Having a virtual assistant to handle repetitive tasks in your business can make your life significantly easier. However, it only works if you can hire the right person for the job.
So, how do you do that? Well, it’s simple. You just have to know the right questions to ask a virtual assistant before hiring them.
With a VA, you are not just filling a position but getting a strategic partner to delegate your work.
The right questions can help you find a partner capable of handling your tasks. So, let’s go ahead and see which questions can help you find the perfect VA for your business.
Key Considerations Before Starting the Interview
Before you can even start asking the VA candidate questions, prepare yourself well enough for this.
Here are some key considerations you should make before starting the interview.
i) Define The Role Clearly
Here’s the thing- if you don’t even define the role you are trying to fill with the virtual assistant, you can never expect to get a proper candidate for the job.
So, make sure to be very clear about the role that you are hiring for.
The best way to do that is by identifying the tasks and responsibilities you want your VA to take over. You can do that by :
- Listing every task you need help with
- Categorizing the tasks based on daily, weekly, or monthly requirements
- Note down the time required for each task
[Pro tip: You can create a task spreadsheet with headings like Task Description, Estimated Time Required, Essential Skills, and Frequency of Task]
ii) Know Your Needs
After figuring out and defining the role, you must understand whether you need someone who can do general tasks or someone with specialized skills.
Check out this quick table to understand how a general virtual assistant differs from a specialized one.
| Feature | General Virtual Assistant | Specialized Virtual Assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Skill Set | A broad range of skills | Deep expertise in a specific niche |
| Task Types | Handles multiple task types | Focuses on specialized tasks within a niche |
| Cost | Lower hourly rate | Higher hourly rate |
| Best For | Small businesses, entrepreneurs with diverse needs | Complex projects, technical requirements |
| Typical Skills | Basic administrative tasks, scheduling, communication | Technical support, marketing, graphic design, bookkeeping |
Consider your specific scenario and task requirements to understand the type of virtual assistant you need.
iii) Prepare The Interview Process
Now you have to move on to the last stage, where you prepare for a solid interview process.
Here are the steps to prepare questions to ask a virtual assistant before hiring:
Step 1 - Creating Structured Questions
When you are creating questions for the interview, make sure to consider the roles, tasks, responsibilities, and requirements.
Based on that, try to create questions that reveal the:
- Technical competence
- Communication skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Cultural fitness
- Personality
Step 2 - Evaluation Criteria
While the evaluation criteria will mostly depend on what you are looking for, a general idea is to use a point-based evaluation system.
This way, you can easily judge how the candidate performed. For instance, you can use something like this-
| Criteria | Maximum Points | Candidate Score |
|---|---|---|
| Technical Skills | 35 | |
| Communication | 25 | |
| Experience | 20 | |
| Availability | 10 | |
| Cultural Fit | 10 | |
| Total | 100 |
Questions to Ask a Virtual Assistant Before Hiring
With the basic idea of preparing for the interview, we can now discuss the actual questions to ask when hiring a virtual assistant.
We have divided this into various categories so you can easily pick the questions accompanying your Virtual Assistant recruitment process.
1. General Background Questions
You can include general background questions in any virtual assistant interview questions list.
These questions aim to get a sense of a candidate’s personality and motivation for the job.
General Questions to Ask a Virtual Assistant Before Hiring
You can include questions like :
- Can you tell me about your background and how you became a virtual assistant?
- What motivates you to work as a virtual assistant?
- How would your previous clients describe you?
Expert Suggestions for Hiring
With these questions, you should see if the candidate shows passion for remote work, communication skills, a genuine interest in supporting your business, and dedication to the role you are offering.
2. Skills and Expertise
Now, this is where you have to put most of your focus into creating and asking questions.
The answers to these questions will help you understand the individuals’ professional strength, ability, proficiency, and skill.
Skill and Expertise Questions to Ask a Virtual Assistant Before Hiring
Besides the following ones, you should ask your industry-specific skill-related questions.
- What are your core skills and areas of expertise?
- Can you share specific tasks or projects you’ve successfully handled?
- What skills are you currently improving or would like to develop further?
Expert Suggestions For Hiring
Here, we recommend checking examples of their works or case studies to validate their answers.
You can also try giving them a short task or a skill test for evaluation if you see fit.
The goal should be to test their skills or see if they can handle the job with skill and expertise.
3. Availability and Work Preferences
Once you are past the skills and expertise portion, it’s time to find out their work schedule and commitment to the role.
These will help you understand if they can cope with your schedules and be available during busy hours.
Work Preference Questions to Ask a Virtual Assistant Before Hiring
Some of the most crucial questions you can ask are:
- What is your availability, including time zones and working hours?
- Are you currently working with other clients? If so, how do you manage your time?
- Are you open to urgent or last-minute tasks if needed?
Expert Suggestions for Hiring
It’s simple. Go with the candidates who can match up your timing and fulfill your work-hour requirements.
Also, if the role involves real-time collaboration, then the time zone and availability hours will greatly impact.
4. Tools and Technical Proficiency
While this may be tied to skills and expertise, some industries require you to ask such questions.
Especially if you need a specialized virtual assistant, you must ask what tools they can use to determine their level of expertise.
Technical Proficiency Questions to Ask a Virtual Assistant Before Hiring
The questions will, of course, depend on your industry, but some general questions can be:
- What tools and software do you use regularly for your work?
- Are you comfortable learning new tools if required?
- Do you have a reliable setup for remote work, including high-speed internet and a backup plan?
Expert Suggestions for Hiring
First, you must ensure they are already familiar with the tools you use in your business for quicker transition.
Moreover, you should be reassured that they are open to learning new tools quickly, as technology keeps evolving rapidly.
Read More: Why Hire a Virtual Assistant?
5. Communication and Collaboration
Communication is one of the most important factors when hiring a virtual assistant.
You need to ask questions regarding their communication and collaboration to see if they can be a good fit to work with teams or other employees.
Collaboration Questions to Ask a Virtual Assistant Before Hiring
Some insightful questions you can ask about communication include :
- What is your preferred method of communication (email, chat, video calls)?
- How do you handle situations when instructions or requests are unclear?
- Can you share an example of a successful collaboration with a team or client?
Expert Suggestions for Hiring
Always prioritize candidates with a flexible communication style. It helps you integrate them into a team environment very smoothly and easily.
6. Problem-Solving and Decision-Making
A virtual assistant essentially takes place in a work environment where they have to handle challenges and make decisions.
So, you must ask questions to evaluate their problem-solving and decision-making skills and determine their capability.
Problem-solving and Decision-Making Questions to Ask a Virtual Assistant Before Hiring
You can craft various questions, but the most effective ones can be :
- How do you prioritize tasks when faced with multiple deadlines?
- What’s your approach to solving unexpected issues, like a system crash or missed deadline?
- Can you describe a situation where you proactively addressed a client’s problem?
Expert Suggestions for Hiring
If you are hiring for an independent role, it’s important to see whether they can truly solve a problem and make authoritarian decisions.
7. Confidentiality and Data Security
Does your business deal with a lot of confidential and private data?
If that’s the case, you should also include some questions about confidentiality and data security.
This helps you determine whether the Virtual Assistant can handle data security and privacy.
Data security questions to ask a virtual assistant before hiring
Some basic questions to ask virtual assistant are :
- How do you handle sensitive information to ensure confidentiality?
- Are you comfortable signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA)?
Expert Suggestions for Hiring
In this case, it’s best to prioritize someone with either experience handling such as data security or in-depth knowledge of all the policies.
8. References and Past Experiences
Last but not least. You should always ask them about their references or past experiences if they are veterans.
It can help you get a view of their professional history and reputation in the past workplaces.
Reference Questions to Ask a Virtual Assistant Before Hiring
You can craft these questions based on requirements or use the following ones:
- Can you provide references from past clients or employers?
- What has been your most significant achievement in a previous role?
- Have you worked with clients in industries similar to mine?
Expert Suggestions for Hiring
The only thing you can do here is follow up on the references they provide or double-check their reviews to see if their claims are right.
Best Interview Practices for Hiring Authorities
Making the interview process productive and efficient is a great way to ensure you are winding up with a competent virtual assistant for your company.
Here’s how you can turn an ordinary interview into something more fruitful.
1. Spend Your Time Wisely
Since you will have a lot of candidates to interview, ensure you are focusing on the key questions.
Keep the questions relevant to get the most value out of the interview within a short time.
2. Evaluate Their Fit for the Role
Learn about the candidate’s skills and instantly cross-check them with their job responsibility. You have to ensure they can handle the tasks you will provide them.
3. Write Down Feedback Immediately
It’s best to write down the feedback about each candidate immediately so you don’t forget about it later.
This can save you time and hassle during the post-interview evaluations.
4. Check References Thoroughly
Don’t just trust their words. Always validate their skills, expertise, references, past experiences, and reputation.
Never leave anything to assumptions or blind faith while hiring a VA.
5. Test Their Abilities
The best way to ensure a candidate is fit for the role is to assign them a small task that is relevant to their job responsibilities.
If they do well, you know they are suitable. If not, you simply move on to the next candidate.
Sample Interview Question Set
Based on the discussion, here’s a sample interview questions for a virtual assistant that you can use for your next VA hiring process. Try giving it a shot!
- What tools do you use for task management and communication?
- How do you prioritize conflicting deadlines?
- Can you provide examples of managing time zone differences effectively?
- What’s your approach to receiving and acting on feedback?
- Do you have experience working in [specific industry or task] ?
Conclusion
Summing up, using the right questions to ask a virtual assistant before hiring can be a game changer in the interview process.
You can use the questions we provided here as a guideline and make some well-informed decisions.
Remember, the perfect virtual assistant is roaming out there. It just takes a strategic, thorough approach to find them. And now you have those in your hand.
