When Is the Right Time to Hire an Executive Assistant?

The idea of having an Executive Assistant may seem like a pipe dream. Who wouldn't want to collaborate with someone whose main goal was to advance your career? An Executive Assistant can undoubtedly save your career. They take on a variety of jobs, handling duties including scheduling meetings for CEOs, office work and occasionally even doing errands for themselves.

If you hire a professional Executive Assistant at the right moment and under the right conditions, they could be able to save you hours of labour every day. Let us discuss the top 3 reasons to decide why and when you should hire an Executive Assistant.

You Are Overworked with No Free Time

A rise in work-related stress is usually the first sign you need an Executive Assistant. Your business grows, adding new duties. Once-easy tasks become difficult. Many Executives lose control of their calendars and to-do lists. They miss meetings, arrive late due to miscommunications, and forget tasks. As responsibilities develop, they're needed in multiple places.

As demands rise, Executive mornings get increasingly chaotic. Many Executives must now survive. In survival mode, they can't work on the big-picture leadership that firms need. An Executive Assistant's main job is to reduce stress. Many Assistants specialise in appointment scheduling and triaging requests, so CEOs don't have to handle each request directly. This filter helps manage responsibilities.

You Are Sure of the ROI

Stress alone won't justify employing an Executive Assistant. You must also ensure payment. Executives hunt for Executive Assistants when their responsibilities rise due to corporate expansion. Growth usually brings extra income, which tempts companies to hire more workers. The stress-inducing growth may not last long. How much money you have for a long-term hire depends on your growth and its sustainability.

A new Executive Assistant will likewise have a learning curve. They may not be fully operational for months. During those months, you'll likely spend a lot of time training them. Consider this when determining your budget. Salary depends on the Assistant's experience. Spending more on an experienced Assistant may be important if you don't want to train them or don't have the means. Next, we'll explain how training time and remuneration depend on the Assistant's tasks.

You Have Clarity About the Work Your Executive Assistant Will Do

Any employment without specific responsibilities is a mistake and that includes Executive Assistant hires. We all underestimate how long it will take people to learn skills we take for granted, like scheduling appointments according to our preferences. If you're not clear on your Assistant's daily tasks, you'll be frustrated.

Most CEOs start by outsourcing tedious duties like processing paperwork (invoices, time-off requests) or running reports. Any duty that can be written down is good for a new hire. Consider how you spend your time each day to identify things you may delegate. Keep a time journal to see which chores break your flow and take too long.

Once you have a list of jobs to outsourcing, you may find that certain repetitive, disruptive labour may be reduced or removed without an Assistant's help. Change your schedule or internal procedures, for example. Accounting and payroll software can handle these chores more cost-effectively.

The Final Wrap

Hire an Executive Assistant from Virtual PA London and let us help you find the right professional who would take care of all your additional work and leave you with a lot of free space to focus on other important and essential work. If you don't need full-time, on-site staff, consider a remote or part-time Assistant. It's preferable to start with limited work and gradually expand someone's workload to full-time than to hire a full-time Executive Assistant and let them go due to cash-flow issues.