Executive Support VAs that “hit the ground running”, taking the stress out of the recruitment process for the management team
Scott is Head of the Managing Director’s Office at City Bridge Foundation. Responsible for five Thames crossings and London’s biggest independent charity funder, they require highly efficient administrative support for their large and diverse leadership team. As part of his role, Scott oversees finding the right assistance to suit their varying needs.
After relying on temporary staff to fill his in-house executive assistant (EA) positions for a long period, “due to poor performance and quality, we were just really struggling”. The unsuitable candidates led to high turnover rates, which made his job even more challenging.
He needed a better solution, so Scott turned to Virtually Priceless to try a new “hybrid model”. By placing our skilled virtual assistants (VAs) alongside City Bridge Foundation’s permanent, in-house EAs, we created a collaborative and efficient team.
As Scott explains:
“The model Virtually Priceless gave us was to bring in somebody very quickly who could provide a small number of hours per day and work remarkably efficiently during those few hours to get the work done, and it has worked very well so far.
Everyone works collectively. They share knowledge, share expertise, and it’s become a model that we would likely use forever more.”
Virtually Priceless is proud to have a long-term relationship with City Bridge Foundation. Since October 2022, we have placed a variety of VAs for regular support, short-term cover, and for specific projects – always flexing to suit their current needs.
The problem: Poor quality temporary staff with high turnover rates
City Bridge Foundation initially relied on recruiting temporary EAs to support their leadership team, but the monthly candidate turnover rate led to frustrating inefficiencies, repeated recruitment efforts, and a significant management burden. Finding and retaining qualified candidates takes time – time Scott doesn’t have.
He explains, “I have very limited capacity, and trying to source, interview, and onboard a candidate is remarkably time-consuming”, so you’ve got to go through the whole procedure all over again, in the knowledge that it still might not work.”
Scott needed a reliable team that he could trust to do the job right. That’s where Virtually Priceless came in with our team of expert VAs…
The solution: Flexible VA support that can adapt to growing and changing needs
At Virtually Priceless, we always work with our clients to provide the most suitable support for their needs, considering their current situation, existing team members, and business goals. Our service is always flexible, on an as-needed basis, giving you room for growth.
After our initial meeting to understand the business needs, Scott explains how we were able to “quickly match VAs with the specific needs of the directors” and provide City Bridge Foundation with the right support.
He notes whether that’s “basic diary management, inbox management, or someone with a little bit more project management expertise”, it’s always “somebody with the skills and experience to deliver exactly what we are asking them to do”.
At Virtually Priceless, we also appreciate that many businesses have fluctuating needs. For Scott, being able to “shuffle responsibilities” between VAs and “start and stop cover” as and when they need it is “always very useful”.
The result: “Fuss-free”, self-sufficient VAs take the stress away and improve management capacity
The implementation of this model, in Scott’s words, “releases management time for me, so improves my capacity.” This takes “the stress from the recruitment process, the onboarding, and to some degree, the day-to-day management.”
He continues by saying:
“The flexibility of what Virtually Priceless has given us has been remarkable, really. We no longer have to spend time interviewing 10 candidates to find one potential.
The VAs are self-sufficient, requiring minimal management after the initial onboarding phase. They hit the ground running – you know it’s going to get done, and you’re not worried they’ve missed something.
The VAs we’ve had so far have all been very positive, professional, approachable, and friendly. They always come to me when they’ve got a problem they’ve tried every other avenue to resolve themselves.”
Our relationship has grown stronger over time. Due to our reliability and professional results, our VAs are now an integral part of their operation, trusted to deliver high-quality support consistently.
Scott tells us, “It’s a fuss-free model we appreciate and enjoy” because “the VAs also demonstrate the ability to work collectively with the permanent EAs, sharing knowledge and ensuring continuity of support”.
When asked if he would recommend our service, Scott said:
“I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Holly and the team. I know it can appear to be a high hourly rate. But when you have a VA who’s working so effectively during that period of time, you do ultimately need less time overall. So it does all balance out.
It is good value for money because you get a top-quality service. I just get exactly what I need, when I need it, to the quality that I need it.”
We love nothing more than placing VAs into companies and hearing they work like a well-oiled machine – because that’s exactly what we’re here for…
Seamless VA support to complement your existing team
When your business needs vary regularly, just like City Bridge Foundation’s, our service flexes to suit. You get the benefit of skilled, trusted VAs without the hassle of traditional employment… and we can slot into place with your current team, making their life more efficient and stress-free.
Whether you need one VA or a whole team, we offer the same level of personal support, matching the best person (or people) for your needs.
Don’t let recruitment headaches slow your business down – choose flexible assistance you can count on. Book a free 30-minute consultation to discuss how Virtually Priceless can provide the seamless support your team needs to prosper.