What Should I Ask a Virtual Assistant?

The beauty of virtual assistant services is that they allow you to procure an assistant for practically anything. Whether you need help with website design or business administration, there is someone out there ready to meet your needs. So, when looking for your dream assistant, what kind of things should you ask?

What is your prime area of expertise?

Before getting down to business, take a little time to get to know your potential virtual assistant and what skills they bring to the table. What kind of environments have they worked in before? What type of tasks are they used to? If you’re running an online store and need a customer service representative, have they worked in a customer-facing position? You’ll also need to have a clear idea of what you’re seeking in a virtual assistant to determine whether or not you are compatible.

Who have you worked with in the past?

By asking this question, you can gauge what kind of work the virtual assistant is most skilled at. You can also ask for references to hear firsthand the quality of work they have to offer. It’s important to verify a virtual assistant’s competency in many ways, and references are one key indicator of past performance. If you sense any hesitation from the references, you may want to think twice before choosing to work with the virtual assistant.

How do you communicate?

This is an important one because you want to ensure your communication styles go hand-in-hand. What hours is the assistant available? Do they prefer face-to-face communication over text, email, or Slack? If you are compatible with a virtual assistant, you will feel comfortable communicating using the same channels.

When are you available?

You will also want to address hours of availability. Many virtual assistants are located abroad, so you’ll want to know what hours your assistant will be available to work and respond to messages. Sometimes, communication can be difficult if the time difference is too great and deadlines too tight. Finding a virtual assistant who has overlap with your working hours is in your best interest. You will also need to discuss how many hours of the week you need coverage to ensure the virtual assistant can take on the workload.

What is your average response time?

Communication is key, so you’ll want to ask about the virtual assistant’s average response time, but not for the reason you may think. It’s unrealistic to expect everyone to be able to reply immediately, especially when you’re working with an assistant who may be located in a different time zone. However, by establishing expectations for communication early on, you can avoid issues down the line.

Who are you outside of work?

Any conversation is two-sided. You want to determine if your virtual assistant is compatible personality-wise with you and your team. Asking this question allows you to get to know the interviewee on a deeper level. It also invites all kinds of answers that may pleasantly surprise you. Discovering someone’s passions and creative endeavors outside of the workplace can help you get a better idea of their personality and work ethic.

What would you do if you run into difficulties with a task?

If you assigned a task to your assistant, and they later realized they needed help to complete it, what would they do? This isn’t a trick question because there’s no right or wrong answer. You want to determine if this is something they’ve considered before. If they’ve never been placed in this position before, it will be obvious. It’s always a good idea to work with those who know how to overcome obstacles in their work.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

This versatile question is applicable to nearly every field of work. Any good candidate is self-aware enough to know where they excel and in which areas they could use improvement. If they can’t think of a weakness, you may want to pass on that candidate. Knowing your own shortcomings is key to growth. Plus, you want to ensure your virtual assistant will be able to appropriately respond to any constructive criticism you may have.

How do you proactively help your clients?

You want a virtual assistant who goes above and beyond. As you work with your assistant, you want someone who can anticipate and meet your needs. The ideal virtual assistant will have concrete ideas on how to improve methodologies or communication within the first few weeks.

Starting the Search for Virtual Assistant Services

At Virtual Assistant Mexico, we pride ourselves on our high-quality virtual assistants. With college-educated, bilingual agents hand-picked from Mexico’s top universities, we are poised to deliver excellent virtual assistant services for all of your business needs! Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and learn how Virtual Assistant Mexico can simplify your life and work.