Why an Executive Assistant is One of the Most Important Hires You Can Make

As the CEO or executive of a start-up, whether pre-IPO or Series A, B, C, or Seed, the current economic market may have you concerned. In a market like this, your liquidity runway is important and hiring might seem counterintuitive. But there is one critical hire to consider: an Executive Assistant or an Executive/Personal Assistant. 

Founders and CEOs may be concerned that this appears fiscally extravagant or not in keeping with the lean, flat and non-traditional start-up culture. But hiring an Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant, or even a Chief of Staff is critical to successful execution, scaling up, or even just surviving in uncertain times. It is one of the most important hires you can make. 

Do I Really Need An Executive Assistant?

The business case for hiring an Executive Assistant is clear: when times are tough the focus of the CEO/Founder is more important than ever. The talent of the C-Suite office is what steers the ship.  As CEO, Founder, or Co-Founder, you and your team (CMO, CTO, CHRO, CRO, CFO) are the company’s most critical asset. If you and your team are too busy bailing you might miss the island on the horizon. The best way to make sure you get where you need to go is to remain focused and free from needless distractions.  

When you hire an Executive Assistant or Personal Assistant you can take most of the mundane tasks off your plate, so you can focus on what really matters. Time to focus is a necessity and together with the right Executive Assistant, you and your team can lead, inspire, and determine the best strategies for your company.

Depending on where you are in the start-up cycle, the 2023 horizon looks different and uncertain.  But, no matter the stage of your start-up, this is not the time to hold back. Hiring an effective Executive Assistant is key to success. Think of it this way: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” (old African saying)

What Is The Role Of The Executive Assistant To The CEO?

As experts and specialists in administrative support for the C-Suite, the sustained demand we see for the key role of Executive Assistant indicates that many CEOs and Founders recognize how critical this role is.  

Depending on the personality and management style of a CEO, the functions an executive assistant performs within this role can vary, but the best EAs can help with:

• Communications: A great EA can organize and manage your email, draft emails, respond on your behalf to emails, initiate conversations, and make you aware of potentially important issues that may not surface to your level. Some EAs even help with social media if you don’t have staff for this.
• Time Management: Your assistant should be able to manage your calendar as well as coordinate your work and personal calendars, schedule meetings, and most importantly help you set scheduling priorities on your calendar
• Organization: An executive assistant helps you set up standard operating procedures and improve business processes including “electronic organization. This could involve setting up a document system in the Cloud, a CRM system, scanning physical documents, organizing financials and expenses, contacts, etc.
• Projects: An experienced EA can manage projects and help you with dates and deliverables on larger projects and manage up by tracking progress with the internal team. Many EAs also assist with or produce PowerPoint decks for presentations for projects. Event management is also often taken on by the EA. 
• Travel: Your assistant can be responsible for booking all travel, or work closely with an old-fashioned travel agent to ensure you travel the way you like. They can make connections, and rebook multiple times for you when your plans change, and are available while you are traveling if there are cancellations or other hiccups.

These are only some of the things an EA/PA can do for you.  Depending on your industry, management style, and personality you may also want help with many other projects and tasks as well.

Get Help Hiring An Effective Executive Assistant

As an expert recruiter for executive assistants to support CEOs and Founders, C-Suite Assistants can provide you with advice on hiring an executive assistant. If you have been trying to hire on your own and haven’t been successful, or if you are just starting out and would like to learn more about how we can help you, call us at 646-214-7475 or contact us now.

C-Suite Assistants can help you hire an executive assistant who will make a real difference and give you the extra time you need to focus, work more effectively and lead your company.  We specialize exclusively in finding Executive and Personal Assistants for C-Suite executives across the USA and have a Five Star Google rating. Let our specialized executive assistant staffing firm find the right candidate for you – quickly and efficiently.