Virtual assistant interview questions that show how someone works when you're not watching

How to run the interview, step by step

1. Write down the five tasks they'll do first

   Pick questions from the lists below that test those tasks.

2. Hold a 30-minute video call

   Use the same questions for every candidate, in the same order, and take notes.

3. Set a paid test task

   One or two hours of real work, the same for everyone.

4. Score them the same way

   Use the scorecard below for every candidate, so you compare answers rather than impressions.

How they work

1. Walk me through a normal day in your last remote job. What did you do first?

   Listen for an order, the tools they used and how their manager knew what got done.

2. How do you keep track of tasks from three people at once?

   A good answer names a system, like a task list, a board or a check at the start of each day, and 'I just remember' is a no.

3. Tell me about a mistake you caught in your own work after you'd sent it.

   You want the mistake, what they did that day and what they changed so it didn't happen again.

4. How do you like to get instructions: written steps, a video or a call?

   There's no wrong answer here, but it tells you how to hand work over to them.

5. What do you send your manager when you finish for the day?

   People who've worked remotely before describe a daily report without being prompted.

What they do when they get stuck

1. You get a task you don't fully understand and I'm asleep. What do you do?

   Good: they check what they can, start the parts they're sure of, and leave you one clear question.

2. You can't finish everything today. Who do you tell, and when?

   You want 'you, before the deadline', with what they'll finish and what moves.

3. Tell me about a time you disagreed with an instruction.

   Look for someone who said so politely and still got the work done.

4. A customer asks for something you're not allowed to approve. What do you say?

   They should hold the line, say when the customer will hear back, and pass it to you.

5. What would make you stop and ask before carrying on?

   Money, anything they can't undo, and anything that goes out in your name.

Their setup, their hours and their backup plan

1. Which hours can you work, and which of mine overlap?

   Get the overlap in writing, because two to four shared hours a day keeps questions from waiting overnight.

2. What happens if your power or internet goes out?

   A real plan names a second connection or a place to go, and when they'd tell you.

3. Is your workspace quiet enough for calls?

   Ask them to turn the camera round and show you.

4. How quickly do you reply during working hours?

   Agree a number now, while it's an easy conversation.

5. Do you work for other clients at the same time?

   Fine for a freelancer, but you need to know whose work comes first.

Tools and skills

1. Which of these tools have you used? Show me something you did in one.

   Read them your list and ask for a screen share of real work in one of them.

2. How would you set up a weekly task so it never gets missed?

   Listen for a recurring task or a routine with a checklist.

3. How do you store and share passwords for client accounts?

   A password manager or a shared vault is the answer you want; a document or a chat message is the one you don't.

4. What's the last tool you taught yourself?

   It shows whether they'll pick up your software on their own or wait for you to train them.

5. Can you do this part of the role now? (Reconcile an account, write a reply, build a list.)

   Pick the one skill the job can't do without, and ask them to do a small piece of it live.

Communication

1. Write me a two-line reply to this customer email.

   Paste a real one with the names removed, and give them two minutes. You'll see their writing, their tone and whether they answered the question.

2. How would you tell me a deadline is going to slip?

   Early, with a new date and what they need from you to hit it.

3. How often do you want to check in with me?

   Their answer shows how much support they expect in the first month.

4. What do you need from me in the first week?

   Good candidates ask for logins, examples and one person to ask.

5. What questions do you have for me?

   No questions at all usually means they haven't thought much about the work.

What a good answer sounds like

Good answers are specific: they name a tool, give a real example and say what happened next, including when the person would stop and ask you.

Weak answers stay general, like 'I'm a hard worker' or 'I'm good with all tools'. Ask 'can you give me an example?' once, and if the second answer is still general, move on.

Things that go wrong after a good interview

• Slow replies while you're hiring

  If it takes two days to answer an interview invite, it'll take two days to answer you.

• No questions about your business

  Someone who doesn't ask about your customers or your tools is less likely to spot a problem with them.

• Can't name a mistake

  Everyone makes them, and people who can't name one tend to hide them.

• Every tool, no detail

  Claiming every app on your list and showing none of them is a warning.

• A test task handed in late without a word

  Running late happens. Saying nothing about it is the problem.

The test task tells you more than the interview

Pay for it, keep it to an hour or two, and make it real but low-risk: tidy a spreadsheet, draft three replies, build a short lead list. Give every candidate the same brief and the same deadline.

Then score what they handed in. Did they follow the brief, ask a sensible question, and send it on time with a note?

Score every candidate the same way

Questions that show what happens when it goes wrong

If you're hiring through a provider, ask them these as well, because the answers decide what happens on the bad days. Sources: [1]

1. Who employs the assistant, and who pays them?

   With us: Catalyst does. An assistant is never the client's employee (clause 11).

2. What happens when they're sick or on leave?

   Ask who covers the work. With us, a trained backup does.

3. If they aren't right, how do I get someone else?

   With us: ask in the first two weeks with your reasons (clause 7.2); after that we review requests on reasonable grounds (clause 7.3).

4. What's the minimum term, and how much notice do I give?

   With us: the minimum term is in your signed proposal, then 30 days' written notice (clauses 2.1 and 12.1).

5. What does it cost to hire them directly later?

   With us: a conversion fee of 12 months' fees (clause 9.2). Ask every provider whether they charge one.

Interviewing a virtual assistant: common questions

Sources

1. Catalyst Outsourcing: Terms of Business, read 7 October 2026