Hiring a Virtual Assistant Starts Before You Post the Job

Published October 11, 2023. Updated June 9, 2026.

I've talked to a lot of property managers who tell me they posted a job and didn't get many applicants. Most of the time, the problem isn't the job board. It isn't even the job posting. It's everything that happens before someone decides to click "Apply."

Hiring a virtual assistant isn't much different than leasing a property. People make decisions based on what they see. If your company doesn't give candidates a reason to believe it's a place they want to work, they'll move on to the next opportunity without thinking twice.

I've seen companies fill great roles in a matter of days, and I've seen others struggle for weeks looking for the right person. The difference usually isn't the talent pool. It's the hiring process. The companies that consistently attract good candidates do a few simple things well before they ever post the job.

The process I'm walking through here is the same one I'd recommend whether you're hiring your first virtual assistant or your tenth. I'll use VPM Solutions as the example because that's the platform we built for property managers, but the bigger takeaway is that a good hiring process will always outperform simply posting a job and hoping for the best.

Start with Your Company Profile

Before spending time writing a job description, make sure your company profile is complete. It's one of the easiest things you can do to improve your chances of attracting good candidates, and it's often overlooked.

Put yourself in the candidate's shoes. They're considering a job with a company they've probably never heard of, in another country, with people they've never met. Just like you're trying to figure out if they're the right fit, they're trying to decide if you're a company they can trust.

That's why your profile matters. Tell people who you are, what your company stands for, and the markets you serve. Add your website and social media pages so they can learn more about you. If you can, include a short video introducing yourself or your team.

It doesn't need to be professionally produced. A simple video recorded from your office is enough. People want to know who's behind the job posting, and seeing a real person goes a long way toward building trust. People like working with people, not logos.

Then Write a Job Description People Can Picture Themselves In

One mistake I often see is companies trying to hire the perfect candidate on paper. Before they know it, the job description has turned into a wish list.

They want someone with five years of property management experience who's an expert in every software platform, can handle accounting, leasing, maintenance, marketing, collections, and customer service. All skills in one role. The reality is that person probably isn't looking for an entry-level virtual assistant position.

Instead, focus on what success looks like in the role. Think about what this person will actually do every day. Are they coordinating maintenance? Answering leasing inquiries? Supporting your accounting team? Helping with marketing? The clearer you are about the role, the easier it is for the right candidates to picture themselves doing it.

I'd also include the practical details upfront. Let candidates know the expected hours, your compensation range, and any bonuses or benefits you offer. The more transparent you are, the more likely you'll attract people who are genuinely interested in the opportunity.

Competitive Pay Still Matters

Every property manager wants to keep payroll under control. At the same time, if your pay range is well below the market, you're going to shrink your candidate pool before anyone has a chance to learn about your company or the opportunity.

Before you post your job, spend a few minutes looking through virtual assistant profiles on the platform. You'll get a good sense of what candidates with different levels of experience are earning and where your position fits in the market.

You don't have to be the highest-paying company to attract great people, but you do need to be competitive. The right candidate is looking at more than one opportunity, so make sure your compensation reflects the value of the role you're asking them to fill.

The Hiring Process Doesn't End When You Click "Post"

One thing I've learned over the years is that good hiring is rarely a passive process. Posting the job gets the ball rolling, but it shouldn't be the last thing you do.

Once the job is live, I like to stay involved. If I see someone who looks like a great fit, I'm going to reach out instead of hoping they find my posting. Some of the best hires happen because the company made the first move.

That's one of the reasons we built VPM Solutions the way we did. As soon as your position is posted, TalentMatch starts identifying candidates who fit what you're looking for. You can review those matches, search the platform yourself, and invite virtual assistants to apply directly. It gives you another way to connect with good candidates instead of waiting for applications to come in.

Decide How Much Help You Want

I've worked with property managers who love being involved in every interview, and I've worked with others who'd rather spend that time growing their business. Neither approach is right or wrong. It really comes down to how involved you want to be in the hiring process. In VPM Solutions there are more than one way to hire to fit everybody’s needs.

If you want to stay hands-on but could use some guidance along the way, the White Glove Service gives you access to our recruiting team while you stay in control of the hiring decisions.

If your schedule is already full and you'd rather have someone else handle the recruiting, Gold Glove is a better fit. Our team sources candidates, screens them, and narrows the field so you can focus on interviewing the strongest applicants instead of spending hours reviewing resumes.

At the end of the day, the goal is the same: finding the right person for your team. How much of the process you want to manage is up to you.

Hiring Is Only the Beginning

Finding the right person is a big milestone, but it's not the end of the hiring process. In a lot of ways, it's just the beginning.

Successful remote teams aren't built on one great hire. They're built by giving people clear expectations, documenting your processes, and communicating well from day one. Even the best candidate will struggle if they don't know what success looks like.

That's where the VPM Academy can help. We created it to give both property managers and virtual assistants access to practical training that supports onboarding and continued development. When everyone understands the role, the systems, and the expectations, new team members become productive much faster.

Build Your Team One Person at a Time

After watching many property management companies grow over the years, I’ve noticed very few of them built a team overnight. They hired one good person, figured out what worked, documented their processes, and then repeated that process as the business grew.

That's how sustainable growth happens. You build capacity one hire at a time, and each great hire creates room for the next one.

That's the approach we built VPM Solutions to support. Whether you want to manage the hiring process yourself or work with our recruiting team, you'll have the tools, resources, and support to find the right people and keep building your team with confidence.

If you're ready to get started, create your free company profile and take the first step toward your next hire.