Ballista vs Stellar Staff

Precision Hiring Manager Discovery

We do the detective work for you. Simply paste a job link, and our system identifies the top three most likely hiring managers or decision-makers for that role. We provide you with their names, scores indicating our confidence, the reasons for our selection, and their real mailing addresses. This eliminates hours of frustrating LinkedIn searches and guesswork, ensuring your resume reaches the right hands, not just a generic HR department.

Physical Mail Delivery on Premium Paper

Ballista transforms your digital resume into a tangible, professional package. We print your application on high-quality, 90lb bond paper, which feels substantial and impressive. It's then sent via USPS First-Class Mail in a flat envelope, arriving directly on the recipient's desk. Physical mail has a 90% open rate and completely bypasses automated resume filters and crowded email inboxes, making your application impossible to ignore.

Verified Human Effort & Proof of Delivery

Stand out from AI-generated spam applications. Every Ballista mailing includes a unique QR code on the cover letter. When scanned by an employer, it cryptographically verifies that a real human invested time and resources into this specific application. For added peace of mind, you can opt for Premium Certified Mail with tracking, which provides proof of delivery and shows the employer your serious commitment.

Flexible Credit-Based Pricing System

Ballista uses a simple credit system with no subscriptions or hidden fees. Purchase a pack of credits (which never expire) and use them for various services. A standard application with first-class mail costs 668 credits, while a premium tracked application is 1728 credits. You can also use credits for add-ons like smart cover letter personalization or custom brand design. This flexible model lets you pay for what you need, whether it's one application or a full campaign.

Top 0.1% Pre-Vetted Talent

We don't just post job ads and hope for the best. Our rigorous selection process involves screening over 100,000 candidates to present you with only the absolute best. Each assistant undergoes more than 60 hours of qualification, ensuring they have the skills, professionalism, and reliability to become a true asset to your team from day one.

Managed, Full-Time Executive Support

Forget about being an HR manager. Stellar Staff provides a fully managed service. This means we handle all the backend work—recruiting, vetting, payroll, taxes, and daily performance management. You get a dedicated, full-time assistant (160 hours per month) who integrates seamlessly into your operations, with our team ensuring everything runs smoothly.

Expert Matching & Fast Onboarding

We don't use a random lottery system. After an initial discovery call to understand your business, we hand-pick and introduce you to a VA who matches your specific requirements and personality. The entire process, from your first call to your assistant starting work, takes just 5-6 days, not months. You even get to speak with them before making a final decision.

100% Replacement Guarantee & Dedicated Support

Your satisfaction is our priority. We offer a 100% replacement guarantee, so if your match isn't perfect, we'll find you a new one at no extra cost. Coupled with a 98% client satisfaction rate, this guarantee shows our commitment to providing long-term, reliable support that actually works for your business.

The Senior Professional Targeting High-Value Roles

For executives and senior specialists applying for roles over $150k, competition is fierce and first impressions are everything. Ballista allows you to demonstrate unparalleled initiative and professionalism. Sending a physically impressive, directly-targeted application to a C-level executive or department head can break through the corporate layers and start a conversation that an online form never could.

The Startup Job Seeker

Startups move fast and value hustle. Applying through a standard portal for a Product Manager or growth role can leave you as just another faceless candidate. Using Ballista to mail your resume directly to the founder or head of product shows the exact kind of proactive, creative, and determined mindset that startup cultures cherish, significantly increasing your chances of getting a direct response.

The Candidate in an Oversaturated Market

If you're applying for marketing roles in a hub like NYC or for popular remote positions, you're often competing with 500+ applicants. When everyone uses the same digital channels, your application becomes a statistic. Ballista's physical mail approach ensures you are the only paper resume on the hiring manager's desk that day, creating a memorable tactile experience that digital files can't match.

The Career Changer or Unconventional Candidate

If your background isn't a perfect linear fit for a role, ATS systems and hurried HR screeners might filter you out prematurely. A Ballista mailing allows you to tell your story directly to the person who understands the role's nuances. The cover letter and verified effort QR code help you contextualize your experience and passion, framing your unique journey as an asset rather than a liability.

Scaling Operations for Small Businesses

A small business owner wearing too many hats can hire a VA to handle customer service, appointment scheduling, email management, and lead qualification. For example, Carlos helped a local law firm reduce missed calls by 90%, ensuring no opportunity was lost and operations ran professionally.

Boosting Sales and Marketing Efforts

Entrepreneurs and marketing managers can delegate tasks like social media management, email campaign execution, and lead generation to a skilled VA. Emily helped a boutique bakery triple its online orders in just two months by effectively managing and optimizing its digital sales channels.

Streamlining Administrative and Executive Tasks

Executives and founders drowning in administrative work can offload calendar management, travel booking, data entry, and report preparation. This frees up dozens of hours per week to focus on high-level strategy, business development, and core revenue-generating activities.

Managing Specialized Projects and Recruitment

Businesses needing support for specific projects, like scaling a construction company's operations or conducting high-volume recruitment, can find VAs with niche expertise. Marisol, for instance, expertly handles interviewing up to 30 candidates a day for her client, streamlining the entire hiring pipeline.

Ballista operates on a transparent, pay-as-you-go credit system. Credits never expire, and there are no monthly subscriptions.

Single Packet: $10 for 1,000 credits. Perfect for trying it out, this covers one standard application mailing (668 credits).

Triple Pack (Most Popular): $30 for 3,150 credits (a 5% bonus). Ideal for a focused job search, this covers three standard mailings or one premium certified mailing with tracking.

Campaign (Best Value): $100 for 11,000 credits (a 10% bonus). Designed for an active job search, this covers approximately ten standard mailings or four premium mailings, allowing you to mix and match services.

How Credits Are Used:

• Standard Application: 668 credits (First-Class Mail, no tracking)
• Premium Application: 1,728 credits (Certified Mail with tracking & proof of delivery)
• Cover Letter Personalization: 9 credits
• Custom Brand Design: 35 credits
• Resume Contact Scrape: 3 credits
• Target Discovery: 15 credits

Stellar Staff offers a simple, transparent monthly subscription for full-time, dedicated support. Our primary plan provides a full-time virtual assistant for 160 hours of work per month at a rate of $1,599. This all-inclusive fee covers the assistant's salary, our rigorous vetting process, expert matching, and our ongoing management and support, making it approximately 3x more cost-effective than hiring a comparable executive assistant locally. There is no upfront cost to start the process—you only begin paying once your matched assistant begins work.

Tired of sending your resume into the digital void? Ballista is your secret weapon to cut through the noise of online job applications. In today's market, applying online often means your application gets lost in a "black hole," filtered out by automated systems (ATS) or buried under hundreds of other identical PDFs. Ballista offers a refreshingly human solution: we physically mail your resume directly to the hiring manager's desk. We handle the entire process, from finding the exact name and address of the decision-maker to printing your resume on premium, thick paper and sending it via USPS mail. This tangible approach ensures your application is seen, opened, and remembered, boasting a response rate up to ten times higher than traditional methods. Whether you're a senior professional seeking a $150k+ remote role, a PM targeting startups, or a marketer in a competitive hub like NYC, Ballista helps you showcase your initiative and stand out. Best of all, you can use it from anywhere in the world to apply for jobs in the US, with no account needed to get started.

Stellar Staff is a premier virtual assistant agency designed to eliminate the traditional headaches of hiring. We connect business owners, entrepreneurs, and executives with dedicated, full-time virtual assistants (VAs) who are part of the top 0.1% of global talent. Our service is fully managed, meaning we handle the entire process from rigorous vetting and matching to onboarding and daily management, so you can focus on growing your business. We're the perfect solution for anyone who needs reliable, high-level executive support without the time, cost, and risk of recruiting themselves. Our core promise is simple: we provide you with a pre-vetted superstar assistant who is expertly matched to your needs, backed by a 100% replacement guarantee and dedicated support, allowing you to scale faster and reclaim your most valuable asset—your time.

How does Ballista find the right hiring manager?

Our proprietary system analyzes the job listing you provide and cross-references it with a vast database of professional information. It identifies key individuals in relevant departments and leadership positions at the company, scoring them based on factors like seniority, department alignment, and public profile. We then present you with the top 3 most likely decision-makers, complete with our reasoning, so you can make an informed choice.

What's included in a standard application mailing?

A standard Ballista packet includes our hiring manager discovery for your chosen recipient, professional printing of your resume and cover letter on 90lb premium paper, assembly, and delivery via USPS First-Class Mail. The unique QR code for verifying human effort is also included on the cover letter. This service uses 668 credits from your account.

Can I use Ballista if I live outside the United States?

Absolutely! Ballista is designed to be used from anywhere in the world. You can upload your resume and target jobs based in the United States. We handle all the printing and mailing from within the US, so your application arrives with domestic postage and in a timely manner (typically 5-7 business days), no matter where you are located.

What if the hiring manager's address is wrong or the mail gets returned?

We use the most reliable commercial data available to find accurate addresses. In the rare event that a mailing is undeliverable and returned to us, we will notify you and refund the credits used for that specific application's postage and printing. You can then use those credits to send a new application to a corrected address or a different recipient.

How quickly can I get started with a VA?

The process is designed for speed. After a short discovery call with our team, we can typically match you with a pre-vetted candidate and have your new assistant start working in just 5 to 6 days. You skip the months-long process of writing job posts, sorting resumes, and conducting endless interviews.

What is the 100% replacement guarantee?

We are confident in our matching process, but we stand by our service completely. If for any reason you are not satisfied with your virtual assistant, we will find and onboard a replacement for you at no additional cost. Our goal is your long-term success and satisfaction.

What makes Stellar Staff different from other VA agencies or hiring myself?

Unlike other agencies with minimal vetting and high turnover, we invest over 60 hours qualifying each VA and only accept the top 0.1%. Unlike hiring yourself, we handle all recruiting, HR, and management, saving you time and money. We provide a dedicated support team and expert matching, which DIY hiring or other platforms lack.

Are the assistants real humans who use modern tools?

Absolutely! You are hiring a real, dedicated professional. Our VAs are also trained to leverage the latest AI and productivity tools to work smarter and get more done for you. They don't just complete tasks; they learn your business and find ways to add value in every area.

Ballista is a unique job search tool in the productivity and management category that helps your resume stand out by sending it as a physical letter directly to hiring managers. This approach bypasses digital clutter and automated filters, offering a tangible edge in a competitive market. People often look for alternatives to any tool for various reasons. Perhaps the pricing doesn't fit their current budget, or they need features that work on a different platform. Others might be seeking a purely digital solution or want to explore different methods to achieve similar visibility in their job hunt. When evaluating other options, consider what's most important for your search. Look at the core value offered, the total cost involved, and the ease of the process. The right tool should effectively solve the problem of getting noticed while aligning with your personal approach and resources.

Stellar Staff is a managed virtual assistant agency in the HR and recruiting category. They provide businesses with pre-vetted, full-time executive VAs, handling the entire hiring and management process so you can scale with reliable support. Businesses often explore alternatives for various reasons. Budget is a common factor, as managed services come at a premium. Some companies may need more flexible, part-time arrangements or desire a different platform experience for managing tasks. Others might prioritize a specific skill set outside a general executive assistant's scope. When evaluating other options, consider your core needs. Look closely at the talent vetting process, management style, and contractual flexibility. It's also wise to assess the level of hands-on support you'll receive and whether the provider's communication style and values align with your company culture.