operations administrationproject coordinationsocial media schedulingsop documentationvirtual assistant
Complete evaluation framework
What to assess and how to score it
Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.
01
Evaluation factor
Execution and reliability
35% weight
Check how they ran concurrent client projects: named tools (Asana, ClickUp, Notion, Trello), weekly deliverable counts, content calendars kept, and how they tracked deadlines across time zones.
Evidence to listen for
Describes a workload they owned and how they kept it from slipping
Names the tools and systems they ran day to day
Can talk about volume: tickets, inboxes, orders, uptime
Nothing quietly falls through when they are busy
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Cannot describe their own workload; things slip without them noticing.
2
Needs Improvement
Handles routine volume; drops work under pressure.
3
Satisfactory
Reliable on steady-state work; struggles when volume spikes.
4
Very Good
Consistently reliable at real volume with a system for staying on top.
5
Excellent
Names specific boards or sprints they owned, cites on-time delivery rates, and describes juggling client admin alongside scheduled posting without slippage.
02
Evaluation factor
Improving the process
25% weight
Probe SOP work directly: ask which processes they documented, the format used (Loom walkthroughs, checklists, Notion wikis), and what onboarding or handover time dropped to afterwards.
Evidence to listen for
Has changed a process rather than only following one
Can name what was slow or error-prone and what they did about it
Documents so the improvement survives them
Knows when a process is worth automating and when it is not
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Follows instructions only; no sense that process can change.
2
Needs Improvement
Notices problems but escalates rather than solving.
3
Satisfactory
Makes small improvements; impact is local and undocumented.
4
Very Good
Has redesigned a real process with measurable effect.
5
Excellent
Describes a real SOP library they built, how team members used it unaided, and measurable reduction in repeated questions or training hours.
03
Evaluation factor
Judgement and autonomy
25% weight
Assess autonomy with minimal supervision: inbox and calendar triage rules, which decisions they escalated to the client, and how they handled a comment crisis or missed post.
Evidence to listen for
Knows what to decide alone and what to escalate
Handles an exception without freezing or improvising recklessly
Protects confidentiality and access appropriately
Asks a clarifying question rather than guessing on something costly
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Either escalates everything or acts recklessly on their own.
2
Needs Improvement
Needs frequent direction; uneasy with exceptions.
3
Satisfactory
Sound judgement on familiar decisions.
4
Very Good
Clear sense of their own authority; handles exceptions well.
5
Excellent
Shows clear escalation thresholds, acts independently on routine calls, and gives an example of handling negative engagement before the client noticed.
04
Evaluation factor
Communication
15% weight
Judge written clarity across channels: client status updates, Slack or Voxer habits, caption and copy samples, plus reporting cadence on reach, engagement, and follower growth.
Evidence to listen for
Writes clearly enough that people act without a follow-up
Manages expectations before a deadline slips, not after
Handles a frustrated colleague or customer calmly
Works across time zones or async where the role needs it
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Unclear written communication; goes quiet when things slip.
2
Needs Improvement
Communication needs chasing; raises problems late.
3
Satisfactory
Clear enough day to day; proactive updates are inconsistent.
4
Very Good
Clear, proactive, and calm under pressure.
5
Excellent
Produces crisp weekly updates, writes on-brand captions across platforms, and explains metric shifts in plain language a non-marketing client understands.
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