Outsourcing has had a negative connotation since it was first introduced to the business world. A number of companies are adamantly against it, while others do it secretly to give customers the illusion they do everything themselves.
Organisations wish to take full credit for their accomplishments, after all. They want their brand to be recognised for their success in order to appeal to more clients and boost their profits. This is why many hide their affiliations or partnerships behind non-disclosure agreements and marketing campaigns.
Debunking HOA outsourcing myths
Despite it’s bad reputation, outsourcing continues to grow in popularity, even in the industry of homeowners’ associations. The advantages to your community, bottom line, and business model is going to be significant. If you still have some concerns about the process, let’s debunk common myths about it.
Myth 1: Only global corporations benefit from it
The Deloitte Global Outsourcing Survey reveals that the main reasons companies outsource is to reduce costs, gain flexibility, achieve speed to market, get access to tools, and have agility. These are necessary for businesses of all kinds, including HOAs.
If your association has a limited budget for administrative assistant hiring, outsourcing is a great solution. Not only will you find and filter candidates at a cheaper and faster rate but also you gain access to a wider talent pool that isn’t limited to your geographic location.
Myth 2: HOA assistance replaces the board
Rather than replacing the group of volunteers who keep your community running, it’s important that you find a worker to partner with them. Hire a property manager to check the landlord-tenant regulations and laws in your country, communicate with out-of-town owners, and address maintenance requests, for instance.
You may also hire a property manager for Airbnb units in particular. They may take care of marketing and leasing out any vacant units as well as collecting and depositing the rent. Meanwhile, the board continues to prepare the budget for projects and other fiscal duties.
Myth 3: Only simple tasks may be outsourced
There are many HOA outsourcing advantages, including delegating technical tasks to your virtual assistant. Many entrepreneurs believe that the only tasks that may be outsourced are those with strict operating processes. Examples of these responsibilities include inputting data and scraping leads from various sources.
They don’t know that there are many VAs who are capable of complicated tasks such as producing advertising videos, developing software from scratch, and writing copy for academic purposes. While specialists cost more than general assistants, they possess a complex set of skills worth maximising.
Myth 4: Reduced expenses is the sole benefit
While HOA outsourcing cost savings are significant, they are not the only advantage your community may gain. Hiring a property management company is a strategic move when you play your cards right. Selecting a crisis management specialist, for example, ensures you have someone to handle corporate scandals and issues.
Outside of cost reduction, you also get access to the latest tools and techniques. Marketing campaigns that worked in the past may be outdated which is why you’re no longer seeing as many tenants as before. An offshore professional offers fresh perspectives and innovations to your operations.
Myth 5: VAs have poor communication
It’s hard to dismiss language and cultural barriers as minor concerns when you hire a virtual executive assistant from somewhere like the Philippines where English is their second language. They are common occurrences that deal a lot of headaches when not addressed properly.
The good news is that there are workarounds to ensure that everyone involved is on the same page. These include video interviews for when you’re screening potential tenants and phone calls when getting updates on maintenance requests from residents.
Myth 6: All online workers are the same
No two employees are the same, even if they’re both working remotely and based in the same country. They have their own strengths, skills, and experiences to help your community become a better place for your residents to live in. This is why an HOA board must carefully select individuals when admin assistant hiring.
When you plan to hire a property manager for rental units, you want a candidate who has experience in working with landlords and tenants. Someone who has 10 years of experience with office tasks may be appealing but they can’t make up for specialist knowledge.
Myth 7: Low-quality output is to be expected
The main goal of hiring a rental property manager virtually is providing quality services to landlords, tenants, vendors, and other partners at a more affordable rate. After all, the board is unable to focus on the community alone because of their other jobs and engagements.
Where board members prepare presentations on the side, virtual assistants are paid to concentrate on those tasks so they are able to deliver higher-quality output than volunteers. Most of the time, VAs are formally educated in their specialisations such as accounting or graphic design.
Myth 8: Remote work is too inefficient
Some HOAs claim to have trouble with efficiency when outsourcing but this is easily overcome by choosing the right candidate. When you manage your remote workers well, they perform better and cooperate with your onsite employees well, especially when you have urgent deadlines to meet.
Make use of time tracking platforms so you know what they’re currently busy with and how you may make their jobs easier. Schedule regular meetings where they report back to you about the progress with vendors, virtual showcases, and so on. Carefully evaluate the results of every campaign or project done with their assistance.
Now hiring an administrative assistant?
As we’ve finished debunking HOA outsourcing myths and even explained some HOA outsourcing benefits, it’s time to add to a virtual assistant to your team. It might be that you need help promoting vacant units or chasing after tenants regarding their rent.
Either way, Remote Workmate is here to assist you with offshore staffing which is our speciality. We’re connected to a wide pool of online talents from the Philippines so you know we’re the right agency when administrative assistant hiring.
Book a call; let’s discuss your requirements for an HOA assistant.