How to Hire an Executive Assistant

Why this role matters

An executive's time is one of the scarcest resources in a company, and the EA controls most of it. A strong EA prepares the executive for every meeting, keeps commitments from slipping and acts as a trusted point of contact for the board, clients and staff. A weak fit creates missed preparation, frustrated stakeholders and an executive who ends up doing their own admin.

Where to find candidates

• Specialist PA and EA recruitment agencies, which keep vetted networks of senior assistants
• IAAP members and CAP holders, plus ASAP's community and events
• LinkedIn searches for EAs who have supported executives at a similar level and company stage
• Referrals from executives and EAs in your network, which is how many senior assistants move
• Strong administrative assistants inside your company ready for a step up
• Chief of staff and EA communities and newsletters where senior assistants share roles

Skills to look for

Red flags

• Describes the job only in terms of booking meetings, with no example of shaping the executive's priorities
• Shares identifiable details about a former executive's private or business matters
• Defers every decision, with no example of acting on their own judgement within agreed limits
• Struggles to name how they handled a conflict between two senior people both wanting the executive's time
• Has never supported someone at a comparable level and has not thought about what changes at that level

The interview process

1. 1

   Executive briefing

   Before advertising, have the executive write down their working style, recurring commitments, pet frustrations and what they want to hand off. This defines the role and lets you test for fit later.

2. 2

   Screening call

   Ask who they have supported, how many executives at once and which decisions they made alone. Note how they talk about former executives, since discretion shows from the first conversation.

3. 3

   Diary-and-priorities work sample

   Give a mock week with an overbooked calendar, an urgent board request, a client asking to meet, a flight change and an email to draft on the executive's behalf. Ask them to rework the week and explain what they declined, moved or escalated. A job simulation of the real work is one option if you want every finalist to tackle the same week.

4. 4

   Meeting with the executive

   Let the executive and candidate talk through how they would work together: how they share information, when to interrupt and how to handle sensitive matters. Chemistry matters, but score it against the briefing rather than gut feel.

5. 5

   References

   Speak to former executives directly. Ask what they could stop worrying about once the candidate was in place.

How to evaluate

• Quality of priority calls in the work sample and the reasoning behind them
• Written drafts that match the executive's tone and need little editing
• Discretion shown throughout the process
• Initiative within sensible limits
• Composure with competing senior demands
• Fit with the executive's working style as described in the briefing

Onboarding

• 1Give delegated access to email and calendar on day one, with clear rules on what they may accept or decline
• 2Have the executive spend time daily with the EA in the first weeks talking through priorities and people
• 3Share a stakeholder map with key relationships and how each person prefers to be contacted
• 4Agree a weekly planning session as a standing habit
• 5Hand over recurring commitments, travel preferences and expense processes in writing

Common questions