How to skill-test a virtual assistant candidate

Thought you might be interested in an article How to skill-test a virtual assistant candidate and thought I’d share a few points with you here. I’ve found some relevant information here so if I find more, I’ll be sure to pass it on...

Why is skill assessment so important during the VA hiring process?

Skills tests are a reliable way to actually see the standard of work that your VA can provide before you hire them officially. You also get a window into their ability to understand and follow instructions, learn quickly, communicate and how they show up (on time, on deadline, etc.)

Of course, you’ll want to individualise your projects and skill testing based on the specific role you are hiring for, but to get the process started, here are my go-tos.

3 best skill assessments for virtual assistant candidates

English Testing

The first and most important thing to test for (when hiring from a non-english speaking country) is English comprehension, written and verbal communication skills. In our hiring process at Linked VA we have a few parts.

1. When a VA applies for a position they are given a test of 12 questions that is for English comprehension, i.e we give them paragraph excerpts and see how well they understand the topic.

2. The 2nd part of the English test is a written test. Typically, we will ask them questions that require paragraph-sized answers, so we can see how they formulate a sentence and convey their thinking in words.

3. If they pass, they go through an interview with us where we test their verbal communication skills. Of course, depending on the role we are hiring for, their English communication skills may be more or less important.

General Administrative Skills Testing

In this test, I will give the prospective VAs a set of instructions and ask them to complete the activities. Here is an example of my instruction list for a general admin project. (There are 3 parts total for this section.)

1. Google Sheets Test

2. Online Research

3. Proofreading

The above test really allows me to get a second chance at testing their English comprehension, but also how well they roll with the punches and take on new work that they may not be familiar with. It also gives great insight into their speed, accuracy and productivity.

Looks like really useful info, eh? Just click here to find out more! If you’d like to share perspectives or discuss how it relates to your business, email me at support@linkedva.com.