Are Virtual Assistants becoming the new-age workforce?

The past decade has seen a substantial rise in the demand for virtual assistants and has changed the way business works. There are no more long commutes to office or those cubicles to work from. These warriors, with just a laptop and internet connection, are more than enough to handle the workings of a full-fledged business. If you are thinking why should a virtual assistant be hired, the answer is simple. Who wouldn’t like to have a helping hand to assist them with their tasks?

From social media management, digital marketing, managing calendars, and emails, preparing reports to personals tasks like booking a hotel, with their diverse skill set they are available for every industry.

No matter the industry, but it is a well-known fact that implementing the right strategies and managing the time and resources efficiently, are crucial factors for success. With speeding time, the business owners are getting busier and it’s getting challenging for them to manage time. Virtual assistants come as a perfect solution for them. They come with an array of skillsets and can be easily catered to the needs of the employer. This is one of the major reasons that there has been a boom in the demand for virtual assistants.

The mention of words ‘freelancer’, ‘remote work’, or ‘virtual staff’ may have gained you some puzzled looks some years back. But looking at the outsourcing trends in 2020 and the change in business habits due to COVID-19, there are high chances of a spike in the demand for virtual assistants. We will also witness a widening of skill sets as the demand curve goes up.

Writing skills, video editing, and content production are emerging as the core competencies of virtual assistants.

Outsourcing is no longer limited to just businesses that have online operations, but fields like medical and non-profit organizations are also coming forward to hire virtual staff. The idea of virtual assistants is here to stay and if you take a look at the recent statistics it becomes clear. Further, the evolution of technology in terms of web conferencing and remote work management is making is more feasible and adaptive.

Virtual assistants even fit in the requirements of the companies who are trying to cut on the labor costs. A lot of enterprises have taken to hiring virtual staff instead of in-office administrative staff in recent times.

Another major reason for the increase in demand for virtual assistants is the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the companies have switched to work from home and they will be continuing with it for a long time. In such scenarios, they are looking to hire a new set of the workforce to adapt to the changing business habits. They are hiring more virtual assistants, which one hand is easily adaptive and skilled in their requirements, whereas on the other hand, they are proving to be cost-effective at this time. The virtual assistant business model has shown his stability and potential even in these turbulent times.

This demanding hike is not just limited to 2020, it will be increasing more in the coming years. A lot of individuals restrain from hiring VAs, owing to the risk of low productivity as they are not monitored in person. But in the prevalent circumstances, the pros outweigh the conns easily.

The growing competition, economic slowdown, and the need for safety are contributing majorly to the escalating market for virtual assistants. Presently, it includes individuals from the younger end of the spectrum, but it may change soon. A lot of stay-at-home parents who are looking for jobs, but find it difficult to commute to the workplace in the morning are discovering the perks of working from home as virtual assistants.

Apart from them, some pensioners are also joining the forces, as their pensions are proving to be insufficient in these times.

The year is surely going a see a rise in demand and expansion of domains for the virtual assistants as people are adopting it quickly, looking at the innumerable benefits of virtual assistants.

Written By Shubhangi for The Growup Group