“I wish I had more than two hands,” said one CEO who routinely juggles business and personal schedules to fight burnout. Extra hands aren’t the only solution that will untie leaders from the shackles of work. A sustainable organization needs a team of experts that can streamline day-to-day business activities and drive team growth. By working with virtual assistants and setting the right Scope of Work, you can easily expand your talent pool without going through the time-consuming hiring process.
Why is the Scope of Work important for virtual teams?
Investments do not only pertain to cash flows and tangible structure; the employees and their commitment to the company are important business aspects worth venturing into. Before giving a handshake to the new employee and putting more money into your workforce, it’s best to align your business goals with your virtual assistants’ scope of work. A report made by TinyPulse shows that 23% of employees are more likely to stay longer if hiring managers can set the right expectations for their roles and responsibilities.
First, let’s define the meaning of Scope of Work, and why it is important when building your virtual team. Scope of Work is a document that describes the detailed tasks, deliverables, timelines, reports, or milestones that are expected from a virtual assistant or virtual team. It focuses on workflows and how business goals will be accomplished. A common misconception when working with contractors or hiring new people is that the scope of work is ambiguous. Conflict arises when boundaries are not drawn and expectations are not set.
Is Scope of Work and job description the same? A job description is a hiring tool that best describes a person’s skills that will fit the role. The document also states the daily duties, job functions, and responsibilities expected from the applicant. For new talents to visualize themselves Business leaders should include the organization’s mission and goals, and work culture. Scope of work can sometimes be included in the job description together with benefits and compensation.
After understanding the importance of creating a more defined scope of work, let’s proceed with creating your next job listing.
How to write Scope of Work
As a business owner, preparing a detailed scope of work provides clear expectations for the task given to teams or individuals. After both sides agree on the details of the document, the workflow becomes more efficient, eliminating mistrust and skepticism about whether the virtual assistant or team is diligently working. To get started, let’s discuss the different sections that you can include to build an effective scope of work that will fit your requirement.
- Company Background – Introducing the team to your company gives them a glimpse into the people working within the organization and projects.
- Role/Project Objective – This section provides a detailed overview of each task. A clear definition of each role helps virtual assistants or teams understand the project priorities and how to achieve the goals.
- Work Schedule – A well-planned working schedule allows each team member to align regularly and work seamlessly.
- Detailed Tasks, Tools, and Technology – Establishing standard tools and technology for your team keeps your workforce efficient. Business owners should also consider employees’ comfort in order to keep employees engaged and motivated.
- Set Deliverables – Team or individual performance is best measured by their performance or output. To set proper expectations, goals must be clearly defined, measurable, attainable, and achievable.
- Weekly, Monthly, or Project Milestones – Milestones are progress indicators of how a project or team is moving according to plan. This also helps managers to readjust strategies based on the project’s pacing.
- Goal and Success – Great leaders share their vision with their teams. It helps the team to work based on the shared goal and feel confident in the progress of their tasks.
- Compensation and Benefits – Build employee loyalty and dedication through appropriate compensation and benefits. A happy workplace means lower turnover and saves you costs and effort when hiring new employees.
- Termination of Job Role/Project – With closing a project or terminating a job role, ending a contract can be stressful. By planning ahead and anticipating all possible scenarios, you can ease the psychological burden on both sides.
Write Scope of Work For Team of Virtual Assistants
Working with virtual assistants gives businesses flexibility with the manpower that they need and the duration of the contract. VA provider companies like WeGrowVA help unload the recruitment process on the shoulders of hiring managers for bigger companies or owners for small businesses.
Below are sample SoW documents that you can tweak to fit the needs of your operation.
Brief Summary: Scope of Work for Social Media Manager VA – Content Calendar
Social media managers are responsible for managing content published on various social channels. The assigned individual or team should be able to design, conceptualize, and execute a plan that aligns with the brand’s purpose. Responsible parties should be in regular contact with the business owner to report the progress of any organic or paid content.
The virtual assistant or each member of the virtual team must be proficient in writing or coming up with eye-catching designs. They must be familiar with the best practices when interacting with the community. Part of their skill should include managing content and scheduling using social media tools.
Brief Summary: Scope of Work for Customer Service VA – Seasonal Spike in Customer Service Need
Prioritizing customer concerns is critical for businesses of all types and sizes. By providing access to resolve concerns and issues, companies can develop relevant solutions and demonstrate a customer-centric team mindset. When writing requirements for people skillsets, leaders should consider similar qualities and commitments from office employees to virtual workers.
Remember to set goals and KPIs that are attainable and aligned with business strategy. May it be the number of calls they will receive (daily, weekly, or monthly), the quality of service they provide (number of cases resolved, customer service satisfaction survey), or the length of each call, all of these factors need to be discussed. Each milestone can be used to review the efficiency of an individual customer service virtual assistant’s performance as a team.
Brief Summary: Scope of Work for Appointment Setters VA – Streamlining Sales Funnel
A team of lead-generating VA provides sales support in streamlining leads into the pipeline. Sales and Lead Generation are responsible for moving leads from one phase to another until sales are made or the client exits the funnel. Each member should be capable of communicating intelligently across various communication platforms; phone calls, social media networks, and emails.
Virtual assistant specialists should continue to establish attainable opportunities by reaching out to qualified audiences and maintaining relationships with prospects during the process. Part of their role is to run background research, obtain information, and create a database to track the progress of each target company or person in charge. Each team member must be proficient in using CRM software. Milestones and success can be measured not only by conversion or sign-ups but by the number of meetings booked or efficiency in the sales and lead-generating process.
Why Scope of Work is Important for Virtual Teams or Assistants
Combining all these detailed elements in your Scope of Work by going through the organized planning process, you are increasing the probability to attain project or job role success will be higher. These carefully planned documents flesh out the responsibilities of both parties and forge a stronger working relationship. Streamlining instructions and reports minimizes errors, overruns, and delays leading to saving more money, time, and effort.
