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Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

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Re: Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

#11

Post by randycupertino »

Oversight is extremely important for a PA. We had one at one of my old firms charging 10k of personal charges to her boss' cards and then just approving it herself because she did the invoicing and his approvals.

If I recall, she billed a $470 custom tiered birthday cake for her boyfriend to the card and also had her Equinox membership on it.

EAs are safer ground and less risk but with PAs they can become too entrenched in personal tasks which tends to breeds resentment and bring on the "fraud triangle" of pressure, opportunity, rationalization.

Re: Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

#12

Post by version_five »

sillysaurusx wrote: post #7

If you need a personal assistant for your day to day life due to how much you're working, consider the idea that perhaps you're working too much. CEO or not, no one needs to let their work consume their life. It's your job to set an example for the rest of the team. Others might see how much you're working and assume that they need to, too. I've seen it happen a few times. EDIT: Sorry, I failed to mention, my comment…

My interpretation was that the person likes doing their work and wants to outsource distractions. For a fixed amount of work / day, it's better to spend as much as possible where you're most effective, imo. I have a cleaner and order takeout not because I'm theoretically too busy to clean and cook, but because I'd rather outsource so I can do other stuff.

Put another way, trade is better for everyone.

Re: Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

#13

Post by mmaunder »

Consider an office manager instead. It better describes the requirements that extend into your organization, and it’s one of the best early hires a growing org can make. If they shine, consider letting them take on HR tasks if you don’t already have an internal HR resource.

Re: Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

#16

Post by sillysaurusx »

throw123123123 wrote: post #9
sillysaurusx wrote: post #7

If you need a personal assistant for your day to day life due to how much you're working, consider the idea that perhaps you're working too much. CEO or not, no one needs to let their work consume their life. It's your job to set an example for the rest of the team. Others might see how much you're working and assume that they need to, too. I've seen it happen a few times. EDIT: Sorry, I failed to mention, my comment…

Says the person that didn't make their own forks

Arranging a dentist appointment and making your own fork is a very different amount of time commitment.

Re: Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

#17

Post by actually_a_dog »

sulam wrote: post #8

I’ve had an EA for three years dedicated to me (before that in my career it was always shared). They are definitely a super power, but only if you trust them. They really have to have a lot of context to do things you’d normally be doing. Without that trust you aren’t going to be getting the full potential out of the role. I’ll give one example. My EA is aware that I have a desire to take some time off through the re…

That's interesting. Are you saying that instead of telling her "I want to take next Friday off," she tells you "I cleared your schedule for next Friday so you can take off?"

Re: Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

#18

Post by sillysaurusx »

version_five wrote: post #12
sillysaurusx wrote: post #7

If you need a personal assistant for your day to day life due to how much you're working, consider the idea that perhaps you're working too much. CEO or not, no one needs to let their work consume their life. It's your job to set an example for the rest of the team. Others might see how much you're working and assume that they need to, too. I've seen it happen a few times. EDIT: Sorry, I failed to mention, my comment…

My interpretation was that the person likes doing their work and wants to outsource distractions. For a fixed amount of work / day, it's better to spend as much as possible where you're most effective, imo. I have a cleaner and order takeout not because I'm theoretically too busy to clean and cook, but because I'd rather outsource so I can do other stuff. Put another way, trade is better for everyone.

But it doesn't matter if you like doing your work. If you're working all the time, to the point where you can't arrange a doctor's appointment, you're working way too much. When you're in a leadership position, it's a matter of time until it impacts the rest of the team.

The one personal task that takes a lot of time that I'd consider outsourcing would be to go to the store to pick up my prescriptions. But even that gives me a chance to reflect. It's really quite hard to imagine that it's a significant loss not having a personal assistant.

What are some tasks that need to be outsourced?

(Another way to phrase it: The rest of their team probably don't have personal assistants. If it's a work necessity, they should consider making a personal assistant a company benefit.)

Re: Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

#19

Post by polote »

helsinki wrote: post #4

I found my personal assistant on Craigslist. Very happy I found her. I put up a simple posting, ‘computer programmer seeking personal assistant’. Turns out she was tired of being an au pair and decided this would be a better fit. It’s really life changing. I highly recommend it. She pays my bills, responds to emails, cleans up the apartment, walks my dog, manages grocery shopping and occasionally cooks, etc. It’s not…

You usually don't have a sentimental relationship with her, that's another difference
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