Virtual Assistant vs Employee: The Pros and Cons

As your business grows, you might need a helping hand. When it comes to expanding, there are two natural options to explore: hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA) or bringing on a full-time employee on board. Deciding between the two is no small feat as the wrong choice for your business could lead to additional financial costs and wasted resources. To help guide your decision-making, let’s look at the pros and cons of both options.

VAs have certainly gained popularity as a flexible solution for many small business owners. You can hire a VA on an ad-hoc basis (such as for a one-off project) or on an ongoing basis (known as a retainer).

Pros

• Skill Diversity: VAs have a wide range of skills – from admin tasks to specialisms such as SEO, copywriting or social media, there is a VA out there who can support your business whatever your requirements.

• Flexibility: You can choose to hire a VA for as few or as many hours meaning you only pay for the time you need and minimise overhead expenses

• Worldwide Availability: VAs are a global phenomenon, we’re everywhere! This means that the talent pool is as wide as it can be and it’s easy to find a VA who is the right fit for you.

Cons

• Communication: Working remotely has the potential to hinder prompt communication, especially for urgent matters.

• Technical Difficulties: Your VA is responsible for their own tech gear, so if there is a problem, it’s also their responsibility to fix it. However, their productivity can be impacted while they seek a solution.

• Time Tracking: As with all remote workers, tracking working hours can be an issue – whether that’s availability or time spent on a project.

On the other hand, full-time employees can provide consistent availability and perhaps some much-needed in-person interaction.

Pros

• Direct Interaction: You are likely to speak to an employee on a regular basis and even see them face to face, all of which contributes to a strong working relationship as well as benefiting productivity and workflow.

• Real-time Monitoring: Direct interaction means that any issues can be resolved quickly and ensure you have effective communication.

• Adaptability: A full-time employee can be easily switched from task to task depending on business needs and their availability is purely dedicated to you and your business.

Cons

• Higher Costs: Hiring a full-time employee means additional expenses such as office space, benefits (such as holiday pay, sick pay and pension contributions) as well as employer NI contributions – and that’s not including the additional admin to set all these up.

• Rigid Work Hours: A full-time employee will usually follow fixed working hours and is unlikely to be flexible outside of those agreed hours.

• Training costs: As an employer, you will need to cover any additional expenses to enhance your employee’s skill set.

The Main Differences

There are some big distinctions between VAs and full-time employees that can also influence the decision-making process:

• Working Hours: VAs offer flexible schedules not only in how many hours they can offer but also in their availability. A full-time employee will have fixed hours making flexibility trickier.

• Location: Full-time employees are likely to work from a designated office space, but VAs work completely remotely.

• Overhead costs: VAs generally incur fewer overhead expenses compared to full-time employees.

• Cost Considerations: Hiring a VA is typically more cost-effective due to the above.

Choosing between a Virtual Assistant and a full-time employee requires careful consideration – your decision should not only be influenced by the pros and cons of each option but also by your business’ needs, financial capacity and work style. Understanding the strengths and limitations of both options will hopefully help you make the right decision for your business’ growth and success.