Five Signs You Need to Hire an Assistant

Many small business owners and entrepreneurs pride themselves on being able to wear several different hats and juggle many different balls at the same time. But is this really something to brag about?

Identifying the Signs

As the leader of your organization, it may not be wise to spend your time micromanaging all the details that go into running your business. Your time could likely be better spent on big-picture strategy such as casting vision and direction for the company. Here are five signs that you need to hire an assistant so you can spend more time on tasks that add value to your business:

1. You’re feeling more stress than usual: Of course, stress is part of the job description for any business owner. But if your business stress level is on the rise, you could lessen it by hiring an assistant to take some work off your plate.
2. You’re overlooking critical details: The bigger and more complex your business gets, the easier it is to miss little details that can have a big impact on the business, tasks an assistant could perhaps handle for you.
3. You sense you’ve been giving your employees short shrift lately: Every minute you spend micromanaging business details that an assistant could manage for you is a minute you’re not investing in your employees, your company’s most valuable asset.
4. You’re not clear on your company’s long-term strategy and direction: And neither are your employees. Offloading tasks to an assistant will free you up to spend more time on big-picture planning and vision casting.
5. You’re working longer hours but feel like less work is getting done: This could be the most obvious sign of all. It will also contribute greatly to the first sign: more business stress.

Hiring an Assistant

If these signs look way too familiar and you decide that, yes, it is time to hire an assistant, keep these pointers in mind as you begin the process:

• Clearly define the job: Spend some time thinking about all the tasks and responsibilities you would like your assistant to assume, and create a detailed job description. This will help you as you begin your search for the right person.
• Don’t look for your clone: Instead of looking for someone with similar skills and strengths as yours, look for candidates whose strengths complement your weaknesses.
• Budget an above-average wage for the position: This is a critical position that you shouldn’t pinch pennies on. Find out what the average wage is for an executive assistant or secretary where you live and plan to pay a little more than that. By doing so, you’ll give your assistant one less reason to keep his or her eye open for other jobs.
• Look for the right personality fit: You and your assistant will likely work very closely together, so a personality fit is important. A candidate who possess all the technical skills and qualifications for the job but with whom you just don’t click is probably not the right person.
• Perform situational interviews: This might include interviews over the phone, via email, in your office, or in a restaurant. You want to see how candidates interact and communicate in a variety of different situations and circumstances.