How to Track Your Virtual Assistant's Hours
Bringing on a virtual assistant (VA) can be a game-changing move for solopreneurs and small business owners. With an expert virtual assistant handling important but time-consuming administrative tasks, content creation, social media management, and more, you're free to focus on revenue-generating priorities.
But to truly maximize the value of your virtual assistant partnership, some oversight of their hours is prudent. Tracking a virtual assistant time can ensure you only pay for work completed and provide data to optimize productivity. However, we recommend using a time tracker just during the first 6 months when bringing on a new virtual assistant. This limited period of close tracking helps build trust as you establish the relationship. After that initial phase, switch to a more flexible hours.
Follow this comprehensive guide to effectively track virtual assistant hours using time apps, timesheets and more during the critical first months of your partnership.
Set Clear Expectations During Onboarding
It all starts with setting clear expectations around time tracking from the moment you onboard your new virtual assistant. During the hiring process or first few days of the partnership, have an open discussion to align on:
- Expected Work Schedule: Agree on your virtual assistants general working hours and the core block of time you expect them to be accessible. For example, 9am to 5pm with a 1-hour lunch break in their time zone.
- Tracking Method: Specify whether you want them to track hours through a time app like Clockify, keep a manual spreadsheet timesheet, or a combination. Share your preferences and policies.
- Project and Task Tracking: Explain that time must be logged at the project and individual task level, not just total hours per day. They should use descriptive task names.
- Timesheet Submission Cadence: Such as emailing timesheets every Friday afternoon or attaching to each invoice.
- Screenshots or Automated Tracking: If using tracking software, decide whether to enable employee monitoring add-ons like random screenshots or computer usage tracking. Also discuss any privacy, security and data policies.
Clearly establishing these virtual assistant time tracking ground rules upfront prevents confusion and sets the foundation for an organized system to rely on moving forward. Both you and your virtual assistant will be on the same page regarding processes and expectations.
Choose User-Friendly Time Tracking Software
Dedicated time tracking apps and software provide the most efficient, automated way for your virtual assistant to log hours. The right program minimizes the data entry burden on your virtual assistant while giving you access to robust reporting and analytics.
Time Tracker Options for Virtual Assistant
Clockify: Offers affordable paid subscriptions with additional features like timeline reports, scheduling, and timesheet approvals. They offer a free subscription but with a limited feature.This is the software we are using for our new virtual assistants.
Toggl: Offers simple stopwatch-style time tracking with flexible manual and automated timing features. Integrates with over 100 platforms. They offer a free 30 days trial with no credit card required.
Timely: Includes timed activity tracking, schedule management, and robust client reporting. They offer a free trial for 14 Days, no credit card required.
Harvest: Tracks time, expenses, and projects including budgeted vs. actual costs. Integrates with Google Workspace, QuickBooks, Slack, and more. They offer a 30 Days Free trial with no credit card required.
TMetric: Focuses on simple but powerful manual time tracking. Integrates with Jira, Trello, Asana, QuickBooks, and Slack. They offer a free 30-day trial with no credit card required.
When evaluating options, look for ease of use, flexibility in virtual assistant time tracking methods, data visualization tools, and integrations with the other software you use. Sign up for free trials to test out the interface and features before deciding.
Choose a solution that makes the tracking process seamless for your virtual assistant, reducing pushback or barriers to compliance. Investing in quality software also demonstrates your commitment to managing the partnership professionally.
Require Timesheets With Sufficient Detail
To supplement automated time tracking, consider having your virtual assistant submit weekly or monthly timesheets detailing hours logged, activities, projects, and tasks.
Timesheet submissions allow you to:
- Review for vague or overlapping task descriptions.
- Ensure time is attributed to the appropriate projects.
- Look for excessive unaccounted gaps in time or unusually long periods of activity.
- Request additional details or revisions to keep records thorough.
Your virtual assistant should log time at a level that allows you to understand exactly how hours are being spent each day and align this to key business projects and objectives.
For example, "Wrote email blast - Company Newsletter" is superior to just "Newsletter work".
Regular timesheet reporting reinforces diligent virtual assistant time tracking. Ongoing review also identifies any issues promptly so you can course correct with additional training or process adjustments.
Cross Check Productivity and Output
While time tracking tools provide helpful data points, you need to cross-reference this with your virtual assistants actual output and productivity.
This may include assessing:
- Number of emails sent, calls made, other key tasks completed per week.
- Content volume - Blog posts drafted, social posts scheduled.
- Data entry or lead follow-ups processed.
- Overall quality and accuracy of work.
If your virtual assistant is logging full-time hours but you notice output declining or failing to meet standards, dig deeper into how time is being allocated. Look for opportunities to improve efficiency through:
- Additional training to boost skills.
- Adjusted priorities and schedules.
- Providing tools or automating repetitive tasks.
- Eliminating distractions and multitasking.
Have an open, constructive conversation focusing on maximizing productivity within agreed hours. If discrepancies between time tracked and results continue, review accuracy of virtual assistant time tracking and processes.
Request Recaps in Status Reports
Status reports are another useful management tool that can provide insight into how your virtual assistant invests time.
Consider asking your virtual assistant to send a short daily or weekly email recapping:
- Key projects worked on.
- Specific tasks and deliverables completed.
- Any obstacles or roadblocks encountered.
- Goals and priorities for the next day or week.
Reading your virtual assistants perspective in their own words helps correlate logged hours to actual progress made. It also demonstrates great accountability.
Follow up on any status updates that seem vague or dubious based on your own task tracking. Ongoing status reporting motivates accuracy.
Audit Timesheets and Output
Conduct periodic audits comparing your virtual assistant timesheets to actual work product and output for that same period. Thoroughly review:
- Hours breakdown across projects and individual tasks.
- Output volume - emails sent, calls conducted, content created etc.
- Quality metrics like error rate, deadline achievement.
Watch for any warning signs like:
- Excessive logged hours for actual output generated.
- Key projects taking significantly longer than estimated or delayed.
- Logging hours outside agreed upon work schedule without prior approval.
Random deeper audits every month or quarter help catch discrepancies and reinforce diligence. Address any issues promptly through coaching and process review.
Putting It All Together
With the best practices above for timekeeping expectations, software, reporting, productivity analysis and communication, tracking your virtual assistants hours becomes much more manageable.
Accurate time data allows you to assess value derived and optimize budgets. And you build mutual alignment through transparency.
If you're looking to hire an expert virtual assistant dedicated to delivering diligent time management, we are committed to finding your virtual assistant. Contact us today to learn more!
