Virtual assistants were not a new thing before 2019, but Ever since COVID-19 hit the world, the remote work opportunity has been at its peak.
After COVID, virtual assistance became the need of almost every executive and administrator to handle their support teams and help with daily tasks.
Do you know that during the pandemic, nearly 90% of organizations quickly switched to remote work.
Now COVID is a tale of the past, but still the world needs virtual assistance for many tasks. So, if you want to know what the current scenario of virtual assistants is after pandemic and how it will be in the coming years, then this article is for you.
We will share some nail-biting facts and stats about assistants that work remotely for many businesses.
If you are a large or small business owner looking to hire a virtual assistant, or want to provide virtual assistance services to large corporations, or are simply an expert freelancer willing to know about the statistics of work-from-home assistant services, this article is worth reading.
What is a Virtual assistant?
A virtual assistant is like a remote office helper. They do tasks like scheduling meetings, answering emails and phone calls, planning trips, and managing information in a computer system.
They can also help with things like email marketing, social media, and invoicing.
VAs are not limited to admin jobs. Many assistants have special skills for providing their services virtually.
They’re not admins but professionals with qualifications and experience in specific domains like graphic design, website development, writing, accounting, and SEO.
Who can use Virtual assistant services?
Getting the services of a virtual assistant is helpful for anyone who needs help managing personal or professional projects. Delegating some tasks always saves time.
Some common use cases of virtual assistant services are:
- Entrepreneurs and small business owners demand assistance with marketing, bookkeeping, customer service, and other business aspects.
- Busy executives and managers need support with scheduling, travel arrangements, email management, and other administrative duties.
- Individuals who require help with personal tasks such as booking appointments, ordering groceries, researching products, and more.
Virtual assistant services are a cost-effective and flexible alternative for anyone who wants to outsource some of their work and focus on their core goals.
Virtual Assistants Statistics 2024
#1 - The global virtual assistant market will surpass $16B by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 37.7% from 2020 to 2027.
The higher demand and widespread adoption of virtually hired assistants across diverse industries and sectors is proof that this is a cost-saving, convenient, and efficient alternative. It benefits businesses and consumers.
#2 - Hire a virtual assistant, cut costs by 78%
It’s an amazing option that can help businesses save significant money while efficiently getting things done.
#3 - 2/3 of business owners hired virtual assistants in 2023
With the increasing adoption of remote and hybrid work models, businesses seek new and innovative ways to streamline their operations.
#4 - 74% of business owners hired virtual assistants in 2023.
#5 - 50% of the top 10 real estate teams use virtual assistants.
#6 - Virtual assistant work-from-home jobs are gaining popularity for companies looking to hire skilled workers and save money.
#7 - Did you know 13% of Upwork skilled virtual assistants are from Philippines?
Foreign companies find Filipino virtual assistants easy to work with because of their English proficiency and familiarity with Western culture.
#8 - In 2024, VAs will be increasingly popular for business growth.
A virtual assistant can revolutionize how you operate and interact with customers.
If you are just a start-up looking to scale-up, consider hiring a VA.
It will help you optimize operations and enhance customer experiences. Your chances of success will be higher.
#9 - In the United States, 91% of virtual assistants hold a college degree.
It is a myth that remote assistants are low-skilled workers.
They are highly educated and qualified professionals with diverse backgrounds and expertise.
They possess various skills and knowledge to provide value-added services to their clients.
Many virtual assistants hold degrees in marketing, communications, and business administration.
Some remote assistants specialize in social media management, content creation, or graphic design.
They are proficient in administrative tasks and possess specialized skills that make them valuable assets to their clients.
Whether it is managing schedules, conducting research, or providing customer support, virtual assistants can handle diverse tasks easily and efficiently.
#10 - Virtual assistant unemployment rates dropped from 7.58% in 2010 to 2.48% in 2019.
Virtual assistants are in high demand and low supply. Which makes them a highly competitive and desirable option in the labor market.
Their ability to work for multiple clients and projects provides unmatched flexibility that reduces the risk of losing income.
#11 - VAs prefer text communication the most, followed by voice and video.
Text communication is the most preferred channel for assistants who work remotely, even more than voice and video calls.
With its ease of use and accessibility, text communication allows for efficient and effective interactions with remote workers.
Texting provides a seamless experience whether on the go or in a quiet environment.
#12 - Virtual assistants mostly use English, followed by Mandarin and Spanish.
Did you know that English is the most popular language for virtual assistants, followed by Mandarin and Spanish?
If you want a remote assistant who can communicate with you effectively, then it’s essential to choose one that speaks your language.
With an English-speaking assistant, you can be sure that you’ll get the help when you need it.
Tips to hire efficient Virtual assistants
It’s always important to hire a skilled and efficient VA. Otherwise you business will be at stake. To select a better VA you need to know what qualities to look for in them.
But how can you do that?
What are the essential things that you should focus on and things you should avoid?
Let us explore this in detail.
How do you choose an Ideal VA for your business?
Choosing the ideal VA is a crucial step in your business, you must do these five things for sure:
1. Identify your needs – First, determine which task and niche you will assign for the VAs.
2. Check VA’s experience and skills – Before committing to the entire project, it’s ideal to check their skills and expertise in a niche you’re willing to work on.
For instance, if you’re hiring a virtual assistant for data entry, check whether their experience is relevant to the data entry domain.
3. Check VA’s communication – Since virtual assistants work remotely, your communication should be practical and understandable.
For instance, using project management tools like ClickUp, Asana, Notion, or whatever tool, you can effectively communicate with a virtual assistant; meanwhile, you can check the VA’s communication skills on the text here.
4. Ask for testimonials or portfolios – The assistants always have the previous client’s work or portfolio to showcase their skills.
5. Check their work by assigning trial tasks – Never hire a VA in the first meeting! Always assign a trial task to check their capacity and efficiency.
Where to hire Virtual Assistants?
There are four places where you can find a VA by yourself; all you need to have is at least 2 hours per day to hire your ideal VA.
1. Freelance Platforms – Upwork and Fiverr are the best websites to hire your Virtual assistants; more than 1 million VAs worldwide provide services on these platforms.
2. Virtual assistant agencies – Wing Assistant, MyAskAI, and Zirtual- help save time in the hiring process.
3. Job Boards – LinkedIn Indeed is ideal for sourcing assistants working remotely; professional VAs will always have profiles on these boards.
4. Social Media – Facebook and LinkedIn have a group where virtual assistants advertise their skills and services. You can easily find your pick from here, too.
Mistakes to Avoid While Hiring Virtual Assistants
Now, let’s see all the mistakes you, as a hiring person, should avoid. If the hiring departments belong to more prominent companies, they will have a separate department (HR) for hiring virtual assistants.
However, if you are a solo entrepreneur, you will be the only person to handle the VA directly.
So here are the five mistakes you should avoid for sure:
1. Not Defining Tasks Clearly
2. Ignoring Cultural Differences
3. Not Investing in Training
4. Neglecting Regular Communication
5. Expecting Immediate Perfection
Conclusion
The need for virtual assistants continues to grow, especially in the past four to five years, and the working style has changed.
When this work-from-home culture becomes super normal, the remote assistant must be rapidly hyped and valued, too.
You can find VA for any domain you prefer; some are
- SEO Virtual assistants
- Data entry virtual assistants
- Email Management Virtual assistants
- Graphic design Virtual assistants
- Website-building virtual assistants, and so on.
Hiring virtual assistants is the ideal choice, which reflects on the business’s finances and productivity.
I hope these statistics and information about virtual assistants will give you a keen idea.
If you’re looking for an assistant who works remotely for your business, this article will work as a guide for you.
See you all in the upcoming statistical articles, and stay tuned with SM90.
