Hiring someone from the Philippines can be one of the best ways to get help with the everyday work in your business.
But finding the right person isn't just about looking at a resume and choosing the candidate with the most experience.
You need to find someone who can actually do the work, communicate with you, follow instructions, solve problems, and eventually take things off your plate.
And that person might be a virtual assistant.
Or they might be a writer, graphic designer, developer, bookkeeper, customer support specialist, researcher, marketer, or another type of online specialist.
The goal is not to ask as many questions as possible. It is to ask questions that help you understand whether this person is the right fit for your business.
If you're new to hiring remote workers, this guide on Questions You Should Ask When Interviewing Your Filipino VA can also help you prepare for the conversation.
You just need to ask questions that help you figure out whether the person can do the job and whether they're going to work well with you.
Here are 15 questions that can help.
1. Tell Me About Your Experience Doing This Type of Work.
Start with the work you're actually hiring them to do.
If you're hiring a writer, ask about writing.
If you're hiring a developer, ask about development.
If you're hiring someone to manage customer support, ask about customer support.
Don't get too caught up in whether their previous job had the exact same title as yours.
Instead, find out what they actually did.
Ask:
- What were you responsible for?
- How long did you do this work?
- What tools did you use?
- What kind of clients or businesses did you work with?
- What did you handle on your own?
You're trying to find out whether they've actually done the work, and not just whether they've added the skill to their profile.
If you're using Onlinejobs.ph to find candidates, you can start by looking at their skills and experience, then narrow your list before spending time interviewing everyone.
2. Can You Show Me Some of Your Previous Work?
This is one of the easiest ways to understand what someone can actually do.
Don't just ask them to tell you they're good.
Ask them to show you.
A writer can send writing samples.
A designer can show previous designs.
A developer can show projects they've worked on.
A marketer can explain campaigns they've handled.
A bookkeeper can explain the type of accounts or reports they've managed.
Their previous work doesn't have to be identical to what you need. You're looking at the quality of their work and how relevant their experience is.
3. How Would You Handle This Task?
Give them a situation from your business.
For example:
"A customer says they were charged twice. What would you do?"
Or:
"Here's a product description that needs to be improved. How would you approach it?"
This is much more useful than asking, "Are you good at problem-solving?"
Most people will say yes.
It's much harder to fake how they actually think when you give them a real problem.
4. What Would You Do If You Didn't Know How to Do Something?
This is one of my favorite questions because the answer tells you a lot.
You don't need someone who already knows everything.
You need someone who knows what to do when they don't know something.
Maybe they'll research it.
Maybe they'll check your documentation.
Maybe they'll look at previous examples.
Maybe they'll try to solve it themselves and then ask you a specific question.
That's usually much better than simply saying, "I don't know."
You also want to make sure they know when they should stop and ask for help.
That's especially important when they're working remotely.
5. How Do You Usually Learn a New Tool or Process?
Your business probably has tools and processes the person hasn't used before.
And that's normal. What matters is how quickly they can learn. Ask them about something they had to learn in a previous job.
What did they do?
How long did it take?
Did they figure it out themselves?
Did they need training?
A list of tools on a resume doesn't tell you how well someone learns. Their answer to this question can.
6. Tell Me About a Problem You Had at Work and How You Solved It.
Ask for example.
Don't accept just:
"I'm a problem solver."
Ask:
"Tell me about a specific problem you had and what you did."
You want to hear the situation, what they decided to do, and what happened afterward.
The STAR method for behavioral interviews is one useful way to structure questions like this because it encourages candidates to explain the situation, task, action, and result.
You don't need to turn your interview into a formal corporate interview.
Just get them talking about something they actually experienced.
7. What Do You Do When You Make a Mistake?
Well, everyone makes mistakes.
The person who tells you they've never made one probably isn't giving you the whole story.
Instead, find out what happens when something goes wrong.
Do they tell you?
Do they try to fix it?
Do they learn from it?
Do they disappear?
You want your online specialist to tell you when there's a problem so you can fix it together.
You don't want to find out about the problem three weeks later.
8. How Do You Handle Multiple Tasks at the Same Time?
Most online specialist will eventually have more than one thing to do.
Ask:
"If I give you three tasks and all of them seem important, how would you decide what to work on first?"
There isn't always one perfect answer.
You want to see whether they have a system for prioritizing work and whether they know when to ask you for clarification.
Take note: Someone who understands priorities can save you a lot of time.
9. How Do You Prefer to Communicate With Your Employer?
Remote work depends heavily on communication.
Ask what they normally use:
- Chat
- Project management software
- Video calls
- Daily reports
- Other tools
More importantly, ask how they keep their employer updated.
Do they send a message when something is finished?
Do they tell you when they're stuck?
Do they provide a daily update?
Do they ask questions early?
Good communication isn't about sending messages all day.
It's about making sure you know what you need to know.
You can also read this OnlineJobs.ph guide on communicating effectively and clearly with Filipino VAs for practical ideas on setting communication expectations from the start.
10. How Do You Keep Track of Your Tasks and Deadlines?
When you're working remotely, no one may be sitting beside you to remind you about every task or deadline.
Ask the candidate how they keep track of their work. They might use a task management tool, calendar, spreadsheet, notes, or a simple system that works for them.
What matters is that they have a way to stay organized and make sure important tasks don't get forgotten.
This question can also show you how much ownership they take over their work. You want someone who can manage their responsibilities without needing constant reminders.
- What do you use to keep track of your daily tasks?
- How do you make sure you don't miss a deadline?
- What do you do when several tasks are due at the same time?
- How do you keep track of tasks that need to be completed regularly?
It's also worth remembering that being independent does not mean a VA should never ask for clarification. If you're wondering why a VA may keep asking questions even after you've explained a task, this guide on why your VA keeps asking questions explains how unclear instructions, missing documentation, and gaps in your processes can contribute to repeated questions.
11. How Do You Handle Feedback?
You will probably need to correct something during the first few weeks.
Ask your OFS how they've handled feedback in previous jobs.
You don't need someone who agrees with everything you say.
You need someone who can listen, understand what needs to change, and improve the work.
You should do the same on your side.
If your instructions aren't clear, fix the instructions.
If the expected result wasn't explained, explain it.
Hiring someone doesn't mean you get to stop communicating with them.
12. What Kind of Work Do You Enjoy Doing?
This question can help you find out whether the job actually fits the person.
Someone might be capable of doing a task but not enjoy doing it.
If you're hiring someone for eight hours a day of repetitive data work, you probably want someone who is comfortable with detailed, repetitive work.
If you're hiring a customer support specialist, you probably want someone who enjoys helping people.
If you're hiring a content writer, you want someone who actually enjoys writing.
But enjoying the type of work you're hiring someone to do matters too.
13. What Part of This Job Do You Think Would Be Most Difficult for You?
This is another good way to see whether someone understands the role.
If you explain the job properly, the remote worker should be able to identify something that may take time to learn.
And that's okay.
You don't need someone who is perfect on day one.
You need to know what you'll have to train them on.
It also gives you a chance to decide whether the difficulty is something you can reasonably support.
14. What Are You Looking for in Your Next Job?
This helps you see whether your expectations match.
Maybe they're looking for a long-term position.
Maybe they want part-time work.
Maybe they're interested in learning new skills.
Maybe they're looking for a specific schedule.
Ask and be honest about what you need, too.
Tell them what the job involves, how many hours you expect, how you communicate, and what success looks like.
For more employer perspectives, you can also read Onlinejobs.ph Reviews From Real Business Owners.
15. Do You Have Any Questions for Me?
Don't end the interview by saying, "Okay, that's it."
Give the candidate a chance to ask questions.
Their questions can tell you a lot.
They might ask about:
- The business
- The customers
- Their responsibilities
- The schedule
- Training
- Communication
- Pay
- Long-term opportunities
- What you expect from them
And sometimes the questions they don't ask can tell you something too.
You're not just interviewing them.
They're also deciding whether they want to work with you.
Do Not Make the Interview Harder Than It Needs to Be
You do not need a 60-minute video interview with 40 questions.
In fact, you may learn more by sending a few questions by email and giving the person a small task related to the job.
This is something OnlineJobs.ph has recommended for years: use questions and simple tasks to see how candidates communicate, follow directions, demonstrate their skills, and respond to the work itself. OnlineJobs.ph’s hiring guidance also emphasizes using email questions, reviewing work samples, and learning how applicants approach real work.
For example, if you are hiring a writer, give them a short writing assignment.
If you are hiring a designer, give them a small design task.
If you are hiring a data specialist, give them a sample spreadsheet.
If you are hiring a customer support specialist, give them a sample customer situation.
If you are hiring a developer, ask them how they would approach a small technical problem.
You can also use a practical hiring test to see how an online specialist handles work similar to what they will actually do for your business. Keep it short and relevant. It should be enough to assess skill, not a full project for your business.
If the task produces work you could use in your business, pay the person fairly for their time.
What Should You Look for After the Interview?
Do not make your decision based only on who gives the most impressive interview.
Look at the whole picture and ask yourself:
- Can they do the work? Do they have the skills or enough related experience to learn it?
- Can they follow instructions? Did they answer your questions and follow your directions?
- Can they communicate? Did they explain themselves clearly and tell you how they would keep you informed?
- Can they solve problems? Did they show you how they think when something is not straightforward?
- Can they manage their work? Do they have a way to track tasks and deadlines?
- Are they a good fit for the work? Does the role match the type of work they want to do?
- Can you train them? Even if they do not know everything today, do they seem capable of learning?
The Best Online Filipino Specialist Is Not Always the Most Experienced Candidate
You might interview someone with 10 years of experience and someone with three years of experience.
The person with 10 years may look better on paper.
But what if the three-year candidate understands your instructions better, communicates better, learns faster, and produces better work?
That is the person I would pay attention to.
Remember, you are hiring a person to do a job in your business.
The right Online Filipino Specialist might be a virtual assistant, but they might also be a web developer, graphic designer, content writer, social media marketer, expert marketer, bookkeeper, AI automation specialist, or something else entirely.
Start with the work you need done.
Find people who have the skills to do it.
Ask questions that reveal how they actually work.
Give them a small, relevant test when appropriate.
Then pay attention to what happens after you hire them.
Experience tells you what someone has done. The right questions can tell you how they work.
So, what will you ask your next Online Filipino Specialist before you decide to hire them?
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