Top five reasons why you should hire a dedicated offshore executive assistant for your business
As your business gets busier, you will need someone who can take care of the daily tasks—everything from filling out the forms, handling your calendar, scheduling appointments, organizing meetings, reviewing reports—the list goes on and on.
Having a dedicated executive assistant who can support you in managing your day-to-day is definitely a good investment but finding the right person to fill this role can be very challenging.
Executive assistants (EAs) are highly skilled professionals with a broad skill set that can be applied to a variety of industries and organizations. Today, as businesses shift to and adopt remote working business models, EAs are starting to reinvent their role and extend their skills beyond the typical administrative support role to more of a strategic one like project management, team coordination, operational communication, and business strategy.
Plus, with the recent shift, it’s not just the executives who find themselves working remotely but also their assistants. This has seen companies embracing the trend toward hiring remote executive assistants and opening a pool of global talent which makes it easier to find the right candidate and meet the growing demand for it.
The benefits of hiring an offshore executive assistant
An offshore executive assistant is someone who works and does the job for you remotely, and this can mean anywhere in the world. Their functions and duties are basically the same as that of an onshore executive assistant, except that the latter involves being physically on-site. The good news is—there are lots of benefits to this!
- Cost-savings
Hiring in a lower-cost economy like the Philippines, you can save up to 70% on employment costs.
- Improved efficiency
Getting an offshore executive assistant will ensure that your tasks are moving in the most streamlined and efficient way possible. That’s why having strong organizational skills is super important!
- Business growth
Having an executive assistant will surely give you peace of mind, knowing that your daily tasks are in good hands. Hiring a dedicated offshore EA means you’re spending less time on a needed resource while increasing the capacity of your onshore team. This also allows you to focus more on growing your business and supporting your team.
- Scalability
Once you’ve set up your EA and have all the processes in place with your outsourcing partner, it’s relatively easy to scale up your offshore operations. Whether you need additional admin support or other expertise such as digital marketing, accounting, bookkeeping, or customer service, you’ve already laid a solid foundation to build on.
- Flexibility
If your business is working in a different time zone, you don’t have to worry as your offshore EA can easily meet your needs and demands and even offer round-the-clock support if needed.
What to look for when hiring an executive assistant
When choosing the right person that fits the bill, it’s important to get someone who could be a trusted gatekeeper, strategic partner, and professional problem-solver.
- Impeccable organization
This might go without saying, but having strong organizational skills is an absolute must for executive assistants. Since the nature of the role is quite demanding and fast-paced, a well-experienced EA knows how to handle it.
- Calm under pressure
Although this is a given, it’s critical that an EA can function and work well under pressure. Look for someone who can stay calm under the pressure of a daunting task with a tight deadline.
- Expert-level communication
Having great communication skills is a huge part of the equation. Since this role acts as a spokesperson for the executive, a good EA must be able to communicate clearly and accurately. Even better if the candidate knows how to ace it both verbally and in writing like drafting internal emails on behalf of their bosses—having these skills is a huge asset!
- Technical skills
Apart from the usual professional tools like Microsoft Office or Google Workspace, EAs today must be proficient in a variety of systems and tools that executives regularly use for their daily activities and transactions.
- Ability to think big
The best EAs are those who can be trusted confidants of their executive bosses. And to play this role, it’s critical that the candidate for the role has a solid understanding of how the business works, the ins and outs, and how to put these into the larger context of the company’s mission and goals.
- Master the art of multi-tasking
You’ve probably heard this a million times, but yes, a certain level of multi-tasking is essential to the role. The key here is finding a rockstar EA who can handle multiple priorities and tasks but still maintain that same level of focus and professionalism.
- Speed and decisiveness
Let’s face it—it’s always a fast-paced world for executive assistants and so it’s best to hire someone who can act quickly and confidently and drive things fast. Somebody who is agile, decisive, and can get things done.
- Cool attitude
A positive attitude goes a long way, right? The same goes for executive assistants. At the end of the day, nobody wants to work with someone with a negative attitude, so might as well look for an EA who is friendly, professional, and has a great overall personality that will surely fit well with your corporate culture.
Working with the right outsourcing partner
Now that you’ve realized the benefits of getting a dedicated offshore EA, the big decision now is to find an outsourcing service provider that can help you get the right person for this role. Of course, there would be tons of options out there but not all are created equal. That’s why it’s important to get the right outsourcing partner and have these things to keep in mind when selecting:
- Collaborative partnership
- Cost savings up to 70%
- Hitting milestones and targets
- Operational excellence
- Security and infrastructure
- >60 Net Promoter Score
Once you’ve decided on your outsourcing service partner, you won’t have to worry about anything else because your provider will take care of it for you. If you’re looking to get a dedicated offshore executive assistant, call us today, and we’ll find the right fit for you and your business!
