What to Ask your Virtual Assistant during an Interview

So you've just taken your very first step in hiring a virtual assistant, now you have to interview her and go through the hiring wringer, trying to find out whether she's perfect enough to manage your projects.

Here are 10 questions that are very important to ask your potential Virtual Assistant:

1. Any previous Virtual Assistant experience do you have?
2. Do you have a college degree?
3. What are you primary skills (what you’re good at)? Softwares you know?
4. What Languages are you fluent in? Do you speak and write in these languages?
5. How many clients are you providing your VA services to right now?
6. What are your typical working hours per day?
7. How many hours to you have available to work with us over a 5 day week?
8. What are your fees? Would prefer to be paid per project or on a monthly retainer?
9. How do you prefer to be paid? Money transfers, bank transactions or paypal?
10. Would you be willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement?

When to Let Go of a Virtual Assistant

A Draconian stance maybe the best way to find the Virtual Assistant of your dreams- the key here is to hire and fire fast- it may sound dire or heartless, but in order for you to maximize your time in search for the VA that is right for your company, the best solution here is to do trial runs. Take your VA on a "test drive" before you let them loose on the company documents on autopilot.

Doing a trial run of your workflow with your VA will benefit you and your company, as you get to thoroughly gauge your VAs capabilities, turnaround time per project and technical skills. Also you will get to know your VA as an employee via her temperament and personality.

If you begin a project with your VA and halfway through the workflow, you discover she is not up to par or what you expected- why even drag it out for a week? It will only cost you your time, which is quite counter-productive, considering you are hiring a VA on the basis of saving your valuable time. So never let things simmer for to long, if the current VA can't keep up with the work pace you want then go for a new one. Its all about finding the right person to fit with your goals, don't feel bad if you need to end her contract. The important thing is that you both spare yourselves from a difficult working relationship.