Should I hire a virtual assistant from Upwork or a managed VA firm?

I had an ops hire from Upwork quit the day after onboarding. That settled it for me.

Why doesn't Upwork work for committed roles?

"Upwork freelancers are gig workers who don't want to commit to one employer. Write off Upwork entirely and only hire from platforms where people are seeking one full-time job."

Nobody strong on my team came from Upwork. The people there are doing what the platform is built for, which is gigs.

What red flag should I have caught?

The posting said the hours were 8 to 5 Central. The candidate could only work until 2pm. That was there before I hired her. When a candidate is already negotiating the non-negotiables before day one, take it seriously.

What are the alternatives?

• Platforms where people want one full-time job. You want someone looking for an employer, not a gig.
• A structured VA firm. A partner suggested one with around 1,200 to 1,400 VAs placed. He said it charges around $2,300 a month on a six-month commitment, owns the equipment, and can wipe a computer overnight.
• Your own audience. Post roles to your newsletter list and Instagram first.

Is offshore cheaper for editing and content?

Cheaper, yes. Better, not necessarily. I tried cheap offshore editing.

It's not hard to find a cheap person with the technical skill. If they're overseas, the hard part is picking the right material and making it engaging. The work can be high quality and still not good. Offshore falls short on taste and presence, not skill.

For on-the-ground filming, it has to be someone here. You can't use overseas talent to create content on the ground in your town. If you do go offshore for editing, either sift through a lot of candidates yourself or pay an agency that already has the sifting down.

What should be in place before I hire?

A manager and a system. Without a manager, I didn't even know who was writing which newsletter. Details in why a VA team underdelivers and how to fix it.