Why pre-screen executive assistants before the interview
Most of this job is judgement made alone. Two meetings collide and one has to move, an email needs a holding reply before the executive sees it, a caller insists it is urgent. Assistants worth hiring decide, tell the executive afterwards and are right most of the time. A short screen asks what they decided without asking, which reveals the level they actually operated at.
What actually matters when screening Executive Assistant candidates
- 01
Execution and reliability
Check how they run a multi-timezone calendar: conflicting C-suite priorities, board pack deadlines, Concur or Navan expense cycles, and complex international travel with visas and last-minute reroutes.
- 02
Improving the process
Probe what they rebuilt: inbox triage rules, a shared briefing document template, onboarding checklists, or moving scheduling to Calendly, Notion, or an Asana request queue.
- 03
Judgement and autonomy
Test their gatekeeping calls: which meetings they declined without asking, how they handled confidential compensation or M&A documents, and when they escalated instead of deciding.
- 04
Communication
Assess how they write on the executive's behalf: board correspondence, tone with investors or clients, and delivering unwelcome news such as a declined speaking invitation.
Pre-screening questions to ask Executive Assistant candidates
12 questions grouped by what they test. Ask the same set in every screen and score answers on a consistent scale, or send them as an async video screen and compare answers side by side.
Level they supported
3 questions01What kinds of report have you prepared in previous assistant roles?
Listen forDocuments produced for senior audiences, with data gathered and checked before it went out.
Reports described as formatting work, or figures passed on without any checking.
02How have you supported an executive with email and correspondence?
Listen forInbox triaged with clear rules about what to answer, hold or escalate, agreed with the executive.
Every message forwarded, or replies sent on behalf without any agreed boundaries.
03Do you have experience organising meetings and events?
Listen forEvents run end to end with logistics, papers and follow-up all handled without supervision.
Involvement limited to booking rooms, or events that needed constant direction.
Decides independently
4 questions04How would you manage conflicting priorities in an executive's calendar?
Listen forClashes resolved against known priorities, with a decision made and explained rather than escalated.
Every clash passed back to the executive, or the loudest requester always accommodated.
05Do you have experience arranging travel and itineraries?
Listen forComplex trips arranged with connections, documents and contingency plans all thought through.
Bookings made without checking connection times, or no plan for a missed flight.
06What do you do to stay organised when the workload is heavy?
Listen forA system they can describe, with commitments tracked so nothing depends on memory.
Organisation described as being good at multitasking, or no system beyond an inbox.
07How comfortable are you with the standard office and calendar tools?
Listen forFluent across documents, spreadsheets and shared calendars, including permissions, sharing and delegated access.
Basic use only, or repeated errors with calendar invitations and access.
Discreet by habit
3 questions08How do you handle sensitive and confidential documents?
Listen forAccess limited deliberately, with discretion described as routine rather than as an achievement.
Confidential examples volunteered in detail, or sensitive material shared to prove trustworthiness.
09Can you describe solving a problem before it reached the executive?
Listen forA specific issue spotted early and resolved, with the executive told afterwards rather than during.
Problems only reported upwards, or no example of acting without instruction.
10How do you handle difficult stakeholders or callers?
Listen forFirm and courteous, protecting the executive's time without making enemies of the people involved.
Access granted under pressure, or difficult callers handled by avoidance.
Reliable remotely
2 questions11What is your experience working remotely with an executive?
Listen forWorking across time zones with agreed hours and reliable responsiveness during the overlap.
Availability described as always on, or no experience of remote support at all.
12Can you describe a period of heavy workload and how you handled it?
Listen forPressure handled by prioritising and flagging early, with what slipped named honestly.
Everything claimed to be delivered regardless, or pressure absorbed until something failed.
How to score responses
Score every candidate on the same four criteria immediately after the screen. At this stage you are shortlisting for panel interviews, not making the final call.
Execution and reliability
35%5Names the executives supported, meeting volume per week, and specific rescue stories such as rebooking a cancelled transatlantic leg overnight.
Improving the process
25%5Describes a concrete workflow they introduced and the time it returned to the executive, with the tool and adoption path named.
Judgement and autonomy
25%5Draws a clear line between decisions owned outright and those escalated, and gives an example of protecting sensitive information under pressure.
Communication
15%5Adapts register between board members, vendors, and junior staff; shows drafted communications that went out under the executive's name.
Most of the job is judgement made alone. A one-way video screen asks what they decided without asking.
Try it on HirevireScreening FAQ
Process basics
How long should a pre-screening round for this role take?
Ten to fifteen minutes across eight to ten questions, answered async. Enough to establish the level they supported, test their judgement, and hear how they handle confidential material.
Why screen this role on video?
The job is largely spoken. How someone handles a caller, delivers bad news about a diary, or explains a decision matters, and none of it shows in a CV.
Evaluating answers
What is the strongest signal when screening this role?
Something they decided without asking. Assistants operating at a senior level describe a judgement call and the reasoning. Anyone who checked everything was a diary keeper.
How do I test discretion in a screen?
Watch how they describe past employers and executives. Someone who volunteers a confidential situation in order to demonstrate their discretion has already demonstrated the opposite.
Go deeper on this role
Sanat has been hiring since 2012 and watching the recruitment industry change up close ever since, and turned that screening process into Hirevire's video screening platform. LinkedIn
