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One of the most important steps a business can take during growth is hiring a qualified assistant. In the new remote work ecosystem, virtual assistants are becoming more commonplace, which opens the door for any number of talented individuals to apply for the position from around the world. But without an in-person presence, it can become difficult to realistically gauge the prospective employee’s competency in several key areas.
Because of the urgent staffing needs in many industries, many small businesses have reached a point where they only rely on one interview to hire. However, this is somewhat irresponsible of a company, as a single interview is not enough to accurately assess a candidate’s qualifications for a role. In a way, conducting a single interview leaves an employee’s success to luck. A virtual assistant company, such as Stafi, can help provide virtual assistants whose qualifications have been thoroughly vetted.
1. Look for an assistant with strong English proficiency and communication skills
One essential quality of a successful virtual assistant is strong English proficiency. “Given that a virtual assistant is a very front-facing role — one of their primary duties being communication with clients — they must have strong communication skills and be able to speak, read, and write English fluently,” explains Raquel Gomes, CEO of Stafi. “Language proficiency will ensure that assistants can take phone calls and write emails in a way that maintains a high standard of professionalism.”
Often, virtual assistants are hired from another country, and as such, they will not be native English speakers. For many virtual assistants, English is their second or third language, but they must be bilingual to complete their essential job duties. Several online platforms offer assessments that can determine a prospective employee’s English proficiency or verified academic credentials — such as degrees and transcripts — that can prove a candidate’s training in the language.
2. Ensure that prospective employees are actually qualified
Still, given that the education for international candidates predominantly occurs in other countries, it isn’t easy to compare their education and experience to what may be available in the United States. Just because they have the credentials on paper does not immediately signify that they have the skills and training in specific areas of interest or need. As such, the only way to determine their aptitude is by conducting thorough research.
Businesses must do their due diligence and ensure that any work experience and educational history being reported is accurate. “It doesn’t hurt to take your research an extra step” explains Gomes, “Companies should also ensure they call references, verify transcripts, and call universities to verify a candidate’s experience.”
3. Look for trustworthy assistants
Since assistants manage a significant amount of personal information — from both the employer and their clients — businesses must recruit someone with trustworthiness and professionalism. After all, you don’t want to give sensitive data, such as a person’s case information, to someone who may commit fraud. Proper checks are essential to ensure that an employee deserves this level of trust and responsibility. At Stafi, “conducting extensive background checks on prospective employees is mandatory. This ensures that their business and clients are safe and that they are hiring someone trustworthy for the job which is especially important in legal fields.”
4. Look for assistants with strong critical thinking skills
A behavioral assessment can also be important in hiring a virtual assistant. This will determine their fit within the company’s culture and ensure they are ready to fulfill their job responsibilities. For certain positions in which assistants will be tasked with making decisions on behalf of leaders or the company, critical thinking skills are essential, and in any assistant role, the ability to follow instructions precisely is a must. A behavioral assessment will reveal these traits.
5. Look for assistants with a high level of emotional intelligence and strength
Furthermore, being an assistant in the legal field can be difficult, emotional work. Although an assistant’s job isn’t necessarily taxing like a manual labor job, it can be taxing to the mind. Legal cases require the utmost discretion from everyone involved, but the level of stress involved with keeping this information bottled up inside can be mentally draining. It takes a certain type of person to handle this increased pressure.
The pressure a legal assistant faces is even more substantial in areas of practice such as immigration and family law. “These are tough cases with high human stakes and require significant emotional strength and sensitive communication skills,” says Gomes. “Although communication is vital for any virtual assistant, assistants working on these cases must have this quality, as poor communication could hurt clients.”
For lawyers, hiring a virtual assistant is not as simple as finding someone to manage appointments and do odd jobs. “A virtual assistant for a lawyer must be able to do more emotionally-intensive tasks requiring English proficiency, strong communication skills, high emotional intelligence, a level of trustworthiness, and critical thinking skills,” Gomes asserts. “The best way to ensure a new virtual assistant will succeed is to look for these fundamental skills during the hiring process.”
