As the world advances, so does the field of veterinary medicine. With new technologies and approaches, veterinary practices expand and evolve to keep up with the times and stay ahead of the competition. One significant change in the last few years is the increasing usage of virtual veterinary assistants.

For veterinary practice leaders interested in benefiting from remote talent, here’s a guide to finding the best virtual veterinary assistant.

What are virtual veterinary assistants?

A virtual veterinary assistant is a trained remote professional who provides administrative and technical support to veterinary practices. They work with various tools and software to perform a wide array of tasks, including but not limited to managing appointments, communicating with pet owners, handling pet documents and medical records, and even facilitating the billing process.

These remote professionals play a crucial role in supporting the daily operations of a veterinary practice. They allow veterinarians and vet techs to focus on providing quality care to pets by taking over administrative tasks. Their expertise and technical skills help improve the efficiency of veterinary practices, fostering a better overall experience for pet owners and their furry companions.

What are the benefits of virtual veterinary assistants?

There are more than a few advantages to integrating a virtual veterinary assistant into the existing staff of a veterinary practice. For starters, they can promote financial efficiency as they cost significantly less [1] than in-person veterinary assistants – up to 70% less, to be specific. In addition, they also secure their work assets such as a laptop or PC, reliable primary and backup internet connections, and a productivity-inducing workspace, letting practice leaders scale down their infrastructure costs.

Virtual veterinary assistants are not only cost-effective, but they also help practice leaders save time because they work at a fast pace. Additionally, they are also quick learners who can understand much of the ropes independently, minimizing the need for practice leaders to invest a lot of time and effort into training them.

To make virtual veterinary assistants even more advantageous, practice leaders can choose to source their remote professional from a reliable VA company. In most cases, VA companies have an internal support team that supervises the performance of virtual veterinary assistants and processes payroll on behalf of the practice. In turn, practice leaders get to focus on making the most out of the skills and expertise of their virtual team members instead of actively managing them.

Qualities to Look for in a Virtual Veterinary Assistant

When looking for a virtual veterinary assistant, there are several key qualities to look for. First, they should have a strong comprehension of veterinary medicine and its associated terminologies to understand the processes and purpose of the practice.

Additionally, the best person for the job must have excellent communication skills. As remote workers, virtual veterinary assistants primarily rely on email, phone calls, and video conferencing to communicate with the practice and pet owners. Thus, it is essential that they possess the ability to communicate clearly and concisely to eliminate any misunderstandings and ensure that all parties are on the same page.

Moreover, they should be highly organized and detail-oriented because administrative tasks can be complicated and come in piles. These qualities will help them efficiently handle multiple responsibilities simultaneously and ensure that everything is accurate down to the last detail.

The best virtual veterinary assistant should also have a strong work ethic and self-motivation because they work remotely. In addition, their motivation to get things done should stem from themselves because they don’t have co-workers with whom they can interact physically and draw inspiration.

Where to Look for a Virtual Veterinary Assistant

Practice leaders have several options on where they can look for a virtual veterinary assistant who can meet their requirements:

Freelancing Websites

Online sites like Fiverr and Upwork are good places to look for and hire a virtual veterinary assistant. These platforms provide access to a global pool of talented professionals with veterinary experience. Freelancing websites let practice leaders search for and compare candidates based on their skills, professional experience, and rates, so they can choose the best fit for their needs and budget.

While freelancing sites are generally good, they also have disadvantages worth knowing about. Communication can be challenging when using Fiverr or Upwork due to language barriers and time zone differences. The practice leaders must also carry the weight of recruitment efforts – from posting open positions to drafting legal documents.

Veterinary Job Boards

The advantage of using veterinary job boards or social media groups to hire a virtual veterinary assistant is that practices can easily target a specific professional demographic already interested in the veterinary industry. Veterinary job boards also connect practice leaders to key people of interest within the industry while looking for a qualified candidate, both of which can help their practice grow.

However, veterinary job boards sometimes have a small pool of candidates, and similar to freelancing websites, this option requires practice leaders to spend considerable time and effort on the recruitment process. There is also a risk of them encountering unprofessional behavior or spam from candidates who are not qualified or serious about the position.

Virtual Assistant Companies

Employing a virtual assistant company comes with an assortment of benefits. Firstly, virtual assistant companies execute thorough recruitment strategies so practice leaders can find the best virtual veterinary assistant with minimal effort. Second, these companies have a pool of pre-screened candidates with diverse skills and experiences to fit varying practice needs.

As highlighted in this article, virtual assistant companies offer continuous support and management of virtual veterinary assistants, which include training and performance evaluations. These companies also handle payroll processing on behalf of the practice, as well as offer employment benefits to virtual veterinary assistants such as health insurance and incentives.

Without a doubt, hiring a virtual veterinary assistant is a wise investment for every veterinary practice that wants to save time and money while improving pet owner satisfaction. Furthermore, integrating virtual assistants into veterinary practices is a forward-thinking approach since the virtual workspace is becoming increasingly prevalent and will only continue growing in the future [2].

For practices looking to hire a virtual veterinary assistant, working with an established and reliable VA company like My Mountain Mover can streamline the experience of finding, onboarding, and working with the best talent. In the thousands of applications we receive from aspiring VAs, only the top 2% make the cut as a guarantee of our quality and care.

Book a 10-minute discovery call with us to learn more!

References

[1] “How much does it typically cost to hire a virtual assistant?” timedoctor.com

[2] “Why Virtual Office Will Be The Next Big Thing?” virtualdays.com