People are people. Whether you’re from a small town in South Dakota, a big city in Europe, or living in a mud hut in Africa, we all have at least one thing in common – we’re all human. And virtual assistants are no different. Although you may never meet them in person, your virtual assistant is still a person with a life, with goals, with good days and bad days. For this reason, an interview with a potential virtual assistant will probably look much like an interview with anyone else, with a few important exceptions.
In interviews in general, I think it’s good to let the person you’re interviewing do most of the talking. Your role is to facilitate the conversation, to move things in the right direction. Questions such as “Tell me about yourself,” or, “What is your past work experience,” do well at helping you learn about the person you’re talking to. When I’m interviewing for a virtual assistant position however, there are some other things I’m looking for than just the answers to those questions. During such an interview I also look for fluency in the English language (specifically for those outside the U.S.), good internet, and whether or not they have the appropriate equipment and technology such a job would need. For instance, since I usually do these interviews over Zoom, I like to have them share their screen as we test their internet as an additional indicator of whether or not their internet can handle essential tasks a job with me would require. When I ask about their education, a college education generally correlates to a higher grasp of English. These are the kinds of things that I look for when interviewing overseas.
Don’t sweat your remote interviews! Because the nature of the job is different than a normal job at the office, your interview will change some as well. But when it comes right down to it, your virtual assistant is just another person, so treat them like one.
For more information on this subject, please listen to The Appraiser Coach Podcast Episode:
What Interview Questions Do You Ask A Potential Virtual Assistant
