reputed virtual hiring platform that is a top priority for small and medium-sized businesses. It is often considered a budget-friendly platform as you can get started with as low as $5.
A notable advantage of hiring through Fiverr is that you can save time involved in reviewing hundreds of proposals. You can sort out the freelancers who are currently active using advanced filtering features. Moreover, the freelancers in Fiverr are most likely to provide timely responses or else their profile will be penalized.
While the platform itself does not provide any guarantee of services, it punishes profiles whose works are rejected by clients. So, normally the Virtual Assistants(VA) in Fiverr will complete tasks with a standard quality to maintain a good profile among clients.
PROS
- Fiverr might be the quickest virtual hiring platform. It is often the first choice for time-sensitive projects.
- Fiverr is a value-for-money choice for businesses that are struggling with the budget.
- You can have a look at the ratings, portfolio, and profile of the Virtual Assistant before hiring.
- You can make use of the advanced filtering features to find the most suitable candidate for your job based on your specific criteria.
CONS
- Fiverr has a higher service fee compared to other platforms. For instance, it charges a 20% fee on the first $500 and an additional 5% fee on the remaining amount above $500
- Fiverr does not promise or guarantee the quality of services.
- Since there are a large number of profiles without strict quality control procedures, there is a potential risk of spam.
- Some freelancers may focus on maximizing their revenue. As a result, they may not engage deeply with your company and back out suddenly without proper notice.
Pick 5 - Zirtual
To get started, you must first choose a plan, starting from $549 per month. Then, you will be matched with a professional as per your specific requirements. Zirtual claims that they select only 2% of top applicants so that you can expect a high-quality service. Moreover, their official website claims that they provide intense training to the matched candidates from email to social media management for better output.
PROS
- If you have experienced any problems with the work, you can request a virtual assistant replacement.
- Only college graduates are allowed to work on the platform. Such a selective approach of Zirtual ensures that you are matched with a top-qualified professional.
- You don't need to waste time and effort involved in the selection process as the platform matches you with the right candidate with your specific requirements.
- Zirtual allocates a dedicated case manager to ensure sufficient quality for each work through strict quality control procedures.
CONS
- The starting plan just covers 12 hours of work per month which could be low as compared to the cost of $549.
- The purchased hours don't roll over to the next month.
- There are many complaints that Zirtual customer service is quite slow to respond. The response time window during business hours is 2 hours.
- The platform itself matches you with a candidate so you may not find the exact fit as per your specific requirements and priorities.
How to choose the Best Virtual Assistant for Mail Management?
Now that you have got the best platforms to hire Virtual Assistants, it’s time to hire one. Here are some simple tips for that:
- Evaluate their expertise: It is always better to choose a professional who has a background in the same field as that of your business. Otherwise, you may need to spend time or even money to provide product knowledge to the Virtual Assistant. For example, if you are a lawyer, look for a virtual assistant who has an academic background in legal studies.
- Check communication skills: Scan through the resume to check whether the candidate has passed at least the graduation to ensure a basic standard in the English language. If possible, test his language through a quick email or sample test.
- Analyze the Technical Knowledge: At the interview round, ask what tools the candidate uses for the work. Consider the technical knowledge of the candidate in the usage of software and tools for email management.
- Discuss the Expectations: Before the hiring, clearly state what you expect from his job role such as the frequency of email checks, required reports, and communication style. This is to avoid last-minute confusion and back-outs.
Final Words
No matter what kind of business you run, the role of email management is crucial. At least for now, it is way beyond the capability of any software or AI to deal with. That’s why investing in a human Virtual Assistant for email management could be a game-changer for your business.
With so many hiring platforms out there, it might be difficult to find the right one. The 5 websites mentioned in this article are a great place to get started. So, check out these and let us know which one has worked out for you the best.
