5 Steps to Hiring a Remote Executive Assistant
IN A HURRY? HERE’S THE BOTTOM LINE
Are you looking for someone to handle behind-the-scenes administrative tasks within your organization? An Executive Assistant could be the answer! Start by defining responsibilities and developing a job description. Share that across your networks and interview qualified candidates until you find the right fit. When onboarding, you can co-create SOPs to minimize your workload and set them up for success.
GOT A MINUTE? HERE ARE THE DETAILS TO CONSIDER
Last summer, I onboarded my first Executive Assistant to support Melissa Swink & Co. She works behind the scenes, helping my Senior VAs and me run the business smoothly. She’s the only team member who doesn’t complete client work and just provides internal support.
I needed someone to remove some “busy work” from my plate, such as email inbox management and internal communications. With her support, I have made big strides in moving my business forward with “big picture” projects.
One year later, I’m excited to announce that she is about to embark on a new role within the company. We're both thrilled about this exciting transition - but this also means that I need to find a new Executive Assistant.
I often hear from clients, colleagues, and connections, “I need an assistant!” so I thought it would be insightful to share the behind-the-scenes process we’ve adopted for this search and transition.
Step 1: Define Responsibilities
To find the right fit, first define the responsibilities you need this person to cover. This will look different for every person and company, but for me, there are three key areas where I need help: administrative and operations, accounting assistance, and inside sales support.
Administrative and Operations: This involves daily tasks such as handling the influx of emails, segmenting inboxes, scheduling appointments, coordinating events, managing projects, and sending gifts to clients and team members.
Accounting Assistance: Though I plan to have a dedicated bookkeeper and tax strategist, the Executive Assistant can help with hourly and project invoicing, updating payment information, preparing mileage reports, organizing team payments, and sending W9 requests. These tasks smooth out the daily financial operations, helping us stay proactive in financial planning.
Inside Sales Support: Ensuring personalized and effective communication during the sales process is essential. The assistant can join calls, take notes, draft proposals, and follow up with prospects and past clients, nurturing long-term relationships.
Not sure what you can delegate to a virtual assistant team? This free PDF download will help you choose some tasks and responsibilities.
Step 2: Develop a Job Description
A well-crafted job description will help you attract the right candidates to your company. Now that you’ve defined responsibilities, this should be easier to assemble. I created a simple one-page description and refined it with feedback from my business coach.
The job description includes:
Basics: Title, hours, location (remote U.S.), and application deadline.
Day in the Life: Descriptive segments like "Does this sound like you?" This includes traits such as enjoying task lists, taking ownership of projects, and having a servanthood heart.
Nuts and Bolts: Specific responsibilities, as outlined in Step 1.
Company Info: Background, future direction, team culture, and client types.
Application Instructions: Clear, concise steps for applying.
Step 3: Post Job Description
Strategically posting the job description ensures relevant applications. Potential avenues include virtual assistant job groups on Facebook and LinkedIn, contacting your professional network, and informing existing team members who might refer good candidates. These channels help filter candidates who align with our requirements and culture.
Step 4: Review Applications and Interview Candidates
I’ll have my current Executive Assistant take the first pass at reviewing candidates to manage the influx of applications. Her role will be to weed out applications that don’t meet the experience required, ensuring we focus on the most qualified candidates.
Once potential candidates are identified, we will conduct interviews to gauge who will be the right fit for the role and our team culture. Get more details on how I interview remote team members, here!
Step 5: Selection and Onboarding
After selecting the new Executive Assistant, he or she will be onboarded onto the team. We want to ensure a smooth transition, so my current Executive Assistant is diligently updating SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), videos, and how-to guides.
Keeping your SOPs and how-to materials up-to-date is immensely helpful for cross-training and onboarding new team members. But if you’re a solo operator or hiring your first team member, you don’t need to create all these SOPs yourself before bringing someone on board! This can be a collaborative process.
Record your screen during training sessions on Zoom or in person and explain the steps for completing various tasks. The new hire can document these steps and return them for review. Then, you can refine the process together. Co-creating SOPs during cross-training ensures accuracy and thoroughness.
Having these SOPs stored in your company's shared files makes them accessible to everyone. To prepare for our new Executive Assistant, my current assistant is going through these materials to ensure they have a solid starting point to work from and can hit the ground running.
Trust Me, It’s Worth It!
Hiring a remote Executive Assistant is certainly a process, but the hours and headaches it will save you in the long run are well worth the effort. My current Executive Assistant is such a valuable team member, and I know her replacement will continue to elevate our company.
Imagine no longer having to spend hours on tedious administrative work! With an Executive Assistant taking care of these tasks, you can channel your energy toward building strategic partnerships, brainstorming new ideas, and improving your service offerings – activities that will truly grow your business.
Request a consultation with me if you’d like to learn more about how my virtual assisting team can help you fill your Executive Assistant role - and, potentially, much more.