How to Handle the Executive Assistant Recruitment Process

The struggle to recruit talent is real. But by following a refined recruitment process, you can make sure you streamline the process, lighten your workload, and attract high-quality candidates.

In today’s candidate-centric world, finding a needle in a haystack can sometimes seem more achievable than finding top talent. However, following a clear, step-by-step search and selection approach can make the recruitment process as simple and efficient as possible.

So, if you’re struggling with your executive assistant recruitment, read on to discover how to handle the recruitment process and how an executive assistant recruiter can help you to build a pool of talented players in a tight job market and engage with the most eligible candidates out there.

What is the Recruitment Process?

An effective recruitment process basically ensures that you find, hire, and retain the best candidates for the roles you are looking to fill. It includes all the steps from briefing your executive assistant recruiter and creating a job description through to selecting candidates, conducting interviews, and ultimately offering someone the job.

In such a competitive market, it’s more important than ever to nail your executive assistant recruitment process if you are going to secure the best possible talent - but it’s about more than just that.

From the moment a candidate sees your job advertisement to the time they walk out of their final interview, they will be forming an opinion about your organisation and its culture. This means that how they are treated throughout the process will form their lasting view of your business and could influence your ability to attract good people in the future.

Basically, it’s crucial that their experience is an accurate and positive representation of what it’s really like to work for your company. So, if you want to nail your recruitment process, here’s what to do…

5 Ways to Handle the Executive Assistant Recruitment Process

1. Create a Clear Brief

When you identify a gap in your team and decide you need to hire a new executive assistant, the first part of the process is identifying your needs and requirements and putting together a detailed brief.

What are the duties and responsibilities of the job? What do you need in terms of knowledge, skills, and experience? From identifying the time frame to determining any desirable and essential criteria, if you’re going to find the right type of hire for your needs, it’s essential that you have a clear brief from which to start your search.

When you work with a specialist recruitment consultancy such as VWA, for example, our entire process is built on our ability to understand your needs and expectations, which is why we explore everything from competencies to work-style preferences, so we can get a true understanding of your company culture.

2. Start Your Search

Once you know what it is you’re looking for, it’s time to identify the right talent and attract and motivate them to apply - and this is where working with a specialist executive assistant recruitment agency can make a real difference.

When you work with VWA, once we know what it is you’re looking for, our expert research consultants will get to work and conduct a thorough search of our established database. Our database has thousands of permanent and temporary candidates, so you can rest assured that whatever you’re looking for, we’ll find the right person.

From there, we’ll then make the call and decide whether it is necessary to conduct a targeted CV search or place an anonymous advertisement on established job boards to extend our reach even further.

3. Candidate Selection

To move forward with the recruitment process, you then need to screen and shortlist your applicants efficiently.

Recent research revealed that 77% of hiring professionals struggle to attract talent due to talent scarcity, whilst 70% report that the competition for well-qualified talent has increased, with 40% reporting they are receiving more unsuitable applicants.

However, when you work with an executive assistant recruiter, you can rest assured that only the best, pre-vetted candidates will be shortlisted - so you can choose from the best of the best.

At VWA, our rigorous selection process means we will only ever deliver small, focused lists of the most relevant candidates. Plus, before you even see a shortlist of candidates, we will also conduct telephone interviews to assess the capability and suitability of each applicant.

And we don’t stop there: suitable candidates are then given a full competency and biographical interview where we will get to know their career goals, determine whether they are the right fit, and identify whether they have the right technical skills and behaviours for your organisation.

Finally, we will present our shortlist of candidates. But we won’t just send over a CV - you’ll also receive a full candidate profile, providing further details of each candidates’ competencies, skills, and aspirations, so you have all the information you could possibly need upon which to base your decision.

4. Interviewing Your Applicants

Once the initial stages of selection have been conducted, your shortlisted applicants will move through the interview process. This could include telephone screening and video interviewing, psychometric testing, and face-to-face interviews.

If you’re concerned about the interview process and aren’t sure what to ask, our team will be happy to provide help and advice. However, generally speaking, it’s a good idea to ask behavioural questions that assess your candidates’ competencies and past performance, as well as more general questions such as:

• What do you consider to be the most important qualities of an Executive Assistant?

• How do you handle confidential information?

• How do you prioritise tasks when faced with multiple deadlines?

• How do you manage relationships with difficult colleagues or clients?

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?

• How do you stay organised?

One of the most common complaints candidates make about a recruitment process is that they didn’t receive feedback after their interview. Even if you decide not to take a candidate through to the next stage, it’s really important to give them feedback.

5. Making an Offer

The final stage of the recruitment process is, you guessed it, choosing the right candidate for the job! When you partner with an executive assistant recruiter, they will continue to guide you through this final stage, negotiating a suitable compensation package, sourcing references, conducting right to work checks, and of course, dealing with any counteroffers.

Plus, with VWA, as part of our aftercare service, we will remain in contact with you and the candidate until the start date and beyond to ensure a smooth and successful transition. To learn more about the onboarding process and to ensure your onboarding strategies are as effective as possible, don’t miss this blog for our top onboarding tips.

Improve Your Recruitment Process with an Executive Assistant Recruiter

With 35 years of experience, VWA is a boutique recruitment and search consultancy with a renowned reputation for building successful, long-term partnerships with our clients and candidates alike.

When you enlist the help of our team to help with your executive assistant recruitment process, you can rest assured that we will be on hand throughout the duration of your hiring journey to ensure a smooth and successful transition.

Keen to learn more about how we can help? Contact us today to find out more.