Hiring a remote executive assistant can be a game-changer for your business. But, whether you're looking to streamline administrative tasks, boost your social media presence, or provide top-notch customer service, finding the perfect candidate starts with asking the right questions. In fact, 75% of employers say the interview is the most critical part of the hiring process, according to a recent LinkedIn report. At A Team Overseas, we have significant experience interviewing virtual assistants and ultimately onboarding them into different teams. That’s why we created this guide to cover everything you need to know about interviewing remote EAs. You'll learn how to set clear objectives, structure the interview, and what key qualities to look for, from communication skills to technical proficiency. Get ready to go through the best virtual assistant interview questions!

Why Should You Hire A Virtual Assistant?

Hiring virtual assistants can transform the way you run your business. A remote executive assistant handles various tasks to help businesses run smoothly. They work remotely, providing support in areas like business administration, customer service, and social media management. This flexibility is invaluable, especially if you’re looking to keep costs to a minimum without sacrificing efficiency. One of the main benefits of hiring EAs is the cost savings it implies. By hiring a virtual assistant, you avoid all the extra expenses associated with full-time employees, such as benefits, office space, and equipment. According to a study by Global Workplace Analytics, companies can save up to $11,000 per year just for every part-time remote worker.

Another significant advantage of hiring an EA is a subsequent increase in productivity, as virtual assistants handle routine tasks, freeing up your time to focus on more strategic activities. A report by McKinsey found that delegating routine work can increase productivity by up to 20%. This means more time for you to work on growing your business. These professionals also bring specialized skills to the table. From social media management to customer service, you can find a virtual assistant with the expertise you need - as no two EA roles are ever the same. This access to specialized skills at an affordable cost helps you maintain a high standard of work without investing in extensive training. You can always set stretch goals for them to help their role evolve naturally as they grow alongside your organization. 

30 Best Virtual Assistant Interview Questions

Recruiting the right virtual assistant starts with asking the right questions. Here are 30 key questions to help you identify the best EA candidate for your specific needs that cover a wide range of topics:

General Background Questions

1. Can you tell me about your previous experience as a virtual assistant?
2. What types of organizations have you worked with in the past?
3. Why did you choose to become a remote executive assistant?
4. How do you stay organized while working remotely and across different time zones?
5. How would you describe your communication style? What are your preferred communication tools?

Individual Skills and Experience Questions

6. What specific tasks have you handled before as a virtual assistant?
7. How proficient are you with [specific software/tool relevant to your organization]?
8. Can you describe a time when you had to learn a new task/process quickly?
9. How do you manage multiple tasks with competing deadlines?
10. What is your approach to handling repetitive tasks?

Situational Questions

11. Describe a challenging project you managed and how you handled it.
12. How do you prioritize your tasks when everything feels urgent?
13. Can you give an example of how you handled a difficult client situation?
14. What steps do you take to ensure accuracy in your work?
15. Tell me about a past “win” you’ve had as a remote executive assistant.

Cultural Fit Questions

16. What types of projects are you most passionate about?
17. How do you ensure effective communication with your clients?
18. Describe your ideal working relationship with a client.
19. How do you stay motivated while working remotely?
20. What do you enjoy most about being a virtual assistant?

Role-Specific Questions

21. How would you go about doing research for a client?
22. How would you go about identifying and presenting pain points in your client’s calendar and inbox?
23. What is your process for learning each client’s specific preferences?
24. What steps do you take to ensure you provide the best client experience?
25. What steps do you take to ensure customer satisfaction?

Problem-Solving Questions

26. How do you handle unexpected issues or emergencies?
27. Can you describe a time when you had to solve a complex problem 100% on your own?
28. What is your approach to handling tasks you are unfamiliar with?
29. How do you ensure your work meets the client’s expectations?
30. What would you do if you missed a deadline?

Now, keep in mind these questions are just meant to be a starting point for you to then jump onto follow-ups to gather more context. It’s always best to keep diving deeper into specific situations and past experiences, as well as their opinion/level of interest in your business, rather than only staying at surface-level insights about their skills. 

Evaluating the Responses to These Virtual Assistant Interview Questions

The way you evaluate the responses to your virtual assistant interview questions can make or break how you go about hiring the right talent. As Charlie Munger says “Wisdom is prevention”, meaning you’ll be better off covering all the deeper-level bases when interviewing EA candidates. Make sure they don’t have any of your deal breakers and they’re excited about your mission, vision, and core values. To better evaluate this, you should focus on these key areas that will help guide better-informed hiring decisions:

1. Communication Skills:

Clear and effective communication is essential for any remote executive assistant, as you’ll be working across continents and time zones, especially if you hire EAs from the Philippines. Pay attention to how candidates articulate their thoughts and respond to questions. Are they concise and to the point? Do they use professional language? Are they transparent enough? These are the questions you should be asking yourself when interviewing a virtual assistant. 

2. Problem-Solving Abilities:

If you want to ensure your future EA has the right resolution abilities, you should always assess how candidates handle problem-solving scenarios. Look for examples of their capability to think both critically and independently. Did they provide specific, detailed answers? Did they demonstrate a logical approach to resolving issues? Did they come up with a strong, individual answer or did they ask you a billion follow-up questions? Strong problem-solving skills indicate a candidate's capability to manage unexpected challenges more effectively, and will also affect how much of your workload they can transfer onto their plate. So make sure they’re a good fit here!

3. Cultural/Personal Compatibility:

Unless you’re looking forward to an onboarding mess, always determine if the candidate aligns with your company culture before you hire a virtual assistant. It’s best to be particularly thorough about their responses to questions about motivation, ideal working relationships, openness to feedback, and work environment preferences. A good cultural fit leads to better overall performance, higher client-EA satisfaction, and a better chance of a long-term partnership. This also goes for personal compatibility between you and your EA. The goal is for you to work closely with each other, and for them to support you across different areas of your life, so you should truly get along if you want to work together at your fullest potential. 

4. Technical Proficiency:

According to a LinkedIn survey, 57% of senior leaders believe soft skills are more important than hard skills - with many considering this to be particularly true about virtual assistants - but a good level of technical proficiency is still crucial for specific tasks. As all EA roles are different by nature, it’ll be best to ensure the candidate has the necessary technical skills for the specific tasks you plan to delegate. You should assess their familiarity with the tools and software relevant to your business and ask follow-up questions to get a feel for their level of expertise. 

5. Attention to Detail:

Attention to detail is vital for tasks like data entry, scheduling, and customer service. Now, to ensure you hire an attentive EA, evaluate how candidates handle questions that require detailed responses. Do they provide thorough and well-structured answers? Are they meticulous in explaining their processes? What about their past experiences, do they explain previous situations too vaguely? This will help you understand how much attention to detail a candidate has just from the way they answer your questions. 

6. Reliability and Professionalism:

The last thing you want is a remote executive assistant who’ll bail on you a month after their starting date. So it’s always important to look for signs of reliability and professionalism in their responses. Do they discuss how they manage deadlines and prioritize tasks? Do they provide examples of their time management strategies? A CareerBuilder survey found that 75% of employers have hired candidates based on their professionalism during the interview process, and you should probably give equal relevance to this trait.

7. Proactivity:

At A Team Overseas, we’ve always highlighted the importance of productivity as a skill to look for and nurture when you hire a remote executive assistant. Your EA should anticipate your needs and have an extra level of care compared to a traditional taskmaker virtual assistant. Things like reminding you when your appointments are, or if you’re missing too many social events or date nights with your partner, sending your schedule ahead of time, and prioritizing your travel preferences - this extra carefulness and proactivity goes a long way. 

Hire Remote Executive Assistants with A Team Overseas

These virtual assistant interview questions should get you on the right path toward hiring an EA who’s the right fit for your needs. Now, if you’re interested in receiving full support during this journey, at A Team Overseas we offer remote executive assistant services so you can hire EAs that are more than task makers. We offer continuous support to ensure you not only find the perfect EA but also work together most efficiently. Contact us today if you’re interested in learning more about our services!