{"id":26784,"date":"2017-05-18T10:34:01","date_gmt":"2017-05-18T14:34:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/creator\/creator\/?p=26784"},"modified":"2020-02-26T14:32:10","modified_gmt":"2020-02-26T19:32:10","slug":"how-to-hire-an-assistant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/how-to-hire-an-assistant","title":{"rendered":"How to hire your first assistant"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Busy professionals often find there aren\u2019t enough hours in the day to accomplish all they want to do. If your work-life balance isn\u2019t balanced enough, it may be time to hire an assistant. The recruitment and hiring process can be daunting, but these tips will help you hire an assistant that meets your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Write your assistant wish list<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You won\u2019t find the right assistant if you\u2019re not sure what you\u2019re looking for. Before you even think about placing a job ad or interviewing candidates, write your own wish list detailing who your ideal first assistant will be. What sort of tasks do you expect them to take care of? Typing documents, scheduling your appointments, and answering telephone and email inquiries are common assistant duties. You may also like your assistant to help you manage your work-life balance by taking on personal jobs like collecting dry cleaning or scheduling your family travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you list all your desired tasks in your job advertisement. This will help applicants identify your needs and decide whether they can meet them. Your successful candidate will also need to know what\u2019s expected to excel in the role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An assistant\u2019s personality also matters, as you\u2019ll work closely with your successful candidate. Do you want someone who is very serious and studious, or would you prefer a more bubbly, lighthearted assistant? Once you know what sort of personality you\u2019re looking for, you\u2019ll be able to identify the best match during the interview process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Approach specialist recruitment agencies<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve probably already planned to post your ad on online job boards. While this is a good start, it relies on the right candidate scrolling through the dozens of advertisements posted on these websites every day. Experts say many of the best candidates aren\u2019t searching that hard. A specialist recruitment firm will help connect you to those people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specialist recruitment firms have the tools to browse through the active job market, or the people trawling through those job boards, and the passive market, made up of employed assistants who aren\u2019t actively looking for work but who would be open to a new job if the right one came along. These people with recent experience and a proven track record are likely to be the best candidates for your role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be open to new assistants in your network<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A good assistant won\u2019t always come through conventional channels like a response to your job ad or a recruiter\u2019s recommendation. Your next assistant could be in your network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collaborative job spaces like WeWork offices<\/a> bring together a variety of professionals from a range of backgrounds. When you work in these spaces, you\u2019re likely to strike up conversations with people who have skills different from own. If you enjoy people\u2019s company, don\u2019t be afraid to tell them about your open position and ask whether they have the skills and desire to apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also consider your online connections. Post about your vacant position on your social media profiles, especially your LinkedIn page. Ask whether any of your contacts are interested in the work or knows someone they can recommend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask about previous experience<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While your applicants\u2019 resumes will give you some indication of their experience, asking this question during an interview will give you more insight in their past work. Look for candidates who\u2019ve worked for clients similar to yourself. If you\u2019re running a small business, an assistant who\u2019s used to working with celebrities might not be a good fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask your candidates to get specific and describe their daily duties and responsibilities. Ask for anecdotes about memorable projects and challenges. Their answers will indicate whether a candidate will be a fish out of water in your line of work or your perfect match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask about the parts of the job your candidates loved and loathed<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People tend to do best when they\u2019re doing things they enjoy. Learning the parts of the job your candidates love most will tell you what makes them tick. Ideally, you want to find an assistant who can do a lot of the things they love most when they\u2019re working for you. If an applicant struggles to answer this question, it might indicate they work as an assistant for a paycheck and nothing more. This lack of real passion for the work should be a red flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, asking your candidates what parts of their previous work they didn\u2019t enjoy can be revealing. If candidates say they hate the things they\u2019ll need to do a lot when working for you, they\u2019re unlikely to be a good fit for the position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask the assistant about the relationships they\u2019ve had With past employers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Finding an assistant is about hiring someone you\u2019ll form a relationship with. So learning more about the relationships your candidates have had with previous employers can be insightful. You should ideally choose the candidate who tends to have working relationships that sound like the ones you\u2019d like to have with an assistant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask about problem solving<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The best assistants are problem solvers, so make sure you ask questions about problem-solving experience and instincts in your interview. For example, you might ask what your assistant would do if someone calls for you with an urgent question when you\u2019re out of the office. Your candidate\u2019s answer will give you an insight to how he or she would handle the situation in your office. Consider common problems that might arise in your workplace when crafting your problem-solving questions. You can also ask your candidates to share times they\u2019ve had to apply problem-solving skills in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask about plans for the future<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many people applying for assistant roles see these positions as stepping stones along their career path. Others are happy in supporting roles and never feel the need to move on from them. Ask what your candidates intend so you can find the best match. If you\u2019re looking for a long-term hire, someone who isn\u2019t intending on sticking around won\u2019t be the best fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hire an assistant<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve interviewed your applicants, it\u2019s time to make a decision and hire your assistant. The following tips will help you make the right choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prioritize candidates with external leadership experience<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While professional achievements and experience matter, don\u2019t underestimate the importance of things your candidates do outside the workplace. Prioritize candidates who volunteer in their community or participate in professional associations. Taking on such positions suggests your candidates want to learn and be team players. They might also have professional connections that could benefit your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Test your finalists’ communication skills<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019ve found your frontrunners, test their communication skills. Your assistant will need to communicate with your business associates and customers via the phone and email, so communicate with your finalists using these methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you got a sense of your candidates\u2019 oral communication skills during their interviews, some people struggle to speak as naturally on the phone. Look for candidates who can speak confidently on the phone without the use of filler words or sounds of hesitation. Their email correspondence should also be clear and without grammatical and spelling errors. Liberal use of emojis and emoticons may also give you cause for concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meet several times before making a decision<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your decision about the perfect first assistant shouldn\u2019t rushed. Otherwise, you might hire the wrong person and need to start the process all over again. Never base your decision on a single interview. Meet with the candidates you\u2019re most interested in at least three times. Vary the circumstances so you can assess how your candidates handle the changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make at least one meeting over a meal, so you can judge how your potential new assistant acts in a more relaxed setting. Invite other trusted colleagues to some of your meetings so they can offer feedback about your candidates. This will give you a chance to judge how your potential new assistant gels with other employees in your organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trust your intuition<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While credentials and experience are important, don\u2019t let the information you know about your candidates override your gut instincts. We typically have a sixth sense about whom we\u2019d best work with. If something still feels off about the candidate with the most impressive resume, don\u2019t hire this person. Trust your gut instinct to guide you toward the right decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hiring an assistant doesn\u2019t need to be daunting. Do your research, but trust your instincts when you’re making this important decision.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Busy professionals often find there aren\u2019t enough hours in the day to accomplish all they want to do. If your work-life balance isn\u2019t balanced enough, it may be time to hire an assistant. The recruitment and hiring process can be daunting, but these tips will help you hire an assistant that meets your needs. Write […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":898,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43902],"tags":[518,39218,39221],"class_list":["post-26784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-professional-development","tag-talent","tag-small-businesses","tag-entrepreneurs"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow To Hire An Assistant | Ideas by We<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn the steps you should take to hire an assistant for your business.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/how-to-hire-an-assistant\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" 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