As a business grows, it’s important for owners to implement new ideas and improve work processes. Competition in the marketplace is constantly evolving, and without innovative approaches and a quick response to change, they can lose ground. Meanwhile, business challenges pile up, and time is running out.
A virtual executive assistant can help in such situations. They can take on some of the tasks, help you organize your work time properly, and optimize many processes. In simple terms, an executive virtual assistant is a professional who makes a manager’s life significantly easier and allows them to think less about routine and more about profit.
VA Staff will explain how a business owner can determine if they need a virtual executive assistant, what tasks this employee can handle, where to find one, and what to look for when searching, pretty much a checklist about an executive assistant.
When an owner needs an executive assistant
The question of hiring an executive assistant becomes relevant when a business owner begins to feel overwhelmed by the daily grind. Significant time is wasted on minor tasks that bring no satisfaction and don’t contribute to business growth. Furthermore, a forgotten meeting or missed agreement can negatively impact the business.
It’s at this stage that it’s worth considering hiring an assistant, who will take over routine duties and allow you to focus on development. They will handle planning and ensure the owner doesn’t miss anything important.
Duties and responsibilities of an executive assistant
An executive assistant’s responsibilities can be quite extensive and depend on the company’s size, the owner’s business strategy, and other factors. However, there are key tasks that typically fall within their purview:
- Meetings. an executive assistant is the business owner’s “right hand” at meetings. They document agreements, record appointments, and provide the owner with contact information. The assistant’s job is to ensure that nothing is missed.
- Calendar management. The assistant helps you schedule meetings and keep track of schedule changes.
- Documentation work. For example, signing certain contracts, drafting documents, and maintaining records.
- Project tasks. If necessary, the assistant can create a project roadmap, unite the team, assign roles, and monitor task completion.
- Working with partners. For matters that don’t require the manager’s involvement, the assistant can communicate with partners independently. For example, they can resolve ongoing issues with contractors and suppliers.
- Information preparation. If a task needs to be solved, the business assistant gathers the necessary information and provides it to the owner.
- Owner support. The assistant can accompany the manager on business trips and organize their participation in conferences and presentations.
Sometimes an assistant handles personal errands for the manager. If such tasks take up virtually all of the employee’s time, the position is considered a personal assistant role.
Skills and qualities of an executive assistant
The average business owner is characterized by several points:
- A large number of tasks.
- Lack of time.
- Focus on business development.
Accordingly, the last thing an owner will want to do is train their assistant. As we stated at the beginning of the article, an executive assistant is a professional, meaning they should already possess all the necessary skills:
- Ability to multitask. An assistant’s work will always involve many different tasks. The key is to not miss anything important due to the fast pace of work.
- High stress tolerance. Working with a manager can be challenging at times—moods can fluctuate, and tasks can overlap. It’s at times like these that it’s crucial to maintain inner calm.
- Flexibility and a willingness to say “yes” to any task. An assistant will be expected to handle a wide variety of work, from simple assignments to complex projects. It’s important to be willing to take on even new tasks that haven’t been handled before.
- Listening and analyzing skills. A good business assistant speaks little and listens a lot. Their job is to not miss important details and highlight key points in the general flow of information.
All of the listed skills are soft skills —competencies that are important for building a career, but are not related to professional skills. In addition to soft skills, there are hard skills. These are acquired through training or experience in a specific position.
So, what professional skills should an executive assistant have?
- Experience as an executive assistant. The minimum required experience is usually one year. Alternatively, an executive assistant can begin their career in other positions within the company.
- Ability to work with documents, conduct business correspondence and correctly structure information.
- Project management experience. If the business assistant is expected to manage project roadmaps and oversee everything, this is essential.
- Proficiency in Excel or Google Sheets is a requirement for most companies.
- Knowledge of foreign languages. This is especially often a requirement if an executive assistant is needed for an international company. For example, a foreign language is needed for negotiations, organizing meetings, and collaborating with foreign colleagues.
Where and how to find an executive assistant
Quite often, a manager transfers an existing employee to the position of executive assistant. If there’s no suitable candidate on the team, the services of specialized agencies can be used. These are companies that train assistants. The owner can outline specific criteria for selecting candidates.
However, while a manager has the opportunity to observe a potential executive assistant within their team, an employee selected by an agency will be a “wild card.” During the process, the owner may realize that the assistant isn’t a good fit, for example, because they work too slowly or lack the necessary experience.
Another search channel is specialized websites, such as HeadHunter. This is a fairly common method, but it has certain drawbacks. For example, if the owner conducts the search themselves, it will take a very long time.
If the company has a director or HR manager, the task is simplified. However, the final interview should always be conducted by the owner in person. Otherwise, there’s a risk that the business assistant won’t meet their expectations.
How to Create KPIs for an Executive Assistant
KPIs are key performance indicators. However, setting them for an executive assistant is challenging. The assistant’s responsibilities are extensive and constantly changing. Identifying the key ones and tying them to KPIs is difficult.
It’s also worth considering the irregular schedule. After all, an assistant’s work is often tied to the manager’s schedule, while a business owner’s schedule is hardly stable.
How to properly delegate tasks to an assistant
When searching for an executive assistant, a reasonable question arises: whether additional training is necessary for the new employee. If the business assistant comes from an agency, they already have some skills, and their onboarding process will be easier. However, even in this case, a brief introductory training is the direct responsibility of the new manager. The assistant should clearly outline how the business owner views the work process, what tools will be used, and how the new employee should record completed tasks.
However, an assistant must have a fairly high level of self-organization. When delegating tasks, the manager will expect the assistant to submit reports on time and to remind them of deadlines and other details.
Most often, the owner and business assistant communicate via instant messaging: the manager simply writes, “Schedule a meeting with Ivanov,” without further comment. The assistant’s job is to quickly understand what exactly needs to be done. The manager is unlikely to waste time explaining the details in detail.
As for tools, these could be familiar notepads, instant messaging apps, or task management programs like Google Calendar or Google Sheets. The main thing is that the chosen method provides a convenient format for exchanging information between the business assistant and their manager.
Who else in the company needs a virtual executive assistant?
In addition to business owners, assistants may be needed by CEOs or top managers. Employees at this level require a significant amount of time to address strategic issues. Therefore, the more routine tasks are handled by the assistant, the more effective the manager will be.
Furthermore, an assistant can also be useful for employees who manage multiple projects. A business assistant can help manage time, remind them of important tasks, or handle organizational matters.
Virtual Executive Assistant: in a nutshell
- A virtual executive assistant is the manager’s right-hand man. They handle most of the day-to-day work, freeing up the manager’s time for business development.
- A virtual executive assistant can be selected from among current employees. This will give the manager the opportunity to observe in advance how the potential candidate performs at work and approaches assigned tasks.
- There are special schools that teach the profession of virtual executive assistant.
- Before hiring an assistant, the manager should conduct a personal interview with the candidate.
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