How to hire data entry assistant?

[Priscilla Z.]

Our business is slowly growing to the point that I need a part time assistant.  I'm looking for someone that will actually come into the office to do the work, I know virtual assistants are the way to go right now but I want to have someone here that I can talk to face to face and possibly grow into a bigger position.

With that said, I am new to hiring and am coming here for help.  The tasks I need this person to do are:

1. Answer emails
2. Send direct mail that is not set on automatic (as in my driving for dollars list that I compile daily/weekly)
3. Skip trace the returned postcards 
4. Send offers on zillow & craigslist
5. Data mine (code enforcement lists, etc)
6. Upload content on social media

As you see this list does not require any communication skills as it is all over the computer, so I'm looking for someone that likes to do data entry and be in front of a computer all day.  

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to go about finding this person? Any advice would be greatly appreciated....and yes, for now I am stuck on having someone face to face and not a virtual assistant.  I may change my mind later, but that's what I'm looking for right now....

[Shawn C.]

Have you tried UpWork for hiring virtual assistants? You will have to train them and spend the money up front to train them but in my opinion it is a better option than hiring someone off of fiverr. I am also interested to see what other suggestions everyone else has to offer.

[Joe Davalos]

It's been a good while since I had to hire someone.

I used to use Craigslist. I got a tip from someone that told me to help weed out the applicants in the body of the job description ask them to reply with a statement in the subject line like say Job Post 1911 anything really just to see if they can follow simple instructions. Some people will simple post their resumes and not even seriously see what the job entails if they didn't follow that one simple step and post what was asked of them in the subject line I wouldn't even open the email.

This was during the Great Recession and I used to get 50 people or more applying for one clerical position

Be detailed on the job description have some prerequisites on education or experience

Look out for gaps in employment a lot of different employers over a period of time. You don't want a job hopper.

Sounds like you want someone who can grow into their position as your company grows.

Good luck

[David Lecko]

Hi @Priscilla Z., I love that you are looking for someone local. Plus, it's great that you have the duties already listed out. Those will come in handy for posting a job opening.

I've posted jobs on indeed.com with the setting: local applicants only. Craigslist was my secondary local posting option. 

Also, based on your comments: looking for someone who "loves being in front of a computer all day" and "possibly grow into a bigger position" are interesting. Hiring a college student and training them up could be an opportunity.

Florida Institute of Technology looks like it is near you and you could inquire with their career center about how to reach students with your opportunity. Their IT students could probably build automations for some of the tasks you laid out as well.

The following books have some hiring tips in general you might find interesting:

First, Break All the Rules: Hire for talent, rather than skill. Example talent: striving to grow and learn about real estate. Example skill: data mining. The book says it is better to hire the person with talent because you can teach them the skills. The book has sample talent interview questions as well.

Algorithms to Live By: Set aside x number of days to find an assistant (I'll say 30 days for this example). Refrain from hiring anyone until you have looked for 33% of the total allotted time and interviewed at least 33% of the serious applicants. Then, once you have observed what's out there, hire the next person who comes along that is the "best yet" for the job. At least, that's the most efficient way a computer would handle it ;-)

Hope this helps... please keep us posted! :-)

[Jason Chen]

Step 1: List job ad on craigslist

Step 2: Conduct interviews

Step 3: Disqualify the people who call craigslist "craiglist"

Step 4: Disqualify the people who have a few tattoos or a medium number tattoos. You'll always want to hire someone who either has no tattoos, or WAY too many tattoos. Inbetween people will probably not be good at the job.

Step 5: Hire the chillest person of the remaining bunch.

Step 6: Tell us how it goes.

[Priscilla Z.]

@David Lecko - Thank you so much for your response, I was thinking of reaching out to our local college to see how their internship program works, so I think I'm going to start with that. And thanks for recommending the books as well, I'll try to find the audio versions because the way my life is right now I can't get through the two I've already started...see the baby in the picture?  She's two now and I take care of her all day and run this business with my husband, hence why I need the assistant ;)

You've confirmed what I wanted to hear, so again, thanks for taking the time out to respond.

@Jason Chen - I honestly want to stay away from craigslist right now, being a fix and flipper I have not had too many good experiences hiring contractors off of craigslist, so I want to look at other options.  Thanks for your response...and your opinion about hiring people with tattoos....interesting lol :)

[Mateusz Prawdzik]

Priscilla Z. Good to hear that you are in the process of growing your business and making a brand for yourself. I just recently started to do the same; started to grow and target other areas of the business like marketing and advertising. The only difference is I do everything myself, I have 2 flips I manage now and having 3 more coming up in the next month and I come home at 4-6, I go to the gym, come home, and by the time I'm on the computer doing all the marketing, answering emails, going on BP, connecting with people, and getting letters ready to be sent out to absentee owners or lists that I made myself.... it's 2a.m. and I go to sleep, wake up at 5:30. And repeat the process. I must say, even being 19, if does take a big toll on you but it's all about the process.

The process shapes who you become and how good do, but it's good to outsource some of the tasks so you can focus on doing more important things.

Getting an assistant is definitely a good idea, I wish I was at the stage you are in growing your business, so that way I could hire people and shape them to be successful and teach them about hard work.

The best place to look is from real life connections in my opinion. Someone that your friend or family knows and can vouch for the person. I would do it that way, I have let my friends do letters for me certain weeks where I couldn't do them but I trusted them to not screw up because some people can screw things as easy as letters; sealing and stamping.

Glad to hear your business is growing. Let's connect maybe we can learn from each other.

[Stacy Decker]

I would contact ccmyadmin.com - they source Virtual Assistants (which I have found beneficial) but sometimes have the capability to get you someone to come in a few days a week.

[Priscilla Z.]

@Mateusz Prawdzik - Congrats on doing all of this at your age, that's awesome! You are ahead of where a lot of us were when we were that age.  Unfortunately my situation is a bit different since I am a mom, wife, run a house and a business.  If I was single and your age I would probably be doing it all as well, and just hustling, but at this stage in my life I want to enjoy my family and take this growth opportunity as one to bless someone else with work.

As far as friends and family, after being in this business for this many years I have decided that that is not an option for me.  I have worked with both friends and family and while at times it has gone great, other times it hasn't and I value my relationships too much to mingle my personal life and business life.  That's just my opinion and the decision I have reached after going through different experiences.

Thanks for taking the time out to reply to my question....good luck with your business, keep hustling!

[Priscilla Z.]

@Stacy Decker - Awesome thank you! :)

[Mateusz Prawdzik]

@Priscilla Z. No problem. I see where you are coming from with the kids and family. I tell a lot of people that I am at an advantage because the only priority I have is my business. This is my baby, my company name is what I am starting from 0 and trying to make into something. I will eventually need an assistant just like you, but someone part time will do just fine. The only thing I usually let others do is letters. I just pay my friends 50$ for 200 letters mailed out , I provide all the stamps and such they just have to seal them and send them. It comes to be a little bit more money but I can focus on my deals and finding more projects to do while they do that. 

Good luck on your hunt, connect with me. Let me know if you have any questions about anything, maybe we help eachother in the near future.