Your Virtual Assistant is a Person, Too!

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 download and listen to The Appraiser Coach Podcast Episode: 

4 thoughts on “Your Virtual Assistant is a Person, Too!”

  1. I started with one virtual assistant in 2013 and that has grown to three. They are so great for our business and do a lot of things that my staff in the US would never have time to do well or at all.

  2. One good thing about having assistants from the Philippines like Dustin, is that when you lose your business, its easier to let them go virtually instead of looking them in the face to tell them what you’ve been selling for years doesn’t work.

    Seek the truth.

  3. I don’t often respond to Bill (it is a waste of time), but where do you get the idea that I “lost” my appraisal business? I sold my appraisal business. There is a BIG difference. My appraisal business is still doing quite well under my management. Further, every single one of my 26 employees (including Virtual Assistants) followed me. I think that speaks for itself.

  4. HI Dustin,
    I have a question re:virtual assistant. I have one in Colombia South America and when I asked my accountant if I could write off her income, he said no because she does not have a company. Could you guide me a little on what I can do ….

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