Picture this: It’s Wednesday, and you’re buried in a product launch while your calendar looks like a game of Tetris gone wrong!
Emails are flooding in faster than you can read them, urgent customer calls are waiting, and your strategic plan needs last-minute tweaks.
As the minutes tick by, reality hits: you simply can’t do it all alone.
What you need is an executive assistant (EA) to keep everything running smoothly while maintaining your peace of mind.
In this blog, we’ll share our proven framework for finding an executive assistant who can free up your workday. Let’s get started with the benefits!
Benefits of Hiring an Executive Assistant
The true north of hiring an executive assistant is simple: giving you back your time. Everything else builds from this foundation.
Here’s why investing in an executive assistant can transform your work life:
- Time Management Champion: As a busy executive, time is your most precious resource, and having the right assistant is about maximizing every hour of your day. You can save 15-20 hours weekly through effective delegation. This isn’t just about handling tasks—it’s about freeing you to focus on what truly matters for your business growth.
- Professional Representative: Your executive assistant becomes your trusted voice. They’re capable of interacting professionally with everyone, from the person who trims your lawn all the way up to the chairman of the board or your most important clients. They reflect your business values and professional standards in every interaction, making you feel confident in their ability to represent you.
- Versatile Project Manager: Think of your executive assistant as your pinch hitter—someone ready to step up to bat when unexpected projects or responsibilities come up. They often act as de facto project managers and can handle everything from organizing company retreats to managing office relocations, often taking on challenges beyond traditional assistant duties.
- Single Point of Contact: Your assistant serves as “one person to handle everything” for all the information flow, creating a streamlined communication channel for everyone who needs to interact with you. This single point of contact is invaluable for maintaining consistent, professional relationships across your entire network.
- Trusted Business Partner: Your assistant becomes more than just someone who manages your calendar. They’re there to bounce ideas off of, help make plans happen, and keep your private information private. They should know how you think and can help you make better decisions.
Unfortunately, finding the perfect EA match—someone who’s truly proactive and business-savvy—can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack!
But you don’t have to figure it out alone.
At ProAssisting, we pair you with experienced U.S.-based executive assistants who bring at least 5 years of high-level support experience from globally recognized brands.
Ready to transform your workday and get back to focusing on what really matters? Let’s talk about finding your perfect ProAssistant match in a free consultation.
Types of Executive Assistant Roles to Consider
Before hiring someone, ask yourself this fundamental question: What kind of assistant support do you actually need?
Your answer will guide you toward one of these three main options:
1. Full-Time Employee Executive Assistant
If you need dedicated, in-person support, a full-time executive assistant might be your best match.
These professionals become fully integrated members of your team, working directly alongside you each day.
Your full-time assistant typically supports just one executive, allowing them to develop a deep understanding of your work style and needs.
This dedicated support comes at a premium—expect to pay between $70,000 and $150,000+ in major metropolitan areas, plus benefits.
What you get with a full-time assistant:
- Daily in-person support for immediate needs
- Deep integration with your team and culture
- Hands-on help with physical tasks and meetings
- Dedicated focus on your business priorities
2. Fractional Remote Executive Assistant
A fractional remote assistant provides high-level support but works virtually. They typically serve multiple executives.
This popular option offers flexibility and cost savings while maintaining professional service levels.
The main advantage?
Cost efficiency—you’ll usually pay 50-80% less than a full-time assistant since you’re not covering office space or benefits.
Your assistant might support up to three executives, but they’ll maintain clear systems for managing priorities.
What to expect from a fractional executive assistant:
- Virtual support during agreed-upon hours
- Digital-first communication and organization
- Clear systems for managing priorities
- Cost-effective professional support
ProAssisting offers elite executive support starting at $3,000 per month. This gets you daily support from a US-based assistant.
We use a straightforward tier system where you can choose between using 1/3, 1/2, or 2/3 of your assistant’s time, depending on your needs.
3. Part-Time In-Person Executive Assistant
While harder to find, part-time in-person assistants can be ideal if you need physical presence but not full-time hours.
These professionals offer a middle ground between full-time and remote support.
This arrangement works well for executives who:
- Need occasional in-person support
- Have predictable busy periods
- Want to build toward full-time support
- Have a mix of virtual and physical tasks
Consider starting with a clear assessment of your daily support needs, then match those requirements to the role that fits best.
Where to Look for Executive Assistant Talent
Here’s where you can start your search:
- Professional Recruiters: If you’re looking for a full-time W2 executive assistant, consider working with recruiters who specialize in executive assistant placement. This comes with extra costs, but these experts understand the nuances of EA roles and can save you a lot of time in the screening process.
- Job Boards: When you use platforms like Indeed—be prepared for a high volume of applications. You’ll need to invest time sifting through resumes to find qualified candidates. One tip to manage this is to create a detailed job description that clearly outlines your requirements and expectations.
- LinkedIn: While posting jobs on LinkedIn can generate many applications, it also offers a unique advantage – you can actively search for and reach out to executive assistants currently working in your area. This approach lets you be more selective in your initial outreach.
- Local Company Search: Consider looking for executive assistants at companies in your location. Top-level executive assistants are industry and principal-agnostic. For example, if you run a tech company, an excellent EA currently working in finance could be a perfect fit. Don’t limit yourself to candidates from your specific industry.
- Specialized EA Services: Companies that focus on executive assistant placement often maintain relationships with pre-vetted candidates. These services can be particularly valuable if you’re open to remote support options.
How to Hire the Right Executive Assistant
Finding the right executive assistant comes down to two crucial elements: proven experience and trust potential.
Let’s break down how to evaluate both effectively.
1. Focus on Detailed Experience
When interviewing candidates, listen for specific stories about how they’ve supported executives in the past.
The best candidates can share concrete examples of:
- How their responsibilities grew over time
- Complex projects they managed successfully
- Challenging situations they navigated
- Ways they’ve represented their executives
2. Building Trust Assessment
You need someone you can trust with confidential and personal information.
During interviews, evaluate:
- How they discuss previous employers
- Their understanding of discretion
- Their approach to handling sensitive information
- Their ability to represent you and your company professionally
3. Interview Strategy
During the first interview, have a friendly conversation where you ask about their experience. Keep it relaxed and listen for specific stories, not just general answers.
Try questions like:
- “What new tasks did you take on in your last role?”
- “How do you handle private information about your boss?”
- “How would you handle speaking on my behalf?”
On the second interview—get into the real-world stuff. This is where you:
- Share actual situations from your work
- Ask “What would you do if…” questions
- See how they’d talk to different people—from clients to office staff
Here’s the thing: you can teach someone how to use new software or manage a calendar, but you can’t teach them to be trustworthy.
Focus on finding someone who feels right—someone you’d be comfortable having represent you, your personal life, and your company.
Pro Tip: Pay attention to how they tell their stories. Are they being specific? Do they seem genuine? Your gut feeling matters here when hiring your first executive assistant.
Ready to find your perfect executive assistant match?
ProAssisting specializes in connecting executives like you with experienced, US-based assistants who can support you remotely—and accomplish most of what an in-house can do at a fraction of the cost.
Our ProAssistants undergo rigorous vetting (we accept only the top 5% of applicants) to ensure they meet our standards.
Schedule a free consultation with our co-founder Ethan Bull—we’ll see if it’s a ProAssistant that you need or suggest other options.
How to Retain Top Talent After Hiring an Executive Assistant
The key to retaining top executive assistant talent lies in creating a true partnership rather than a traditional boss-subordinate relationship.
Here’s how to build and maintain that partnership:
- Create Open Lines of Communication: Building a strong relationship starts with open, honest dialogue. Don’t wait for quarterly or annual reviews—provide feedback, both positive and constructive, in the moment. Make it a two-way street by encouraging your assistant to share their thoughts on how to improve the working relationship. Gallup says 75% of people who willingly quit their jobs don’t quit their positions but their bosses—making strong communication essential for retention.
- Recognize Their Value Publicly: Make sure everyone in your organization—from team members to clients and prospects—understands the importance of your executive assistant’s role. Put them front and center when appropriate. A little public recognition, like acknowledging that you “couldn’t do what you do without them,” goes a long way in building loyalty and job satisfaction.
- Offer Competitive Compensation: Check market rates for executive assistants in your area regularly. If you’re not compensating appropriately, recruiters will notice—and so will your assistant. The cost of losing a top executive assistant can be 213% of the annual salary! This makes competitive compensation and regular reviews not just about retention but a smart business investment. Show your assistant you value their contribution by staying ahead of market rates.
Your executive assistant is a strategic partner in your success.
When you treat them as such, you create an environment where both parties can thrive long-term.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Let’s address some common questions about hiring executive assistants.
How Do I Write an Effective Executive Assistant Job Posting?
There are two main approaches to writing an effective job posting.
The first is the “kitchen sink” approach—a comprehensive listing of everything the executive assistant will be responsible for.
Top-level executive assistants understand this type of posting and expect to have open conversations about prioritizing these responsibilities over their first three months and throughout the year.
“Sample structure of such listings:
Position: Executive Assistant to CEO
Location: [City/Remote]
Compensation: $X-$Y + benefits
About Us: [Company description]
Role Overview: [Key responsibilities]
Requirements: [Must-have qualifications]
Benefits: [Compensation package details]”
The second approach, which we prefer, is focusing on your top three pain points or issues that are slowing you down.
What would your work life look like in three months if these problems were solved?
This helps potential candidates understand the immediate impact they could and need to make.
Either way, include your compensation range, work arrangement (remote, hybrid, or in-person), and any bonus potential to attract qualified candidates.
What Are the Best Ways to Hire Executive Assistants for Startups?
Startups usually operate with tight balance sheets and limited runway.
If you’re at a startup looking for executive assistant support, be honest about what you actually need.
You might be able to leverage offshore virtual assistant support to meet your needs rather than hiring a full-time executive assistant at $120,000-$150,000 per year.
It all depends on being very specific about your true needs.
What Traits Make a Great Executive Assistant for Hire?
First and foremost, look for hard experience on their resume—they need to have done this work before and have proven C-suite experience.
Once that hurdle is crossed, it’s about feeling whether you can create a relationship with this candidate where trust is the foundation.
Pay attention to how they present themselves, how they talk about their experiences and their work ethic.
View the entire hiring process as a test—is anything feeling off or not quite right? You’re looking for someone with both the experience and the potential for a great partnership.
In today’s world, executive assistants need to go beyond just providing support services—they need to understand hospitality and how that support is delivered.
What Tools Help Executive Assistants Excel in Their Roles?
Being tech-savvy is a must for executive assistants. They need to know their way around various digital tools to help make your life easier.
Here are some common tools great assistants use daily:
- Basic work tools like Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Gmail)
- Team chat and video tools like Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams
- Schedule management tools like Calendly, Microsoft Outlook, and Google Calendar
- Travel and expense tools like Concur, TripActions, and Expensify
Once your assistant gets fully up to speed, they can spot ways to make your processes run more smoothly.
They might even suggest better tools to help you get more done in less time.
Conclusion
Finding and retaining the right executive assistant is an investment in your productivity and success.
While the hiring process is quite some work, the long-term benefits of having a trusted partner to manage your schedule, handle projects, and represent you are invaluable.
Looking for a simpler solution?
ProAssisting connects you with experienced, US-based executive assistants who can support you remotely at a fraction of the cost of hiring in-house.
Our ProAssistants receive 80% of your monthly retainer, ensuring top talent stays committed to your success.
With one-hour response times, after-hours support when needed, and the ability to handle 95% of traditional EA tasks remotely, ProAssistants help you focus on what matters most—growing your business.
Ready to reclaim your time? Schedule your free consultation today and discover how a ProAssistant can add value to your work life!
