A start-up could be tedious so, you will need some extra help. Between busy schedules like meetings with various people managing the business might load up your stress level. To ease yourself of this pain, you can hire a personal assistant. Not only a startup but a manager with a huge workload would require a personal assistant. A personal assistant is a person who could look after the not so important work when you are busy handling the big projects. Let’s know How to Hire a Personal Assistant?
What is a personal assistant?
The job of a personal assistant is to work with a senior manager or executive and help them with their administrative work. A personal assistant can be hired, for various business reasons. The work of a personal assistant is pivotal, and they provide an extra set of hands to the higher authority. The PA working for CEOs and higher-level managers will work on event management and will also handle the traveling and other work of their boss.
Reasons you need a personal assistant?
When the workload is untenable and there are too many things on your plate, you will need extra help. It is time to hire a personal assistant. A personal assistant can be an asset in the growth of the company. If you are not sure about taking the step to hire a Personal assistant, you should consider the following situation, it will give you an idea of why you need a personal assistant.
- You are tired by the end of the day and the workload makes you exhausted, then it is time to bring in some additional help.
- You have just started a business, and you don’t have enough energy to look after all the things.
- You are not able to get everything done within time.
- Your personal life is getting affected due to professional stress.
- You try to push down the mundane work on your employees.
These might be the few reasons you might need the help of a personal assistant.
How to hire a personal assistant?
Hiring a personal assistant could be great for your business. But it can get messy if you don’t know what kind of work you are hiring an assistant for. Below are the steps you should follow while hiring a personal assistant:
- Figure out the things you need help with:
It is the first step of hiring a personal assistant. You need to dig the things you require a personal assistant for. Figuring out the kind of work you need an extra set of hands will be beneficial for you and your company. Here is how you can figure out the work you need help with:
- Make a list of the task: For a week, make a list of things you do on a daily basis. Include every task, be it big or small, in that list. It will help you determine the time that gets spent while doing that particular task. Now this task could be delegated to the assistant. You can also include the things you want to accomplish but get cuts off due to the period.
- Separate the task that can be done by others: After making the list separate, the task that can be delegated to others. The task may be office work, errands, or other things that eat away too much of your time.
- Determine the requirement of the person for that task: Once you have separated the list of tasks that can be done by another person, it is time to determine the requirement of the task. Whether the person needs to be physically present to perform the task or it can be done virtually. Hiring an assistant virtually could be cost-effective.
- Consider the payment amount: Once all the above things are sorted, then you have to determine the payment amount of the assistant. Some might charge a higher amount due to their experience in the field. The amount also depends on the work.
- Start your hunt for the best person:
Now that you are ready with the list of work you need help with, you can start your hunt for the people. Selecting the best person for the job could be a serious challenge. Here is how you can pick the best person as your assistant:
- Check with errand service: For your day-to-day work talk with the errand services. Errand service provides help with daily work. They are local and could be a good pick if you need someone familiar with the vicinity.
- Put up an ad for a personal assistant position: Write a concise ad describing the requirement for the position. Also mention the kind of work the person has to do. Mention qualification requirements. Post the ad on the job website along with the newspaper and different social media sites.
- Narrow the candidates: Once you receive the resume of candidates, narrow it down based on the skills required. Keep in mind the task you need help with while selecting the candidates for the interview.
- Interview questions describing their personal qualities: After the selection of 2- 3 candidates, it’s time for an interview. You can have a phonic interview or an in-person interview. Also, select the kind of questions that would define their personal quality.
- Run a background check: If you have selected a candidate after the interview for being sure about their profile, you can have a quick background check about their work. Also, know if you can trust the person.
- Check the reference: Before making the final decision for selecting a candidate, talk to the companies he has worked with. The reference on his resume will give you an idea about his work and talking with the company’s manager will clear your doubts.
- Hire the person: If you have decided about a specific candidate, hire them. Provide them the details of the work. Make a job offer. Provide them the things they required, while clear their doubts regarding the task.
- Working with your personal assistant:
Once the interview process is completed the person can ask the personal assistant to start working. But before that, some formalities need to be completed. Below are the details:
- Create an agreement: Legal way to work in any company begins with signing the companies’ contract. That is similar to a personal assistant. They must read and sign the employment agreement papers. This way, they agree to take responsibility for the work.
- Have a personnel file of the person: After completion of the hiring process make a personnel file of the personal assistant, and add all the necessary details in them.
- Train the person you have hired: The person you have hired might not know certain work. It is your responsibility to train them. Making them familiar with the job is your number one duty. A little training might polish the skills of the assistant.
Responsibilities of personal assistant
Every company has different work for their personal assistant. The task varies from company to company but below are some common and main responsibilities that a personal assistant takes when accepting the job in the company.
- Deals with phone calls while act as the first point of contact
- Organizing meetings and taking appointments
- Managing travel and transportation
- Preparing reports
- Organizing events
- Reminding the manager about important meetings
Skills required for a personal assistant
The manager, while hiring a personal assistant, looks for specific key skills. If the person has that skill, he gets hired for the job. Here are the skills required to be a personal assistant:
- Trustworthy and discrete
- Good communication skills, both oral and written
- Multitasking skills
- Flexibility and way to adapt to the new environment
- Organization ability
- Learning ability
- Management skills
- Creativity
- Problem-solving ability
- Technology knowledge
Conclusion
A manager hires a personal assistant to make their life easier. The work of a personal assistant includes assisting with the company as well as personal work. A personal assistant would be beneficial for the company since they can take up your simple work so the manager can focus on the company’s big projects. While hiring a personal assistant, the manager looks for a person who is ready to take responsibility. They have better communication and management skills. But the hiring process is lengthy since it requires the manager to be sure about the candidate. Also, the candidate must be trustworthy.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does a personal assistant earn?
Answer: The salary of the personal assistant varies. It depends upon the type of work, whether it is part-time or full-time. But generally, a personal assistant earns $10 per hour. While the average yearly salary ranges from $25,000 to $40,000. The range and experience of a personal assistant play a part in salary.
- Does a personal assistant need to have any specific degree?
Answer: Yes, some companies may require the candidate to have a degree in communication or business. Having a degree also affects the salary amount of the assistant. They get paid higher than the expectation.
