Most agencies will tell you they "vet" their candidates. Then they send you three resumes and a Zoom link. That isn't vetting. That's sorting.
Here's what we actually do at Vita. Five steps. For every 100 operators we screen, 1 makes it to your interview.
Step 1: Sourced.
We don't post on job boards and hope. Most candidates come through Mo's network in Egypt, LatAm, and South Africa, or through referrals from operators we've already placed. Inbound applications get a quick screen but rarely make it past step 2.
Roughly 1,000 candidates come through this top of funnel per year. Where we start: top 100% of sourced.
Step 2: English screen.
A 20 minute live call with Mo or a Vita team member. We're checking three things. Fluency under pressure (can they hold a real conversation without freezing). Accent clarity (will a Texas seller understand them on a cold call). And basic professionalism (did they show up on time, dressed for a video call, with their camera on).
After this step: top 40% remain.
Step 3: Role specific test.
This is the one most agencies skip. It's the one that matters most.
For acquisition managers: we run a live cold call simulation. Mo plays the motivated seller. The candidate has to take the call, build rapport, ask the right qualifying questions, and try to set a follow up. We score it against a rubric we've built from 120+ placements.
For ISAs: a dial-set test. Can they make 80+ outbound calls in two hours and get past gatekeepers without sounding like a script.
For dispo specialists: a buyer pitch test. We give them a fake property and a buyers list and they have to write the outreach and respond to objections.
For comping analysts: a real comp on a real property. They have an hour. We grade for accuracy and methodology.
This is where most of the cuts happen. After this step: top 10% remain.
Step 4: Mo's 1:1.
Mo does a 30 minute interview with every candidate who passes step 3. He's not re-testing the technical skill. He's gut checking three things. Coachability (will they take feedback and adjust). Career pace (are they treating this like a real career or a side gig). And cultural fit (would I want this person on a Slack thread with our client).
Mo signs off personally. If he wouldn't put them in front of a client, they don't get in front of a client. After this step: top 4% remain.
Step 5: Your interview.
Three candidates pre matched to your role, country, KPI targets, and comp band. Each comes with a Loom intro and the role specific work sample from step 3. You interview only the ones you like.
The shortlist you receive is your interview. Final: top 1% of sourced. 1 out of every 100 operators we screen.
Why this matters.
Most offshore staffing burns out clients because the candidates can't actually do the job. The "VA" is great at admin but can't handle a seller call. Or they can hold a call but not pull a comp. Or they can do both but quit on day 47 because the time zone broke them.
Every step in our process exists because we lost a placement to something the previous step would have caught. The test in step 3 is there because the first three candidates we ever placed couldn't actually do the job. The Mo 1:1 in step 4 is there because we placed somebody once who passed every test and then quit two weeks in.
The process keeps growing. We just added a new check this quarter for AM candidates. After the cold call sim, we have them write a 100 word follow up email to the seller they just talked to. Half the candidates who passed the sim couldn't write a coherent email. Now we catch that before the client does.
This is what "vetted" means at Vita. Not a resume review. Not a 15 minute interview. A 5 step gauntlet where most people don't make it.