Challenges of finding good online executive assistants

The hiring process of any team player presents its own set of challenges, and finding a good online executive assistant is no different. We can confidently say that almost no one knows this struggle better than us. At Viva, we specialize in hiring top-quality executive assistants and match them with startup executives all over the US. 

That’s why –more than 100 executive assistants in – we know how hard it can be (every week our talent team screens between 350 and 400 resumes and hires 1 EA on average). But we also know how satisfying it is when you find the right person, someone who has their executive’s best interest at heart and truly changes their life for the better. In this blog, we want to share some of our best practices so you can also find an outstanding EA who fits all your needs. 

Download our customizable job description template and find the best EA for your needs.

Table of contents: 

• The growing need for online executive assistants
• Challenges of finding a good assistant
• Strategies for finding the right assistant
• Tools and platforms for finding assistants

The growing need for online executive assistants

Not that long ago, the norm seemed to be that the only person who could get an executive assistant was the CEO of the company, and that it was only possible for established companies, not startups. But time has shown that there are more and more startups adding executive support to their benefit packages, especially, but not limited to, the executives at the company. 

This is one of the indicators that shows having an EA shouldn’t be a privilege reserved for those at the very top. But why are the fastest-growing startups in the country hiring EAs for so many of their team members? 

These are the three main reasons. 

1. Executives must be more productive than ever
   
   Startups tend to have a “move fast and break things” kind of culture, which means that things need to get done now. That’s why, when an executive joins a new company, a lot is expected of them and in as short a time as possible. That fast pace is expected to start from very early on and to be maintained over time. Following that logic, executives are expected to always show results, but how can they do that by themselves and not end up burning out? In our experience, the best answer to that question is to get EA support to alleviate some of the pain they might be experiencing.
   
2. Executives have to lead global teams
   Gone are the days where work meant physically going to an office and leading a small team you could literally look at from your desk. Startups are growing so quickly, that they know no borders, and teams quickly become global. One of the executives we support, for instance, has team members scattered across six different time zones. How can she be expected to do her job and lead a team that needs around-the-clock support? It’s only possible with an executive assistant who acts as a project manager and helps her lead her team more efficiently.
3. Executives need to focus on impactful work rather than admin tasks
   There’s a famous sentence repeated by many that says: If an executive doesn’t have an assistant, they’re their own assistant, and what this refers to is the fact that startup executives have so much on their to-do list, they simply need someone to deal with the admin work. If your CHRO has two free hours, what would you prefer them to do: hire your next team leader or spend that time trying to catch up with their overflowing email? That’s exactly the point of having an EA: it allows your executive leadership team to produce results, not having them complete repetitive tasks every day.

Challenges of finding a good assistant

There are many reasons to look for online executive assistants as opposed to on-site EAs: the caliber of the talent might be stronger elsewhere, your company is already fully remote so it only makes sense to look online, or you might be looking to cut costs by hiring from a less expensive market. Whatever the reason might be, the challenges that may arise from hiring online can make the process long and tiresome. In our experience, three main challenges pose themselves when you’re looking for online executive assistants:

1. Quality and reliability
   Some of our customers have come to us with the need of getting an executive assistant, but they’re hesitant. The reason is that they’ve previously worked with either online or on-site EAs and haven’t had the best experiences. In some cases, the quality of the talent was not what they expected and, as a result, they received minimal return on their investment In other cases, they simply couldn’t trust their EAs with big projects, because they were not reliable.
   
   We understand the pain this can cause and that’s exactly why all the executive assistants we hire must overgo an extensive training before pairing them up with a startup executive, regardless of how many years of experience they already have.
   
   When you hire someone internationally on your own without having a local presence, you often face challenges with retention and stability. This is because integrating a solo employee into your organization is harder without a support network in their location. On the other hand, partnering with a local firm means they have multiple employees in the same city or country, which facilitates better integration and stability. If you’re based in the US, you might not even notice these challenges because the partner manages them effectively on the ground.
2. Communication barriers
   In a globalized world, there is no reason to hire within your state or even the country. At Viva, we are convinced that top talent can be found anywhere, independent of location. In fact, most of our executive assistants are based in Latin America and we’ve seen nothing but outstanding results.
   
   That being said, it’s true that our recruiting team conducts hundreds of interviews and finds only a couple of the most exceptional candidates. One of the main reasons is that when you hire talent from a non-English-speaking country, the communication barriers are greater. Finding an EA outside the US who is completely fluent in English is no easy feat. That’s why each new hire at Viva must have a C1 or C2 level of English and prove it by taking a test and passing several rounds of interviews held exclusively in English.
3. Cultural differences
   The fast-paced nature of American startups is not necessarily characteristic outside of the US. Some countries have a more relaxed way of working and enough talented people who operate at a different pace. The right EA for you is not someone who just looks good on paper; it has to be someone who gets the way you talk and think, understands your needs, and acts with a sense of urgency at all times.
   
   In fact, some of our greatest hires came from diverse backgrounds and didn’t have enough EA experience. Nevertheless, our talent team read between the resume lines and saw that their skills, character, and proactiveness were exactly what we were looking for. Some of those now-established EAs started off as teachers, nutritionists, and even equestrian coaches. But are now supporting some high-profile executives in the US and get outstanding ratings from their executives consistently.
   
   We’re always looking for individuals with a driver mindset, EAs who don’t just simply wait for instructions, but actually make executive decisions themselves – always with their executive’s best interests at heart. And that’s one of the reasons we hire EAs with previous experience at US companies or who have studied at American universities. 

Strategies for finding the right assistant

• Clear job description
  To attract an exceptional executive assistant, your job listing must stand out and set the right tone. Avoid posting generic job descriptions; instead, be precise about your requirements. Be specific about your most pressing needs, and discuss your working style and company culture.
  

• Interview process
  The interview process reveals a great deal about the candidate. Use this time wisely and make sure you prepare for the interview as the candidate has prepared themselves to land the job. If you’ve never interviewed an EA, use our guide to get truly insightful information about an EA. Basic steps include:
  
  – Research the candidate beforehand
  – Craft effective interview questions
  – Ask situational and behavioral questions
  – Assess their problem-solving abilities
  – Evaluate soft skills such as proactiveness, communication, and time management
  – Assess their technical skills on the tools you need them to be proficient in
  

• Trial periods
  Establish a trial period to determine if the EA fits the company culture and, of course, their role. Recognizing when it’s time to let someone go can be tough, but it’s essential. If an individual consistently falls short despite clear guidance, training, and support, it may be time to consider a separation. Ask yourself these five questions to determine if it’s time to make a change:
  
  – Is this person delivering the expected results?
  – Have they violated company or customer policies?
  – Are customers, vendors, or coworkers complaining about them?
  – Have they become complacent and stopped striving to excel?
  – Do they frequently overpromise and underdeliver?If the answers to these questions are clear, don’t hesitate to end the relationship. It’s not beneficial for a business to retain an underperforming employee, and likewise, there’s no reason for someone to stay in a role they cannot or will not fulfill.

Tools and platforms for finding assistants
There are many ways to look for your next executive assistant but remember: the right EA will become an extension of you, and enhance your productivity and organizational efficiency, while the wrong hire can be a costly mistake. 

• Freelance platforms
  Searching for an executive assistant online, particularly on freelance platforms like Fiverr or Upwork, can be a smart move, but it’s crucial to vet candidates extensively before making a decision. While online platforms offer a broad talent pool, not all candidates will meet your specific needs. Start by carefully reviewing their profiles, and paying close attention to their experience and skills. Look for reviews and ratings from previous clients to gauge their reliability and performance. Conduct thorough interviews and give them a small test task to evaluate their competency and work ethic.
  

• Professional networks
  If you don’t have capacity to put in a large amount of time searching and vetting an executive assistant, go to your network. Marcia Diaz, an experienced EA, told us how she got a job thanks to a tweet. Someone simply asked their network for EA referrals, and Marcia’s resume happened to be on that person’s desk. Ask other founders or executives you know. One of them might have the perfect candidate for you.
  

• Executive assistant subscription service
  If you want to reduce the chances of a bad hire, a great option is to go with an executive assistant subscription service. We have paired over one hundred EAs with startup executives all over the US, and have seen firsthand how they become a productivity booster for the exec and their team. One of the secrets to their success is that they don’t operate alone, Viva EAs receive continuous training and support, which keeps them on top of their game and de-risks the chances of pairing an exec with a less-than-ideal executive assistant. 

If you’re thinking about bringing an EA to your team, let’s chat. We might be able to guide you in the process or, in the worst case scenario, if we can’t help you, our team will at least point you in the right direction and share some of the learnings on the pros and cons of hiring in-house vs working with a service provider.