If you are an avid reader of our blogs, you know that we have already talked about almost anything and everything about hiring and working with virtual assistants. From what virtual assistants actually do to the benefits of having one in your team, we’ve got you covered. So, why write about the benefits of having an executive assistant this time? Aren’t executive assistants essentially administrative virtual assistants?
In our discussion about the kinds of virtual assistants you can hire, we did mention that an administrative virtual assistant functions as an executive assistant. However, we think executive assistants deserve their own article as they provide a different set of benefits altogether.
Well, then. Let’s get into it, shall we?
1. Higher Productivity
Unlike administrative virtual assistants who provide support for just about anyone in the company, executive assistants, by definition, are senior office staff members who exclusively support top executives. This means that they get to perform tasks that can potentially affect the success of a company.
Executive assistants get to do a little bit of everything (anything that grabs their executive’s attention to be exact). You can ask them to do research, prepare reports, schedule meetings, take minutes, make reservations, organise important files, connect with clients, write, edit, and proofread materials, compose internal and external communication, and the list goes on.
Executive assistants love a good challenge, so you can count on them to always be up for any task you shoot their way while you focus on doing what only you can do.
2. Improved Communication
As executive assistants work with top executives, they get to meet and connect with a variety of people, such as clients and business executives from different fields. The nature of their job also provides them with the opportunity to touch on almost, if not all, key aspects of a company’s operations. This means that they are probably friends with almost everyone in the company.
Executive assistants are the point of contact between executives, employees, clients, and other internal or external parties. You can count on them to know who’s who and how to reach people should you need to connect with them personally.
In case you don’t have time to connect with these people yourself, executive assistants can serve as your spokesperson. In your absence, they serve as your human face or voice. They are great communicators who can draft emails, make phone calls, and respond to questions on your behalf in a way that represents you and your business.
3. Access to More Ideas and New Perspectives
You can say that executive assistants are like the right-hand man of an executive. Trusted executive assistants get front-row tickets to executive board meetings (which, by the way, they also organise) and have first-hand access to important information related to the business.
Top executives can seek guidance and counsel from their executive assistants in both great and small matters as they trust that they have enough exposure to and knowledge of the business and its operation.
Executive assistants are decision-makers who enjoy analysing the advantages and disadvantages of certain decisions that have to do with business strategy, so executives will find throwing ideas with them refreshing, mentally stimulating, and productive.
4. Better Planning and Organisation
Part of executive assistants’ duties and responsibilities is to manage their executive’s personal and professional schedule, making sure that they fit important events into their jam-packed calendars. They know how to strategically prioritise events and maximise their executive’s limited time each day.
Executive assistants are on top of their own schedules as well. They are super-organised individuals who most likely keep a daily checklist where they list down their pre-work morning routine, their end-of-work routine, and other tasks in between.
Super executive assistants are like mind-readers and fortune tellers who have the ability to anticipate the needs of their executive and foresee issues that might arise. They plan when to check their executive’s email and sort them out based on the level of urgency and when to check in with their executive without causing interruption.
5. Constant Support
Although executive assistants are assigned to support an executive of a company, they are also quite capable of providing support for anyone in the company when necessary. With the set of skills that they possess, executive assistants can pretty much do anything. Executives can rest assured that everyone in their company is also getting ample support from a trusted team member.
Is there anyone who needs information on upcoming projects? They can rely on executive assistants to fill them in on the key goings on in the company. As executive assistants are privy to their executive’s plans for the company, they can share this information (of course, with permission from their executive) with other employees.
Does the event planning committee need extra hands? Executive assistants are all about keeping people happy and making sure that everyone has everything they need. They won’t mind helping out with picking out gifts or prizes for Christmas parties or Halloween celebrations and decorating the party venue (once COVID is out of the picture).
6. More Value for Less Money
The average salary of an executive assistant from the Philippines ranges from P216,000 to P720,000 a year, depending on the level of expertise. In Australian dollars, this amounts to about $6,000 to $20,000 annually. According to Payscale, the average yearly salary of an executive assistant in Australia is $71,925/year.
At Remote Staff, we do not encourage exploiting remote workers from countries with low-cost labour such as the Philippines. What we’re saying is why spend as much as $71,925 every year for an executive assistant if you can have one for $20,000 all for the same value?
Filipino executive assistants can provide as much support as other executive assistants from Australia and other countries, but for a much lower price that matches the cost of living in the Philippines. It’s a fair deal for everyone.
Executive assistants are truly indispensable. They are capable of performing the tasks required of them as per their job description and more. The organisational role of executive assistants extends beyond supporting the executive assigned to them. They are troubleshooters who are able to support others’ work when necessary, giving them extra time and more freedom to accomplish bigger things for the company.
