When considering hiring an assistant, it's important to understand the differences between a virtual assistant and a remote executive assistant. While the terms are occasionally used interchangeably, they actually denote distinct positions that come with differing levels of responsibilities and skills.
Virtual assistants generally handle basic tasks and offer affordable solutions, while remote executive assistants are skilled at managing complex or sensitive tasks such as scheduling and inbox management. They are proactive and seek to add value to your workflow, making them a valuable asset to any team.
When deciding which type of assistant to hire, it's important to consider the complexity of the tasks you need help with, the level of trust you require, and the cost you're willing to pay for the quality of service you need.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Between a VA or a Remote EA
When deciding whether to hire a Virtual Assistant (VA) or a Remote Executive Assistant (EA) for your business, there are some important factors to consider.
A Virtual Assistant is usually an independent contractor who you will pay on a per-task or per-project basis. While they may be less expensive than an EA, their quality can be hit-or-miss depending on the individual or company you work with. Additionally, because they aren't employees, there may be compliance risks associated with hiring them. You will need to provide more hands-on explanation and oversight for the tasks they perform.
On the other hand, a Remote Executive Assistant is more likely to be an employee of a subscription staffing company or the hiring company itself. This means that they are usually highly vetted with a substantial amount of experience and are able to take on more complex tasks. They are better suited for long-term projects that require a high level of trust and confidentiality, and can represent you as a trusted partner. While they are more expensive than a VA, they are able to pick up tasks and run with them based on your priorities and preferences.
The Power of Administrative Assistants in Motivating Your Team
Are you hesitant about hiring an administrative assistant for your business? According to a recent study by The Alternative Board, you might want to reconsider. The study found that on average, entrepreneurs spend 68.1% of their time on daily tasks within their businesses, leaving only 31.9% of their time to work on long-term goals and strategic planning. While administrative tasks are important, they can prevent your business from growing and limit your ability to focus on growth.
Hiring a skilled administrative assistant can help increase your productivity by 15-20%, allowing you to focus on your business's growth. However, many executives and busy professionals are unsure where to start. They may not know the different options available for hiring an administrative assistant, whether to turn to an executive assistant service or hire a full-time employee, or where to find a great assistant.
Considerations for Choosing the Right Assistant: Experience and Employment Status
While the terms are occasionally used interchangeably, they actually denote distinct positions that come with differing levels of responsibilities and skills. However, it’s important to assess their experience level before hiring them. Some may have years of experience supporting top-level executives at large corporations, while others may be new to the workforce.
The role of an executive assistant involves handling a mix of complex and personal tasks, such as scheduling, travel arrangements, and client communication. These skills are not easily acquired overnight, making experience a critical consideration when choosing an assistant.
Employment Status
When hiring a remote assistant, you’ll need to decide whether to hire them as an independent contractor or employee. The independent contractor route may be attractive if you don’t want to bring on a full-time employee, but it comes with compliance risks and independent contractors may not always stick around for the long term.
Tasks that assistants typically handle, such as accessing your emails and schedule, managing your personal life, and representing you to clients and colleagues, require a significant investment of trust, time, and money. It’s important to consider the long-term reliability of the assistant, which can be a problem with independent contractors.
Employees, on the other hand, are properly trained and receive the benefits of W2 employment. Compliance risks are eliminated and they tend to be more reliable over the long term.
Choosing Between Virtual Assistants and Remote Executive Assistants for Your Business
Every company has its own unique needs, which is why choosing between a virtual assistant and a remote executive assistant depends on your specific situation.What is effective for another individual may not be suitable for you. Virtual assistants are self-employed administrative experts who operate remotely or are supplied by a virtual assistant agency. Some virtual assistants do this as a side job, while others make it their career. They typically handle easy, one-off administrative tasks and are a low-cost solution.
Remote executive assistants, on the other hand, are different.
They can be hired in-house or as part of a team from a remote executive assistant service or subscription staffing company. They should be W2 employees. They are highly organized and skilled administrative professionals who focus on supporting management and senior executives with consistency.
Some of the common tasks they perform include time management, project management, communication, email management, travel planning, and scheduling, but they can do much more. They may work with one or several clients.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Between a Virtual Assistant and Remote Executive Assistant for Your Business
When it comes to choosing between a virtual assistant and a remote executive assistant, the differences are subtle but can be significant. To aid in your decision-making process regarding which one is most appropriate for you, take into account the following factors.
Do you need a dedicated assistant for consistent communication? A dedicated assistant works with you long-term on all your individual tasks, while a pool of administrative professionals means assigning tasks to the general pool without knowing who will do them. If your tasks require insider knowledge about your business, a personal touch or knowledge about your preferences, a dedicated solution is your best bet.
Are you comfortable with them being in your emails? If you're not comfortable with the thought of your personal assistant reading your emails, you probably chose the wrong virtual assistant. It's important to consider the sensitivity of your tasks, as some might deal with proprietary or personal information, or have significant potential to impact your company's reputation. For high-knowledge, complex, and sensitive tasks, a dedicated solution is better.
What do you expect for turnaround time? Remote executive assistants are a dedicated solution, meaning turnaround time is much faster than a pool solution.
What's your budget? Using a shared virtual assistant is likely cheaper than a dedicated remote executive assistant. Keep in mind that not every virtual assistant service vets their employees at the same level, meaning experience and skill sets vary wildly, and this is also reflected in pricing.
Do you need an assistant for short-term projects or long-term support? If you need short-term or project-by-project support, you can choose from a variety of different gig-type options for virtual assistants (e.g. Upwork). If you're looking at long-term support, though, a dedicated remote executive assistant is what you need. Make sure the virtual assistant service you choose is retaining their assistants long-term.
In conclusion, the choice between a virtual assistant and a remote executive assistant depends on the tasks you need to complete, the sensitivity of the information involved, your budget, and whether you need short-term or long-term support.
Top Resources for Finding the Best Virtual Assistant Companies in the United States
If you're in need of a virtual assistant, you may already have an idea of what type of assistant you require. The question now is where to locate the most suitable virtual assistants.
In order to support you in making a well-informed decision, we have created a compilation of the top virtual assistant companies situated in the United States. Additionally, we've provided some helpful tips for selecting the best virtual assistant for your needs.
One helpful resource for finding virtual assistant companies is virtualassistantassistant.com. On this website, you can find authentic reviews from customers concerning various virtual assistant companies, along with cost comparisons and comprehensive overviews of the pros and cons associated with the most prevalent virtual assistant companies on offer.
Exploring Boldly's Subscription Staffing Solution for Hiring Remote Executive Assistants
If you want a more permanent and high-quality solution, you may want to consider hiring a dedicated remote executive assistant. You can go about this in several ways, such as posting a job and hiring someone in-house, looking through remote staffing agencies, or trying subscription staffing from Boldly. Whatever path you choose, finding an executive assistant you can trust is crucial.
Boldly offers a unique solution for hiring high-quality remote talent by allowing business owners and executives to subscribe to extremely talented assistants for a single monthly payment. They provide access to Fortune-500 trained talent for long-term key roles.
This approach solves three problems when looking for a dedicated remote executive assistant:
Eliminates the need to recruit and hire on your own, which can be costly. On average, it costs over $4,000 to recruit and almost $2,000 to train a new in-house employee before paying any salary.
Offers a long-term assistant, which is valuable. The team members have flexible, stable, W2 employment with benefits and a company focused on their happiness and retaining them for the long term. This is more than double the industry average.
Provides an assistant of the highest quality. You'll get to work with someone who has been thoroughly vetted and has more than 10+ years of professional experience as an executive assistant.
Premium subscription staffing is becoming increasingly popular because more leaders demand the flexibility to scale quickly at a lower cost and without the hassle of recruiting and hiring.
Maximizing the Benefits of Delegating Administrative Tasks
No matter which option you choose, whether hire virtual assistant or a remote executive assistant, delegating your administrative responsibilities is a positive move. By doing so, you can reclaim your time and concentrate on expanding and improving your business, while still ensuring that day-to-day operations run smoothly.
However, deciding how to delegate and which option to choose requires careful thought. If you want to learn more about subscribing to your next remote executive assistant, you can reach out to us here.
