Interview Questions: General

Here is a set of questions that will work for any virtual assistant, consultant or freelancer, along with our comments about what to look for in the answers.

1.     What type of work do you specialize in?
This is an easy lead-in question to get them started talking.

2.     Have you worked with any businesses similar to ours?
Optimally, you want someone who has several years of experience working for other companies like yours. They will already understand the issues and be able to deliver higher quality results fast.

3.     Tell me about a recent project...
Ask them to tell you about one or two projects they have worked on recently. What did the project involve? What was their level of responsibility? Who else worked on it with them? What did they accomplish? Was it delivered on time and on budget? Why or why not? What went well? What didn't go well? What would they do differently next time?

4.     How do you think you can help us?
Talk a little about the kind of work you want them to do. A promising candidate will ask a lot of questions and show a good understanding of this type of work and your type of business.

5.     How would the process work? What steps will you go through?
They should be able to explain the process they use to do the type of work you are interested in. The more clearly they can define what they would need from you, what they are going to do when they get it, and what you can expect from them, the greater the likelihood that they will work out.

6.     What software and tools do you use?
They should be able to name software and other tools they use to do their work. Find out how they learned how to use those tools and how long they have been working with them. You also want to find out what kind of computer they use, what software is on it, and what kind of Internet access they have.

7.     What is the best way for you to learn about our business?
You want to find out how they learn best, so you can teach them what they need to know about your company as quickly and easily and effectively as possible.

8.     What kind of results should we expect?
You want to make sure you and your team member have the same understanding of what the results should be – and what is reasonable in terms of cost and timeline to achieve those results. Look for someone who sets reasonable expectations.

9.     How many hours a week do you have available to work with us?
This should match up with your needs. Also discuss your desired start date, and check to see if they have any upcoming time off that might impact their ability to deliver on your timeline.

More Questions

If you want to dig a little deeper, here are some questions that can help you get a better feeling for the personality of your prospective team member.

1.      Tell me about a time when you:

• Had important projects for three clients that were all due on the same day. How did you handle that?
• Needed to learn a new skill quickly. How did you do that?
• Were working with someone who wasn't delivering the results you wanted. What did you do?
• Had so much fun working on a project that the time just flew by. What made the project so enjoyable?
• Were dreading working on a project. What made you dread it and how did you deal with that?
• Had to make a decision about a project you were working on and couldn't reach the client. What did you do and how did it work out?
• Had to disappoint a client. What happened and what did you do?
• Were asked to do something that is not an area of expertise for you. What did you do and how did it work out?
• Came up with a really creative solution to a problem. What was it and how did it work out?

2.      Who is your favorite client of all time and why?

3.      Who is your least favorite client of all time and why?