For Greater Returns, Choose Latin America
Many businesses are opting for virtual assistants overseas to save on personnel costs. However, the more you look at the reality of hiring an overseas assistant, the more you realize that affordability is the only benefit. There are more affordable and higher-quality options closer to home in Mexico, Central America and South America.
Here are a few reasons why you should reconsider hiring an overseas virtual assistant:
#1: Language Barriers
One of the biggest disadvantages when it comes to hiring an overseas virtual assistant is the language barrier. Yes, many countries have workers who speak English – but how fluent is their English?
You need a virtual assistant who has a fluent grasp of English, including its idioms and intricacies. When you hire a virtual assistant from overseas, they usually do not have this level of fluency – and it shows in their work.
#2: Cultural Differences
Lack of American Cultural Knowledge
Overseas workers can have different cultural norms than virtual assistants closer to home. This can lead to issues with the work they produce that you would not see with another virtual assistant. They can use inappropriate imagery, misunderstand directions, or not know about certain services or products your business needs to rely on to sell your product.
#3: Lack of Trustworthy Access
Further Geographical Proximity
When you hire an overseas virtual assistant, you cannot meet them in person or get to know who they are as a worker. Often, you have to go through a faceless agency without personalization. You never really know who you are going to get when you opt for overseas rather than close-to-home services.
#4: Legal Barriers in Different Countries
Different Laws and Legal Systems
When you hire an overseas virtual assistant, you may have difficulty launching litigation against them in case of illegal activity. Filing a lawsuit for theft of intellectual property or compromising company data is much more difficult overseas than in a neighboring country.
#5: Time Zones and Scheduling Issues
Extreme Time Differences
When you hire a virtual assistant from an overseas country such as the Philippines or India, you could be looking at a time difference in the double-digits. For example, virtual assistants in the Philippines can start as early as 1 am to keep up with your company’s 9 am start time – or they can work on their own schedule.
This can cause significant issues for your company’s productivity, including serious scheduling issues. By hiring a virtual assistant closer to home, you significantly reduce this problem.
#6: Scam Operations and Business Risk
Many scam operations run out of countries with a high demand for overseas virtual assistants. Since the legal systems in these countries can be difficult to navigate, reporting scams can be extremely difficult. You can put your business at risk when you hire an overseas assistant.
#7: Intellectual Property Vulnerability
In the United States and Canada, your business has intellectual property protections under the law. When you contract a virtual assistant overseas, you put your intellectual property at risk due to different laws in other countries. Hiring a virtual assistant closer to home protects your intellectual property in a stronger way than hiring an assistant overseas.
#8: Lower Quality of Work
Not all overseas virtual assistants have experience with North American business standards. As a result, the quality of your work can seriously suffer. In addition, you have limited opportunities for revision due to the time difference. For best results, hire an assistant within the Americas, such as from South and Central America, who probably has a much better idea of the quality of work you expect.
#9: Lack of Control
Less Control Over Their Schedule
When you hire an overseas virtual assistant, you can’t always easily monitor their work activity. You cannot provide direction in the most efficient manner due to communication barriers and time zone. Hiring an assistant close to home can help you maintain control of your schedule – as virtual assistants in your same continent and time zone are awake when you’re awake and asleep when you’re asleep.
#10: Lower Return on Investments
Spending More for Less Work
If you pay your overseas virtual assistant by the hour, you will need to include revisions in their wages as well. It can take longer for them to complete the same amount of work a worker closer to home can accomplish – and you have to spend more as a result.
#11: Confidentiality Risks
Privacy and Data Breaches
Sending your business’s sensitive data overseas can raise a lot of red flags regarding confidentiality. Hiring someone who can work closer to home in a related country will provide greater peace of mind.
#12: Credential Evaluation
Different Educational Requirements
College degrees in an overseas country may not mean the same as they do in the Americas. For best results and a more accurate depiction of someone’s education level, hire someone closer to home.
#13: Working in a Foreign Context
Less Experience With American Norms
Many overseas assistants can provide certifications for their skills, but they only have experience working in foreign contexts. You need certifications for your own country for the best results. Choosing an assistant in close proximity will ensure that they have appropriate credentials, or credentials much more likely to be accepted and validated in the US or Canada, as Latin American countries share many more things in common than the Philippines, India, or Eastern Europe.
#14: High Risk of Fake Talents
Falsified Resume Information
Many overseas workers can falsify their resumes in order to find a lucrative American position. By hiring someone from a trusted agency close to home, you have access to credible and accessible talent.
#15: Low Accessibility
Less Access to Your Worker
When you hire an overseas worker, you cannot contact them as frequently as you would like. You cannot meet them in person and cannot monitor their activities due to communication barriers. Virtual assistants closer to home are much more accessible and closer to your schedule.
Contact Virtual Latinos Today
Choose a Virtual Assistant From Latin America
You can hire a Latino virtual assistant at a competitive price and a higher quality of work than an overseas virtual assistant. For affordable, high-quality, and trustworthy virtual assistants, choose Virtual Latinos.
All of our professionals are fluent in English, college educated, and have significant experience in the area you need them for.
Contact Virtual Latinos to learn more about hiring your Latino virtual assistant today!
