“Quickskill is the best place to work in Guatemala because you are treated like a person.” Those are the words of a Quickskill Productivity Assistant (PA), Ana, in an employee survey. “Your time is respected here, you are empowered to invest in your professional development, and you have an incredible leadership team that wants the best for you.” The most significant difference between Quickskill and other virtual assistant agencies is that we hire, train, and develop our assistants. They are full-time employees with benefits and development plans for their careers. We train our assistants in our best practices, and when a new client comes on board, managers document your processes, and we train them to work for you.

“I have never been at a job where you truly get trained,” said Brenda, who started as PA and now manages multiple teams. “It is great to work with people who believe in you.”

You Get an Assistant and a Team Behind Them

Most virtual assistant agencies pair you with an independent contractor with experience that matches the tasks and processes you want to delegate. There is little relationship between the agency and its contractors because the assistants are not employees of the agency. Training and performance management is up to you. With Quickskill, behind your assistants are a team of managers and teams of co workers that continually mentor, coach, and upskill each other. “I focus daily on how I can help each person on my team improve as an assistant and as a person,” Jessie, a manager, said. “We meet every week and help each other improve. It is collaborative and energizing.” “We have managers, trainers, and teams that work together to learn and improve our skills continuously,” PA Saida said. “The company invests in you. The support is real. You can feel it.”

Quickskill Assistants Love Their Work

Quickskill PAs love working with North American and European executives because they get a front-row seat to exciting businesses, build relationships with executives, and learn valuable business skills. The opportunity is quite different from the kind of work available in Guatemala and the Philippines—customer service call centers. “When I worked at a call center, no one called me by my name,” said Jackie, a PA turned manager. “I was only called by my Agent ID—literally, I was a number.” “You get to build relationships with members,” PA Emman said. “My executives are very engaging and approachable. They give positive feedback and appreciate our work. It is a great feeling.” “You get to work with extraordinary executives, great leaders, and teammates, and everyone is always trying to help you grow,” PA Bernadette said. “It’s great to feel like you’re making a difference,” said Sergio, another PA promoted to manager. “What we do helps members’ businesses grow. When you see that, it hits you hard and makes you feel good!”

Career Paths and Career Goals

As mentioned, many Quickskill assistants become managers. Some take operational roles as they learn what they most like about the job. “When Quickskill created a training position, I jumped at the opportunity,” said Ron, a PA promoted to manager and later became the company’s first training coordinator. “I’m grateful that Quickskill lets us choose our career paths.” Before joining Quickskill, Bernadette was a senior technical recruiter for a staffing company, but the account closed. When the company needed a recruiter, they asked her to help. “Now I am recruiting for Quickskill,” she said. “It is cool that the managers saw my skill and interest in recruiting and created an opportunity to do it here.” Some assistants move on to better jobs for them that are more aligned with their career goals. We love that. Maria was a PA for an analyst firm researching the contingent staffing industry. A global consultancy offered her a job in procurement for its contingent staffing practice. “My work at Quickskill helped me get my new job,” she said. “They were amazed at how much I knew about the topic compared to the other applicants.” Angel decided she wanted to attend medical school, and quickskill gave her the time to study for the entrance exam. She is now enrolled.

Amplifying Everyone

Quickskill’s mission is to Amplify People—to be a growth platform for customers, employees and their families, and the communities where they live. We hire great people who want to make a difference with their work, learn new skills, and grow as professionals. Then we place them with executives and teams where talent is plentiful, but opportunities are scarce. That’s what makes Quickskill assistants different from those working for other virtual assistant services. About the Author: Bill is Quickskill’s senior content marketing manager and writes about the future of work and how businesses can be more productive and successful. His work has appeared in the World Economic Forum Agenda blog and CIO magazine.