But there’s a way to meet your business goals AND manage your data at the same time. And that’s by hiring a data entry specialist.
Data entry specialists are part of a company’s admin team. They’re in charge of encoding, updating, and managing data like client information, employee records, and company accounts. You know, important yet clerical stuff.
This makes them integral members of your team, even if they work in the background. Remote staffing services make it easy to access low-cost remote employees who excel at these tasks.
Copying data from one source to another is easier said than done, especially when there are a ton of things to sift through. And that’s not all data entry specialists do.
To give you an idea of what a data entry specialist job description looks like, here’s a list of their common responsibilities:
Data entry specialists take information that people fill out on online forms— names, phone numbers, and email addresses—and compile them in one database. This is especially helpful if you’re using a client relationship management (CRM) tool to automate your sales and marketing processes.
They can also gather responses from surveys you send to clients or other employees, add them to an Excel sheet, and present the results to you. Plus, data entry specialists can work on digitizing old yet relevant documents you can’t get rid of yet.
This is similar to the task above, only it takes a lot more time and some excellent listening skills. Your data entry specialist will need to listen to a recording, type what they hear onto a document, and review the text for any spelling mistakes.
This part of the data entry specialist job description is more technical than just typing info to a Word doc. If you decide to let your data entry clerk handle this, make sure they know how to layout documents. They need to have prior experience so that they can format stuff quickly and precisely.
Since your data entry clerk knows your company’s files like the back of their hand, there’s no better person to organize your files.
You can count on them to arrange records according to your SOPs and keep them up-to-date. They’ll add new client details, archive outdated information, and see to it that every file has its place. This goes for both hard and soft copies of your documents.
Even the most eagle-eyed data entry clerk can miss a detail or two. That’s why a good one reviews what they’ve entered and makes the necessary corrections. If you happen to spot any inconsistencies, you can let them know so that they can resolve them right away.
These issues include:
What’s neat about digital files is that you can look up whatever name, address, or document you need with a few commands.
What’s not so awesome?
You can accidentally delete them with just a few commands, too. Or, you may unknowingly download a virus that compromises all your most confidential documents. These happen more often than you think—29% of data loss cases happen by accident, while 1 in 10 computers fall victim to viruses every month, according to World Backup Day.
Now you see why it’s crucial to back up your files regularly?
Luckily, you don’t have to do this yourself when you hire a data entry specialist. Just instruct them to back up the database whenever they update any information, and you can avoid the headache of losing a file for good.
Data is a tool you can use to propel your business to success—if it’s authentic and properly formatted. If it’s not, you may end up making wrong decisions and losing money.
But data entry is painstaking work. It requires loads of patience and concentration, which the right data entry specialist has in spades. You can really use their help if you’re in these industries:
Organizing files can take a backseat when you’re busy gearing up for a new launch or focusing on other aspects of your business. The result? You’ll be scrambling to locate anything.
By hiring a data entry specialist, you won’t have to go through documents one by one just to find a specific piece of information. They’ll organize data in a way that works best for your company.
The thing with data is that it’s rarely evergreen. It constantly changes, so you not only have to add in new information — you also have to weed out what you don’t need anymore.
Since data entry specialists see to it that your files are accurate and current, other employees can get their work done faster. You can also make better decisions for your company as a whole.
Transferring data from written reports to Excel spreadsheets can take ages, especially when you have other things on your plate.
Letting a data entry specialist take care of your company records allows you to devote energy to more important matters—like fine-tuning your onboarding process or working on that new project you’ve been putting off.
Here’s a list of the hard and soft skills you should look for when hiring a data entry specialist:
Need a data entry specialist for your company but don’t have the time to find the perfect one? Leave it to Somewhere. We’re a remote staffing agency that specializes in finding talented remote Filipino, South African, and Latin American staff for businesses like yours—at a fraction of the local cost.
Here’s how we can help you find a talented data entry specialist:
Give us an idea about the data entry specialist position. What are the most important qualifications a candidate should have? Use this form to let us know.
We’ll hop on a call to discuss the role in more detail. Then, we’ll connect you with a project manager who will be your point of contact throughout the process.
The search officially starts after the call. Our team, specializing in remote recruitment services, screens and shortlists candidates who meet your criteria. Our talent assessors and scouts will keep an eye out for candidates that fit the data entry specialist role, and then let them undergo a strict screening process before presenting them to you.
We’ll give you a list of the candidates that passed the screening process. You’ll be given time to go over their profiles, and once you’ve chosen your favorites, we’ll schedule the interviews.
After you’ve decided on the person to hire, we’ll hand off the relationship with you and you can start onboarding them.
Learn more: How we found a full-time research and data entry specialist for a real estate services firm
By working with a remote hiring agency, you can hire remote talent at a fraction of the cost.
A full-time Filipino data entry specialist earns around $900 - $1,200 a month, and around $2,000 a month for Latin Americans and South Africans, depending on their scope of work and experience. You’ll spend 80% less versus hiring a local counterpart while enjoying the same quality of work.
Learn more: Your guide to remote employee salaries
A data entry specialist’s job is often considered clerical, yet you can’t discount their role in helping your company run smoothly. Without them, you’ll either find it tough to hunt down a particular file or work extra hours to transcribe a document. Partner with a remote staffing company like Somewhere to hire high-quality remote employees who can handle your data needs with precision and professionalism.
If you want to add a data entry specialist to your team, get in touch with us now and we’ll help you find the best candidate out there.
A data entry specialist is responsible for the following tasks:
The person you hire should have these data entry skills and traits:
A full-time data entry specialist’s salary ranges from $800 - 1,200 a month. The exact figure depends on their experience and range of responsibilities, but every penny is worth it. Here’s why business owners love hiring remote staff from the Philippines.
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