Eben Pagan shares his proven 9-step system for hiring your first virtual assistant, covering personality assessment, candidate screening, and delegation strategies. He emphasizes hiring organizers over creatives and provides specific techniques for writing job ads, conducting email interviews, and creating standard operating procedures.
How To Hire Your First Virtual Assistant
How to Hire Your First Virtual Assistant -- A 9-step system for finding, screening, and managing virtual assistants
Creatives Generate Ideas — Hire Organizers to Keep You on Track
Divide potential team members into two personality types: creatives who generate ideas and change things last-minute, and organizers who make plans and schedules. Creatives should hire organizers to handle administration and keep them on track.
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Hire Local Assistants for Errands to Free Up High-Value Time
Hire local assistants for personal shopping, errands, and mail handling to free up even more time for high-value business activities.
▶ 10:22
Delegate Everything Except Products and Marketing
Your objective with delegation is to free up maximum time for products and marketing - delegate everything else so you can focus solely on these revenue-generating activities.
▶ 8:07
Personal Message Filter That Screens Out 70% of Bad Candidates
Ask candidates to write personal messages answering specific questions instead of submitting resumes, which immediately disqualifies 50-70% of unqualified applicants.
▶ 3:29
A-Players Respond Quickly — Lower Performers Reveal Themselves in Email
Enter into email dialogue with best candidates and observe response patterns - A-players respond quickly and professionally, while lower performers reveal disqualifying information.
▶ 6:48
How to Hire Your First Virtual Assistant -- A 9-step system for finding, screening, and managing virtual assistants
Creatives Generate Ideas — Hire Organizers to Keep You on Track
Divide potential team members into two personality types: creatives who generate ideas and change things last-minute, and organizers who make plans and schedules. Creatives should hire organizers to handle administration and keep them on track.
A-Players Respond Quickly — Lower Performers Reveal Themselves in Email
Enter into email dialogue with best candidates and observe response patterns - A-players respond quickly and professionally, while lower performers reveal disqualifying information.
Delegate Everything Except Products and Marketing
Your objective with delegation is to free up maximum time for products and marketing - delegate everything else so you can focus solely on these revenue-generating activities.
Delegate Repetitive Tasks First Using Standard Operating Procedures
Delegate repetitive, frequent tasks first like customer service, refunds, tracking and reporting by creating standard operating procedures (SOPs), not through storytelling.
Personal Message Filter That Screens Out 70% of Bad Candidates
Ask candidates to write personal messages answering specific questions instead of submitting resumes, which immediately disqualifies 50-70% of unqualified applicants.
High-Value Work or True Rest: No Middle Ground
Ideally, you should either be doing super high-value money-making activities or relaxing - people making 6 and 7 figure incomes don't waste time on low-value tasks.
A-Players Question You — B and C Players Want Any Job
A-players are as interested in questioning you and learning about your business as you are in questioning them, while B and C players are just looking for any job.
Write Job Ads in a Candid Personal Tone Not a Skills List
Write job ads in a friendly, candid, personal tone explaining exactly what you want and don't want, rather than listing formal skills and qualifications.
Hire Local Assistants for Errands to Free Up High-Value Time
Hire local assistants for personal shopping, errands, and mail handling to free up even more time for high-value business activities.
Start Delegation With Customer Service and Refunds
Start with repetitive, frequent tasks like customer service, refunds, tracking, and reporting. Create standard operating procedures (SOPs) with specific steps rather than just telling them stories about how to handle situations.
How A-Players Behave Differently in Interviews
A-players are as interested in questioning you about the role as you are in questioning them. They respond quickly and professionally, maintain relationships with former bosses, and view opportunities as career stepping stones.
Hire Local Assistants Even for Two to Four Hours Weekly
Yes, hire local assistants for personal shopping, errands, and mail handling. Even 2-4 hours per week of personal assistance can free you up for high-value business activities that make a huge difference.
Hire an Organizer First When You're a Creative Entrepreneur
Hire an organizer - someone who wakes up making plans, creates lists and schedules, and wants to stick to them. If you're creative, an organizer will handle admin work and help keep you on track.
Focus on Products and Marketing Delegate Everything Else
Focus exclusively on products and marketing - the highest value money-making activities. Delegate everything else so you can concentrate on what generates revenue and grows your business.
Filter VA Applicants With Personal-Message Questions, Not Resumes
Ask candidates to write personal messages answering specific questions instead of submitting resumes. This immediately filters out 50-70% of unqualified applicants who won't follow directions.
A-Players Question You as Hard as You Question Them
The a players or the superstars out there, they are as interested in questioning you and learning more about your business and the role as you are questioning them.
Hiring Your First Team Member Creates a Business Quantum Leap
Kind of a a quantum leap happens inside your business when you hire your first team member.
Money-Making Activities or Rest — No In-Between
You should ideally be either doing money making activities or relaxing.
What Personality Type to Hire as First VA
What personality type should I hire as my first virtual assistant?
How to Screen Virtual Assistant Candidates Effectively
How do you screen virtual assistant candidates effectively?
Strategic Focus After Delegating to a VA
What should I focus on after hiring a virtual assistant?
Should You Hire Virtual Assistants for Personal Tasks
Should I hire virtual assistants for personal tasks too?
What to Delegate to Your Virtual Assistant First
What should I delegate to my virtual assistant first?
How to Tell A-Players From Average Candidates
How can I tell A-players from average candidates?
Concepts
Questions
Canonical Teachings
Eben introduces his framework of creatives versus organizers, explaining why entrepreneurs should typically hire organizers who naturally make plans and schedules. He emphasizes that creatives especially need organizers not just for administrative work but to help maintain focus and track progress.
Rather than formal job postings, Eben recommends writing ads in a friendly, personal tone that explains exactly what you want and don't want. He provides specific examples of how to make job ads sound human and approachable while still attracting qualified candidates.
The screening process involves asking candidates to write personal messages answering specific questions, which immediately filters out 50-70% of unqualified applicants. Eben explains how A-players distinguish themselves through their questioning approach and professional response patterns.
Effective delegation starts with repetitive tasks like customer service and reporting, documented through detailed standard operating procedures rather than informal storytelling. The ultimate goal is freeing up maximum time for products and marketing - the highest value activities that drive business growth.
Claim: “Use the word 'assistant' when referring to support team members”
Reframe: Call them organizers or team members who help manage projects because everyone does something important in the professional world
Planning Your Prospects Experience
Learn how to script your entire customer relationship like a friendship, using psychology-based frameworks that turn prospects into loyal buyers.
Targeting A Profitable Niche
If your niche is wrong, then nothing can help you - discover Eben's 3-question test that reveals profitable niches every time.
How To Identify Your Talents
Discover Eben Pagan's proven framework for transforming your natural talents into a high-income stream in the rapidly evolving knowledge economy.
Coaching Strategies
Business Frameworks
Common Mistakes
