Deciding to hire a virtual assistant is one of the best decisions you can make as a business owner or manager; you will free up your mental load tremendously and can rest assured that the work is being handled in a timely and professional manner. We usually look for these top skills when interviewing our virtual assistants:
Time Management
Your virtual assistant should know how to manage their time well and how to prioritize tasks. As the hiring person, you can help them prioritize tasks (e.g., approving timesheets is a top priority and website updates are less of a priority), but they should also have experience to know which tasks are more important and which can wait. You also don’t want them spending two hours on a task which, in your experience, should be done in 20-30 minutes.
Communication
Whether your virtual assistant will be customer facing (but especially if they will be), you want to ensure they have strong communication skills over the phone, e-mail, and in-person. Because you and your virtual assistant won’t be meeting face-to-face, there will inevitably be opportunities for miscommunication and having a skilled communicator will greatly reduce these instances and save you both a number of headaches. They should also be prompt and responsive in their communication with you and anyone else inside or outside of the business.
Computer Proficiency
In 2023, computer proficiency is a prerequisite for just about any office-based job. You know your business’ needs best, so make sure the candidates for the job are competent in any software programs your company uses such as Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Power Point, QuickBooks, etc. Additionally, consider any social media outlets or cloud storage (e.g., Dropbox and Google Drive) that the virtual assistant will be working with.
Detail Oriented
As Admiral William McRaven said, “if you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.” In your business, there are likely aspects that might be considered tedious and require great focus, but a good virtual assistant should be ready and willing to tackle even the smallest task.
Passion for Learning
Chances are the virtual assistant you hire will have worked on other projects which may or may not be connected to your company’s industry. As you go through the interview process, ask about their interest in your business and industry and what they hope to gain by working with you and your team.
As your organization’s needs evolve, Scale Virtually can help match you with the right virtual assistants to meet and exceed your needs.