An executive assistant is the glue the holds a company together. Your C-level management staff has plenty of responsibilities, so being able to hand off certain tasks to their trusted assistant is critical for the health of the company. When you’re faced with hiring or replacing an executive-level assistant, it is essential that you know how to source and screen for the best match for your company and the executive. Here are four tips for hiring the best candidate for this role.
- Determine who you want to hire before looking at resumes. One of the biggest mistakes that a hiring manager makes is to start looking at resumes before they fully understand what they’re looking for. Before you post the job or start to look at resumes, piece together the person who you think would be the perfect candidate. What kind of experience do they have? What kind of personality fits in best in your office? Now you can use this as a basic blueprint when reviewing resumes. But don’t fall into the trap of considering only “perfect” candidates. These guidelines should just be suggestions.
- Find out everything you can on the candidates. Employers expect candidates to come to the interview prepared. We want them to have reviewed the website at least and understand what the company does. You should do the same for each candidate you interview. Look at their profile on LinkedIn and check out any public social media accounts. If they have a website or a blog, check that out as well.
- Talk to all their references. Once you decide on your top two or three candidates, it is time to check references. Don’t skip this step. Right now about 20 percent of employers skip the references, which could be a costly mistake. Nearly 30 percent of employers indicated they that they caught fake references during these checks.
- Hire for eventually company growth. Lastly, you want to hire someone who would be able to replace you on the job in the future. You’re probably not looking for your own replacement and you may never need one, but you want to hire someone who has a future with your company even if it is outside the administrative assistant role.
Are you ready to hire the best executive assistant for your company? Harvard Resource Solutions Staffing Agencies in Detroit MI specializes in administrative placements and can help you today!