Skill assessment tools to screen VAs? (9)
Hi STMers, Can anyone recommend an affordable Skill assessment tools to screen VAs automatically especially for data entry?
Also wondering where you guys find reliable affordable VAs?
I've tried hiring decent VAs through onlinejobs.ph upwork freelancer.com BHW market place etc but most applicants from the 3rd world countries overstate their skills and don't even have very basic skills, are not reliable...
Any suggestions?
Many thanks!
What type of data do you want them to enter?
For entry level VAs, i usually do a video of my screen explaining the task to be done.
You can even screen them earlier. In the job post, I usually add a weird task that they have to do to see if they read the whole thing. Like, I ask them to attach a photo of a pink Cadillac in the email. And the image has to be jpeg. That little thing eliminates a lot of unqualified people quickly. If they don't do the task it, tells me:
- they're not good at following instructions
- they're not that computer literate
Agree with this solution, i do the same by asking them to add a specific word at the beginning of their reply. Easily filter 50%.
An other option i use is to ask for their LinkedIn profile, and automatically delete all emails that do not contain linkedin.com
You can also ask for a screenshot of a typing test. It is a good proxy of how proficient they are with a computer and how fast they work. Anything below 60 words per minute is a No.
I also used onlinejobs.ph when I needed VAs but it was only for rather easy tasks.
But I did something similar to John Jonas to already do a pre check and weed out the bad ones from the very beginning.
In the job description I posted clear instructions about the subject they shall use when they apply and also posted something in the text that they had to answer in the application.
Then I added that I will ignore all applications from people who fail to follow the instructions.
Funnily enough it were mainly the people with highest earnings expectations and with the "best" portfolio who failed.
When I found some good guys I gave all of them a paid task to test how they get it done, it was the same task for all of them.
I've tried most of the suggestions above using a Gravity form and about 95+% of people from non English speaking countries like Philippine, India fail a real simple test like basic excel assessment for data entry and have bad grammar, don't follow super simple instructions like send a screenshot of virus scan if I blend them into a fairly lengthy paragraphs.. low quality overall..
A few good ones I came across often just disappeared or come up with all kinds of excuses to quit like the typical getting sick or someone getting sick blah blah.
It's time consuming to filter 95+% of the bad ones so wanted to find a way to automate this as much as possible cost efficiently... However I saw most skill assessment software cost average $200-500/mo..
Fyi just found a company called vervoe that offers a free trial up to 50 tests...
Just tried 2 new applicants today and they couldn't even copy paste in bulk in Excel..
Is it just unrealistic to expect to find someone with decent written English skills and intermediate Excel skills for $3-5/hr?
I've been looking for someone to manage scraped data using excel and do some customer support and the data entry is pretty easy with video captures, step by step manual..
Most VAs struggle to follow even the obviously simple steps... make me wonder if those offshore outsourcing platforms may be using child labor as their VA's average intellectual level is about 5th grade..
Noah Kagan (founder of Appsumo) did a course about that when he was starting Appsumo, and it is one if the best investments i have made. It is not available anymore, but his post gives away most of the method.
https://okdork.com/my-hiring-process-how-to-hire/
90-95% is what i faced too, when i was hiring entry level writers / editors, so i am not surprised. For almost 400-450 people "applying" on job board, i had 35 people at the end of the pipe, all classified in a Google Docs. Then, i just add to select the 5-6 best and organize interviews.
Originally Posted by John Jonas
Originally Posted by leadmarketing
I'm an Indian living in India. $3 an hour is a decent salary for an entry level developer here. I think you can find a good VA way cheaper.
It's a fact that a single mistake from VA can cost you the entire business. You have serious concerns indeed.
There are a few excellent resources in Tim Ferris book, "The 4-hour work`week." Maybe you can check them?
For hiring have you tried vervoe.com (if it meets your requirements in the first place)? I got a life time appsumo plan for $49.
Most applicants in third world countries have a language problem. It may not be their intellectual levels. To make matters worse, they look for work at the wrong places that don't match their skills.
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