Hiring a personal assistant but don’t know where to begin? You’ve come to the right place!
While hiring a personal assistant is undoubtedly a personal decision, there are some general criteria you can consider that will make the process run more smoothly!
Here are the top 5 decisions you need to make:
1. Decide Whether A Personal Assistant Is Really Right For You
You might need a personal assistant if you:
– Feel tired at the end of every day
– Don’t have enough time for the things most important to you
– Could use more mental space
– Would like more balance in your life
– Spend too much time on a lot of tedious tasks which can be easily outsourced
– Are always forgetting to do important things
2. Decide On The Type Of Personal Assistant You Need
Personal Assistants come in all shapes and sizes. Some personal assistants are meticulous planners, while others fly by the seat of their pants. These can both be a good thing depending on your needs.
If you need someone who can handle uncertainty, cope with last minute schedule changes and mitigate disaster at the drop of a hat, you might want someone flexible. However, if you are very precise with your time and need meetings planned in detail down to the microsecond, you might want to consider someone more particular.
To get you started, here are descriptions of the 4 types of personal assistants.
3. Decide On The Tasks You Can Hand Off & The Skills You Need
Before you begin the hiring process, you have to decide on what skills you need and what tasks you will be handing off.
Personal assistants have experience with things you might not expect; like dog walking, babysitting, and even grocery shopping. They are also known to be tech-savvy, with good communication and organizational skills. So decide on the tasks you are willing to hand off and make sure your assistant can handle them.
4. Decide On A Budget, Job Description, Benefits etc.
What’s your budget?
What’s the job description?
Will there be benefits?
Are there any must haves or deal breakers?
Guess what? Hiring a personal assistant is just like hiring any other employee! So you should take the same steps you would to find qualified candidates for any other position.
Finally…
5. Decide On A Test Run, Collaborate, & Reassess!
Once you’re confident you’ve found a good fit, do a test run by offloading a few small-to-medium priority tasks.
Your personal assistant will have an outside perspective of your life that you don’t. They’re natural problem solvers. So allow your new assistant to spend a few days shadowing your life, and getting a feel for your home and work day. Then collaborate on new ways to optimize your time.
The best personal assistants can see your needs without you having to ask. So now’s the time to find out whether they see any places for improvement or efficiency you left out. Assess and reassess the nature of the job and make changes accordingly.
Finding your stride with a personal assistant is an ongoing process. Like any new employee, expect it to take anywhere from 3-6 months before you are completely comfortable with one another. However, with these tips in mind, hopefully there will be fewer growing pains as you adjust to your new less-stressful and newly prioritized life!
If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send us an email, and my team will get in touch with you!
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