A virtual assistant recruitment agency finds and places a candidate, then your involvement with the agency usually ends. A managed VA team stays involved: a team lead reviews the work and arranges cover if your VA is away. Both have a place, depending on how hands-on you want to be.
A virtual assistant recruitment agency and a managed VA service sound similar from the outside. Both get you a virtual assistant. The real difference shows up later. It's about how much ongoing management still sits with you after you sign up.
What a virtual assistant recruitment agency does
A recruitment agency's job is matching. It screens candidates and shortlists a few. It places one with you, usually for a one-time fee. Once the placement is made, that person reports to you directly. If they're away, underperform or leave, finding a replacement is on you again.
What a managed VA team does differently
A managed virtual assistant service doesn't stop at the introduction. A team lead reviews the work. Quality gets checked, and cover gets arranged if your VA is sick or on leave. You're billed for hours worked, not a placement fee. The service stays involved for as long as you use it.
Virtual staffing agency vs managed service: the real question
Some providers calling themselves a virtual staffing agency actually run a managed model. Others run pure placement and little else. Ask directly: who reviews the work after I'm your client? What happens if my assigned person is away for a week? A recruitment-style agency usually has no good answer to that second question.
What va recruitment actually costs over time
A placement fee looks like the whole cost, but it rarely is. Once the candidate starts, you take on the time of reviewing their work, training them on your tools, and finding cover yourself if they're away. Add that time up over a few months and a managed service, where review and cover are already built into the hourly rate, often works out close to the same total cost, with far less of it landing on your own calendar.
Which one fits your business
- Choose a recruitment agency if you want to build and manage your own in-house-style team, and have time to review work and handle absences yourself.
- Choose a managed VA team if you want the work done and reviewed without becoming someone's manager.
- Choose a virtual assistant placement agency only if you already have a manager in place to take over once the hire starts.
At MyRemoteVA, every VA works under a team lead who reviews tasks and covers for time off. AI speeds up drafts and research; a person checks the result before it reaches you. Plans start from $5.62 an hour, with no long contract. Compare this to hiring independently in our freelance virtual assistant guide.
Want the work done without managing it yourself? See pricing or start for $1.
Frequently asked questions
What does a virtual assistant recruitment agency do?
It finds and places a candidate who matches your request, usually for a placement fee. After the hire, you manage that person directly, much like hiring an employee yourself.
What is the difference between a recruitment agency and a managed VA service?
A recruitment agency's job ends at the placement. A managed VA service keeps a team lead involved after day one, reviewing work and covering absences.
Which one is cheaper?
It depends on volume. A recruitment agency fee is often a one-time cost, but you take on all management time afterward. A managed service folds review and cover into the hourly rate.
What is doing this yourself costing you?
Doing it yourself: $2,165 a month of your time.
The same hours at our $12/hr pay-as-you-go rate: $520. Dedicated plans start at $5.62/hr.
Simple maths from the numbers you enter. It assumes a VA can take on those hours.
Start for $1Written by the MyRemoteVA team. Search-trend figures come from Google Trends. Prices shown are our current plans. Last updated October 2, 2026. Questions or corrections? Contact us.