TOP 10 TIPS AND QUESTIONS WHEN LOOKING FOR A

SPECIALIST VIRTUAL ASSISTANT

 

So you have your award from ATW or probably still waiting to hear! but you don’t want that to hold you back and so you are looking to hire a virtual assistant (VA) for support.   A quality VA will want the best for you and will work with you in an ethical way;  they will understand that not everyone is a good fit for each other and that’s okay, they will also understand how important the collaborative working relationship is, in order to help you achieve your goals both with your ‘work’ and personally. 

The quickest way to work out whether you are a good fit with each other will be to take advantage of any discovery calls offered; being able to build a quick rapport with one another leads to better and quicker progress/outcomes.

But where do you start? What things do you need to think about and what questions can you ask. 

Here’s our Top 10 tips and questions to help you find the right VA that fits your needs:

 

1. Understand Your Needs and Expectations

  • What tasks do I need help with? Does the VA require some specific skills such as tech knowledge or experience in the arts industry for example? (List specific duties)

  • What is my preferred method of communication? (Email, messaging apps, video calls, voice notes)

  • Do I need regular check-ins or progress updates? (Daily, weekly, or as-needed)

  • How much autonomy do I want to give the VA? (Do I want them to run with an idea or choose every detail and sign off on all communications, graphics etc)

  • Do I prefer a structured or flexible approach to work?

  • Do they make me feel psychologically safe to be myself?

2. Assess Communication and Clarity

  • Can the VA communicate clearly and consistently? (Written, verbal, or both)

  • Are they open to using visual aids or other support tools to ensure clarity?

  • Do they understand or are they open to accommodating different communication styles?

  • How do they handle misunderstandings or requests for clarification?

  • Do they offer clear and concise summaries of what has been done or what needs doing such as action points post meeting?

3. Organisational Tools and Systems

  • What tools does the VA use for task management (Trello, Asana, Notion, etc.)  or will they adopt my own and do I have enough licenses to grant access.

  • Can they help with creating systems that are simple yet effective for your workflow?

  • Are they familiar with colour-coding, calendars, or other organisation methods that might help with cognitive processing?

4. Sensory Preferences and Accessibility – This may refer more to any in-person support or hybrid working but can refer to online calls.

  • Are they willing to adjust work environments or tools based on sensory preferences?

  • Can they accommodate your need for minimal distractions or quiet environments?

  • Do they understand any sensory needs (e.g., minimising visual clutter in reports or emails)?

5. Task Preferences and Focus

  • Are they open to structuring tasks in short, manageable chunks or sprints?

  • Can they help prioritise tasks and break them down into clear steps?

  • Are they able to give you clear deadlines or timelines to reduce anxiety around ambiguity?

  • Are they okay with helping you stay on track with reminders or nudges whilst being sensitive to any trigger points/RSD

6. Flexibility and Patience

  • Are they patient and flexible in adapting to your needs?

  • Can they accommodate changes to schedules or tasks as you work through them?

  • Are they willing to adjust their workflow to match your personal rhythm (e.g., allowing breaks or working in blocks or giving you the ability to text/voicemail in the evenings/weekends – whenever the thought is there)?

7. Cultural Sensitivity and Support

  • Are they empathetic and open to understanding neurodiversity and/or any other conditions that affect you?

  • Do they have experience working with clients who are neurodivergent?

  • How comfortable are they working with varying levels of detail or specific instructions?

8. Accountability and Reliability

  • Do they have a reliable system for meeting deadlines?

  • How do they handle follow-through on commitments?

  • Can they provide regular status updates or reports on progress?

9. Feedback and Adjustment Process

  • Are they open to feedback, and how do they incorporate it into their work?

  • How do they handle constructive criticism or misunderstandings?

  • Are they flexible in adjusting how they work based on your feedback?

10. Other Considerations

  • How do they manage time zones if you have a unique or irregular schedule?

  • Are they comfortable with asynchronous communication if real-time communication is difficult for you?

  • How do they handle confidentiality and privacy of sensitive information?