Executive Assistants
How do you hire an EA for enterprise-grade companies?
Mar 24, 2026
5 min read
TL;DR
To hire an EA for enterprise-grade companies, start by choosing the right hiring model: hiring a full-time in-house executive assistant, using a staffing or recruiting firm, or working with a managed virtual EA service.
Each model balances speed, control, and operational coverage differently. If you’re evaluating how to hire a great EA, this guide shows where to find candidates, how to choose the right hiring model, and what enterprise teams prioritize when hiring executive support.
“Notion decided to partner with a remote EA solution because we needed to be able to scale and we needed to be able to do that fast and without a huge expense. ” – Latoya Freeman, Exec Ops Partner at Notion
Table of contents
- How to choose the right hiring model
- How to hire a great EA
- Hiring model comparison
- Hiring model 1: Full-time in-house EA
- Hiring model 2: Staffing or recruiting firm
- Hiring model 3: Virtual EA (managed service)
- Fit-check questions to choose the right model
- What great EA hiring looks like in enterprise environments
- FAQs
How to choose the right hiring model
Leaders trying to hire an EA for enterprise-grade companies usually have three practical options: hiring an employee directly, working with a recruiting firm, or using a managed executive assistant service.
Each hiring model helps answer the same question: How can I hire a great EA while balancing speed, operational complexity, and executive support quality?
Organizations exploring how to hire a great EA often move among these models as they scale. Early hires may be internal, while later executive teams often adopt structured support services that reduce recruiting overhead.
This simple framework helps leaders determine how to hire a great EA quickly while choosing the hiring model that best fits their organization.
How to hire a great EA
If you’re researching how to hire a great EA, most enterprise teams follow a similar process:
- Define the workflows the executive assistant will own
- Choose the right hiring model (internal, staffing, or managed service)
- Evaluate candidates using practical work samples
- Confirm communication, organization, and judgment skills
- Establish clear expectations and onboarding processes
To hire an EA for enterprise-grade companies often involves documenting executive workflows early so assistants can ramp faster and manage leadership operations effectively.
If you want insight into an effective and detailed hiring process, see our guide on how to hire a great EA step-by-step.
Hiring model comparison
Leaders deciding how to hire a great EA often compare these hiring models before starting the recruiting process.
Hiring model 1: Full-time in-house EA
Where to find candidates
- Indeed: Widely used job board for executive assistant roles
- LinkedIn Jobs: Helpful for targeting experienced executive assistants
- Internal referrals: Often the highest-quality source when companies hire an EA for enterprise-grade companies
Hiring internally is the traditional approach when organizations want long-term executive partnerships and deep institutional knowledge.
Teams researching how to hire a great EA frequently start with internal recruiting because the assistant can integrate fully with leadership teams, internal systems, and company culture.
Best fit when:
- The EA will support senior leadership long-term
- The role requires deep organizational context
- Leadership prefers direct employment
Trade-offs
- Recruiting and interviewing take more time than other models
- Coverage gaps may occur during PTO or turnover
- Ramp time may be longer
If you’re evaluating recruiting strategies, read more about how to assess a great EA and avoid a bad hire.
Hiring model 2: Staffing or recruiting firm
Where to find services
- Robert Half: Widely used for administrative and EA staffing
- Randstad: Global recruiting firm with enterprise reach
- Adecco: Large administrative recruiting network
Many organizations hire an EA for enterprise-grade companies through staffing partners when internal recruiting teams are already managing multiple roles.
Staffing firms simplify sourcing and screening, which helps leaders researching how to hire a great EA reduce hiring timelines.
Best fit when:
- You need qualified candidates quickly
- Your HR team needs recruiting support
- You want a temp-to-perm option
Trade-offs
- Placement fees vary
- Candidate quality depends on the firm’s vetting process
- Internal teams still manage onboarding
You may want to review how executive assistant staffing services typically work before choosing this option.
Hiring model 3: Virtual EA (managed service)
Where to find services
- Viva: Managed remote executive assistants with structured onboarding
- Prialto: Team-based executive assistant service
- Boldly: Premium fractional executive assistants
More organizations now hire an EA for enterprise-grade companies through managed services when leadership teams need executive support quickly without managing a long recruiting process.
“I was expecting onboarding to take 3 months, but within 1 week our EAs had been up and running like they’ve been part of Shippo for a while.” Teryle Aguilar, SVP of People at Shippo
Managed services typically provide structured onboarding, operational coaching, and replacement coverage to ensure continuity. For companies evaluating how to hire a great EA, this model reduces recruiting overhead while still delivering experienced executive support.
Best fit when:
- You want executive support quickly
- You prefer structured onboarding and coaching
- Continuity and coverage matter
Trade-offs
- Less direct employment control
- Requires clear workflows and communication processes
“By the time Dani came into our organization, she was already trained on so many of the day-to-day fundamentals of how to operate a business ” – Harris Ligon, CEO, at Telegraph
If you want to compare providers, see our guide to the best executive assistant services.
Fit-check questions to choose the right model
Before you hire an EA for enterprise grade companies, answer these quick questions to determine how to hire a great EA for your organization.
Do you need the assistant embedded in internal systems?
→ Internal hiring may be best.
Do you want help sourcing candidates quickly?
→ Staffing firms may be the right approach.
Do you want executive support quickly without managing recruiting?
→ Managed virtual EA services may be the best fit.
When People leaders need to hire an EA for enterprise-grade companies, they often test multiple hiring models before settling on the approach that best fits their leadership structure.
What great EA hiring looks like in enterprise environments
According to a Gartner survey of HR leaders, 75% believe managers are overwhelmed with responsibilities, while 70% report that current leadership development programs are not adequately preparing managers for the demands ahead.
When organizations hire an EA for enterprise-grade companies, the role often extends far beyond administrative tasks; that’s exactly why enterprise teams are expanding the EA role beyond admin tasks. Here’s what experienced executive assistants commonly handle:
- Executive calendar management
- Inbox triage and communications
- Meeting preparation and follow-up
- Travel coordination and logistics
- Cross-team scheduling
- Executive task tracking
- Operations and special projects
Leaders researching how to hire a great EA often prioritize judgment, discretion, and organizational skills above purely administrative experience.
According to U.S. labor statistics, executive assistants earn average salaries above $70,000 in the United States, reflecting the level of responsibility and trust associated with the role.
Organizations that hire an EA for enterprise-grade companies frequently see productivity gains when executive assistants manage scheduling, coordination, and communication workflows for leadership teams.
Ready to choose the right EA hiring model?
If you’re still on the fence about the best way to hire an EA, the fastest and most effective path is often starting with experienced executive support that already has onboarding, workflows, and coverage built in.
Viva provides remote executive assistants trained to support leadership teams with calendar management, inbox coordination, meeting preparation, and much more. Talk with our team to see if a managed EA model fits your organization.
FAQs
How long does it take to hire an EA for enterprise companies?
Internal hiring may take several weeks, while staffing firms or managed virtual EA services can often provide candidates within days. With Viva, you can get started in under 24 hours.
What experience should a great EA have?
Leaders typically prioritize executive support experience. Our recommendation is to look less at past experience and more at transferable skills, such as strong communication skills and the ability to manage complex schedules.
Can one EA support multiple executives?
Depending on their contract. With Viva, one EA can support up to three executives.
Are virtual executive assistants secure enough for enterprise companies?
Yes. Many managed providers implement confidentiality policies, access controls, and secure collaboration tools to support executive workflows. This is how you can keep your executive workflows secure with a virtual EA.
What is the biggest mistake when hiring an EA?
The biggest mistake when hiring an EA is underestimating the importance of defining responsibilities, tools, and workflows before hiring.
–
Fadua is a bilingual advertiser and holds a master’s degree in creative writing. With over ten years of experience, she has written countless advertising and social media campaigns, blogs, interviews, and everything in between. She writes about startups, the impact of executive assistants, and the stories behind their work. When she’s not writing, she is spending quality time with her husband and son, hiking, reading, or discovering new cafés.
