One of the most common questions on our discovery calls: “How do you make sure your VAs are actually good?” Fair question. Here’s the answer in detail.
Stage 1: Application screening
We receive applications from VAs around the world. The first filter is mechanical: minimum 2 years of experience, English proficiency at C1 or above, references we can actually contact, a portfolio or work samples. Most applications stop here.
Stage 2: Skills assessment
Candidates who pass screening complete a tier-specific skills test. For General VAs, that’s a timed inbox triage exercise with realistic edge cases. For Advanced VAs, it’s a small project in their specialization, write a meta description, build a one-page site, design a flyer. For Bookkeeping, it’s a categorization exercise in QBO sandbox data.
We’re not looking for perfection on the test, we’re looking for craft, judgment, and the ability to ask clarifying questions instead of guessing.
Stage 3: The communication interview
Skills get you in the door. Communication keeps you in the room. This 45-minute video interview tests written clarity, verbal articulation, and (most importantly) how they handle ambiguity. We deliberately ask vague questions to see who pushes back for clarity and who just makes assumptions.
Stage 4: Trial week with a real client (with their consent)
Final-round candidates do a paid one-week trial with an existing client who’s opted into our training pool. We see how they perform under real conditions. Many candidates who breeze through the interview struggle here, and many who interviewed quietly turn out to be exceptional operators.
Stage 5: Ongoing performance review
Joining the roster isn’t the finish line. Every VA has monthly quality reviews on their client work, quarterly skill check-ins, and access to ongoing training. Underperformance is addressed quickly; consistent excellence is rewarded with better matches and senior-tier work.
The result
Roughly 6% of applicants make it to the active roster. When you hire a Be Epic VA, you’re hiring someone who has cleared a screening process more selective than most senior tech roles. That’s not marketing copy, it’s the math.