Last week was eye opening – mind blowing even, as I took off to the Philippines to sit down and meet with my team of VA’s, share ideas, start conversations and find out what really makes the life blood of Virtual Elves tick.
I spent the week travelling to Cebu, Davao City and Manila and while I was dismayed to learn that the humidity wreaked havoc on my hair, I also discovered something much more valuable – the motivations, inspirations and expectations of my Filipino Virtual Assistants.
One of the biggest take aways I took from meeting with my VA’s was that online workers crave real relationships with their remote clients and colleagues. Just because there is a geological and cultural gap, doesn’t mean we need to be distant in our dealings with each other. Virtual assistants want to feel like they are part of something, with long term work opportunities where they are appreciated for their input. They don’t want to feel marginalised or treated like ‘grunt workers.’
I was surprised at how grateful the team was that I would travel to the Philippines for the sole purpose of meeting with them. It’s this attitude of gratitude that really showed me how invested these men and women were in the work that they do for us.
“Inspire us to open our horizons and be better”
It’s important to understand what motivates your virtual assistant to do what they do. Working for a boutique company like Virtual Elves gives your assistant an opportunity to earn +10 times what they would earn in an office job, without the travel expenses and loss of flexibility – allowing them to spend more time with family (which is very important in the Filipino culture) and continually upskill as they learn the ins and outs of each client’s business. This attracts a high calibre of candidate to this growing industry, the benefits of which extend to any potential employer.
“Learning to understand what motivates your virtual assistant is crucial.” [tweet this quote]
I realised that what sets Virtual Elves apart from other outsourcing and freelance companies is that we really care. We care about our VA’s, our clients and our success. It has to be a 3-way win for me to be satisfied. This means providing my clients and VA’s with long term collaborative opportunities that benefit and contribute to the success of all involved. Sharing my vision for the growth of our business was liberating. Bringing my virtual assistants into that vision meant they could see we are thinking progressively with a real growth mindset on how to make this a better business for everyone.
“We are not just ANY virtual assistants – we are Virtual Elves virtual assistants.”
The culture of the business and its people is something that has developed naturally here at Virtual Elves. But I have learnt how important it is to cultivate a team that feels invested in the work they do, motivated to succeed and appreciated for their efforts. This is something that is transferable to any business owner who is currently managing or considering working with a virtual team as a valuable tool to building long term, successful relationships with their remote workers.
“Knowing that there is a vision for the future that that includes us is exciting”
Want to know more about Kristy’s trip and her insights?
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