How we vet

Out of every 100 applicants, you see 3-5.

The exact 5-stage screening process every DotVA virtual assistant goes through before they reach your shortlist. Written so you can audit our work — and so you know exactly what you're getting when we say "vetted."

100apply

30past Stage 1

12past Stage 3

3-5on your shortlist

Application + LinkedIn screen

30 of 100 pass · 15 min per candidate · Run by DotVA recruiting lead

What we do

We open every application personally. We read the LinkedIn profile, check work history continuity (gaps explained?), verify the role-specific skills they claim, and cross-reference the email with the resume.

Why this matters

Most agencies skip this and rely on automated keyword matching. We don't — keyword matchers can't catch the candidate who wrote their resume with ChatGPT and has zero of the actual experience.

What fails this stage

No relevant role-specific experience · Resume mismatch with LinkedIn · Gaps unexplained · Already on another agency's books · Wrong AU-hours availability

Written + spoken English fluency

18 of 100 pass · 45 min assessment · Run by DotVA assessment team

What we do

A written prompt (draft a difficult email back to a frustrated AU customer) + a 15-minute Zoom interview. We assess: grammar, register, AU-English idiom, ability to push back politely, comfort with ambiguity.

Why this matters

The single biggest cause of placement breakdown isn't skills — it's tone. A VA who can't calibrate AU-English register will frustrate every AU founder who hires them. We catch that at Stage 2, not at Day 30.

What fails this stage

Stilted or formal AU-English register · Inability to write a "no" politely · Heavy reliance on AI for the written task (we can tell) · Audio quality / connection issues that'll hurt client video calls

Role-specific skills assessment

12 of 100 pass · 90-min timed task · Run by DotVA assessment team + senior peer

What we do

A real task scaled to the role. Bookkeepers reconcile a messy Xero file. EAs handle a calendar with 5 conflicts + a travel-booking puzzle. Customer support VAs handle 8 inbound messages with the FAQ as their only reference.

Why this matters

Self-reported skills are unreliable. A scored, timed task tells us whether the candidate can actually do the job — and importantly, how they handle the parts they don't know.

What fails this stage

Couldn't complete the core task · Got the answer but slowly (>2x expected time) · Refused to escalate ambiguity (silent failure mode) · Used AI tools without flagging (we encourage AI use, just need transparency)

Cultural fit interview with Jenn

8 of 100 pass · 30-min Zoom · Run by Jenn (founder)

What we do

I personally meet every candidate at Stage 4. We talk through their work history, the kind of clients they thrive with, the kind of work they hate, how they handle pushback. I'm looking for: ownership thinking, willingness to disagree, comfort with not knowing.

Why this matters

Skills get you past Stage 3. Stage 4 is "would I trust this person with my own business?" If the answer is no, no client placement of theirs lands. This is the gate that prevents 90% of the "the VA wasn't a fit" calls 60 days in.

What fails this stage

Yes-person reflex (won't push back) · Vague on what kind of work they hate (no self-awareness) · Hidden agendas (looking for a stepping-stone, treating this as a side gig) · No questions for me at the end

Mock-client task — built with you

5 of 100 pass · ~3 hour candidate task + 1 hour client review · Run by Client + DotVA

What we do

After your discovery call, we co-write a Stage 5 brief: a real task you'd give the VA in week one (e.g. "draft replies to these 5 emails", "build this report from this data", "write the SOP for this workflow"). 3-5 candidates run it. You review the outputs.

Why this matters

Stage 5 turns vetting from our process into yours. By the time you're on a final shortlist call, you've already seen each candidate's actual work product on your actual business. The match decision compresses from weeks of trial-and-error into a single Zoom.

What fails this stage

Output that's technically right but tonally off · Over-asking clarifying questions (couldn't self-direct) · Under-asking (charged ahead with wrong assumptions) · Took 2x the expected time · You don't connect with their style

What happens after you pick

Day 0. You sign off on a candidate. We send the placement contract for e-signature.
Day 1-3. Onboarding. We provision the VA's accounts, run the kickoff call with you, set up shared tools.
Day 4-7. Week one — shadow + observe. Your VA reads inbound, watches workflows, writes their first SOP.
Day 8-14. Supervised execution. Your VA owns one workflow end-to-end with daily review.
Day 30. Formal review with you and the VA. We adjust scope, cadence, or replace if it isn't working.

If something isn't working inside 30 days, we replace at no cost. Beyond 30 days we still help — you just pay for the new VA, not the old one.

FAQ on the vetting process

How long does the vetting process take?

From a candidate's application to your shortlist, the full screening takes us 5-7 business days. We screen continuously rather than only when a client asks, so most placements move from your discovery call to a 3-5 person shortlist inside 7-10 days.

Can I add my own screening questions?

Yes — and most clients do. After the discovery call we'll write a custom Stage 5 mock-client task with you, calibrated to your business. The task is what the candidate would actually do in week one, not a generic test.

What if a vetted candidate still doesn't work out?

Inside 30 days we replace at no extra cost — we run another shortlist, you pick again, the new VA starts. The first placement's investment isn't wasted; we keep the candidate in our pool for the next match.

Why don't you just use Upwork or OnlineJobs.ph?

We've used both. Upwork passes the vetting cost onto you (it's your time). OnlineJobs.ph is a great sourcing tool but doesn't do the assessment. Our model is to absorb both — sourcing happens through our own networks plus those platforms, and the 5 stages below sit on top.