In an attempt to save money, businesses cut costs by downsizing. Human resources and staffing departments experience these times also, whether it is a hiring freeze or just a slow business period. Once business picks up again, these downsized positions must be filled, which calls for more recruiting staff.

There is a solution to this problem- A Virtual Assistant (VA). VA’s are independent contractors who provide administrative support from offsite locations such as their home offices. They also provide specialized services which include desktop publishing, meeting and event planning, website design, bookkeeping, marketing, publicity, human resources and staffing support.

Businesses get the best of both worlds – fast, accurate, flexible support without providing company type benefits. VA’s that specialize in human resources assist companies with services such as receiving and reviewing résumés, scheduling interviews, conducting phone interviews, verifying references, setting up assessments and drug testing. The recruiter or hiring managers work with the individual VA during their busy periods but not when things are slow. It’s a win-win for everyone involved. The VA becomes familiar with the recruitment process within the company; they have already established a working relationship with the managers involved so there is no learning curve.

The VA can take care of the back office administration such as creating and placing the job advertisements, receiving and reviewing the résumés, conducting the initial phone interview to see if there is a fit, finally the qualified candidates only, are transferred to the hiring manager who wastes no time on individuals who are not qualified for the position. Once the qualified candidates have been identified, the VA verifies their references, creates the offer letter and communicates any necessary information between the client and the candidate.

The greatest benefit of working with a Virtual Assistant is that they work as independent contractors so the client doesn’t have to provide any benefits nor do they have to provide equipment, office space or training. This alone can save a company 50% of the cost of an in-house full-time employee. Plus VA’s provide excellent customer service to the individual candidates which can be a deciding factor as to which offer they accept!

Grainne Foley is the owner of A Job Well Done, a virtual assistant business specializing in providing human resources and administrative support to businesses and entrepreneurs. Complete information on services offered can be found on her web site. Don't forget to subscribe to her FREE newsletter, "A Virtual Revolution" and visit her blog at http://www.virtualstaffing.blogspot.com For more information, please visit http://www.ajwd.com

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