Virtual Bench

Virtual team building can start with one person at $6/hour and scale to 70 full-time workers globally

Eben hired his first virtual assistant for $120 to work 20 hours per week, freeing up his time for high-value activities

Build a 'virtual bench' through a 3-6 month osmosis process of getting to know potential hires through conversations and relationship building before formal hiring

Eben reveals: 'I'll bet you that the average amount of time it takes us to hire someone is three to six months from when

Test potential hires with small paid projects during the getting-to-know period - give them a 10-hour project at their hourly rate to evaluate their work quality

Eben gives specific example: 'if they charge $25 an hour for web design you can say okay great here's a 10-hour project

Build a 'virtual bench' by treating interviews as relationship-building processes over time rather than single evaluation events

Brad Smart's virtual bench concept, used since early days of Eben's business. Half dozen emails over months reveals resp

Use email exchanges and advice requests during the relationship building phase to evaluate how candidates think and respond

Asking candidates 'what would you do in this situation' during relationship building reveals problem-solving approach an

Build a 'virtual bench' by identifying future roles and specific talent strengths needed, not just general job descriptions

Instead of saying 'I need a web designer,' specify 'I need an HTML expert' or 'I need a web graphics expert' because cod

Focus on identifying one core strength that candidates must excel at, then let driven people figure out the additional skills

Many people can be good at both HTML coding and graphic design, but identify the one thing you really need them to excel

Spend 10% of your time proactively connecting with potential future team members and building relationships with stars

Eben's personal rule of thumb is to dedicate about 10% of time to connecting with people that could be good future team

Successful entrepreneurs must stop commiserating with employees about money problems and find support elsewhere

Eben warns that complaining about electric bills, gas costs, or rent to employees will make them leave because they perc

How long should the hiring process take

Build relationships with potential hires over 3-6 months through conversations and small projects before making formal hiring decisions. This 'virtual bench' approach helps you really get to know candidates.

From: How To Avoid Making A "Mis-Hire"

How do you build a virtual bench for hiring

Start relationship-building conversations with potential stars before you need them. Exchange emails over months, ask for advice on situations, and see how they respond and think.

From: How To Avoid Potential "Blind Spots" When Interviewing

What is the virtual bench hiring strategy

A proactive approach where you identify potential stars and build relationships with them over time, before you have immediate hiring needs. This reveals their true character and capabilities.

From: How To Avoid Potential "Blind Spots" When Interviewing

How do I find good team members for my business?

Build a 'virtual bench' by identifying specific talent strengths you'll need, then reach out to your network for referrals to those specialists months before you need to hire.

From: How To Recruit People To Work For Your Business

What is a virtual bench in business?

A virtual bench is a proactive recruitment strategy where you identify future roles your business will need and build relationships with potential candidates before you actually need to hire them.

From: How To Recruit People To Work For Your Business