When a company or business finally decides to outsource their data entry jobs such as data management, the major problems they face is usually the problem of who to hire, and where exactly to hire someone for data entry.
Many business owners have fallen victim of poor service quality from several self-acclaimed data entry experts. Which has led to loss of their business funds and even affected their business negatively. How then do new businesses that are just migrating to the data entry scene navigate this turbulence?
Just like any other positions in our daily businesses, the role of a data entry executive can sometimes prove a daunting task to fill. So, in this post, there are a list of tested and trusted methods of how you can hire someone to do data entry without compromising quality. These methods are same that we use at AskDataEntry to provide great data entry services to our clients.
BASIC SKILLS TO LOOK OUT FOR BEFORE YOU HIRE SOMEONE FOR DATA ENTRY
Because of the several numbers of people out there offering data entry services. So it is easy to get lost in the pool of talents and offers. But if you are careful enough to thoroughly look out for the following skills then it would be difficult for you to miss the right candidate. The skills needed to be a successful data entry experts are divided into two parts which are: Soft skills & Hard skills.
Soft skills –
Soft skills are neither usually innate nor essentially learnt. They are skills an individual have acquired over time through dedication and persistence (what to look for when hiring). These skills are crucial to the success of the data entry role and these skills are;
Ability to pay attention to details :
A good data entry expert should be able to pay attention to even the smallest of details. He/she must be careful enough not to allow any information no matter how little slip through the cracks. You should watch out for these traits in your candidates either an individual or even an agency; Are they patient enough? Do they have the willingness to be thorough?
These and many more would determine their suitability for the role and even the quality of service they would render. Remember that the goal is to hire the best hands without compromising quality. Very tricky but worthy pick point when you are about to hire someone for data entry.
Effective time management and organizational skills :
This is a very important trait that you should look out for in any data entry expert you are looking to hire. Ask them about their previous projects and contracts, how they coped with time and tight schedule; this will let you judge their time management and organizational skills.
Bear in mind that if a data entry professional has a top notch time management and organizational skills, they will be able to meet deadlines and also prioritize tasks accordingly.
Accuracy :
Data entry tasks can easily become burdensome and then fatigue begins to set in which would then lead to inaccuracy in data. Inaccurate data would lead to bad data which would cost your business more money to do data cleansing services and also affect your business greatly. It is in your best interest to ensure that your data entry vendor has a very high level of accuracy which is a blend of the following skills which are: Patience, dedication, self-motivation and determination. You can’t hire someone to do data entry who dontt have have this at all.
Hard Skills –
Let’s now take a look at the series of hard skills. That the right data entry executive for your business needs to have in his arsenal. These skills are crucial to the success of such candidates in the given role. And remember that the success of your data entry professional translates to a level of success for your business as a whole.
- Hands on experience of various data entry software packages. To be efficient, a data entry professional should have a good command over the use of a computer. And also a solid grasps of the major data entry software available. The major data entry software that a he/she must be vast in is the MS Excel. A data entry professional must know all shortcuts and commands in the excel worksheet. Ensure that you test for this skills during your hiring process.
- The right data entry expert for your business should have a good typing speed. And it has to be complemented with one of the soft skills mentioned above which is accuracy. Speed and accuracy makes a perfect data entry professional.
- Excellent comprehension and communication, A perfect data entry expert needs to be able to communicate effectively both verbally, orally and in written form. He /she should be able to put down reports in a clear and concise manner without spelling or grammatical errors. In addition to that, your prospective data entry person should have an excellent comprehension skills. Which would let him read, interpret and carry out instructions accurately.
- Hands on experience of various data entry software packages. To be efficient, a data entry professional should have a good command over the use of a computer. And also a solid grasps of the major data entry software available. The major data entry software that a he/she must be vast in is the MS Excel. A data entry professional must know all shortcuts and commands in the excel worksheet. Ensure that you test for this skills during your hiring process.
- The right data entry expert for your business should have a good typing speed. And it has to be complemented with one of the soft skills mentioned above which is accuracy. Speed and accuracy makes a perfect data entry professional.
- Excellent comprehension and communication, A perfect data entry expert needs to be able to communicate effectively both verbally, orally and in written form. He /she should be able to put down reports in a clear and concise manner without spelling or grammatical errors. In addition to that, your prospective data entry person should have an excellent comprehension skills. Which would let him read, interpret and carry out instructions accurately.
Now that you have an understanding of the skills to look out for before you hire someone to do data entry. Also you should ensure that you are thorough in your selection process in order to ensure that you hire the best candidates. Do you know why you should outsource data entry services?
Below are a few tips to hire someone to do do data entry –
- Interview as many candidates as possible: There is something called the 2% rule. Which implies that if you are looking to hire two data entry executive, then you should interview 100 applicants. There are several job boards where you can place your ads. And which would surely give you access to a large pool of talents.
- After receiving the applications, you sort these applications by categories such as level of education, certifications, skills (both soft and hard), and past job related experience.
- After going through the second step , you should have a shortlist of candidates that seems to fit in the picture. Then you can subject them to various interview process and test in order to ascertain their skills and knowledge of the job function.
Author
JOYDEEPJoydeep Singha is the Founder at AskDataEntry – India’s leading online virtual administration services provider for businesses and individuals. He is a seasoned marketing professional who is an expert in digital marketing and entrepreneurship.
