Hiring employees is one of the toughest jobs when owning your own business. You have to find time to search, interview and ultimately find “just the right employee”.
An administrative assistant is one of the toughest employees to find. You’re looking for someone with office skills (i.e.: typing, filing, phone answering, etc.) but, you have to look for someone with the exact set of skills that will help your business grow. Because of this, it’s hard to figure out exactly what you want or need in an admin. The perfect candidate will be someone with an ever-changing skill set and someone that can change as your business and needs change.
We conducted a poll of our own to see what the important features people look for in an Administrative Assistant.
- Time Management
Time management and priority management skills are crucial in today’s fast-paced society. Many people make decisions quickly and a business venture could be lost due to not having time managed properly. It comes down to having the right person to back you up and keep you organized and on track.
- Effective Communication
Communication, whether verbal or written, is vital in any industry. Being able to communicate easily and effectively is a learned skill-set. Communication not only includes speaking but body language, as well. Making eye contact and nodding shows you are listening to the person speaking. Effective communication also includes patience, consistency, interpersonal skills. An Administrative Assistant needs to be able to communicate effectively because she is dealing with an internal and external customer base. Ineffective communication can lead to misunderstandings. This could be costly to your business.
- Customer Service
Communication and Customer Service skills go hand in hand. If you cannot communicate effectively, you will not be able to provide good customer service. Customer service skills guarantee that customers will return time and again. Similar to effective communication, to provide great customer service, an Administrative Assistant must have patience, tact, empathy and be able to negotiate.
- Loyalty
Loyalty is a very big trait for an Administrative Assistant to have. As a business person hiring an administrative assistant, you have to trust and believe that the person you are hiring will not steal trade secrets.
- Reliability
An Administrative Assistant is given a lot of responsibility. You need to know that whatever work is given to your assistant, that it will be completed in an appropriate time frame. You need to be able to rely on someone and know that person will follow through.
- Confidentiality
Confidentiality is vital in any business. When working with an Administrative Assistant, there is an expectation of privacy and confidentiality. An administrative assistant should know when to use discretion and judgment in providing information.
All of this is available on demand!!
Hiring is always a tedious process. However, PC Executive Services has already done the legwork for you.
We have taken the time to interview and vet our employees to provide you with all of the traits listed above.
We can provide you with On-Demand Virtual Assistant Services. We have someone that is always available to answer your calls, type a letter or schedule appointments. By utilizing a virtual assistant through PC Executive Services, you don’t have to worry about payroll. You pay by the job. No payroll taxes and paperwork to sort through. We have handled that for you.
Contact us today to learn more about how Virtual Assistants and how we can help your business grow!