Choosing a Reliable Remote Executive Assistant: 7 Tips

You thus want to improve your company’s efficiency and are searching for ways to simplify its operations. You ask yourself, “How can I accomplish more in less time?” A remote executive assistant is a terrific approach to optimise your company’s operations.

Hiring a remote executive assistant has the fundamental benefit of allowing you to concentrate on the broader picture while delegating the little details and operational duties to them.

You may spend more time analysing the success of your firm and growing it if you hire an EA. Hiring a virtual executive assistant (EA) is a logical decision for business owners seeking to increase efficiency, since remote work is anticipated to spur even more change in the years to come.

A remote executive assistant may aid you in being more productive in a variety of ways, and the benefits they provide might vary substantially depending on where you look. Wing, for instance, provides qualified and committed remote assistants for your company’s needs. They can be tasked with maintaining and arranging calendars, managing CRMs, providing internal assistance, and much more!

What can an executive assistant accomplish from a distance?

It is essential to have an executive assistant if you want to succeed in your endeavours. A committed assistant can assist you in running your company effectively and offer helpful support based on your needs. You might be curious about the advantages and differences between a remote executive assistant and an administrative assistant when thinking about employing one. EAs and AAs have different roles and can provide different kinds of support.

An executive assistant takes on more complex and specialised duties, whereas an administrative assistant mostly does standard office work and offers basic support. A remote administrative assistant, for instance, may handle jobs like managing your email and making appointments. A remote executive assistant, on the other hand, excels at responsibilities like customer follow-ups, monitoring social media and communities, and performing in-depth research.

An administrative assistant is a great option if your goal is to delegate boring and repetitive work. However, employing an executive assistant is the best course of action if you need someone to provide in-depth reports, keep track of statistics, and take proactive measures.

How can I locate a top-notch virtual executive assistant?

There are specific traits you should look for in an executive assistant candidate. You want someone who can multitask, communicate effectively, and has a good work ethic.

Here are seven crucial recommendations for choosing a capable remote executive assistant:

Determine the snags in your workweek.

• What activities are a regular part of your day? What duties would you like your executive assistant to carry out?
• Which parts of your workflow can you outsource to your EA in a productive way?

Establish the number of tasks and degree of workload that your executive assistant will oversee managing. Once you have this knowledge, you may proceed to match your requirements with the appropriate executive assistant. This transparency will make the employment process easier and assist you in finding the ideal fit for your requirement.

1. Your executive assistant’s remote document processing

• Detail each job you want your EA to complete in the task documentation. Give precise directions, for instance, if they are to make sales calls or schedule appointments. To show others how to use your favourite CRM solutions, you may create videos, scripts, and templates.
• Management of social media: If your EA oversees handling your social media, make a detailed manual on uploading and scheduling content across all your channels. Describe your intended publishing schedule, content criteria, and brand voice.
• Clear Expectations: Clearly outline all the duties your EA will accomplish, and provide clear benchmarks for success. By doing this, you can make sure that their actions and your vision are in sync.
• Process documentation: Create a manual that details each task’s individual steps. This will make it easier for your EA to adopt a consistent strategy and lower the possibility of misunderstandings.
• Establishing regular check-ins will allow you to address any queries or worries your EA may have. To promote a cooperative and effective working relationship, promote open communication.

By having procedures documented, you may write an extensive handbook that directs your EA through every activity. This tool will aid in properly expressing your expectations and giving them a clear idea of how to carry out their duties. This proactive strategy will ultimately increase their efficacy and streamline your operations.

2. Evaluate your employment choices for a remote executive assistant.

It’s time to start your hunt for the best candidate for your company once you’ve established the position of your EA. The choices and things to think about are broken down as follows:

Freelancing Websites:

• Pros: There is a large pool of skilled experts available on freelancing sites. You can locate EAs with certain talents that meet your needs.
• Cons: The quality can vary, and managing and screening freelancers may take extra effort. Additionally, independent contractors could not receive the same degree of assistance as managed service providers.

Admin Services:

There are several strategies for leading virtual teams, but they all revolve on a few key ideas. Here are 4 guidelines for leading a team online:

• Pros: Managed services offer more thorough assistance that includes tools, training, and a support staff. They frequently operate under contract, giving you more control over the job and expenses.
• Cons: Managed services may be more expensive overall, and the selection process might be limited compared to freelancing platforms.

The key distinction between managed services and freelancing platforms is the level of support they offer to remote executive assistants. Managed services provide more resources and structure, while freelancers offer flexibility. Your needs, budget, and involvement preferences will guide your decision. Managed services offer more certainty due to their organized approach and additional services.

Ultimately, the right choice depends on your specific requirements, budget, and preferences. Carefully consider the pros and cons to select an executive assistant who will add value to your business.

3. Evaluate your employment choices for a remote executive assistant.

When you’ve outlined your executive assistant’s role, it’s time to research and find the right fit for your business. Here’s a simple breakdown of your options:

Freelancing Websites:

• Pros: Offers a wide talent pool with various skills.
• Cons: Quality varies; more management might be needed.

Managed Services:

• Pros: Provides tools, support team, and contract-based collaboration.
• Cons: Can be costlier; limited selection.

The amount of assistance offered by managed services and freelancing platforms varies. While freelancers offer flexibility, managed services give tools, a team, and organised interaction. Packages offered by managed services increase assurance.

Your decision is influenced by your requirements, finances, and preferences. Because of their established assistance, managed services can offer additional assurance. When choosing an executive assistant, weigh the advantages and downsides.

4. Examine the policies at the businesses you’ve identified.

It’s time to review the policies of the businesses on your list that can offer remote executive assistant services. On their websites or by getting in touch with them directly, you may get this information.

Understanding the various working environments, features, and constraints of the organisations you’ve selected can help you employ a qualified EA.

You may also find out if your EA just offers a limited number of channels and applications for communication, or if they provide you additional options. The majority of EAs are likely familiar with popular task management and communication tools like Slack, Asana, Trello, Click Up, Monday.com, and many more.

If you want to know if the EAs at the firm are familiar with the software you use in your workflow, ask the customer success team. Ask whether their services enable you to work with your EA from any location in the world if you frequently go abroad.

You should also investigate their privacy policies to see if they safeguard personal information as well as that of your business. What kind of information is gathered by the business when you use their services, and how could they utilise it? Understanding the company’s rules enables you to decide whether you can trust them with the private information of your business.

5. Speak with the prospective remote executive assistant

It’s time to pick a service provider and meet your assistance once you have a list of businesses and have reviewed their offerings and operating principles.

You must assess the applicant’s abilities and experience to decide whether or not they are a suitable fit. Ask them about previous positions they held, their hiring process, and their typical day to day activities.

A good remote executive assistant needs to be resourceful, pay attention to detail, and have a lot of problem-solving ability. They ought to be capable of multitasking and flexible in changing circumstances. Most essential, they ought to be inspired to support the success of your business

While evaluating the EA in a 30-minute interview may be challenging, you might look into the EA’s prior projects and professional experience to get an idea of how they have done in the past.

6. Discuss how available your assistance is.

It’s important to keep in mind that when you hire a remote executive assistant, they will have their own life and operate on their own schedule. It’s crucial to establish your expectations with them up front because not all services or freelancers will be able to be available 24/7.

Determine the restrictions on their work hours. You should find out what time your remote executive assistant will be accessible if your time zones and theirs differ. If you are working with a remote EA for a while, you should also consider how frequently you will need them.

Some EAs provide their services for a predetermined period each work week. In this situation, you might inquire as to whether those hours can be divided as needed or if they are restricted to a specific period.

Work produced by assistants must be of a high calibre, thus they must be committed. Your wing helpers will therefore be responsible for you. For instance, Wing is by default usable five days a week, eight hours each day. You may choose an eight-hour window at any moment; however, the window must be a continuous period.

Find out if they will be accessible on weekends or during holidays as well. For instance, you may decide whether to anticipate a remote EA to be on call during the whole work week if you’re employing them for a week-long vacation.

Finally, you may go over the various requirements you have for how they should divide up their working hours. This is a useful time to interact if, for example, you want to assign them certain tasks to do just during synchronous hours.

7. Describe your technological and security needs.

Make sure your remote executive assistant has the equipment and software necessary to do their duties before letting them begin. Start by determining how they can contact you most effectively. The platform and communication technique you choose will rely on your demands and those of the other party.

For instance, it could be advantageous for your EA to have access to many CRM platforms if you’re dealing with numerous vendors and business partners in order to improve communication with everyone. Your EA needs access to software if you’re giving them responsibility for bookkeeping, email marketing, or any other tasks.

Furthermore, it’s critical that your EA have some level of proficiency in using these sites if they’re going to handle your social media accounts. They must also understand how to plan content and communicate with people through different platforms.

The requirements for both parties’ security might also be discussed. You should review their privacy and security policy if you’re engaging an EA through managed services. You may learn from this what information they have access to and how they plan to secure your data. To safeguard the contents on their computer, you should also confirm that their work computer is equipped with the necessary security software.

You may feel more secure knowing that your data is secure while your EA is advocating for you if you take all these steps.