1 Your Mission
As QA Manager, you are the guardian of quality. Your job is to make sure every VA on the team is performing at the level our clients expect — and to help them get better when they're not.
In simple terms: you watch the scoreboard, catch problems early, coach people to improve, and make sure no client is ever surprised by bad work.
Your Three Jobs
| Job | What It Means |
|---|---|
| 1. Monitor Performance | Review Hubstaff data daily. Know every VA's activity %, hours, and trends. Spot problems before they become complaints. |
| 2. Coach & Develop | When a VA is underperforming, don't just flag it — help them fix it. Give direct, constructive feedback. Build people up. |
| 3. Audit Quality | Spot-check the actual work VAs produce. Are deliverables meeting client standards? Catch quality issues before the client does. |
Think of it this way
The Operations Manager makes sure the business runs. You make sure the work is good. If the Ops Manager is the engine, you're the quality inspector. Both are essential, but your focus is purely on people performance and output quality.
What Success Looks Like
Avg VA Activity
≥ 70%
Hubstaff activity rate
Hours vs Target
≥ 95%
VAs hit weekly hours
Coaching Response
< 24 hrs
After QA alert
Quality Complaints
Zero
Unresolved client issues
Output Audits
2/VA/month
Spot-check deliverables
Documentation
100%
Every VA has up-to-date records
2 QA Manager vs Operations Manager
You and the Operations Manager work closely together, but your responsibilities are clearly different. Here's the split:
| Area | QA Manager (You) | Operations Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | People performance & work quality | Business processes & client logistics |
| Hubstaff Data | You analyze it daily. Activity %, trends, anomalies. | They check hours totals for attendance and client reports. |
| When VA activity drops | You investigate why, coach the VA, document it | They get notified. Help with logistics if it's a schedule/tool issue. |
| Work output | You audit deliverable quality. Is the work good enough? | They ensure deliverables are submitted on time and properly filed. |
| Client complaints | You fix the quality root cause with the VA | They communicate with the client and manage the relationship |
| SOPs | You enforce compliance. Are VAs following them? | They write and maintain the documentation. |
| Onboarding | You assess new hire skills and first-week quality | They run the logistics (tools, access, orientation) |
| Coaching | You own it. 1-on-1 feedback, improvement plans. | They support with scheduling and escalation. |
| Hiring pipeline | You do skills assessments | They manage the pipeline and screening |
The handoff rule
When you discover a performance issue, you own the coaching. When the issue requires client communication, hand it to the Operations Manager. When coaching fails after 2 attempts, escalate to Eli with your documentation. Always keep the Ops Manager in the loop.
3 Your Daily Routine
Your day revolves around data, observation, and action. Every single day, these things must happen:
Start of Day (first 30 min)
Data Review
- Open QA Agent Dashboard (qa.armasourcing.com)
- Check yesterday's activity for every VA: activity %, hours logged, idle time
- Flag anyone below 40% activity or missing hours target
- Check for any automated QA alerts you haven't responded to
- Note any patterns: is someone trending down over the week?
Morning
Act on Findings
- If anyone was flagged, reach out within the first hour. Private DM: "Hey, I noticed [data]. Everything okay?"
- Check VA Dashboard (dashboard.armasourcing.com) — any client feedback or ratings submitted?
- Review any deliverables that were submitted yesterday (spot-check 1-2 per day)
Throughout the Day
Observe & Support
- Monitor Hubstaff live activity 2-3 times — who's tracking, who's idle, who's offline
- Be available in Community for questions. If a VA asks "is this good enough?" — that's a QA moment. Review and advise.
- If a VA shares work in progress, give quick feedback before they submit to client
- Check if anyone is consistently quiet — silence can mean disengagement
End of Day (last 15 min)
Daily Log
- Update your QA notes: who did you coach today? What did you observe?
- If you found any quality issues, note them for the weekly report
- Flag anything urgent to the Ops Manager or Eli
Your superpower is patterns
One bad day means nothing. Two bad days is a coincidence. Three bad days is a pattern. Your value is spotting patterns early and acting before they become problems. Track trends, not just snapshots.
4 Your Weekly Tasks
| Task | Details | When |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly Performance Summary | Compile each VA's weekly numbers: avg activity %, total hours vs target, trend (up/down/stable). Share with Ops Manager. | Monday AM |
| VA 1-on-1 Check-ins | 10-15 min each. Focus on performance, not logistics. "How do you feel about your work quality this week?" "Any areas you want to improve?" | Midweek |
| Output Audit (2-3 VAs) | Pick 2-3 VAs each week. Review a recent deliverable or task output. Score it against client expectations. Document findings. | Midweek |
| SOP Compliance Spot-Check | Pick one SOP. Are VAs following it? Check time tracking procedures, reporting format, communication standards. | Thursday |
| Weekly QA Report | Submit to Eli and Ops Manager: performance data, coaching actions, audit findings, flags or concerns. | Friday EOD |
Weekly QA Report Template
Weekly QA Report — Week of [Date]
Performance Overview:
| VA | Avg Activity | Hours (Target) | Trend | Notes |
| Anne Louisse | XX% | XX/40 | ↑/↓/— | |
| Alessandra | XX% | XX/40 | | |
| Edward Jay | XX% | XX/40 | | |
| Timothy | XX% | XX/40 | | |
| Karen | XX% | XX/40 | | |
| Prince Genesis | XX% | XX/40 | | |
Coaching Actions:
- [VA name] — [issue] — [action taken] — [outcome]
Output Audits:
- [VA name] — [deliverable reviewed] — [quality: meets/below expectations] — [feedback given]
SOP Compliance:
- [SOP checked] — [compliant/gaps found] — [action needed]
Flags for Eli:
- [Anything requiring escalation]
5 Your Monthly Tasks
| Task | Details | When |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Performance Evaluations | Review the full month's data for every VA. Complete the evaluation scorecard in VA Dashboard. Rate: activity, work quality, communication, reliability, initiative. | 1st week |
| Evaluation Conversations | Schedule 20-30 min calls with any VA who scored below expectations. Share specific examples, agree on improvement plan, set clear targets for next month. | 1st week |
| Full Output Audit | Every VA gets at least 2 deliverables audited per month. Document quality trends. Are they improving, stable, or declining? | Throughout |
| Performance Records Update | Update each VA's performance file: monthly scores, coaching notes, audit results, client feedback. This becomes the source of truth for rate reviews and escalations. | Last week |
| SOP Gap Analysis | Review which SOPs were violated or unclear this month. Report gaps to Ops Manager for documentation updates. | Last week |
| New Hire Quality Assessment | If any new VAs started this month, assess their first-month work quality. Are they meeting standards? Share findings with Ops Manager and Eli. | As needed |
6 The Coaching Framework
Coaching is the most important part of your job. Anyone can read a Hubstaff report. Your value is what you do after you read it.
The Coaching Mindset
Your goal is never to punish. It's to help. Every coaching conversation should leave the VA feeling like you're on their side, even when the feedback is tough.
The golden rule of QA
The purpose of quality assurance is not to catch people doing wrong. It's to help them do right. If your VAs are afraid of you, you've failed. If they come to you for advice, you've succeeded.
5-Step Coaching Process
| Step | What You Do | Example Script |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Observe | Notice the data or quality issue. Get specific facts, not feelings. | (Internal: "Activity dropped to 28% on Mon-Wed. Hours tracked were 6.5/8.") |
| 2. Ask | Reach out privately. Lead with curiosity, not accusation. | "Hey, I noticed your activity was lower than usual this week — around 28%. Is everything okay? Sometimes there's a reason like calls or research." |
| 3. Listen | Let them explain fully. Don't interrupt. Take notes. | "I see, so you were on calls most of Monday and doing research on Tuesday. That makes sense for Monday. Let's talk about Tuesday..." |
| 4. Agree | Together, define what "good" looks like and a specific plan. | "Let's aim for 50%+ on non-call days. If you have a research-heavy day, shoot me a quick message so I know. Sound fair?" |
| 5. Follow Up | Check back in 3-5 days. Acknowledge improvement or address continued issues. | "Hey, just wanted to say your numbers this week look much better — 55% average. Keep it up!" |
Escalation Path
| Level | Trigger | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Coaching Chat | First occurrence or minor dip | Private message. Curious, supportive tone. |
| Coaching Call | Issue continues for 3+ days, or second occurrence | Video call. More structured. Create a written improvement plan. |
| Formal Warning | No improvement after 2 coaching sessions | Written warning with documentation. CC Ops Manager. Set 1-week deadline. |
| Escalate to Eli | No improvement after formal warning | Full documentation to Eli: dates, conversations, data, actions taken. |
Always document
After every coaching conversation, send a brief DM summary: "Just to recap our chat — [what was discussed, what was agreed, timeline]." This protects everyone and creates a clear record.
Coaching vs Discipline
Most issues are coaching opportunities, not discipline situations. Here's how to tell the difference:
| Coaching (your job) | Discipline (escalate to Eli) |
|---|---|
| Low activity due to unclear expectations | Faking Hubstaff activity (mouse jiggler) |
| Quality dip due to lack of training | Lying about completed work |
| Missed hours due to personal issue | Repeated no-shows without communication |
| Slow response time needing guidance | Sharing client data externally |
| SOP not followed due to being unaware | Deliberately ignoring SOPs after warnings |
7 Auditing Work Output
Hubstaff tells you if someone worked. Auditing tells you how well they worked. Both matter.
What to Audit
- Client deliverables — Reports, documents, spreadsheets, content submitted to clients
- Task completion — Were tasks done correctly, completely, and on time?
- Communication quality — Are client emails professional? Are daily updates clear?
- Attention to detail — Spelling, formatting, accuracy of data
How to Audit
- Pick 2-3 VAs per week (rotate so everyone gets audited at least twice a month)
- Select a recent deliverable — something they submitted to their client in the last 5 days
- Review against these criteria:
| Criteria | What to Look For | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Completeness | Was the full task completed? Nothing missing? | Complete / Partial / Incomplete |
| Accuracy | Is the information correct? Any errors? | Accurate / Minor errors / Major errors |
| Quality | Does it meet client expectations? Is it professional? | Exceeds / Meets / Below |
| Timeliness | Was it delivered on time? | On time / Late / Significantly late |
| Presentation | Formatting, spelling, grammar, visual quality | Clean / Needs work / Poor |
- Document your findings in your QA records
- Share feedback with the VA — even if it's good ("This report was excellent — great formatting and the data is spot on")
- If below standards — initiate a coaching conversation with specific examples
Catch quality issues BEFORE the client
If you can review a deliverable before it goes to the client, that's ideal. Work with the Ops Manager to set up a review step for critical submissions. One quality save prevents ten trust-damaging moments.
8 Your Tools & What to Check
| Platform | What You Use It For | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| QA Agent qa.armasourcing.com |
| Daily (primary tool) |
| VA Dashboard dashboard.armasourcing.com |
| Daily |
| Community community.armasourcing.com |
| Daily |
| Hubstaff |
| 2-3x daily |
Tools you DON'T manage
The Talent Portal (hiring pipeline) and Leads CRM are the Operations Manager's domain. You may be asked to do skills assessments for candidates, but you don't manage the pipeline.
9 Real Scenarios — What Would You Do?
📈 Scenario 1: VA has 25% activity for 3 consecutive days
Alessandra's activity has been 22-28% for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. She's logging full 8-hour days.
✗ Wrong approach
Send a group message: "Team, activity needs to be higher." Or wait until Friday to see if it improves.
✓ Right approach
Day 1: Note it. Day 2: DM her privately: "Hey, noticed your activity has been around 25% the last couple days. What's been on your plate?" Day 3 (if no improvement): Schedule a quick call. Maybe she's on research tasks (legitimate), or maybe her Hubstaff is malfunctioning, or maybe she's disengaged. Find the root cause. Agree on a target. Follow up in 3 days.
📄 Scenario 2: Client complains about report quality
Tekton Growth tells the Ops Manager: "The weekly reports from Edward have had errors the last 2 weeks."
✗ Wrong approach
Tell Edward "client said your reports are bad, fix it."
✓ Right approach
Get the specific reports from the Ops Manager. Review them yourself. Identify exactly what the errors are (data wrong? formatting? missing sections?). Then approach Edward: "I reviewed your last two reports and found [specific issues]. Let's go through this together so we can fix the process." Create a checklist for him. Review his next report before it goes to the client.
🕵 Scenario 3: You suspect a VA is faking activity
Timothy's activity is 85% every single day — suspiciously consistent. Mouse activity is extremely high but keyboard is near zero.
✗ Wrong approach
Accuse him directly: "Are you using a mouse jiggler?"
✓ Right approach
Gather evidence first. Check Hubstaff screenshots. Compare mouse vs keyboard patterns over multiple days. Look at actual work output — does the quantity match 85% activity? Document everything. If evidence is strong, escalate to Eli immediately with your documentation. Do NOT confront the VA directly — this is a potential termination issue and Eli handles it.
🌟 Scenario 4: A VA is consistently exceeding expectations
Anne Louisse has had 75%+ activity, perfect attendance, and glowing client feedback for 3 months straight.
✗ Wrong approach
Don't say anything because "she's fine, no issues."
✓ Right approach
Recognize it! Public shoutout in Community. Tell the Ops Manager and Eli. Document it in her performance record — this matters for rate reviews. Ask Anne if she'd be willing to mentor newer VAs or share her workflow tips. High performers need recognition as much as low performers need coaching.
🙋 Scenario 5: VA pushes back on your coaching
You tell Karen her daily updates are too vague. She responds: "The client never complained, so I don't see the problem."
✗ Wrong approach
Get defensive or pull rank: "I'm the QA Manager, do what I say."
✓ Right approach
"I hear you — and you're right that the client hasn't complained yet. My job is to make sure they never have a reason to. Here's what a great daily update looks like [show example]. The difference is small but it builds trust over time. Can we try it for a week and see?" Be firm on the standard, but kind in the delivery. If she still resists after a week, escalate.
10 The Do's and Don'ts
✓ Always Do
- Check QA Agent and Hubstaff every single morning
- Act on performance flags within 24 hours
- Lead with curiosity, not accusations
- Give specific, example-based feedback
- Document every coaching conversation
- Recognize excellent performance publicly
- Audit at least 2 deliverables per VA per month
- Keep the Ops Manager informed of performance issues
- Escalate to Eli after 2 failed coaching attempts
- Track trends over weeks, not just daily snapshots
- Make VAs feel like you're their coach, not their judge
- Review your own QA data — are you covering every VA?
✗ Never Do
- Give feedback in public channels (always DM)
- Wait more than 24 hours to act on a QA alert
- Compare VAs to each other ("Why can't you be like Anne?")
- Skip weekly 1-on-1s because "everything looks fine"
- Confront a VA about suspected fraud — escalate to Eli
- Only focus on problems — recognize good work too
- Micromanage by messaging every hour about activity
- Handle client communication — that's Ops Manager's job
- Change processes or SOPs without telling Ops Manager
- Make termination decisions — that's Eli's call
- Assume low activity = laziness (investigate first)
- Forget to follow up after coaching (the follow-up IS the coaching)
11 Your First 30 Days
Week 1: Learn the Data
Focus: Understand the performance landscape
- Complete all onboarding steps in the Onboarding Hub
- Master the QA Agent Dashboard — click every page, understand every metric
- Review the last 4 weeks of Hubstaff data for every VA
- Read each VA's performance history (if available)
- Meet every VA 1-on-1 — learn who they are, how they work, their strengths
- Observe (don't coach yet) — build your baseline understanding first
- Ask Eli: "Which VAs concern you? Which ones are your stars?"
Week 2: Shadow & Practice
Focus: Start doing the daily routine with oversight
- Do your morning QA review and share findings with Eli
- Audit one deliverable per day and document your assessment
- Draft a coaching message for a real issue — have Eli review before sending
- Attend a VA performance review and observe
- Start your performance records for each VA
Week 3: Coach with Support
Focus: Have real coaching conversations
- Conduct your first solo VA 1-on-1 check-ins
- Send your first independent coaching message
- Complete your first formal output audit with documentation
- Submit your first weekly QA report
- Do one SOP compliance spot-check
Week 4: Own It
Focus: Run QA independently
- Full daily routine without prompting
- Handle coaching situations independently
- Produce the weekly QA report on your own
- Identify one area where quality standards need to be raised — propose it to Eli
- Complete your 30-day milestone check-in
- Ask yourself: "If I disappeared for a week, would quality issues go unnoticed?" Fix that.
✓ The Short Version
If you only remember five things:
- Check the data every morning. QA Agent is your command center. If you skip a day, problems compound.
- Coach, don't punish. Every performance conversation should leave the VA feeling supported, not scared.
- Audit the actual work. Hubstaff shows effort. Audits show quality. You need both.
- Document everything. If it's not written down, it didn't happen. Your records protect everyone.
- Catch it before the client does. That's the whole job. If a client complains about quality, we already failed.
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