Fear of delegating tasks – why don’t we trust virtual assistants?

The trend of delegating some tasks to virtual assistants came to Poland from the United States. This profession is very popular and trusted by entrepreneurs across the ocean. In Poland, it is still a fairly new profession, but interest in this model of cooperation is growing year by year. Why do some of us still not trust virtual assistants?

Who is a virtual assistant?

The profession of a virtual assistant (women definitely predominate in this field) became popular in Poland a few years ago. Their work mainly involves customer service and administrative tasks, but it is not limited to that. The main difference between an office assistant and a virtual assistant is that the latter work remotely and communicate with the employer by phone or online.

You can learn more about the work of a Virtual Assistant in the article: Who are virtual assistants and what do they do?

Why don’t Poles trust virtual assistants?

Using the services of virtual assistants is very popular in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Why don’t Poles trust them to the same extent as other nations do?

The lack of trust in virtual assistants may result from the fact that Polish enterprises, compared to other European Union countries, until recently ranked lower in terms of internet use at work. A certain correlation can be observed here – in those companies where internet access was the greatest (Finland, France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands), virtual assistants and remote work in general were more popular.

Business trust is very important. We, Poles, are very distrustful not only in business relations but also in contacts with other people. A study by one of the Polish psychologists, Janusz Czapiński, showed that only 14% of respondents trust in the good intentions of other people. 

Social trust also translates into business relations. In a study conducted by a team of scientists led by Prof. Jan Fazlagić from the Poznań University of Economics, as many as 47% of Polish entrepreneurs withdrew from some contracts due to a lack of trust in potential contractors. What causes this lack of trust? 

From the employer’s perspective, the reason for distrust toward virtual assistants may be increased concern about data security, e.g., information regarding the company’s marketing strategy, commercial contracts, clients’ personal data, or market research. Virtual assistants are not permanent employees of one company, yet sometimes they have access to such data. Such information is very important for a company, and if passed into the wrong hands, it could harm the enterprise.

Lack of trust may also result from limited direct control over the employee and a reduced sense of employee identification with the company – virtual managers often work for many companies, and some entrepreneurs still prefer to know the employee personally and maintain traditional contact with them. However, are these sufficient reasons to give up their services? 

The future of virtual assistants

The internet is exerting an ever greater influence on spheres of life and business activity. Despite the lack of trust in virtual assistants among Poles, the traditionally understood on-site workplace, where an employee often spent most of their professional life, is slowly becoming a thing of the past. More and more often, employees have to change their place of work (a different office, a different city, or even a different country). Thanks to the availability of virtual assistants, demand for them will increase in the future along with the development of technology and online communication. 

A private assistant focuses on work results – enterprises are expanding and often need specific services and people specialized in a particular field. They will handle time-consuming assignments that help an entrepreneur gain what is most valuable to them – time.

The pandemic showed us that it is very easy to communicate with employees using various internet applications (Skype or Zoom). The profession of a virtual assistant is associated with greater availability and mobility, and entrepreneurs will increasingly need this convenient form of cooperation. More and more often, they are developing their businesses online and are more willing to use a flexible and cheaper cooperation model. Additionally, by using virtual assistant services, the employer does not have to worry about insurance, workspace, salary, or other employee benefits.

Bibliography:
Zalega, T. (2008b) Households with uncertain incomes and theories of consumption. Ekonomista, no. 6.
Zalega, T. Remote work – an image of transformations in Poland and selected European Union countries