COVID-19 has brought many changes into our lives, both positive and negative, depending on which way you view it. It has torn us apart physically but pulled us together emotionally and mentally. It has taken time from some of us and given time to others. It has irrevocably changed our outlook and viewpoints on many different fronts, made us more aware of the impermanence and value of time and how we use it.
The move away from the physical to the virtual is now entrenched
So why am I saying all this? One of the elements of life which has changed is the way in which we carry out our jobs and earn our incomes. We value our jobs more, because COVID taught us how quickly these jobs can be taken away because of economic restrictions forced on our employers, and many of us now appreciate an activity which brings in the money we need to survive. When the worldwide lockdown clanged into existence and social distancing became the new normal, virtual office life took over for millions of people, as did virtual teaching and learning. With no-one being able to physically go to the office during the first hard global lockdown in particular, management and employees began moving online via virtual forums which expanded exponentially with the growing need for online space in which to conduct our businesses.
Lockdown? Call in the virtual admin assistants …
The online or virtual worker became more commonplace and accepted in business, teaching and learning. It has given rise to a new breed of service providers who can offer support, admin work, filing in cloud locations accessible only to those authorized to receive them, turning virtual meetings into written documentation which effectively ‘minutes’ the content of the meetings for record and distribution purposes, producing nearly all the documentation required to keep businesses operational and efficient – all without physically being on site.
Employees are also virtual staff these days
This, in turn, has been a huge economic benefit to the employer, who no longer has to fund expensive office space, provide refreshments, smoke-, tea- and lunch-breaks, pay for cleaning, electricity and security of those premises, invest in new office furniture, stationery and equipment and keep an eye on employees’ time-keeping habits. The business owner no longer has to listen to stories of why his office staff are late because of the traffic, or must leave early for personal reasons, keep his irritation in check when his employees are holding personal conversations when there is work to be done, or worry about what sites his staff are surfing when they think no-one is looking. With the virtual assistant or employee, the business owner is free to get on with the process of bringing in more business, letting his off-site permanent, temporary or freelance staff follow up and support him in his efforts. He no longer has to worry about physical meetings which need to be held very early in the morning or late in the afternoon, which could prove to be difficult for his staff due to home commitments or transport issues, as these meetings can now be held online, with all members of the group joining a virtual team or communal session.
The virtual world allows business owners to loosen the reins
Savvy business owners and management are not really concerned with the minutiae of their off-site staff’s daily activities; if the work is being done as required and on time, does it really matter if employees are putting in their time outside of standard working hours or during normal office hours? As long as they are available online or telephonically, when necessary, does it really make a difference if they are writing reports and catching up with the accounts in the evening or early morning hours? Does it matter if they take ten coffee breaks during their working day or are constantly chain-smoking in their own private home office? Does it make any difference if they have to be at home to babysit a sick child or run to the pharmacy for medications, if they are still producing their work as required? It’s a definite win situation for the employee who can successfully juggle both home and office life without missing a beat, as much as it is a win situation for the business owners or management who are receiving the output of their staff without having to worry about their absences from the office because of personal demands.
External virtual assistants fill that production gap when needed
In a way, with so many offices and businesses going virtual in this way, there is a decreased need for the employment of freelance or temporary staff as there is more productive output from their employees. On the other hand, with so many meetings being held on the virtual forums, there is an increased need for additional manpower to accurately record these meetings and convert them into written documentation which can be shared online with all parties concerned. This is where the virtual administration assistant comes into the picture. These are the people who pick up the slack and keep things running smoothly when you don’t have the manpower resources to do this yourself or time is not on your side. Virtual admin freelancers know their craft, have honed their skills and stick to tight deadlines. They have no desire to know more than their work remit asks for and have a high regard for confidentiality. It is a given that, because they are not employees of the company, they have an intangible but very real moral NDA in place where their clients are concerned. In other words, you must feel that you can trust them to handle matters which are sensitive as well as the normal routine responsibilities. These people are gold in a business’s safe. Respect their services, and you will be rewarded with dedication, accuracy, punctuality and an assurance that they will contribute positively to the continued running of your business success.
