Virtual Assistant Vs Employee: Which One Is Better For Your Business
Do you want to grow your business in Sydney and need more hands on deck? While hiring your new team of professionals, you might be debating whether to opt for regular in-house employees or virtual assistants in Australia. Businesses with over 1,000 employees are beginning to recruit virtual assistants as they perform tasks like bookkeeping, administrative duties, social media marketing, digital planning and SEO writing.
The best part is that these virtual assistants can help your business save up to 78% in operating costs and expenses. If you need help in choosing between a regular employee and a virtual assistant, here are some expert tips to help you out:
What Is A Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant is a remote and independent worker who performs various administrative duties to help a business grow. Even though virtual assistants do not operate in the same office, they share files and projects online.
What Skills Do Virtual Assistants Have
Virtual assistants are highly skilled professionals who might be trained in:
- SEO writing
- Logistics
- Digital Marketing
- Administrative duties
- Bookkeeping
- Answering calls
- Setting up meetings
- Customer research
- Data entry
Since businesses in Sydney are becoming remote, the demand for virtual assistants who can operate from the comfort of their own space has risen. You can hire these virtual assistants on a full-time, part-time or just for certain projects, thus saving money.
Your virtual assistant in Sydney will have a flexible working schedule which means you can contact them at any time to complete certain tasks. The best part is that these virtual assistants keep undergoing training and courses to increase their knowledge and skills, which will further help your business.
What Are The Costs Of Hiring A Virtual Assistant
You might have to pay your virtual assistant in Sydney for the number of hours they work daily, or you can set a fixed monthly rate. Some companies also offer sick leave, holiday pay, bonus pay, and the cost of setting up equipment for their virtual assistant, but this is optional.
Now you should see what regular employees do and note the differences between virtual assistants and regular employees.
What Are the Duties of Regular Employees
Regular employees are hired after a series of interviews and tests and work a 9-5 job. These employees are physically present in the office with you and can work on projects and tasks when required. You will have to pay for overhead costs for your regular employee like computers, office desks, and will also have to pay for any training they undergo. Regular employees, unlike virtual assistants, have fixed monthly salaries and are entitled to many benefits:
- Health care
- Paid sick leave
- Paid holiday leaves
- Taxes
- Overtime pay
- Workers Compensation
- Life insurance
It is important now to understand the major differences between these two kinds of employees to help you out:
Virtual Assistant vs Regular Employees: Major Differences
1. Hiring Costs And Expenses
When deciding whether your business needs a virtual assistant, you will consider the costs involved. When you hire a virtual assistant, you will pay them based on the number of hours they work or a fixed monthly rate. Some employees offer extra benefits like vacation pay and sick leave, but this is not compulsory. The cost of replacing a virtual assistant is also low as you only have to pay for advertising and the fees of the online platform you are employing.
On the other hand, you will have to pay a regular employee a fixed monthly salary with benefits like vacation leave, paid sick leave, healthcare and more. Besides this, when you have to replace a regular employee, it can cost you up to 33% of your employee’s salary. For instance, if your employee earns $50,000, you will have to shell out $20,000 to replace them.
In terms of costs, a virtual assistant can be less expensive for your business.
2. Type Of Work Environment
A virtual assistant works remotely and connects with your business through online mediums. A regular employee is physically present in the office with you, and you have to ensure that all the overhead costs, like desks and computers, are set up for your employees.
3. The Flexibility of Working Hours
Virtual assistants work flexible hours and do not have a 9-5 format. But this means they could end up working on weekends and holidays as well as odd hours. A regular employee has a more fixed schedule with a 9-5 format and may not be available to work odd hours and times.
4. Communication Gap With Employers
When you hire a virtual assistant for your business, you might face a communication gap as the person is working remotely. You will not be able to form the connection you can with a regular employee in the office with whom you can directly correspond. Also, you can track your regular employee’s progress and projects, whereas it is difficult to do this with a virtual assistant.
Tip
If you are employing a virtual assistant in Australia, you can use these tools to communicate with your virtual assistants effectively.
Wrapping Up
Thus, virtual assistants and regular employees have many pros and cons and you have to understand the needs of your business to decide which kind of employee will suit your business better and help it grow.
