Do you depend on your executive assistant (EA) for your superpowers? Does your EA help you stay on track so you can be more productive? When the Executive/EA partnership is successful, it can mean greater efficiency for the executive and increased growth potential for the entire organization. Executive assistant engagement is essential in creating a positive work environment and EA loyalty. A study found that employees with a positive work experience were 68% less likely to leave.
C-Suite Assistants provides premier executive assistant recruiting to clients in many industries and is available to share our expertise on how to retain your executive assistant.
All About Employee Retention
Employee retention means a business can keep its workers from quitting their jobs for better opportunities. If you must keep finding new people, this can cost you valuable time and money in hiring and training, keeping your business from thriving. On the other hand, worker loyalty can lead to improved morale, increased productivity, higher work quality, and considerable cost savings.
You can minimize employee turnover by creating a satisfying work environment that fosters engagement and supports career development. Team members want to feel they belong and have opportunities for career growth. How can organizations improve employee retention for executive assistants? Most of the dynamics for retaining top talent — recognition, strong leadership, work-life balance initiatives, a robust company culture, and competitive compensation and benefits – also apply to your EA.
What Drives Executive Assistants
An EA is driven by more than just earning a paycheck. Executive assistants are motivated by a desire to help their executives while positively impacting their success and the organization’s overall success. They take pride in handling complex details, anticipating needs, and executing many diverse tasks flawlessly. An EA gets satisfaction from providing seamless support through excellent communication, exceptional organizational skills, and proactive problem-solving.
What are the key factors that contribute to job satisfaction for an executive assistant? An EA feels fulfilled and happy in their career when they:
- Make a difference for the company.
- Build strong relationships.
- Are presented with challenges and variety.
- Receive positive feedback and are highly valued.
- Are encouraged to ask questions and offer suggestions.
- Can continuously learn new skills and expand their knowledge.
You can keep your EA motivated by helping them develop professionally and stay at the forefront of industry trends so they can keep their skills fresh in a rapidly changing world.
Strategies For Keeping Your Executive Assistant Engaged
What are the best strategies to keep executive assistants motivated and engaged? Robust onboarding, performance feedback, recognition, career development, engagement activities, and flexible work arrangements are critical motivational components for all EAs. Some of these components are discussed below, but what’s equally important is to understand what’s most important for your particular EA.
Training & Skill Development
What role does professional development play in engaging executive assistants? Ongoing training and skills development ensure that your EA is comfortable using the latest technology and is knowledgeable about industry trends. This helps them feel more productive and confident in their work, which leads to greater satisfaction and engagement. There are a number of organizations dedicated to the EA community that provide career development and training opportunities, including:
- Office Dynamics
- The EA Campus
- Smart Events International
- American Society of Administrative Professionals
Consider paying for some of these events or courses as a way of showing you value your EA and the role they play.
Team Building
You can create a sense of community and company culture through social events and team building. Through team collaboration projects, your assistant will better appreciate their role in the organization and how what they do matters in the business’s overall success.
Recognizing & Rewarding
How can I recognize and reward my assistant? Offer verbal praise, send gifts and thank-you notes, provide professional development opportunities, publicly acknowledge their achievements, give them interesting tasks, offer a more flexible work arrangement, and consider small monetary bonuses. They’ll feel valued and appreciated.
Work-Life Balance
With a healthy work-life balance, your EA can perform at their highest level. They’ll also know that the organization respects their work and prioritizes their well-being, which boosts employee satisfaction. Wellness programs should promote both physical and mental health initiatives.
Flexibility
Allowing flexible work options, such as remote work or hybrid arrangements and flexible hours or compressed work weeks, helps boost productivity and employee satisfaction. This type of flexibility helps your team better manage their work schedules and personal lives.
Positive Work Environment
Creating an inclusive and welcoming company culture and positive workplace will encourage your EA to remain in their position.
Career Growth
When you create a clear trajectory for career advancement, you demonstrate to your EA that you appreciate what they do. Provide mentorship, training, and skill development. As they gain more experience, trust them with greater responsibilities and a boost in compensation.
Regularly Assessing Engagement
Conduct periodic executive assistant engagement assessments to monitor changes in their work behavior and determine how they feel about their position and the company. Ask your assistants if they feel valued and have satisfying career growth opportunities. Encourage them to share any suggestions on how you can leverage their expertise better and improve workflow between you.
It’s important to keep communication open and frequent so you can better understand their changing needs. For some EA’s, predictable hours and clearly defined responsibilities are most important. For others, it’s the ability to know there are career advancement opportunities for the future. If you want to keep a good EA, frequent communication allows you to see if their motivators have evolved. What was once most important may have changed. Sometimes, for example, salary may have become more important than advancement opportunities, or vice versa. Once you have found a good EA, retaining them is critical.
Find The Right Executive Assistant With C-Suite Assistants
At C-Suite Assistants, we do more than recruit the best EAs for your executives. We also advise companies on how to retain top talent and optimize EA engagement with proven employee retention strategies.
Find the best executive assistant for your company with the expertise of our dedicated recruiters. With years of industry experience, we ensure a true alignment with your values, vision, and specific needs, enabling us to connect you with top-tier talent that perfectly fits your organization. Contact us today for more information.
